Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Who was Field Marshal KM Cariappa?

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KM Cariappa is a man known for many firsts, but most importantly, he is known as the man who took charge of the Indian Army from its last British Commander in Chief, General Sir Roy Bucher. Born on January 28, 1899, in Coorg, Cariappa completed his education at Central High School at Madikeri and went on to study at the Presidency College in Madras.

However, Cariappa began his Army stint under the British and was among the few selected for the first batch of KCIOs (King’s Commissioned Indian Officers) at the Daly Cadet College in Indore and was commissioned in the Carnatic Infantry. He was in active service with the 37 (Prince of Wales) Dogra in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) and then posted to the 2nd Rajput Light Infantry (Queen Victoria’s Own). Cariappa went on to become the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College, Quetta in 1933. In 1946, he got promoted as the Brigadier of the Frontier Brigade Group.

By Indian independence, Cariappa saw action in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Burma and became the first Indian Officer to be given command of a unit in 1942. He went on to receive many awards and accolades in his career spanning three decades. He received the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his role in Burma against the Japanese during the Second World War.

In 1947, Cariappa became the first Indian to be selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK. His role during the Partition is rarely mentioned, during which he oversaw the division of the Army. Cariappa also led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pak War of 1947 and successfully recaptured Zojila, Drass and Kargil and established a linkup with Leh.

On January 15, 1949, Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He held the five-star rank of field marshal, the highest honour in the Indian Army, which Sam Manekshaw is the only other officer to have held.

source: http://www.defenceaviationpost.com / Defence Aviation Post / Home> Defence> Indian Army / source: Indian Express / January 20th, 2020

Kodagu Champ Selected As National Coach By Hockey India

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Ankitha Suresh has been selected as Assistant National Coach by Hockey India for the Indian Senior Women’s Hockey Team. She is now a member of coaching staff who is training senior hockey players at the ongoing National Coaching Camp till Jan. 21.

She will represent India as Assistant Coach and will be a part of the Indian National Hockey team (Senior Women’s Hockey) that will leave for New Zealand on Jan. 22. The New Zealand tour will begin from Jan. 23 till Feb. 6. Ankitha will be a part of the 26-member team headed by Chief Coach Sojero Marjine and Analytical Coach Janneke Schopman. 20 players are also part of the team.

Daughter of B.A. Suresh and B.S. Dharmavathi, residents of Madikeri, Honnampadi Ankitha Suresh started her sports career as an athlete and had won medals in 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter running races in national levels. While studying in Junior College in Madikeri, she stumbled upon hockey and her passion for the sport grew after she joined SAI Hockey Hostel in Madikeri for training.

She has represented Karnataka in the National level five times (twice in senior level and thrice in junior level). In the University-level (Mangalore University), she has won three Gold medals and two Bronze (Annamalai University). She has participated in All India Inter-University Tournaments five times.

Ankitha also has the distinction of being the one among the five women from Karnataka who have been selected for the Level-3 coaching course offered by Hockey India as well as only Level-2 Technical Official to be selected from India and from Karnataka for the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) World Cup Women’s Hockey.

She is currently working as hockey coach in Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) at Ponnampet Sports Hostel and will join as national coach. A post-graduate diploma holder in e-Finance and Gym Instruction, she holds Masters in Commerce and has a Diploma in Sports Coaching (National Institute of Sports).

“N. Muthu Kumar, my coach in SAI Hockey Hostel, Madikeri, is my role model and inspiration,” she fondly says and feels grateful for all the coaches that she has worked with throughout her career. She specially mentions the name of Ponachanna Srinivas who taught her the game of hockey.

“Hockey Karnataka supported me to do the course (Hockey India Level-1, Level-2 and FIH Level-1 and 2 and now I am promoted to do FIH Level-3) conducted by Hockey India and FIH Hockey Academy,” she adds.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / January 20th, 2020

RS MP Kupendra Reddy Calls Kodava Community To Stay United On Tribal Status

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Madikeri:

Maintaining that Kodava community has been deprived of tribal status due to lack of organised efforts and killer instinct, Rajya Sabha (RS) member Kupendra Reddy called upon Kodava community members to launch a movement for getting Constitutionally mandated tribal status.

He was speaking at a seminar on Kodava Tribal Status, organised by Codava National Council (CNC) at Capitol village on the outskirts of Madikeri town yesterday.

Stating that the richness of Kodava culture and practices are key factors in getting tribal status, Reddy said that even the British had considered Kodavas as a tribal community in a census conducted by them. But Kodavas have chosen to stay away from the status as they considered it inferior, he regretted.

Pointing out that Kodavas need tribal status to get Government posts, he lauded the fighting spirit of CNC President N.U. Nachappa, who has been waging a battle for the cause for over a decade

Reiterating that lack of unity among Kodava community had deprived the community of its rights, he appealed the community to support Nachappa in his struggles.

Another RS MP B.K. Hariprasad said that Kodava community which emanated from the banks of the holy river Cauvery is now staring at a crisis. Arguing that the Constitutionally mandated status alone can help Kodava culture and tradition to sustain, Hariprasad called upon the community members to shun a feeling of inferiority, if they have any.

Claiming that the Sanskrit speaking population, which is hardly 50,000 in number has got reservation, he wondered why the Kodava population which is multiple times higher has not got reservation. Although Kodavas were socially and academically forward, they have been deprived of opportunities, he regretted. Hariprasad further said that he had raised his voice for an appropriate status for Kodava language in Parliament.

CNC President N.U. Nachappa in his address, said that a tribal status alone can save Kodava culture, tradition and practices from becoming extinct.

Pointing out Kodava Gun Rights has never been misused for any anti-national activities, he said that the Gun Rights has remained in place even after seven decades of independence because of this fact. Nachappa warned that Kodavas will have no future if they fail to learn about tribal rights listed in the schedule of the Constitution.

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

Amazon’s Mini Series ‘Afsos’, Brings Back Gulshan Devaiah With A Twisted Story

Gulshan Devaiah, after Mard Ko Dard Nai Hota, is returning to the screen with another chilling character who is playing with life and death. Amazon Prime Video recently unveiled the trailer of their upcoming show titled, Afsos. The streaming service has called the series, as a suspense thriller about a suicidal man who hires a deadly assassin to kill him.

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Starring Gulshan Devaiah, Anjali Patil, and Heeba Shah in the leading roles, Afsos, takes a look into the lives of depressed people. The mental illness that leads one wanting to take their life, can be a heavy burden and for our lead character, Nakul aka, Gulshan Devaiah, its a way out, but can’t get that right either.

In the trailer, Gulshan talks about feeling insignificant and wanting to take his own life. After his 11th attempt fails he hands over the task into another’s hand. A shady organisation, run by two assassins, who hand him a rate card for how he wants to die. In exchange for a hefty amount Gulshan then places an order for an assassin who is set to shoot him in the head. But after figuring out he wants to live, Gulshan has no option but to outrun his killer.

source: http://www.youtube.com

The events in the trailer then turn into suspense as, Gulshan is trying to run away with his therapist, Sholka, played by Anjali Patil. However, according to the trailer he does get killed. Anjali can be seen yelling out Nakul’s name, with blood splattered on her face. Heeba then can be seen walking away from the scene with a gun tucked in her shirt.

Another scene shows, Nakul standing next to his own body in the hospital, (which to be honest could be a dream or a hallucination). The show’s official description also calls the series as a dark comedy, it says, “A suicidal man and a deadly assassin encounter the world of immortality in this black comedy suspense thriller.” It hints that Afsos is more than a cat and mouse chase, and we might be able to see Gulshan develop a bond with his assassin.

Afsos, is sure to send a chill down your spin with the talented cast, good story. The dark comedy will also share some interesting concepts like a group of killers assisting in suicidal people. Ujjwal Chopra in the trailer can be seen complaining about how there is no dignity in killing people who want to die.

The trailer also sets an unusual tone for the story. While most of it comes off as an ironic comedy, it quickly turns into something dark to something supernatural. The text in the trailer, warns one about being careful what you wish for, in life and in death.

The eight-episode series is directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, who was part of films like the black comedy-drama Dev.D (2009) and crime-drama Gangs of Wasseypur (2012). Written by Anirban Dasgupta, Sourav Ghosh and Dibya Chatterjee, Afsos will air on Amazon Prime Video on, January 17, 2020.

source: http://www.filmibeat.com / FilmiBeat / Home> Television> Web Series / by Sanyukta Thakare / January 14th, 2019

Robin Devaiah appointed Kodagu BJP president

Paleyanda Robin Devaiah being felicitated by BJP leaders, after he was appointed the president of Kodagu district BJP, at Dakshina Kannada district BJP office in Mangaluru, on Sunday. DH Photo
Paleyanda Robin Devaiah being felicitated by BJP leaders, after he was appointed the president of Kodagu district BJP, at Dakshina Kannada district BJP office in Mangaluru, on Sunday. DH Photo

In a sudden development, Paleyanda Robin Devaiah has been elected the president of Kodagu BJP district unit.

During a visit by the delegation led by MLA K G Bopaiah and MLC Sunil Subramani to Mangaluru, Kodagu BJP district in-charge Uday Kumar Shetty handed over the order copy to Robin Devaiah.

A native of Virajpet, Robin Devaiah belongs to Kodava community. Since his student days, he has been associated with RSS and had served as the general secretary of Kodagu BJP unit.

Two years ago, Manu Muttappa, close aide of K G Bopaiah had to step down as district president and B B Bharateesh, a leader of Vokkaliga community was elected to his place. Manu Muttappa was later appointed as state BJP secretary. Robin Devaiah was the working president of Madikeri Dasara Committee in 2019.

The responsibilities of the BJP district president has increased manifold as the party is in power both at Taluk and Zilla panchayats. Furthermore, there is the challenge of tackling dissidence also.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS – Madikeri / January 12th, 2020

‘Sri Bharatha Baahubali helped me test my acting skills’

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Model Sarah Harish is turning actor with Sri Bharatha Baahubali. She started her modelling career at the age of 17, and became a popular face on billboard and TV advertisements, and it has taken her almost nine years to make it to the big screen. “Initially, I was not thinking about acting. Even though I was approached with various subjects, I didn’t consider it until Sri Bharatha Baahubali happened,” says the newcomer from Coorg. “Director Manju Mandavya spotted me in a commercial and offered this subject,” she adds.

While shooting for Sri Bharatha Baahubali, Sarah realised that acting for a TV commercial and facing the camera for a movie character are completely different things. “Not much of acting is required when you are doing a TV commercial, which is not the case in cinema. Sri Bharatha Baahubali helped me test my acting skills,” she says.

So does she consider Sri Bharatha Baahubali as the perfect launchpad? Sarah reveals that it took her a little time to get convinced. “I was very new to this world of glamour. But the story and the way the director narrated the character to me, made me say ‘yes’. I realised that I have scope for performance, and the role is as important as the lead characters, played by Manju Mandavya and Chikkanna,” says Sarah, who plays an NRI in the film. “I was also happy to have got the freedom to choose my costumes. On the whole, everything about Sri Bharatha Baahubali was in my favour,” she adds.

Sarah admits that handling the 8-hour shifts was a challenge. But the feeling changed after she completed the film. “I was clueless when I started, and to top it, I was the only female in the whole team. I didn’t know what to expect and how to go about it. However, once I started, the scenario changed, and I got comfortable. This film helped me developed patience, and I got to learn a lot. It wouldn’t have happened without the help of director Manju Mandavya and Chikkanna,” explains Sarah.

Recalling her first schedule with Chikkanna, she says, “My first few shots made me nervous, and I was hesitant to go for retakes, thinking I will be wasting Chikkanna’s time. But they told me to relax, and it helped me get into the character.”

Ask Sarah about what she misses about the film sets, and pat comes to the reply, “Food.” She adds, “I would wait to eat ragi mudde every day during the 45-day shooting schedule stretched over eight months. Being a first-timer, I was given a lot of importance on the sets, which I loved, and miss now.”

Working with Chikkanna was one of the best things about the film, Sarah says. “His sense of humour is too good, and it can lighten the atmosphere in any set-up. The best about being with Chikkanna is seeing him act. He is a one-take actor, and that’s something I should be learning from him,” she adds, also mentioning director-actor Manju Mandavya, who dons many hats in the film. “He is a multi-talented person, and I wonder how he manages to do so much, and still keeps himself calm. Even when there is a lot of chaos, he still handled it with so much patience,” she says.

Sarah is now waiting to watch her film, which is set for release on January 17. “There are bumper gifts on offer, and those who watch the film in the first two weeks will get an opportunity to win a car, gold, and gift hampers. I too want to be in the audience and get lucky,” she laughs.

source: http://www.m.dailyhunt.com / Daily Hunt / Home> English News> Cinemaexpress.com / by www.cinemaexpress.com / January 11th, 2020

Rohan Bopanna-Wesley Koolhof Win Qatar Open Title

Veteran tennis star Rohan Bopanna won the $1,465,260 Qatar Open with men’s doubles partner Wesley Koolhof.

Veteran tennis star Rohan Bopanna won the $1,465,260 Qatar Open with men’s doubles partner Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands with a come from behind win in the final on Friday. The pair beat British-Mexican pair of Luke Bambridge and Santiago Gonzalez 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 to clinch the title.

Third-seeded pair Bopanna and Koolhof had reached the final earlier after beating second seeds Henri Kontinen and Franco Skugor 7-5, 6-2. The title win hands them 250 ATP points and a prize money of $76,870.

Unseeded Bambridge and Gonzalez, on the other hand, had got the better of Denmark’s Frederik Nielsen and Tim Puetz of Germany 2-6 6-2 10-4 in the semis to get to the final themselves.

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV Sports / Home> Tennis> News / by Indo-Asian News Service / January 11h, 2020

Patrade

Courtesy: Naren Thimmaiah
Courtesy: Naren Thimmaiah

At Karavalli, every dish is sourced from its region of origin, and the recipes learnt from mothers and grandmothers. Patrade, a popular Konkani dish, was sourced from Pangal Nayak’s ancestral home in Katpadi near Udupi on the Mangalore coast. Colocasia leaves grow wildly in this region, especially in the monsoon. These leaves are layered with a paste of lentils and spices, rolled, steamed and pan-roasted to make Patrade. It is a great evening snack. Of course, there are numerous variations of it across India.

Serves 8

Cook Time 01h

Plus 3 hours for soaking rice

Ingredients
250 gm rice
50 gm ghee
50 gm red chillies
25 gm coriander seeds
25 gm cumin seeds
20 gm roasted moong dal
20 gm roasted chana dal
20 gm roasted toor dal
20 gm salt
50 ml tamarind pulp
20 colocasia leaves

Preparation
Soak the rice in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours and drain.
Grind the rice, along with all other ingredients, except the colocasia leaves and ghee, into a thick batter.

Clean the colocasia leaves and remove the thick veins. Place the leaves on a platform with the back facing up.
Spread the batter on one leaf in an even layer and cover it with another leaf. Spread another layer of batter on it. Repeat the process twice.
Fold both ends and roll up the leaves, ensuring no batter oozes out.
Once all the rolls are made, place them in a steamer for about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow the Patrade to cool.
Once cool, cut them into thick slices.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the Patrade (for about 4 minutes on each side) and serve with extra ghee.

Naren Thimmaiah

Chef Naren Thimmaiah has been the face of Taj Hotels’ iconic Karavalli for over two decades, ensuring that it has a permanent spot among the world’s finest restaurants. His culinary genius has won him and his restaurant multiple prestigious awards. He is popular on television, and serves on the Board of Studies at Christ University and Srinivas University in addition to numerous hotel management institutes. He also advises the food panel of MasterChef India.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Food> Taste Test / by Naren Thimmaiah / January 08th, 2020

‘Coorg Person of the Year 2019’

Justice A.S. Bopanna, first judge from Kodagu to be elevated to the Supreme Court, was adjudged ‘Coorg Person of the Year, 2019’ by a Kodagu information portal.

A release stated Mr. Bopanna was the overwhelming choice for the title in a poll conducted for www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news portal, promoted by journalist P.T. Bopanna. The release said other nominations received included Fulbright scholar Sowmya Dechamma and Devika Carriapa, winner of Bal Sahitya award for 2019.

In the past, the winners of the Coorg Person title included Kaveri Nambisan, novelist (2005), Air Marshal K.C. Cariappa, environmentalist (2008), cricketer Robin Uthappa (2009), tennis player Rohan Bopanna (2010), squash champion Joshna Chinappa (2014), athlete M.R. Poovamma (2015), cartoonist Nala Ponnappa (2016), and badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa (2017).

Mr. P.T. Bopanna said: “The concept took shape in 2005 to develop role models for the people of Kodagu. The selection was made on the basis of a poll conducted through www.coorgtourisminfo.com.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – January 08th, 2020

The making of India

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In her latest book India Through People: 25 Game Changers, Devika Cariapa talks about the people who drove change
“Children are naturally interested in history,” feels writer Devika Cariapa. “Notice how carefully even the youngest of them listens to stories told by a grandmother or elder — particularly lingering on details of how they lived, what they wore, what they did at school and what they ate for lunch! It’s a natural progression then to get young readers interested in stories from history in a factual but fun way. Once they are hooked, it becomes a lifelong interest.” Devika, whose second and latest book for Tulika, India Through People: 25 Game Changers, was released last week, is also an archaeologist.

“The more I worked in archaeology, researching and visiting sites, the more I felt there were wonderful stories there that children would enjoy,” says Devika, over email. And so, when she became a full-time writer, she knew what her first book would be about — India Through Archaeology: Excavating History, is part of Tulika’s India Focus series. Devika explains that the series “will tell the story of India through the lens of different subjects”.

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In India Through People…, Devika talks about India’s recent past, that she calls “a century and a half of great, radical changes”. To do so, she has picked 25 people who “helmed that change with great courage and vision”. She explains: “These game changers, all born after 1850, dealt with the challenges of the time and in doing so, not only left an imprint on their particular fields but also forged new paths for the nation.”

Narrowing down on the 25 men and women, however, was not an easy task. “This was probably the most difficult part of doing the book!” she adds. “For every one person included, there were at least two others that we felt could have been featured instead. We chose people from a range of fields and different parts of the country and ensured that those we could not fit in due to constraints of the size of the book were referenced in the timelines attached to each chapter.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by Akila Kannadasan / August 20th, 2019