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Severe summer unveils gem in Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

KodaguTempleKF28apr2017

Lord Shiva temple accessible to devotees after 33 years as water in Chiklihole reservoir near Suntikoppa recedes

Summer is peaking in the state to compound the prevailing drought and as a result of receding water levels in dams across the state, submerged structures have been resurfacing. With some of the buildings showing up being temples, people have some reason to celebrate even in the eventuality of a shortage of water. So it is, at the Chiklihole dam near Suntikoppa of Kodagu district, after a lord Shiva temple emerged recently.

The temple that was submerged in the reservoir is visible for the first time in 33 years. The spot has since been attracting tourists, who are otherwise missing the pleasing sight of surging waters in the Cauvery catchment area in Kodagu they have been familiar with.

The Chiklihole reservoir, from which water is supplied to farmers of Kushalanagar, Rangasamudra, Bettageri, Nanjaraya Pattana and Guddehosuru among others, has a storage capacity of 0.18 TMC.

The temple area was included in the Chiklihole dam basin in 1983, after experts concluded the land was a good source of water. The government ordered an alternative temple to be built nearby, and in 1993, a Magdooru family constructed the temple of Vishwanatha and installed the main idol of lord Shiva from the old temple in it.

That Vishwanatha temple of Magdooru went on to become famous.

According to residents of Magdooru, Shivaratri is celebrated grandly in the new temple of their village, but with them now being able to access the old temple, they will celebrate the festival even better. Sai Kumar of the Magadooru family, which hails from Kerala, told Bangalore Mirror, “Our ancestors moved from Kerala to this place
in 1947 and they constructed the temple in 1969. As the temple was sunk in the reservoir in 1983, we constructed another one in 1993 on land allotted by the government. We are very happy to see the original temple now.”

Karthik Prasad, a tourist from Mysuru, visits the reservoir at least once a year. “This year I saw the temple, which was like a fantasy,” he said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> State / by Bangalore Mirror Bureau / by Manoj Sharma / April 26th, 2017

Monte Carlo Masters: Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas clinch first ATP title as doubles team

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

Monte Carlo:

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Uruguayan partner Pablo Cuevas lifted their first ATP World Tour title together when they downed seventh-seeds Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez in a three-set battle in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Sunday.

The unseeded Indo-Uruguayan pair outwitted the Spanish team in the Match tie breaker for a 6-3 3-6 10-4 win in 74 minutes.

Rohan Bopanna and his partner Pablo Cuevas with the men's doubles trophy. Getty
Rohan Bopanna and his partner Pablo Cuevas with the men’s doubles trophy. Getty

It was the second title of the season for Bopanna having won the the season-opening Chennai Open crown with compatriot Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan.

“I’m really happy to win our first title together. I have come to Monte-Carlo so many years, it’s such a historic tournament. We had a tough start to the season, but it s great to have won. We came through some close Match tie-breaks this week and it s a good start to the clay season. I m looking forward to the rest of the tournaments,” said Bopanna.

Cuevas said, “I am really happy, as I didn t started the season well. I’m happy to win with my partner in the first tournament on European clay and I hope for a good run through to Paris.”

Bopanna is now 16-24 in doubles finals and 4-4 in Masters’ summit clashes. It was Cuves’ second Masters trophy, adding to the 2015 Rome Masters triumph with David Marrero.

Marc Lopez, one-half of the Rio Olympic champion team, came under pressure in his first service game at 1-2, 30-40, when Bopanna feinted a switch at the net off a long rally to strike a forehand volley winner into space.

Bopanna and Cuevas held onto the break and wrapped up a 28-minute set when Feliciano Lopez mistimed a forehand wide on Bopanna’s serve at 40-15.

In the first game of the second set, Feliciano did well to hold as he recovered from 30-40, including two break points. At 1-2, 30-40, Cuevas over-hit a lob long to gift the Spaniards their first service break and it proved to be enough for Feliciano, serving at 5-3, to strike two straight aces for a hold to 30.

The greater weight of groundstroke by Bopanna and Cuevas was felt in the Match tie-break as the pair took a 6-0 lead, largely targeting the volleys of Marc.

Although Team Lopez recovered to 4-8, Cuevas sealed the first match point opportunity with a forehand down the line that Feliciano could not return cleanly.

They were trying to become the third Spanish team to win the Monte-Carlo title in the Open Era (since April 1968), joining Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez in 1988 and Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo in 2008.

source: http://www.firstpost.com / Firstpost.com / Home> Latest News> Sports News / by PTI / April 24th, 2017

Karnataka hockey stadium gets new turf, new name

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

Bengaluru :

The Karnataka State Hockey Association stadium will now be known as the Field Marshal KM Cariappa stadium. It was renamed on Thursday during the inauguration of the newly-laid blue hockey turf by the Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports (DYES).

The grand ceremony, however, was marred by controversy after Hockey Bengaluru (formerly KSHA) – which holds the rights over the stadium land after having signed a 99-year lease with BBMP decades ago – slammed the DYES for ignoring them and not following due procedure.

“It is wrong on the part of the DYES to change the name of the ground without taking us into confidence. We are not objecting to the developments but they could have consulted us as the BBMP has leased the land to us. It’s a clear violation of the agreement,” fumed Hockey Bengaluru secretary K Krishnamurthy.

Krishnamurthy explained that the stadium cannot be renamed without a resolution passed by BBMP. “We are not aware whether DYES sought an approval from BBMP,” he said.

“The agreement signed in 1977 is in the name of KSHA. Although KSHA has been renamed Hockey Bengaluru, KSHA still exists as a trade name with an aim to promote hockey,” he said. “DYES came to an understanding with us during the 1997 National Games to develop the infrastructure and share the facility. The department has no rights over the land.”

Revealing that Hockey Bengaluru was invited only an hour before the inaugural ceremony, Krishnamurthy said: “Field Marshal Cariappa is a hero for all of us. They have put his name on a flex board instead casting it in stone. This is not the way to honour a national hero. We were not even informed about their plans to change the name.”

Blaming the DYES, he said: “Ever since the new director has taken charge we have been given raw deal. We were not informed when DYES called for tenders to upgrade the stadium.”

Krishnamurthy said they will take up the matter with the sports minister after consulting MLA NA Haris, the patron of the club.

Meanwhile, the DYES director Anupam Agrawal countered Krishnamurthy’s allegations saying they have followed the protocol. “We have an approval from the state sports minister to change the name of the stadium. We have not consulted KSHA because legally they don’t exist,” he said. “We wanted to rename the ground to Field Marshal Cariappa ground to honour his contributions,” he said.

Stadium will be upgraded: Agrawal

DYES director Anupam Agrawal said his department will upgrade the Field Marshal KM Cariappa stadium gallery and refurbish the hostel which is home to Sports Authority of India trainees.

“We have sought an additional Rs 1.5 crore to upgrade the gallery and the hostel. We will also upgrade the toilets and dressing rooms according to FIH standards.

We are in the process of installing a hockey turf at Somwarpet and upgrading the existing facility at Ponnampet as Kodagu district is the cradle of hockey,” he added.

source: http:/www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Sports> Hockey> Top Stories / by Sunil Subbaiah / TNN / April 21st, 2017

306 teams vie for top honours in Kodava family hockey festival

Amazing Feats, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

As many as 306 teams have enrolled for the prestigious Kodava family hockey tournament scheduled to begin here on Monday. With Biddatanda family hosting this edition of the annual tournament, the event is named Biddatanda Hockey Namme-2017.

The hockey festival, in its 21st year, promises to a treat for hockey buffs with a record number of teams are vying for the top prize. The tournament has produced fine talents over the years some of whom have made the cut into state and national teams. The matches will be played at three grounds – two at Gen Thimayya Stadium at Cheriyaparambu, and at Govt PU College ground.

Grounds Committee chairman B B Belyappa said, “Final touches are being given to the grounds to make them match-ready at a cost of Rs 16 lakh. The 27-day tournament is being organised at a cost of Rs 1.6 crore.”

Thunder showers, in the recent past, in the run up to the competition have delayed the preparations. With rain taking a break on Saturday, the groundsmen took up the last-minute preparations to make the grounds ready for the matches, starting on Monday.

For the first time in the history of the tournament, a metal gallery has been erected for the benefit of the spectators. The organisers have also made necessary arrangements like mats, sound system, lighting, media gallery at a cost of Rs 33.50 lakh.

As many as waterproof make-shift food stalls have been set up at the grounds. Safety measures are also in place with shade nets covering the banks of Cauvery river to prevent people from venturing into water and contaminating the same.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha had promised Rs 30 lakh from his MPLAD funds for the tournament but released only Rs 20 lakh. Zilla Panchayat is also expected to chip in with Rs 4 lakh for building a check wall.

MLC Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh. Legislators K G Bopaiah and MLC Suneel Subramani too have promised funds.

Hockey India, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Kodagu and Umpire Association have extended their support to the event. President of Umpire Association Katumaniyanda Umesh has taken over the mantle of supervising the matches.

According to technical director of Biddatanda Hockey Namme B S Thammaiah, seating facilities have been made for 20,000 people. It includes 4,000 seats for VIPs. Parking facilities have been made on 15 acres of land.

Hockey Olympian Anjaparavanda B Subbaiah will inaugurate the tournament on April 17 at 10.30 am. Founder of Hockey Namme, Pandanda M Kuttappa, will be the chief guest, while Prof B C Ponnappa of Biddatanda clan will preside over the inaugural function.

Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai, former minister M C Nanaiah, MP Prathap Simha, MLAs K G Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan, MLCs Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah and Suneel Subramani, SP P Rajendra Prasad, president of Kodagu Hockey Association Pykera Kalaiah and Muliya Prasad from Muliya Foundation are also expected to attend the inaugural session.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DH News Service / Napoklu – April 16th, 2017

Biddatanda Hockey Namme 2017 fixtures released

Records, All, Sports
Sampath of Biddatanda Hockey Namme technical committee, ground committee president Biddatanda Belliappa and Kodava Sahitya Academy president B S Thammaiah release the fixtures of the tournament at Madikeri Press Club on Tuesday.
Sampath of Biddatanda Hockey Namme technical committee, ground committee president Biddatanda Belliappa and Kodava Sahitya Academy president B S Thammaiah release the fixtures of the tournament at Madikeri Press Club on Tuesday.

The fixtures of Biddatanda Hockey Namme 2017 were released at Madikeri Press Club on Tuesday. The tournament will be held at General Thimmaiah Stadium at Napoklu Cheriyaparambu from April 17.

Speaking after releasing the fixtures, Kodava Sahitya Academy president B S Thammaiah said that the fixtures released are official and matches will be held based on these fixtures.

The inaugural session will be held between 11 am and 12.30 pm on April 17, he said.

He said that the Rest of India and Coorg Regiment of Indian Army will play inaugural exhibition match between 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm. The majority of people in Kodagu are not aware of Coorg Regiment in Indian Army. Hence, to introduce the regiment to the people, the exhibition match is being organised, he said.

The Rest of India hockey team will be led by Indian Hockey player Raghunath. The inaugural session will have Army band and Kodava dance, Thammaiah said.The tournament will have 18 to 24 matches everyday.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Madikeri, April 12th, 2017

Arunachal Festival of Speed: Amanpreet in lead

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

Amanpreet Ahluwalia proved he’s a master of short turns and deft handling as he finished first in the autocross, or the Super Special Stages.

With the breathtakingly beautiful Dirang valley for inspiration, National autocross champion Amanpreet Ahluwalia jump into the lead on the first day in the fourth edition of the JK Tyre Arunachal Festival of Speed here on Saturday.

He proved he’s a master of short turns and deft handling as he finished first in the autocross, or the Super Special Stages as it’s called here.

However, the championship suffered a huge setback after quite a few big names pulled out. Seven-time Desert Storm winner Sunny Sidhu pulled out citing engine issues. Joining him were ten-time Raid de Himalaya champion Suresh Rana and newly-crowned India Baja champion, Gaurav Chiripal. Both withdrew citing different reasons.

Organisers said Gaurav was stuck in Dubai due to personal issues while Rana’s car’s front axle was damaged. Another prominent rallyist Raj Singh Rathore, too, withdrew.

The hero of the day was Amanpreet. Driving a Maruti Gypsy, Amanpreet tackled the slippery grass track at the L’Opon Stadium to delight the locals, who had gathered in moderate numbers to watch the action-packed event. He needed just 2minutes and 09 seconds to complete the zig-zagging course.

“It was fun racing on this tricky course,” Amanpreet, a veteran rallyist from Delhi, said. “We are happy that we have taken the early lead. There is still a long way to go and we hope to drive on this momentum through the weekend,” he added.

The top seeded racer among those in classified cars here, K. M. Bopaiah from Coorg, had to settle for the second place in his 1600cc Polo. Delhi’s Sandeep Sharma finished third. In the autocross and sprint cars for local talent, Babit Lyngdoh shot into the lead, winning both his rounds.

The provisional results

1. Amanpreet Ahluwalia & navigator Ajay Kumar(02:09), 2. K.M. Bopaiah & Gagan Karumbaiah (02:12), 3. Sandeep Sharma & Prathap Thakur (02:13), 4. Ewellson Cyngdoh & Rijop M Sangma (02:14).

source: http://www.sportsalive.com / Sports Star / Home> India / by K. Keerthivasan / Dirang Valley (Arunachal Pradesh) / April 15th, 2017

Karnataka government to verify disputed land in Kodagu

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Leaders, Records, All

Bengaluru :

The state government on Tuesday took a decision to survey the disputed forest land, wherein the Jenu Kuruba tribals of Diddahalli had gone on an agitation, in Madikeri, Kodagu.

SiddaramaiahKF11apr2017

After an hour long meeting with chief minister Siddaramaiah, forest minister B Ramanath Rai, social welfare minister H Anjaneya, revenue minister Kagodu Thimmappa said the government has decided to verify the land records of Diddahalli before taking a final decision.

“After a detailed discussion, the government has decided to verify the land records of Diddahalli on whether the land is forest land or revenue land. If we verify the land records as being forest land, then we will make all efforts to provide them suitable rehabilitation area with amenities. But if the land records show that it is revenue land, then within eight days we will ensure that they have the title deeds for that land,” said Thimmappa.

The revenue minister said he will be personally camping in Kodagu on April 16 or 17 for resolving the issue.

Thimmappa said the deliberation was held with all stakeholders and that valuable inputs were shared on the case from all parties.
“The government is keen on resolving the issue and we will try to do it at the earliest,” he said.

In December 2016, the Jenu Kurubas of Madikeri who were working in the nearby coffee plantations had been agitating against the eviction by forest department and local police citing it was forest land.
Later that month, the Bettale Seve (nude protest) by a tribal woman in Diddahalli and the alleged insensitivity shown by cops in trying to disrupt the protest held by members of Jenu Kuruba (a tribe) had drawn sympathy from several quarters.

This being the last year before elections, this looter government will do anything to get the votes.

The Diddahalli faceoff had put the government in a spot, with members of civil society strongly criticizing the move.

On Monday, former MLC A K Subbaiah who spoke on behalf of the civil society, which has been seeking respite for the agitators, welcomed the government decision and expressed his hope that the state will give justice to the tribals.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Sandeep Moudgal / TNN / April 11th, 2017

Asian hockey awards: India’s SV Sunil named Player of the Year for 2016

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

India forward SV Sunil, key member of last year’s silver-winning Champions Trophy side, is Asian Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year for 2016 and junior World Cup-winner, Harmanpreet Singh, has been named as the emerging player

SV Sunil was the favourite for the award among the national team coaches of Asia, who made the nominations based on performances during 2016.(Facebook)
SV Sunil was the favourite for the award among the national team coaches of Asia, who made the nominations based on performances during 2016.(Facebook)

India forward SV Sunil was named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016 on Thursday, with Harmanpreet Singh chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards.

SV Sunil was the favourite for the award among national team coaches of Asia, who made the nominations based on performances during 2016, according to a Hockey India release.

Sunil, regarded highly for his pace, played a vital role in India’s memorable run in last year’s Champions Trophy in London, where they claimed a silver for the first time. “This award is the icing on the cake. I believe Indian hockey is growing year by year and we have enjoyed some memorable victories in 2016. This award could not have been possible but for our team work,” Sunil said.

Dragflick specialist Harmanpreet too had a great run, playing a crucial role in India’s Junior World Cup triumph in Lucknow late last year. He was also part of the Rio Olympics and Champions Trophy squads.

“I am very excited to receive this award. Awards and recognition are a big motivation for a young player like me to improve on my skills and come up with memorable performances,” said Harmanpreet, who along with Sunil, is currently in the senior men’s national camp that is preparing for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by HT Correspondent, New Delhi / March 30th, 2017

Coffee’s humble roots in India – Planting of the very first seeds

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

CoffeeKF30mar2017

Famous for its coffee plantations, South India didn’t grow the crop naturally. Now a major producer with several hill tracts growing unique flavours of coffee, it is where the story begins… well, not exactly.

The southern Indian state of Karnataka is strewn with coffee plantations. The state is, in fact, one of the major producers of coffee in India. ‘Arabica’ and ‘Robusta’ are the kinds of coffee that are grown here under methods which are unique to this part of the country, rather, to the world.

The coffee here is grown under the shade of tress and is often inter-cropped with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, giving it a unique flavour and aroma.

Interestingly, growth of coffee here is so dense that it might come across as shocking when someone tells you that it all started with the seeding of mere seven coffee beans, which were smuggled to the hills of Karnataka.

The story that goes around in the coffee plantations down south is that an Indian saint, named Baba Budan, once went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and from there to Mocha – a port city in Yemen and a major coffee hub.

It was here, in the 18th century, that Baba Budan first discovered coffee, when he tasted it in form of a dark and sweet liquid called Qahwa. It is said that he found the drink so refreshing that despite it being a protected Arabic beverage and industry, he sneaked out seven coffee beans by strapping them to his chest and brought them to India.

The Baba Budan Hills in Karnataka
The Baba Budan Hills in Karnataka

These seven beans, Baba Budan planted in the courtyard of his home, in Chikmagalur, Karnataka – the place now synonymous to the origins of coffee in India. It is from this small patch of land that coffee began to spread over an entire hill – now called the Baba Budan hill – and then gradually to rest of Karnataka and South India.

Coffee cultivation further boosted in India under various colonies. First, the Dutch began to grow coffee in the Malabar region of south India and then the British steered its movement all over the peninsula, where they found the conditions to be apt for the growth of the crop.

In fact, coffee plantations in India were made commercial under the management of JH Jolly of Parry & Co, a trading company. Jolly saw the potential of coffee beans growing in the plantations of Chandragiri in Andhra Pradesh and had a petition sent to the Mysore government in the adjoining state of Karnataka, for 40 acres of land to grow coffee.

This not just boosted the growth of coffee but, post this, the plantations flourished with their production turning into the sole business of many from the region and coffee becoming a major commercial product. Eventually, a coffee board was also set up, which took care of the marketing of Indian coffee. It is this board that we know as the Coffee Board of India, the Indian government’s body taking care of coffee commerce in India.

Today, the coffee industry in India continues to be a flourishing one with the hill tracts of South Indian states dominating its production and the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu following Karnataka in the list of traditional coffee growing regions. Coffee routes have further elongated to non-traditional areas, including Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on the eastern coast of the country and Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh of North-Eastern India.

The production of the crop that started on an ambiguous note has prospered into a full fledged industry, supporting the livelihood of many, especially, in the remote hilly areas of South India.

source: http://www.mediaindia.eu / Media India Group (MIG) / Home / posted in Freestyle / by Surbhi Kapila / New Delhi – March 30th, 2017

Coorg brews a winner

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

StarbucksReserveKF30mar2017


Coffee grown in the hills of Karnataka is making its way to the Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle

Coffee is undergoing something of a transformation in India. Local beans, grown in the country, are finally making it onto store shelves, where provenance and growing techniques are emphasised. Meanwhile, a certain section of savvy consumers trawls the Internet, searching for new ways to brew their daily cuppa using a range of different home-grown beans, each of which comes packaged with tasting notes that emphasise subtle flavours.

Meanwhile, an ocean away, India’s coffee prowess was given a different stamp of approval, when last October, Starbucks sold Indian coffee for the first time at its flagship Starbucks Reserve store in Seattle, the city in which the brand was founded. The coffee came from Tata’s Nullore estate in Kodagu, Karnataka, and was the company’s first microlot coffee. While Tata has 19 plantations in Kodagu (spread over 7,300 hectares), this was the first time that the company’s arabica beans made it to international shelves.

Microlot coffee refers to beans that are generally the best of the estate, and are those that imbibe flavours of the terroir. Arabica is one of two types of coffee beans, and is prized for its flavour, lower caffeine content and almost twice the concentration of sugar than is found in robusta. As a result, arabica is more expensive, and harder to grow.

Place of origin

Walking around the Nullore plantation’s block 19 (where the beans grew), what strikes you is the sense of calm that comes with standing in the midst of a 505-acre estate.

The microlot that was ultimately produced got its flavours from plants and trees that fruit bats propagate, while they make their homes in the silver oak trees above that provide shade to the arabica plants below. This two-tier system allows the coffee to grow under a canopy of trees, which includes jackfruit, pepper vines and fruits such as orange and lychee. On a tour of the block, Mandana, plantation manager, says, “We collected the coffee berries separately from eight hectares of this [block], where the fruit bat population is high.”

Changing trends

The story of the coffee though, goes beyond its growth, and rather is the story of how Tata Coffee is responding to changing customer demands, especially at the high-end, where international coffee drinkers are willing to spend between $10-30 to buy beans with unique tasting notes. Sunalini Menon, a well-known coffee cupper, who is also an independent member of the Tata Coffee board, has been instrumental in galvanising the plantation managers to experiment with microlot coffee. Chacko Thomas, the deputy CEO and executive director, says, “As a result of Nullore, we have 150 [microlot] experiments in progress.” Processing aside, the recognition has showed employees, that the beans grown in Kodagu can be cupped alongside the best in the world.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Food / by Aatish Nath / March 30th, 2017