Category Archives: Records, All

After Priest’s Death in Karnataka Landslide, Kodavas Demand Their Duties Back at Talacauvery

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All
Every year, lakhs of devotees visit Talacauvery and Bhagamandala to offer prayers to goddess Cauvery. (News18 Kannada)
Every year, lakhs of devotees visit Talacauvery and Bhagamandala to offer prayers to goddess Cauvery. (News18 Kannada)

The Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu, Anees Kanmani Joy has informed the Kodavas that she would discuss their demand at the highest level and would try to find a solution at the earliest.

The recent torrential rains and landslide resulted in the deaths of the chief priest and his family members at Talacauvery, the birthplace of river Cauvery. The Brahmin priest Narayana Achar, his wife and three other family members perished in a huge landslide, last week.

Now, the Kodava community, the natives of the hilly district, have demanded that the state government should return priestly duties to them from the Brahmins. Locals fear that if this issue is not dealt with carefully, it might lead to a legal battle which could take on a political colour.

Every year, lakhs of devotees visit Talacauvery and Bhagamandala to offer prayers to goddess Cauvery. Amma Kodavas, a priestly class among the Kodavas have made an official request to the Deputy Commissioner of the district in this regard.

According to them, the pooja and all other associated rituals at Talacauvery were handled by Amma Kodavas for centuries and the Brahmins had no role in Kodava religious traditions and rituals. About 150 years ago, after the annexation of princely state of Kodagu or Coorg by the British in mid-19th century, the priestly jobs were transferred to the Brahmins from the neighbouring Mysore kingdom.

Since then, the Brahmins have been conducting all religious activities at Talacauvery, which is a holy place for the Kodavas and other communities. According to Amma Kodava community leader Bananda N Prathyu, their community had transferred the rights of worship to Brahmins due to certain reasons. However, they argue that there are hundreds of historical records to prove their claims that Amma Kodavas have an ancient connection with river Cauvery and its origins.

“We are the original inhabitants of Kodagu district. We are nature worshippers. Cauvery is our goddess. We have the first right to worship at Talacauvery and Igguthappa temple”, he said.

After the tragic death of priest Narayana Achar and his wife, their two daughters who live in Australia, rushed back home to perform their parents’ last rites.

According to a report in the Kannada daily Vijayavani, when the local government officials issued a compensation in their names, they informed them that they are no longer Hindus and have converted to Christianity. This revelation has now created a furore among the devotees of Cauvery. Since the deceased priest was a leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishat (VHP), this has now taken a political colour with opposition parties questioning BJP’s commitment to Hinduism.

The priest’s daughters have declined to comment on the conversion and have gone incommunicado. Local Tahasildar has confirmed that their given names and names on record don’t match.

The Deputy Commissioner of Kodagu, Anees Kanmani Joy has informed the Kodavas that she would discuss their demand at the highest level and would try to find a solution at the earliest.

However, some fringe groups are opposing the handing over of the temple to Kodavas, by calling it a violation of old tradition. Kodagu, Karnataka’s tiny district is known as the coffee bowl of India. With its deep forests, rivers, waterfalls and hills, Kodagu is also known as the Scotland of Karnataka.

It was ruled by the Lingayat Kings from the Haleri dynasty till 1830s. The last King Chikka Veera Rajendra was a despot and the British exploited the resentment among his subjects to annex Kodagu with British India. The deposed King was sent to Vellore in Tamil Nadu and later Benares, now Varanasi, to keep him away from his subjects.

Hoping to get his Kingdom back, Chikka Veera Rajendra travelled to England to lobby with Queen Victoria and the British Parliament. After his efforts to secure the Kingdom failed, a dejected King died in London and was buried there. His granddaughter Victoria Gowramma, whose only son died in the First World War, breathed her last in London in 1930s ending the line of succession.

The British ruled Coorg/Kodagu as a separate state for over a century till 1947. It was a separate state with an Assembly till 1956. In 1956, Kodagu was merged with Karnataka State. The martial race of Kodavas have produced two of India’s best Army Chiefs Field Marshal KM Cariappa and General KS Thimmaya. They have their own language Kodava Thakk.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 India / Home> News18> India / by DP Satish / August 26th, 2020

Father-son duo donate bicycles in Suntikoppa

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Noble Initiative

Planters and father-son duo Vinod Sivappa and Vishal Sivappa donated bicycles to the needy workers and students. DH Photo

Extending a helping hand to the needy students and agricultural labourers, a father-son duo from Suntikoppa have donated new bicycles to labourers and students to help them commute easily.

Planters and father-son duo Vinod Sivappa and Vishal Sivappa donated bicycles to the needy workers and students. DH Photo Extending a helping hand to the needy students and agricultural labourers to reach from one place to another. The livelihood of the labourers, who are dependent on plantation work, was affected due to the lack transportation facility.

Realising this Vishal Sivappa and his father Vinod Sivappa, planters from Suntikoppa, distributed bicycles to the needy workers and students.

Vishal said that his parents and grandparents were involved in social service. During the current situation, people are in need of assistance as their livelihood is affected.

“I see many students walking 5 km to 10 km to their schools and workers in various estates walk several kilometers on a daily basis. Donating bicycles would definitely help them reach their destination much faster. This is very small contribution and I am really happy to help them,” he added.

Vishal’s father Vinod is also engaged in farmer welfare programmes over the past few years. Vinod said that he felt proud to extend his support to his son’s initiatives directed towards the welfare of the needy labourers.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / by DHNS / August 12th, 2020

5,054 students passed in SSLC in Kodagu

Education, Records, All

Out of 6,499 candidates who enrolled for 2019-20 SSLC exams, 6,255 attended the exams and 5,054 have passed.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction P S Machado said the district had achieved 81% results. The district stands in the 18th position in the state.

As per the new norms issued by the Education department, Kodagu has secured ‘B’ grade.

In Madikeri taluk, 1,808 students from 43 schools took the examination and 1,476 of them have passed, thereby bringing 81.64% results to the taluk.

As many as 22 schools have secured ‘A’ grade, seven schools have secured ‘B’ grade and 14 schools have received ‘C’ grade.

Somwarpet taluk has secured 78.68% results. As many as 2,482 students from 64 schools had attended the exam out of whom 1,953 have passed.

As many as 23 schools have received ‘A’ grade, 17 schools have secured ‘B’ grade and 24 schools have secured ‘C’ grade.

In Virajpet taluk, 1,965 students from 57 schools have attended SSLC exams and 1,625 have passed. The pass percentage of taluk is 82.70%.

As many as 21 schools have been awarded ‘A’ grade, 19 schools ‘B’ grade and 17 schools ‘C’ grade.

Top 10 students

The top 10 toppers in the distirct are: Jagath Poovaiah from Fatima Convent, Kushalnagar (620 marks); Gana from Sandeepani High School, Somwarpet (618 marks); Vijay M D, Morarji Desai School, Koodige (618); Anusha Ponnamma K S, Lions , Kalathmadu (617); Hritvika H S, Fatima Convent, Kushalnagar (616); Shrivatsa M K from Rajarajeshwari School, Kotturu (616) and Rasha Shareen, Sri Krishna Vidya Mandira, Siddapura (615 marks).

Supplementary exams will be held in the month of September for the students who could not make it to the exams and those who have not availed pass marks. Such students may contact the Headmasters of their respective schools for registrations, the DDPI said.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS / August 12th, 2020

Obituary – Machianda Baby Nanjappa

Records, All

Machianda Baby Nanjappa (Nellamakkada), wife of late M.C. Nanjappa and a resident of Halligattu village at Ponnampet in South Kodagu passed away at her daughter’s residence in Vijayanagar 4th Stage, 2nd Phase in city yesterday. She was 83.

She leaves behind three daughters and a host of relatives and friends. Cremation took place at Chirashanthidhama in Gokulam this afternoon.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituary / August 25th, 2020

Robin Uthappa announces Sports School’s nat’l cricket scholarship programme

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

The Sports School, under the mentorship of veteran India cricketer Robin Uthappa, and in association with Center.

Bengaluru :

The Sports School, under the mentorship of veteran India cricketer Robin Uthappa, and in association with Center for Cricketing Excellence (CCE), on Tuesday, announced a scholarship programme for students across India.

“Cricket has tremendous potential and India is a goldmine of talent. Our scholarship program at The Sports School is a wonderful opportunity to train under a specialized curriculum built by us, under the guidance of our expert coaches and keeping in mind our world class facility,” Uthappa, chief mentor at The Sports School, said.

“As the Chief Mentor, I am excited about the journey as our programme, our team and our infrastructure is built to foster future cricketers for India.”

This Cricket Scholarship Program will be offered to students in the U-14, U-16, and U-19 age categories and will be handed out on the basis of their potential in the sport. The last date to apply for the scholarship will be August 20. IANS

source: http://www.sentinelassam.com / The Sentinel / Home> Sports / by Sentinel Digital Desk / August 12th, 2020

Power Supply In Kodagu: Electricity Department Deploys More Men

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

Mysore/Mysuru:

Electricity infrastructure in several part of Kodagu has broken down completely and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) is standing in solidarity with the beleaguered district as it recovers from the ravages of heavy rains, floods and landslips. 

Gusty winds have brought down many electricity poles, resulting in the snapping of electricity cables. CESC, entrusted with the responsibility of power distribution in the Old Mysore Region, is extending a helping hand to Kodagu in these testing times. The Corporation has specially deputed over 75 of its personnel, both skilled and unskilled to Kodagu to help restore power.

The personnel have been drawn from Hassan, Mandya and Mysuru. The team led by Executive Engineer Yogesh and Assistant Executive Engineer R. Rudresh have left to Kodagu on Monday and have been actively involved in restoring the snapped power lines, transformers and fallen electric poles. 

As per the statistics released by the Kodagu District Administration, as many as 1,674 electricity poles, 60 transformers and many kilometres-long electricity wires have been damaged. Over 335 electric poles have fallen in Madikeri Taluk and already 176 poles have been replaced with new ones. 271 poles that have fallen in Virajpet Taluk has been replaced so far with 139 new poles and of the 202 poles that have collapsed in Kushalnagar, 90 poles have so far been replaced. 

In Somwarpet Taluk, 366 poles have crashed due to wind and tree fall and till now, 191 new poles have been erected. In Gonikoppa region, 440 poles have fallen and till now, 266 poles have been replaced. Among the 1,674 poles that have fallen in the district, 864 have been replaced and the remaining 810 poles will be replaced in three or four days, CESC officials said. 

As over 60 transformers have been damaged in Kodagu at various places, power supply to over 220 villages and towns have been disrupted. These transformers have been repaired and restored by erecting new poles. Till now, power supply to 182 villages has been restored. 

First, the CESC personnel took up the restoration work in the areas where the floods have receded. They eventually worked on other locations. In the areas where earth movers can negotiate the roads, power supply has been restored fast after replacing the damaged poles. There are several inaccessible areas where linemen have to travel by foot and dig the ground to replace fallen poles. This manual work is taking time, officials added. 

CESC has provided its personnel in Kodagu with various protective equipment like face masks, sanitisers, rain coats, boots, helmets, ropes and digging and levelling tools. Also, one truck has been sent to carry poles from one place to another. The team that left Mysuru on Monday  (Aug. 10) will perform duties till 10 days after which another team will proceed to the flood-ravaged district, officers added. 

Accommodation facilities have been provided to CESC personnel at schools where there are good toilets and drinking water facilities. Food for them is being provided by villagers in remote areas. Also, each lineman has been given Rs. 5,000 cash for his food needs, officers said.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 13th, 2020

Now, farmers can conduct survey of crops using app

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy chairs a meeting in Madikeri on Friday.

Now, farmers can directly enter the details of the crops they have cultivated in their RTCs (record of rights, tenancy and crops) with a few clicks on the app on crop survey.

The last date for entering the details on the crop survey is August 24. The ‘Farmers Crop Survey App 2020-21’ has been developed by e-governance department of Karnataka, said Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

Chairing a meeting on implementation of the crop survey, she said the farmers should mention survey number, hissa number of the land owned by them and upload details on agriculture crops, horticulture crops and other forest crops cultivated by them.

The DC said farmers had to take photographs of the crops cultivated on the land and fill in the details. Depending on crop details and extent of area cultivated that are documented in the pahani, government will announce support price and compensation during the natural calamities. The crop survey will benefit in documenting the details of the crops cultivated in pahani, Annies said

If farmers are unable to conduct survey of crops on their own, then they can seek the assistance of private individuals to document the details after August 24, she added.

The details uploaded by the farmers will be verified by the officials. The farmers can visit Raitha Samparka Kendra, revenue inspectors, village accountants and assistant agriculture and horticulture officials, for any query.

Agriculture Minister B C Patil, in a video conference with Deputy Commissioner, said that the crop survey should be implemented like a ‘Utsava’. For the first time in the country, the crop survey is carried out by the farmers themselves using an app.

In the past, objections were raised when the crops that the farmer claimed to have grown was different from the one recorded on the RTC. As the farmers themselves take up the survey, the mistakes in the RTC can be avoided, Annies said. 

The ‘Farmers Crop Survey App 2020-21’ can be downloaded from Play Store. A farmer should register his name and mobile number using an OTP. The farmers should select district, taluk, hobli, village and add survey number of the land and then furnish details of the crops cultivated.

MLA M P Appachu Ranjan visited the rain-affected Makkandooru and other areas on Friday. He inspected the affected farmland, houses and public roads in Makkandooru, Kadagadalu, Hodduru Gram Panchayat jurisdiction along with officials.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / August 14th, 2020

Obituary – Theetharamada Ravi Nanjappa

Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All

Theetharamada Ravi Nanjappa (73), a coffee planter and a resident of Nallur village near Ponnampet in South Kodagu, passed away early this morning at a private hospital in Mysuru.

He leaves behind his wife Indira, a daughter, a son, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and a host of relatives and friends.

Cremation took place at Mukthidhama in Vijayanagar 4th Stage here today, according to family sources.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituray / August 21st, 2020

Boundary Survey For Mysuru-Madikeri Expressway Begins

Business & Economy, Records, All

MadikeriMysureKF21aug2020

Mysore/Mysuru:

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has begun boundary marking exercise and land acquisition survey for the four/ six-lane Mysuru-Madikeri Economic Corridor Expressway Project along the Mysuru-Madikeri NH-275.

The 115 km-long Expressway costing Rs.6,000 crore is a fully Centrally-funded Project including land acquisition. The new Highway is being built to connect Mysuru and Madikeri.

Once completed, the Expressway will not touch Mysuru and will link the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway that is being expanded to 10-lane Highway.

The Expressway will connect Madikeri with Bengaluru bypassing Suntikoppa, Kushalnagar, Bylakuppe, Koppa, Kampalapura, Periyapatna, Kallbeta, Gonikoppal Deviation Road, Hunsur and Mysuru.

The Expressway will touch the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway at Paschimavahini near Srirangapatna.

The first stage of the survey has been completed till Basavanahalli on the Srirangapatna-Bylakuppe-Madikeri Road. Now, the NHAI and Revenue Department officers have been marking boundaries and planting stone benchmarks near Teppadagandi in Kodagu district till the Highway stretch of Basavanahalli.

According to NHAI officials, a new bridge will be built across River Cauvery near Teppadagandi Hanging Bridge. The road will have four/ six lanes as per the specifications mentioned in the NHAI website. A giant circle will come up at Teppadagandi and will cross the Konanur-Thalassery State Highway to link Aanekaadu via Basavanahalli.

Officials said that after the boundaries are marked, the initial works will begin. Notices will be issued to the land owners and their objections will be recorded. The compensation has been fixed and the process of identifying the land owners who are eligible for compensation was on. This survey process is being conducted along with the Revenue Department.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Special Land Acquisition Officer Devaraj said that the first phase of the joint survey work of 42 kilometres of the Expressway has been completed. “We are taking along the Revenue officials as they will have extensive knowledge of the land and its owners as per revenue records. We are aiming to complete the entire survey — including bridges and bypass roads — by the end of December and submit the report to the Government. Once the compensation is disbursed, the road construction works will take one-and-a-half to two years to complete,” he said.

The Expressway has a design length of 93 kilometres and bypasses have been proposed having an aggregate length of 84 kilometres at Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, and combined bypass for Hunsur, Bilikere and Mysuru. It will have a road median and the alignment for the new corridor has already been done. It will considerably reduce the journey time between Madikeri and Bengaluru and also connects several cities in North Kerala.

The existing four-lane road between Mysuru and Madikeri (NH-275) has reached a saturation point and there is an urgent need to build a separate road. Travelling on the existing Highway is a nightmarish experience especially during weekends and holidays when thousands of vehicles move between Mysuru and Madikeri. Once completed, the Expressway will reduce the journey time between Madikeri and Bengaluru to five hours from existing seven hours.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 19th, 2020

19 cops from Karnataka honoured with President medal

Leaders, Records, All

A total of 19 police personnel from the state have been conferred with the President’s Police Medal on the occasion of Independence Day.

Bengaluru U:

A total of 19 police personnel from the state have been conferred with the President’s Police Medal on the occasion of Independence Day. V L N Prasanna Kumar, ASI, Criminal Investigation Department, has been honoured with the medal for distinguished service.

The others are:

R Hemanth Kumar, DySP, Special Investigation Team, Lokayukta; Parameshwar Hegde, DySP, CID; R Manjunath, DySP, ACB, Mandya; H M Shailendra, DySP, Kodagu; Arun Nagegowda, DySP, Mandya; H M Satish, ACP; H B Ramesh Kumar, DySP, intelligence, Bengaluru; Umesh, DySP (Armed), Police Training School, Mysuru; C N Diwakar, Circle Police Inspector, Kodagu; G N Rudresh, Special Reserve Police Inspector, KSRP, Bengaluru; B A Lakshminarayan, SI, City Special Branch, Bengaluru; M H Chandekar, special reserve SI, KSRP, Bengaluru; K Jayapra- kash, PSI, Mangaluru; H Nanjundaiah ASI, Chikkaballapur; Atheeq Ur Rahman, ASI, Shivamogga; Ramanjanaiah, ASI, Tumakuru, R N Balikai, ASI, Haveri, and K Honnappa, head constable, Bengaluru Rural.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / August 15th, 2020