This year, the marathon was completely eco-friendly and trash-free, with water being served in coconut shells, food in banana leaves and plates made out of areca leaves.
Nikki Ponnappa (left) along with Milind Soman (in grey) and members of The Coorg Wellness Foundation
Bengaluru :
Bengaluru-based golfer Cheppudira Nikki Ponnappa can never decide what she is passionate about more – her love for sports or working towards saving the ecology of her hometown, Kodagu. The international-level golfer recently arranged the fifth edition of Barefoot Marathon, which happened on Sunday in Kodagu. The marathon was an initiative by her organisation, The Coorg Wellness Foundation, in association with avid marathon runner and her friend, Milind Soman.
This year, the marathon was completely eco-friendly and trash-free, with water being served in coconut shells, food in banana leaves and plates made out of areca leaves. The warm-up exercise before most marathons is usually Zumba, but keeping up with local traditions, Valaga music, which is traditional Kodava music, pumped up the participants. The highest prize being `42,000 for 42 km, the marathon had some interesting rules for the prizes that were distributed.
The cash prize went to runners from the neighbourhood area, while the non-local runners got to bring home produce by local farmers, which included rice, coffee, spices etc. All the funds collected from this event will go towards betterment of the families who lost everything in the landslide that hit Coorg in 2018.
More than 400 people participated in this marathon. Ponnappa says the main objective of the run was to bring people closer to nature. “When you run barefoot and feel the soil, it makes you feel closer to Mother Nature. Barefoot is a symbolic way to do something auspicious, plus it has lot of scientific benefits too. We have many nerve points in our feet and these runs work wonders for them.
It was great to see so many people travelling to Coorg, especially from Bengaluru, to participate in this marathon,” says Ponnappa, who was first introduced to golf at the age of 14-15 by her father, who was then serving in the Indian Army. She is also a certified coach and a social activist. Ponnappa’s organisation, the Coorg Wellness Foundation, which was set up in 2014, works towards the development of the people of Kodagu and its eco-system. Along with free education and boarding, they also provide training to join the Army.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / December 10th, 2019
– Rare ‘Ring of Fire’ visible in South Kodagu
– Over 2,000 hand-picked students to witness celestial event from 8 am to 11 am
– Organisers aim for India Book of Records
Mysuru:
Kaimaani, a remote village in Kutta, South Kodagu, is all set to witness the rare Annular Solar Eclipse on Dec. 26 — the third and final solar eclipse of the year 2019. The Mysore Science Foundation (MSF) is organising a sky-gazing event at Kutta where nearly 2,000 children and general public will witness the spectacular event.
In the Annular Solar Eclipse, Moon does not completely obscure the Sun as the Moon is farther away from us than normal, making it appear smaller. As a result, the Sun is not totally eclipsed, leaving a ‘Ring of Fire’ around the edges.
The Mysore Science Foundation has tied up with Aseemit Edutech Private Limited, a Pune-based organisation (Mitee as its sub-group) for the event. Aseemit Edutech Private Limited is involved in secondary and senior secondary education.
The spot in Kutta where the sky-gazing event will be witnessed on Dec.26.
Kutta falls on Solar Path
Speaking to Star of Mysore, G.B. Santosh Kumar of Mysore Science Foundation, said that Kutta falls on the Solar Path and as such, the visibility is clear. The visibility of Annular Solar Eclipse in Mysuru is only 75 percent.
“Mangala in Gundlupet, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Udupi in Dakshina Kannada and Kutta in South Kodagu fall on the Solar Path where there is a clear visibility.
“We did not get permission from the Forest Department for the event as Mangala falls under the limits of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. And 2,000-strong crowd going to Coimbatore and Udupi was a distant possibility. As such, we have zeroed in on Kutta where the event can be viewed from 8 am to 11 am,” Santhosh said.
Kaimaani coffee yard
At Kutta, the event will be organised at the newly-developed coffee drying yard of Kolera Ravi Cariappa in Kaimaani village. “The place is by the side of the road and the land is in a higher altitude and there is an arecanut plantation below. This is a perfect location for witnessing the once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Kotrangada Somaiah, a teacher at Manchalli Government School, who played a key role in identifying the location for the organisers.
“People from Mitee Pune contacted me two months back and requested me to find out an ideal place in Kutta to view the event. First we considered the Government Higher Primary School Cinkona in Kutta for the event but had to cancel it as the approach road was not good. The Kaimaani coffee yard is a perfect location as it is by the side of the road. There are facilities including toilets and I have requested the local residents to allow children to use their toilets,” said Somaiah.
India Book of Records
The event organisers have already registered in the India Book of Records for the largest gathering of children in one place to view Annular Solar Eclipse. “On Dec.17, the Mysore Science Foundation will organise another programme called “Video Viewing” where students will be seeing eclipse-related videos to prepare them for the main event. For the actual event on Dec.26, we are expecting students from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala,” Santhosh added.
On that day, occurrence of eclipses, types of eclipse, science behind eclipse, myths and misconceptions, eclipse watching and safety shall be explained in addition to demonstration on pressure variation and temperature variation.
Food & accommodation
For outstation students coming from Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, choultries have been booked in Virajpet for their food and accommodation. “Along with them, students from Mysuru, Bengaluru and Kodagu too are participating in the event,” Santhosh said.
Student selection
On the student selection process, the Mysore Science Foundation had communicated to schools to send 10 children who are interested in astronomy and a teacher. Registrations were on first-come-first-serve basis and we have kept last-minute registrations open as we are aiming for India Book of Records, he added.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 07th, 2019
Once the heroes, the number of people from the district in the Army has gradually fallen, but steps are being taken to groom youngsters.
Madikeri :
Known as the land of warriors, Kodagu district has contributed largely to the Indian Army. While there used to be at least one person serving in the Army from every family in Kodagu, the number has gradually decreased.“The number of youngsters attending direct recruitment for the Indian Army has decreased in Kodagu and this number is seeing an increase in North Karnataka. However, there are still a considerable number of men and women hailing from Kodagu who have attained high ranks in the Indian Army,” says Kayapanda Shashi Somaiah, a writer based in Madikeri.
He adds, “Currently, there are over 100 men from Kodagu in the Indian Army and are designated with high ranks including that of Rear Admiral, Lieutenant General, Training Commando and so on. Apart from this, there are nearly ten women from this district who hold ranks of wing commander, major and captain.”
A soldier’s boot stands in front of the General Thimmaiah Museum and invites youngsters to try on the boots in reality
Nevertheless, the number of soldiers from the district being selected in direct Army recruitment rounds has drastically decreased. “The recruitment process has become stringent. Along with being physically fit, aspirants are required to pass written tests that are either in Hindi or English. Also, the education qualification plays an important role in the selection process as today’s soldier is not just required to load a weapon and fire. He has to be well-versed in Science and Mathematics as he must be able to use advanced technological machines. Even in the recent surgical strike, High Altitude High Operation (HAHO) was followed and the soldier was required to know the proper ground reference and other technical information,” explains Major Nanda Nanjappa (retired).
He goes back in time and recalls how he had helped many youngsters from Kodagu join the Army during his service. “A family had asked me to help their son join the Army. I had taken this boy along with me and he used to work at the Army kitchen. While he wasn’t paid any salary at the beginning, he gradually attained a job there,” recalls Major Nanda. But this cannot be done today as he says, “There are no strings to be pulled now.”
Lieutenant Colonel Geetha M (retired) states, “In 2017, during the recruitment process that took place in Kodagu, 900 candidates applied for the selection process from the district. However, only 12 were selected among them. Since physical activity is less these days, the applicants seem to have lost in the selection process. Also, the overall outlook of parents and kids has changed. While a few years ago, ex-army men’s children always joined the Army, it is not the scenario today as there are lot many job opportunities and job security. A fresher in IT sector gets paid nearly Rs 40,000 and this is an easier job compared to joining the Army. The change in lifestyle in the once agriculture-based district has resulted in a paradigm shift.”
In the recent Army recruitment process that took place in Madikeri in October, candidates from 13 districts of Karnataka took part. Among them, the highest applicants were from Hassan district — a total of 1,993 out of the 9,572 applicants. Kodagu had third highest number of applicants – 1,495 — even though the recruitment process took place in the district.
Sanju, a student of Field Marshal KM Cariappa College had appeared for Army recruitment selection this year. He is disappointed over not being able to crack the test and says, “I failed in the running test as I could not complete 1,600m in 5.45 minutes. However, I will appear again for the exam next year.”
Darshan Bopaiah, a youngster working at a resort in Madikeri, was an Army aspirant and he is the son of an ex-army man. He settled in for a much easier job as he explains, “I used to be fascinated with the stories my father narrated while he worked at the Army. While I was looking forward to joining the Army, I could not crack the written test and after that I left the dream of joining the Army and tried other jobs.”
Colonel Kandrathanda C Subbaiah (retired) opines that internet has made youngsters lazy and has resulted in them opting for soft jobs over the Army. “Joining the Army was pride for people of Kodagu and they joined it by choice. While Defence was the number one choice for them, the scenario has changed. The increasing opportunities in soft jobs – that do not require physical or mental alertness — is being opted by youngsters. While the numbers in Indian Army from Kodagu district has reduced, the youngsters from North Karnataka are increasingly joining the Army,” states Col Subbaiah.
He points out how the Sainik School in Kodagu – that trains future army men – is populated mostly by students from North Karnataka. “There are less than a handful of students from Kodagu at the Sainik School,” he says.
Nevertheless, he says that a group of ex-army men from Kodagu are trying to get the numbers high as he explains, “We are organizing training programmes for youngsters where they are being trained to answer written exams. With the head-start of this plan from Major General Arjun Muthanna (retired), a training programme was recently organized at Kushalnagar and will soon be organized across the district. Ex-army officer Marchanda Ganesh is working at ground level conducting these training programmes across the district.”
He expresses the hope that the numbers from Kodagu district in the Indian Army will pick up. “We are hopeful that more people will join the Army and the number of people from Kodagu in the Indian Army will rise in another two years,” he says.
Steps being taken to encourage youngsters
War Memorial at Balugodu in Virajpet Taluk has names of all martyred soldiers of Kodagu. The memorial invokes a spirit of patriotism and is aimed at encouraging youngsters to join the Indian Army
General Thimmaiah Museum (an ongoing project at Madikeri) will retell the story of one of the greatest Generals of the Indian Army.
The museum aims at instilling patriotism among visitors while also encouraging youngsters to join the Army Statues of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, Major Mangerira Muthanna, General Thimmaiah, Squadron Leader Ajjamada B Devaiah adorn Madikeri town and narrate the contribution of people of Kodagu in the Indian Army
A few reasons for decreasing numbers
Increasing number of opportunities in soft jobs
Paradigm shift due to lack of enthusiasm, interest and hard work
Preference for more stable and less challenging jobs
Tougher entrance examination
The recruitment process has become stringent. Along with being physically fit, aspirants are required to pass written tests that are either in Hindi or English. Also, the education qualification plays an important role in the selection process as today’s soldier is not just required to load a weapon and fire.
— Major Nanda Nanjappa (retired)
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Prajna G R / Express News Service / December 01st, 2019
The 5th Edition of the world’s only Barefoot Marathon for the people of Kodagu will take place at Pollibetta in Kodagu on Dec.8, under the joint aegis of The Coorg Wellness Foundation and Milind Soman.
The category-wise prize money is as follows: 42-km: Rs.42,000 – 1st place and Rs.30,000 – 2nd place; 21-km: Rs.21,000 – 1st place and Rs.12,000 – 2nd place; 10-km: Rs.10,000 – 1st place and Rs.7,000 – 2nd place; 5-km: Rs.5,000 – 1st place and Rs.2,000 – 2nd place; 1.5-km: Medals only.
Only fully barefoot runners and local residents of Kodagu will receive cash awards; Non-resident winners of the above categories will be given goodie bags with local produce. Any form of transport to complete the run will immediately disqualify eligibility of cash award.
Registration fee is Rs.500 and children above 8 years of age can participate.
All proceeds of registration will go towards the Wellness of Kodagu, its people and its ecosystem via The Coorg Wellness Foundation.
For online registration, participants can log on to: https://you toocanrun.com/race/?ee=1867
Also, on-the-spot registration can be done at 5 am on Dec.8 at Tata Coffee Sports Ground, Pollibetta.
Note: #BYOB Bring Your Own Bottle – To continue the tradition of the event being an eco-friendly one, organisers have requested all participants and spectators to bring and carry back their own water bottles.
Those who wish to volunteer can contact Varun on Mob: 96868-55539.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / November 28th, 2019
Kodagu Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmi Priya inaugurates the newly built classroom by BEL in Madikeri
The hi-tech school constructed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was inaugurated by Kodagu Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K Lakshmi Priya and BEL Human Resource Department Director K M Shivakumaran, in Madikeri on Monday.
The new building of the Model Government Higher Primary School has been constructed at a cost of Rs 2.28 crore, to include classrooms, head teacher’s office, computer room, library, kitchen, physical education teacher’s room, Nali-Kali class and so on.
Speaking on the occasion, K M Shivakumaran said that the students have to utilise the facilities provided by the government and non-government organisations to make their future brighter.
He also noted that BEL has been playing a significant role in the defence sector of India. The company decided to choose Kodagu district, which has also immensely contributed to the defence.
“A new school building was constructed for the government primary school in this regard towards providing a good learning atmosphere,” he added.
Former director of the Education Department, G R Basavaraj, called upon the non-government organisations to join hands with the government to build better infrastructure in government schools.
Previously, Zilla Panchayat CEO Charulatha Somal had submitted a proposal to BEL to build a new school building, he said
School Development and Monitoring Committee President Shivashankar, DDPI P S Machado, Block Education Officer Gayathri and Akshara Dasoha Education Officer H K Pandu were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A, DHNS Madikeri / November 25th, 2019
Superintendent of Police Dr Suman D Pennekar launches Emergency response vehicles 112, in the premises of the SP’s office in Madikeri on Friday
Superintendent of Police Dr Suman D Pennekar flagged-off the emergency response vehicles in the premises of the SP’s office on Friday.
Speaking on the occasion, the SP said that the emergency response number 112 will be used nationwide and the people may send emergency information through voice, SMS, e-mail and mobile application, through 112 helpline round the clock.
Police, fire and emergency service and medical services will be provided to the needy through the helpline. A mobile application has also been designed, she added.
Stating that there are facilities for panic alert, the SP said that the people can press the power button of the smartphone three times to send emergency messages.
Request can be sent to: www.ka.ners.in or erss112ktk@ksp.gov.in
DySP Dinesh Kumar, I P Medappa and Rachaiah were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A. DHNS, Madikeri / November 22nd, 2019
Codava National Council observed Kodava National Day at Gandhi Maidan in Madikeri on Sunday.
A procession was taken out from Gandhi Maidan which passed through Town Hall, Chowki, and returned back to Maidan. The Kodava National Day was observed under CNC President N U Nachappa. The procession had Dudikotta Paat and Kolata.
The main purpose of the CNC observing an annual Codava National Day was to re-insist and rejuvenate their geopolitical aspiration for autonomy and register and ratify their solidarity with striving for the right of self-determination of Codava tribal world, said Nachappa.
He also pointed out that autonomous councils have been established by the Central government in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal, as per the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The government should set up Kodava land as per the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, he added.
The CNC has been demanding facilities for the victims of landslides in Kodagu district. Owing to the efforts of the CNC, the genealogy study of Kodavas has commenced.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A. DHNS, Madikeri / November 24th, 2019
The Karnataka State Rroad Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Friday introduced new services from Bengaluru to Virajpet and Bengaluru to Madikeri, Kodagu district.
Bengaluru :
The Karnataka State Rroad Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Friday introduced new services from Bengaluru to Virajpet and Bengaluru to Madikeri, Kodagu district.
Airavat Club Class services will operate on these routes. People can book tickets at Karnataka State Rroad Transport Corporation counters as well as online.
Timings
The bus from Bengaluru to Virajpet via Mysuru and Gonikoppa will leave Bengaluru at 3.30pm and reach Virajpet at 9.45pm.
The same bus will leave Virajpet at 8.30am and reach Bengaluru at 1.20pm.
The bus from Bengaluru to Madikeri via Kushalnagar will depart from Bengaluru at 5.30am and reach Madikeri at noon.
The same bus will leave Madikeri at 2.30pm and reach Bengaluru at 8.30pm.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / November 23rd, 2019
The winning teams go on a victory parade in an open vehicle in Madikeri on Friday.
The boys’ hockey team from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kodagu Vidyalaya have emerged as the champions and bagged the golden trophy in the 25th CBSE National Hockey tournament, of under 17 boys, held at Varanasi while the girls’ team bagged the second prize, bagging the silver trophy.
The teams have set a record by winning both the golden trophy and the silver trophy for the first time in South India. The winning teams were welcomed in a colourful procession which passed through the main roads of Madikeri.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavana Management Board President K P Uttappa and Vice President K S Devaiah congratulated the teams.
Institution Sports Committee President Raghu Madappa, Chief Administrative Officer Vidya Harish and Vice Principal Vanitha were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A , DHNS – Madikeri / November 22nd, 2019
After a tepid launch earlier this year, the Coffee Board of India‘s (CBoI) blockchain coffee marketplace is seeing rising demand. The platform now has about 30,000 farmers registered compared to just 23 when the platform was launched, reported Down To Earth.
CBoI is one of the first government agencies in the country to have an in a production blockchain platform. The Coffee Board has developed a mobile app and a web portal with support from Eka Software Solutions.
The coffee supply chain is highly fragmented, with intermediaries such as farmers, traders, roasters, curers and other processors. In the past few years, global coffee prices have also stumbled. To remedy the situation, the Coffee Board has turned to blockchain and its ability to immutably track and trace products in supply chains.
“Blockchain offers unmatched traceability and increases the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the coffee supply chain,” Shuchi Nijhawan, vice-president, New Business and Global Human Relations, Eka Software Solutions told Down to Earth.
The platform aims to enable farmers to get better prices for their produce by eliminating agents and other intermediaries.
Based on Ethereum distributed ledger technology, the marketplace employs smart contracts to capture information regarding the product and ensure settlement. The Coffee Board is also training its staff to provide certificates to guarantee the quality of coffee, which can be uploaded to the marketplace.
Food traceability is in high demand due to conscious consumers who want to know what they are buying. Blockchain for coffee traceability is being trialed elsewhere in the world as well. Two months ago, blockchain firm GrainChain signed agreements with the Honduras coffee industry participants to unite them on its platform.
Another project is being led by blockchain startup Farmer Connect which has onboard coffee companies such as The J.M. Smucker Company and Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) for coffee traceability. Farmer Connect’s platform is planned to go live in 2020.
Meanwhile, the coffee brand Starbucks is working with Microsoft Azure Blockchain for coffee traceability.
source: http://www.legderinsights.com / Ledger Insights / Home> News> Supply Chain / by Ledger Insights / November 21st, 2019
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