Category Archives: Records, All

Robin Uthappa and I complement each other well: KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik

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

Talking to reporters after being announced as Kolkata Knight Riders captain for Indian Premier League 2018, Dinesh Karthik said he would like to carry on with the legacy of past captains Gautam Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly.

Dinesh Karthik will captain Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 Indian Premier League.(Getty Images)
Dinesh Karthik will captain Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 Indian Premier League.(Getty Images)

Dinesh Karthik was named captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday ahead of the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The announcement was made live on Star Sports by the team management on Sunday morning.

Talking to reporters after the announcement, Karthik said he was very pleased to receive the honour and would like to carry on with the legacy of past captains Gautam Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly.

In the run up to the announcement, Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa had emerged as the frontrunner to lead the two-time IPL winning franchise from Kolkata. Uthappa, who was later named vice captain, though welcomed the decision and said the right choice was made.

Karthik was also all praise for Uthappa and said both of them complement each other well.

“Robin and I share a great deal of camaraderie. We have different personalities and therefore we play a perfect foil to each other. I take my decisions rationallly and don’t like to show too much of emotion. Robin, on the other hand, is quite emotional and loves to wear his heart on his sleeve. In that sense, we make a perfect pair,” the 32-year-old said.

Karthik also appeared excited with the talent pool that is at his disposal at the KKR.

“We have a great balance. Lynn, Russell, Starc and Narine are probably going to be our four overseas players in the team and all of them are proven match winners. We have a great bunch of Indian players as well.”

The Tamil Nadu batsman also said he would use this opportunity to press for his inclusion in the Indian team as well.

“I am looking forward to doing well with bat as well as gloves behind the stumps. Hopefully, I will be able to establish myself as a key member of Indian team in future as well.”

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Ankit Kumar Singh, Mumbai / March 04th, 2018

Rashmika Mandanna is the Bangalore Times Most Desirable Woman 2017

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All
Twitter
Twitter

Karnataka has voted and here’s the winner of the Bangalore Times 30 Most Desirable women. The results of the poll on our website, along with our internal jury, gave us a new person on the throne — actress Rashmika Mandanna. She practically ruled the year, with Kirik Party being the most talked about film in the first half, while the second half had her in two big-ticket releases — Anjaniputhraa and #Chamak. From being the Times Fresh Face National Winner in 2014 to the Most Desirable Woman in 2017, Rashmika finds this surreal.

Excerpts from a chat…

Most Desirable Woman — happy?

Last year, when I made it to the top 25, it felt good. But this time, I was pleasantly surprised that I made it to the top. When you make it to the top, it means that you’ve the support of the entire state. It is very nice and sweet, but it is also very unexpected for me. For me, desirability is having so much support from the people who we work for. As artistes, we want to keep the audience happy and I think this is one of the ways they say we have kept them happy. I’m not big enough to say what desirability is, but I am happy that people think of me as desirable.

The Belageddu song from Kirik Party had you dubbed as the ‘Karnataka Crush’. Your reaction to that?

I need to ask people why, because I don’t know what it is in me that people like so much. Even if I wasn’t in the industry and was doing something else, I’d be the same girl. I don’t know what it is, there are times when it doesn’t feel real and I wonder if it is all a dream and I must wake up sometime. I had the same feeling when I was crowned the Fresh Face. Till date, I can’t call myself the Fresh Face of India. And now, I can’t even believe I’m the most desirable woman.

As for Kirik Party, it is something that I hadn’t seen coming. When you’re destined to be somewhere, you will reach there, no matter what. I met some of the most amazing human beings while shooting for the film. To me, Kirik Party means everything, because it is the reason I am what I am today.

Three big releases and another biggie lined up next — does the Next Big Thing tag given to you feel overwhelming?

Honestly, right now everything scares me. But I don’t really see myself as the Next Big Thing. I just think of myself as someone who does good work. I’ve not let myself to think that I am the next star. If someone sees the real me running across the streets barefoot, they would definitely be in disbelief. I’m still that little girl inside.

What do you find desirable in a man?

If a man cares about the people around him, he is truly desirable. This caring quality is important in a man for anything, be it for work or keeping his family happy — this is the most desirable quality for me. Apart from this, respecting people and remaining down to earth is equally important. And I find my man, Rakshit Shetty, the most desirable.

In the film industry, traditionally, the ‘taken’ tag equals women being written off. Here you are, with this title! A sign of changing times?

I do think that times have changed, most definitely. Though, I’d like to also point out, even now when I talk to some of my friends, they are still scared to reveal their relationship status. It is almost like people are scared to live with the truth. This is totally unnecessary. Now that I’m engaged, two years from now I’d be married. If not the film industry, I’ve many things to go back home to and it isn’t the end of the world. But I’m still taking my chances. Times have changed, but there are people who still ask me — ‘why did you get engaged when you had such a good future ahead’. It is almost as if a heroine has to remain single forever or get married late; this doesn’t make sense one bit.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies> News / by Sunayana Suresh / TNN / March 03rd, 2018

Wife of missing soldier wins 37-yr-old battle for benefits

Records, All

Madikeri :

Sixty-seven-year-old Nanjamma’s long wait to get retirement benefits of her husband – a missing soldier – has finally ended. The benefits had eluded Nanjamma for 37 years after her husband, Tekkada U Balakrishna, went missing in 1981.Nanjamma, who lives at Singattur village near Bhagamandala along with her disabled sister, said it is a battle lost and won as she had lost all hope of being rewarded for her husband’s 18-year service to the country.

Narrating her story, Nanjamma said her husband, who had joined the Army in 1962, had come home on a month’s leave in May of 1981. Balakrishna left home on June 12, 1981, saying that he had to report for duty in Delhi on June 16. Shockingly, she received a letter from the Army three months later stating that her husband had not reported for duty. The family searched for him everywhere and also filed a missing complaint with the police in Kodagu.

However, their efforts went in vain as he was not traced. Three years later, Nanjamma received another letter stating that Balakrishna has been dismissed from the Army as he failed to report for duty and had not applied for any leave. After 11 years, in another letter, the Army informed that Balakrishna’s retirement benefits have been withheld as he was ‘absconding’. Nanjamma made several requests to the Army for pension, but to no avail. As years passed by, she gave up her fight and returned to her parents home in Singattur to take care of them and her sister.

In 2014, she happened to meet Major (retd) O S Chingappa, an advocate in Madikeri. Major (retd) Chingappa, who filed a petition in JMFC court, finally managed to get the order in favour of Nanjamma. The court held that if any person is missing for seven years, he or she can be declared as dead.

Major (retd) Chingappa told Express that he sent all the service documents of Balakrishna along with the court order to the Army Headquarters for sanction of the retirement benefits. Major (retd) Chingappa said he even met General Dalbir Singh during his visit to Madikeri in 2016 and explained to him the plight of Nanjamma. A month ago, the Army remitted complete retirement benefits to Nanjamma’s bank account.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / Express News Service / February 28th, 2018

‘Let Kaveri Flow’: This short film’s take on the Cauvery water dispute explores the debate in a new light

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Videos

The allegory in the film underlines that the present actions of man — be it deforestations or mining — have led to the return of the demon Shoorapadma that once turned the basin dry and left it without water and jeopardised life.

With a aim to promote afforestation and let the river thrive, this short film tries to highlight the environmental issues shawdowed by the Cauvery water dispute. (Source: Early Man Film/ Vimeo)
With a aim to promote afforestation and let the river thrive, this short film tries to highlight the environmental issues shawdowed by the Cauvery water dispute. (Source: Early Man Film/ Vimeo)

As the historic verdict of the Cauvery water dispute was given out by the Supreme Court of India on February 16, it was started a new debate and discussion. The age-old dispute between Karnataka, the state where the river originates and Tamil Nadu, where it is the largest river — is all about ‘unfair’ use of the total water. The modern-day water-war that has often been marred by protests, violence and even death. While Karnataka claims the verdict as a “victory” and TN as a “disappointment”, political leaders seem to be missing a fact how many actions in the war has been killing the river slowly. Damaging its ecological balance and aid to global warming and climate change.

Amid all the mathematical calculations and discussions about the long-term benefit of the verdict to both the states, a film on the ‘Holy Ganga of South’ is going viral. The film made in Kodava, the native language of Kodava-speaking communities in the Kodagu region where the river originates, narrates the tale of the River Cauvery. From the ancient history of his mythological existence of how it was created by Lord Shiva’s blessing to the modern-day harmful impacts of mining in the basin — the film captures the entire trajectory of the river. The film highlights the plight of the river, which is referred to as Goddess Kaveri Amman, and how she is dying a slow death as her children continue to water they ignore her death.

The allegory underlines that the present actions of man — be it deforestations or mining have led to the return of the demon Shoorapadma that once turned the basin dry and left it without water and jeopardised life.

The SC verdict is significant as for the first time took cognizance of the availability of groundwater, in determining the quantum of water sharing, is expected to create ripple effects in inter-basin and inter-state water disputes. The apex court raised Karnataka’s share of the Cauvery waters by 14.75 thousand million cubic feet to 284.75 TMC ft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share from 419 TMC ft to 404.25 TMC ft.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Trending> Viral Videos / by Shreya Das / New Delhi – February 18th, 2018

Meet Brijesh Kalappa-The Man behind Karnataka’s Victory in the Cauvery Case

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

BrijeshKF28feb2018

The Supreme Court delivered its historic verdict on Friday that the state of Karnataka will get 14.75 TMC or thousand million cubic feet more water, in addition to the 270 TMC awarded by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2007. The Cauvery water sharing dispute has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu since the time of the British Raj.

This verdict is a clear victory for the poll bound Karnataka. However, Karnataka’s victory is mainly credited to Brijesh Kalappa who quit his cabinet rank post for the case.

Brijesh Kalappa is an advocate in the Supreme Court and Former Additional Advocate General, Haryana. He is an alumnus of the National Law School of India University and has also been a Legal Advisor to the Government of Karnataka (with the rank of Minister of State.) He has a sustained interest in public affairs even from his student years. He is a former journalist and has a wide range of interests including reading and travelling. On the professional front, he has worked with several legal luminaries on subjects of importance in civil, criminal, water and electoral laws and has individually represented governments, eminent individuals and major industrial houses. He is gifted with the prowess for distinctive sharp-edged analysis and has the advantage of surmounting well accepted beliefs by his inquiring nature. He is also the spokesperson of the Indian National Congress.

As a Legal Adviser, Kalappa could not appear on behalf of the State of Karnataka. The Cauvery Water Dispute had been very close to his heart, more so since he hailed from Kodagu. Thus he expressed his desire to re-join legal practice in order to continue to appear for the State of Karnataka when the prospect of the final hearing in the Cauvery Dispute before the Supreme Court loomed. The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah understood its significance, since he belonged to the basin area of the Cauvery River and thereby consented. Kalappa therefore resigned from the position of Legal Adviser to the Government of Karnataka/Chief Minister and re-entered the legal team that he was a part of for a decade and a half.

Kalappa had written a detailed post sharing his experience of appearing in the Cauvery case

In this interview, Kalappa has an exclusive chat with The Indian Jurist regarding the latest victory of Karnataka in Cauvery River dispute and his all over experience throughout the case.

The Indian Jurist: Sir, First of all Congratulations for the victory in the Cauvery Judgment. To begin with- you quit your position as the cabinet minister to concentrate on this case. So what exactly gave you the courage and the motivation to do so?

Brijesh Kalappa: In 2007, when the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award has come, at that time I was very much a lawyer and then I had also prepared the SLP and had worked in regard to the Cauvery case. From 2007 onwards we kept waiting that the Supreme Court will hear the matter and finally when the Supreme Court actually decided to hear the matter on a day-to-day basis in 2017, ten years later, I had been by then appointed as legal advisor to the Chief Minister of Karnataka and Mr.Siddaramaiah was kind enough to have conferred me the rank of minister so at that time my first instinct was that we should succeed in Cauvery just like we had succeeded in Krishna earlier. I was the Advocate on Record for the State of Karnataka in the Krishna Water Disputes, where Karnataka was the beneficiary of the greatest possible award of 524.256 m for the Almatti Dam and enhanced share of the share of Karnataka from 734 to 910 Tmc.

TIJ: Though there has been a reduction in the share of Tamil Nadu but now Karnataka is obligated to release a monthly share. So this in turn does benefit Tamil Nadu and is not complete loss for the state?

BK: No, certainly it is not a loss for Tamil Nadu and I would actually look at it this way that as far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, it is important only if they have a workable order- doesn’t matter if they receive 500 TMC from Karnataka every year. But if Karnataka has refused to give them 500Tmc and they are running to Court every year then what is the joy of having an order like that. It should be a workable order. If it doesn’t work then there is no point. Tamil Nadu will also not enjoy the sweet success of having an order which isn’t going to be implemented. The thing which is important is to have something which is implementable.

TIJ: In one of the media interactions with the reporters at Vidhan Soudha, Karnataka Chief Minister Mr.Siddaramaiah stated that the verdict was not in full accordance with the plea and only some relief had been sought. So are you satisfied with the judgment?

BK: As far as the complete requirements are concerned they are certainly not fulfilled. One can see straight off that Karnataka people could have had much more. But I think there has to be a sense of give and take. We also have a sense that this is final because after the Supreme Court where else can you appeal? You can only go to God next.

TIJ: The major grouse of Karnataka was that the farmers in the Cauvery basin were restricted by curbs on the water usage. So how far this judgment would be beneficial for the farmers now?

BK: The victory is straightaway for farmers. About a lakh and half farmers are going to be benefitted straightaway and as far as the Bengaluru city is concerned, I think the needs of Bengaluru city, which was considered as of the most unlivable city after Cape Town (South Africa), that will finally be resolved.

TIJ: So how has been your experience throughout the entire case these years? You might have been receiving both brickbats and bouquets as well in the case?

BK: See, when you appear in a case like this, a daily assessment is made about your performance. The Cauvery Case is not about the final order, like as if it were to happen in a single day, For instance whenever there is distress, fate is ours to release say maybe 15 cu ft or 20 cu ft of water, many people don’t understand the outcome or implications of this, they would immediately say that the legal team have totally failed us and then there will be burning of effigies and people sending us very vicious WhatsApp messages and people making very horrible comments and mainly these people have lived of the state for so long but what they forget that this is an ongoing case and it is going on, at least as far as I am concerned, for a decade and a half. Suppose they say look Rs 1 Crore has been given to “X” lawyer then public says ‘look at this lawyer they have received such a huge amount’. But 1 Crore rupees over 15 years is nothing or 2 crore rupees a year means nothing because once you are living in Delhi, the living standards are very high there and how much a lawyer earns is very high. So in comparison to all of that what you are actually earning is probably less than a techie who is working in a top software firm. But people will say, “No-No Look at the kind of money these guys are making”. So this is the kind of campaign which really hurts you. But the overall point is that there must be satisfaction in what you do and satisfaction comes from within. So once you understand that this all blaming is just people’s frustration then you are okay with it. Even the normal client, when fails to get justice, he will always blame the lawyer and he will not say anything against the judge or anyone else. So we think of it in that sense. I have personally received both brickbats and bouquets during these years. I have endeavored to treat both with equanimity. This is actually what Lord Buddha says. There is much more to do, miles to go before we sleep. Threats to our environment ought to be thwarted, greater concern for water usage implemented and selfish concerns repelled.

TIJ: So finally this landmark judgment has held that a river is no one’s exclusive property; it is a national property and not a state owned. Will this judgment become a basis for all the other water disputes as well?

BK: This is indeed a wonderful law which has been laid down by the Supreme Court because the previous law had always been laid down under a reference for under such circumstances. So this is a particular law in regard to equitable apportionment which has been now laid down and it’s of course a high point as far as the law in regard to equitable apportionment is concerned. And further, everybody will certainly look at this judgment for all times to come.

source: http://www.theindianjurist.com / The Indian Jurist / Home / by Naazish Fatima / February 19th, 2018

Works of Bharatisuta termed ‘encyclopaedia’ of Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Traditional: Critic Narahalli Balasubramanya inaugurating a seminar on ‘Bharatisutara kadambarigalu mathu samajika sandarbha’ in Madikeri on Friday.
Traditional: Critic Narahalli Balasubramanya inaugurating a seminar on ‘Bharatisutara kadambarigalu mathu samajika sandarbha’ in Madikeri on Friday.

Reprint of Bharatisuta’s Edakallu Guddada Mele released

Madikeri:

Critic Narahalli Balasubramanya on Friday stressed the need for re-writing the “literary history” of Kannada works and authors, stating that debates on them confined to a few writers.

He was speaking after inaugurating a State-level seminar on “Bharatisutara kadambarigalu mathu samajika sandarbha” at the Kodagu Patrika Bhavan hall here organised under the auspices of the Kodagu District Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Karnataka Sahitya Parishat, Bangalore.

Works of many Kannada writers had been neglected. Bharatisuta, who had to his credit 61 works, including novels, was one of them, Mr. Balasubramanya said.

He said most of the “navya” writers hailed from the academic background. A writer had to self-analyse his work instead of waiting for someone to view it critically. Bharatisuta was a Gandhian, but leftist ideals had profound influence on him.

Mr. Balasubramanya said that Bharatisuta’s works reflected the flavour of Waynad in Kerala and Kodagu where he lived. The relationship between man and nature, his penchant for the proletariat class, and man-woman relations were the highlights in the works of Bharatisuta. The candid views of the writer on “instinct and nature” were relevant to all times, Mr. Balasubramanya said.

He released the reprint of Edakallu Guddada Mele, one of the novels of Bharatisuta, on the occasion

M.H. Krishnaiah, president of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy, who presided over the function, termed the works of Bharatisuta the “encyclopaedia” of Kodagu. Bharatisuta reflected the culture of Kodagu in his own inimitable ways. He started writing on the themes of progress much earlier than a movement for progressive writing in Kannada started in the 1940s. Only a few writers wrote about the tribal people and Bharatisuta was one of them.

Mr. Krishnaiah offered to bring out one of the two unpublished works of Bharatisuta on the occasion. The Kannada Book Authority could be approached for publishing the other works, he said. The academy was prepared to associate with the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy with a view to unveil the multi-faceted aspects of Kannada literature through comparative studies, Mr. Krishnaiah said.

President of the Koadgu District Kannada Sahitya Parishat T.P. Ramesh recounted the arduous path Bharatisuta had to tread during his 61 years of illustrious life as a teacher, writer and novelist. Bharatisuta’s son Vijayashankar received a memento. V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy, Registrar of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy, welcomed the gathering. Papers were presented by K.P. Balasubramanya Kanjarpane, Kavita Rai, Thithitra Rekha Vasant and Anil H.T.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / October 17th, 2009

B’lore Eagles crowned BDFA A-division champ

Records, All, Sports

B’lore Eagles defeated ADE FC 3-0 to take an unassailable lead atop the BDFA A-division league and was thus crowned champion here on Saturday.

Eagles, which became a BDFA affiliated club in 2011, has steadily risen through the ranks earning promotions from as low as the C-division and will ply its trade next season in the Super Division.

The results: A-div: B’lore Eagles FC 3 (K. Manivanan 48, M. Sujikumar 58, 70) bt ADE FC 0. Super div: Students Union FC 5 (Amoes 11, 36, 75,Sunil 28, Samanth 33) bt RWF FC 2 (Rajesh 37, Nandakumar 85) .

Chengappa stars for Kodava Samaja
P.S. Chengappa starred with a 67th minute winner as Kodava Samaja beat Canara Bank 3-2 to clinch the Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Memorial hockey tournament here on Saturday.

The result: Final: Kodava Samaja 3 (Abhinav Ganapathy 20, M.B. Aiyappa 35, P.S. Chengappa 67) bt Canara Bank 2 (Pradhan Somanna 13, Nikkin Thimmaiah 39).

Special awards: Best goalkeeper: H.T. Sanjay (DYES); Best defender: V.R. Raghunath (Kodava Samaja); Best midfielder: P.S. Guria (ASC & Centre); Best forward: Nikkin Thimmaiah (Canara Bank); Player of the tournament: K.P. Somaiah (Canara Bank) .

RBI advances with hard-fought win
RBI men notched up a hard-fought 3-1 win over ESIC to enter the semifinals of the all India Public Sector badminton tournament at the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence here on Saturday.

Tremendous comeback

After RBI had taken a 2-1 lead, Kritesh looked set to seal the deal after he won the first game against Anmol in the fourth match. But Anmol made a tremendous comeback and won the second game 24-22.

In the third, Anmol clawed his way back from 11-16 courtesy some thundering smashes.

But at 17-17, he suffered a lapse in concentration, as Kritesh won four points in a row and closed the contest.

The results:

Quarterfinals: Men: HPCL bt LIC 3-0 (Ansal bt Kiran 21-2, 21-5; Laa Tanwar bt Siddharth 21-13, 16-21, 21-18; Ansal & Laa bt Siddharth & Jarson 22-20, 21-11).

FCI bt Coal India 3-0 (Kaushik bt Abhishek 21-3, 21-5; Srujan bt Ansuman 21-13, 21-7; Mayank & Dayinder bt Ansuman & Ankit 21-7, 21-15).

RBI bt ESIC 3-1 (Shovik bt Shubham 21-19, 23-21, Anjan & Ranjan bt Firoz & Viplav 22-20, 21-6; Bhaskar lost to Viplav 21-13, 21-8; Kritesh bt Anmol 21-13, 22-24, 21-17).

Women: Air India bt CWC 2-0 (Shikha bt Deepshika 18-21, 21-11, 21-19; Prajakta & Sanyogita bt Deepshika & Sanya 21-8, 21-7).

RBI bt BSNL 2-0 (Rasika bt Jyoti 21-4, 21-8; Meghna & Poorvinha bt Nanditta & Bipasha 21-8, 21-5).

AAI bt LIC 2-0 (Mahima & Karishma bt Tharranve & Yaishali 11-4 (retd.); Aditi bt Lalitha 21-9, 21-3).

FCI bt ESIC 2-0 (Utsava bt Hena 21-11, 21-10; Namita & Anamika bt Hena & Vindu 21-15, 21-13).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / February 25th, 2018

Towards fostering Kodava culture

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Madikeri :

There are 21 Kodava-speaking communities in Kodagu against the 18 mentioned in a book, Kodava Bhashika Moola Nivasiya, published by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy here.

These communities speak Kodava and follow the same dress code and food habits, celebrate festivals in a similar manner and consider the “Guru Karona” (ancestor) as their god. They also worship Nature. Each community has a family name. Most of the communities have “Ain Mane” (ancestral house). Though they speak Kodava, they have remained scattered in different groups.

Kodava is the predominant community among them. Kodavas are in the forefront in all spheres. Though there are several attributes to the origin of Kodavas, it is an established fact they have been the principal tribe of Kodagu. There are over 800 Kodava families with a population of two lakh.

Kodava Bhashika Moola Nivasiya mentions about the “Heggade” community, which has 57 families with a population of 11,000. The “Amma Kodava” community has a small population in the district. “Amma Kodavas” are believed to be once the principal “archaks” of Kodagu. “Airi” is the other Kodava-speaking community. “Airis” are known for making Kodava ornaments such as “peechekatti” worn by men. “Kaniyas”, who speak Kodava, are believed to have migrated from Kerala, who specialise in astrology. There are minor differences between Kodavas and Kaniyas in terms of observing rituals. “Kapalas” are the poorest of the Kodava-speaking communities with a population of 300. They do not have family names, but have “Ain Mane”.

There are “Poomale Kudiyas” who have made the hilly areas of the district their homes. The “Kembatti” community comes under the Scheduled Caste category in Kodagu. Though “Kembattis” follow the Kodava culture, they have remained backward. The “Koyuva”; “Koleya”; “Golla”; “Nayar”; “Nayinda” (barbar); “Panika”; “Banna”, which has two groups – “Aat Banna” and “Alak Banna”; “Baaniya”; “Boonepatta”; “Madivala”; “Maliya”, which specialises in herbal medicine; “Marangi”; and “Meda” are the other communities that have adopted the Kodava custom in true spirit.

There have been talks of bringing these Kodava-speaking communities under one umbrella.

The president of the Akhila Kodava Samaja, Matanda C. Monnappa, said the idea was still there and it only had to be expedited. Members of the “Koyuva” community with “Chokira” family name at Srimangala in South Kodagu were taken into the Kodava fold in the 1980s. Similarly, there were applications pending with the samaja from “Airis” and “Bannas” to take them into the Kodava fold, he added.

The idea is to foster the unique Kodava culture followed by these communities. There are instances where Kodava girls marrying non-Kodavas taken into the Kodava fold by giving them new family names.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / The Online Edition / Home> Karnataka / by Jeevan Chinnappa / May 23rd, 2004

Retain sanctity of traditional dance, experts urge Kodavas

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Kodava Sahitya Academy makes suggestions on `Ummathat’

Traditional glory : Dancers performing a traditional dance of Kodagu.
Traditional glory : Dancers performing a traditional dance of Kodagu.

Madikeri :

Kodavas have a unique culture and their folklore too is distinct from others. “Ummathat”, a special dance, a mixture of folklore with a dainty touch of medieval and modernity, performed by Kodava women, is a case in point.

Kodava women lag behind in variety of dances vis-a-vis men. Men attired in traditional costumes perform “Bolakkat”, “Peeliyat”, “Chowriyat”, “Kappeyat”, “Pareyakali”, “Kolatt”, and “Kombatt” whereas women dressed in colourful saris perform “Ummathat”.

There was a debate whether these dances should be performed in public or only at Kodava religious and cultural ceremonies.

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, which had organised a seminar on “Ummathat” at Devanageri in Virajpet taluk recently, has come up with some suggestions concerning “Ummathat”. A decision was taken to maintain a uniform pattern of “Ummathat” in future.

Some of the suggestions are: Ummathat should not be performed in open or public functions or in front of the tableux as it loses sanctity. The dance shall be performed only in venerable places. Dancers shall remove footwear, wear traditional “bottu podiya” (a grand sari with rich brocade) while performing the dance.

The songs, an assortment of over 12 songs, sung in different tunes, will be retained without giving it a touch of modernity, was another decision taken at the seminar.

The “taleyatakki bolakk”, a brass plate containing a burning lamp sprinkled with rice, will replace the woman dressed up as Goddess Cauvery in the middle. The seminar arrived at a decision to formulate enough programmes in future to foster “Ummathat”.

Pace and rhythm

Akhila Kodava Samaja president Matanda C.Monnappa agrees with most of the suggestions that “Ummathat” must be nurtured. There ought to be a touch of modernity to go with it, he says. Increasing the pace of songs to match the rhythm will make it more attractive. At the same time, changes should not dilute the original nor affect the decorum of the dance. It should not portray women in poor light.

No one is sure of the origin of the songs or the nuances of “Ummathat”. Most people believe the songs were compiled by the late Haradasa Appacha Kavi several decades ago. Certain songs are contained in the book written by Kavishishya Haridasa Mukkatira S. Poovaiah. Late Puggera Karumbaiah, who was instrumental in reviving the “Ummathat” in the early Seventies, too had contributed to the dance form.

Origin of Ummathat

According to Puggera Aiyappa, a senior citizen from Devanageri, Ummathat was practised centuries ago though there are no records available to prove it. Mr. Monnappa says his 95-year-old mother (who passed away recently) used to sing “Ummathat” songs.

Other dances performed by men such as “Bolakkat” have religious sanctity. Bolakkat is offered to the deity unlike “Ummathat”, Mr. Monnappa said.

Similarly, dances such as “Peeliyat”, “Chowriyat” and “Kombatt” are performed at the religious places where the deities are worshipped. “Ummathat” and “Bolakkat” were performed in public in the past even in New Delhi. It had drawn criticism.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Karnataka> Madikeri / by Staff Correspondent / July 20th, 2005

‘Karnataka to have six more mobile digital planetariums’

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology
District-in-charge Minister M R Seetharam, MLC Veena Acchaiah inaugurate the mobile digital planetarium at Government PU College premises in Madikeri on Sunday.
District-in-charge Minister M R Seetharam, MLC Veena Acchaiah inaugurate the mobile digital planetarium at Government PU College premises in Madikeri on Sunday.

District-in-charge minister M R Seetharam flagged off the mobile digital planetarium at Government PU College premises in Madikeri on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said it would help school students in rural areas get the planetarium experience and will guide them in astronomy and science-related issues. The planetarium will have screenings based on the high school syllabus.

Under the banner of “planetarium for school premises,” it will visit a few government schools in the district. Teachers and students should make use of the facilities, added Seetharam.

He said that the government had purchased five vehicles for mobile planetarium at a cost of Rs 6 crore last August. This has benefited 1.50 lakh government schoolchildren. Now, in accordance with the budget announcement, six more such mobile planetariums will be purchased.

The planetariums provide an immersive, digital experience of space for students. Visuals of planets in our solar system are projected on a dome. Each show will last 20 minutes. It has details on astronomy, rocket launch, and others.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DH News Service, Madkeri / February 18th, 2018