GRACEFUL: Kodava women perform Ummathat dance at the Kodava Samskrutika Mela at Napoklu in Kodagu on Monday.
Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy president Rani Machaiah on Monday called upon the Kodava-speaking groups to foster the unique Kodava culture to perpetuate it for posterity.
She was addressing a gathering at the Madikeri taluk Kodava Samskritika Mela (Kodava cultural convention) held at the Napoklu Kodava Samaja premises in Madikeri taluk, an official release said here.
The academy had been doing its best to preserve the unique Kodava culture by organising various cultural programmes across the district, she said. The Virajpet taluk convention would be held in Birunani on February 7 and in Somwarpet taluk in March, Ms. Machaiah said.
The traditional Bolakkat dance was inaugurated by Neriyandammanda Prabhu, Ummathat by Ikolanda Dotty Aiyappa, Kolatt by Mechira Ravishankar Nanaiah and Kodava song competitions by Boppanda Bollamma Nanaiah.
The former president of the Academy Bacharaniyanda P. Appanna presented a paper on the history of Nalnad area, comprising Napoklu and surrounding areas, at a seminar later.
There were five taluks in Kodagu in 1834 and several ‘nads’ (nad is a group of villages), he said. However, they had undergone geographic changes, Mr. Appanna said.
There were 26 villages in the Napoklu nad. The credit of preserving the Kodava culture should go to Napoklu nad, he added.
Mr. Appanna remembered the contributions of Kodavas of the past to nurture Kodava culture such as Appachira Mandanna, Kaliyatanda Ponnappa, writers such as Appaneravanda Appacha and Nadikeriyanda Chinnappa, all of whom hailed from the Nalnad area (Napoklu and surrounding areas).
Biddatanda Ramesh Chengappa, vice-president of the Napoklu Kodava Samaja, presided over the function.
Writer Moovera Rekha Prakash spoke on the history of Cauvery on the occasion.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Staff Correspondent / Madikeri – February 01st, 2011
An awareness rally on forest fire was held in Gonikoppa.
A forest fire is not a natural incident. There are always human hands behind the accident, said Wildlife First president K M Chinnappa.
He was speaking during the flagging-off of an awareness rally conducted by Wildlife First and the Aided High School at Gonikoppa to create awareness against forest fires.
Negative impact
“A forest fire not only results in the loss of valuable flora and fauna but also increases the temperature levels. This will further result in less rainfall and depletion of groundwater level. The amount of rainfall is diminishing year by year as the forest cover is depleting. If this continues, drought will be the most common phenomena,” Chinnappa said.
Dependence on forests
Inaugurating the rally, Titimati Assistant Conservator of Forests Sripati said that the existence of all organisms depends on the existence of forests. “Everyone should, therefore, extend their help towards preserving forests and wildlife,” he added.
Around 3,000 handbills on forest conservation were distributed among citizens on the occasion. Up to 50 students took out a procession and raised slogans on conservation of forests.
Science teacher and Tiger Pug Nature association coordinator D Krishna Chaitanya was present on the occasion.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DH News Service, Gonikoppa / February 05th, 2018
The debut film of actor Mukesh’s son Shravan had a unique audio launch, held underwater!
The launch was held at Kovalam beach in Thiruvananthapuram on February 6 and marked the first-of-its-kind event in the film industry. Putting across the message on ocean conservation, the team, including actress Varsha Bollamma, director Rajesh Nair, music director Prakash Alex and actor-turned-producer Vijay Babu dived into the sea in their scuba outfits to launch the music of the film.
Varsha Bollamma
“By diving into the depths of the ocean, we could use the event for an environmental cause,” said director Rajesh Nair. “The scuba divers alerted us about the plastic debris settled on the sea bed. But I didn’t believe them. Then I saw it with my eyes and was shocked to see the amount of plastic deposited on the shallow beds of the ocean.
It was very hard for us to walk under water due to the plastic deposits. I wish to spread awareness about this among people,” says Rajesh.
Later the party peeps, socialites and stars from the film industry switched to their party avatars and headed to the launch venue.
Though the lead actor and hero of the film Shravan was missing at the do, his father, Mukesh, dancer Methil Devika, Asha Aravind, Unni Mukundan, Prasanth, Rajagopal and Usha Rajesh were spotted at the do.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Entertainment> Hindi> Events> Kochi / February 07th, 2018
Rudresh Mahanthappa has been named alto saxophonist of the year six out of the last seven years by Downbeat magazine. Ethan Levitas
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Opening: Osland/Dailey Jazztet. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall, 405 Rose St. $13 public, free in advance to University of Kentucky students. 859-257-4929. Singletarycenter.com, Rudreshm.com.
With each recording he cuts and each band he takes the stage with, Rudresh Mahanthappa reveals different views of a musical persona that can best be described as globally expansive.
In 2015, the composer, educator and bandleader — as well as Alto Saxophonist of the Year, as voted on by Downbeat Magazine’s International Critic’s Poll six out of the last seven years — channeled, dissected and re-assimilated the music of Charlie Parker into an audacious album called “Bird Calls.” Last fall, Mahanthappa followed with “Agrima,” a stylistic turnaround that meshed jazz, Indian classical music and electronics. As he prepares for his Kentucky debut on Saturday, Mahanthappa discussed plans for a future project that involves a straight ahead jazz trio of sax, bass and drums fashioned after Sonny Rollins’s classic 1958 album, “A Night at the Village Vanguard.”
“Look at my discography, and you will see every album is different,” Mahanthappa said. “Almost every album has a completely different band, so I’m always trying to shake things up for myself and change the vehicle as much as I can. My musical personality stays the same, I guess, but different scenarios bring different things out of me.”
I KNEW EVERY TRACK WITH A SAXOPHONE SOLO THAT WAS BEING PLAYED ON TOP 40 RADIO, WHETHER IT WAS MEN AT WORK OR SUPERTRAMP OR THE SAX SOLOS ON SPRINGSTEEN RECORDS.
Mahanthappa’s personal history is as culturally rich and varied as his music. Born in Italy to Indian parents, he grew up in Boulder, Colorado, initially absorbing the pop sounds of Grover Washington Jr. and David Sanborn on the radio before cutting his teeth in area jazz and even Dixieland bands.
“I knew every track with a saxophone solo that was being played on Top 40 radio, whether it was Men at Work or Supertramp or the sax solos on (Bruce) Springsteen records. I learned them all. That was my first kind of ear training, trying to learn by holding my mono tape recorder up to the radio so I could learn the saxophone solos.
“The players in the Boulder bands were all twice my age, but they took me in. I was butchering Charlie Parker solos, but people gave me a chance. Those experiences were really important. It was the welcoming aspect that really mattered. I felt like I belonged someplace. Not that I didn’t belong in my family. It was just a way to really be a musician with other musicians.”
Curiously, Mahanthappa’s exploration of his Indian heritage came much later in his decidedly American upbringing.
“The elements of Indian music came from a place of trying to engage my ancestry in a way that was really meaningful. I don’t speak my parents’ language. I didn’t grow up around any other Indian families. Beyond the limits of my immediate household, I was figuring out how to create an Indian-American culture on my own and with my brothers. For me, in particular, music was the most effective way of describing that, defining that and communicating that. I feel a lot of the music I play is a by-product of me getting to know myself.”
IT’S NICE TO GO TO THESE PLACES I’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE AND PLAY WITH THE LOCALS WHO HAVE DEVELOPED A REAL SCENE IN THEIR PART OF THE COUNTRY.
Today, Mahanthappa’s heralded career is balanced with duties as the head of jazz studies at Princeton University. That ties in to his performance on Saturday at the Singletary Center, where he will team with University of Kentucky jazz pros Miles Osland and Raleigh Dailey in their Jazztet.
“It’s nice to go to these places I’ve never been before and play with the locals who have developed a real scene in their part of the country. I think it’s very important to the relevance of this music to engage as many of the communities as possible and not just show up to do the gig and take off. There’s a lot more to it than that.”
source: http://www.kentucky.com / Lexgo – Kentucky.com – Lexington Herald Leader / Home> Music News & Reviews / by Walter Tunis, Contributing Music Critic / February 07th, 2018
Following some power-packed performances, the actor was laid low after a skiing accident and is re-starting his career from scratch.
Gulshan Deviah grabbed eyeballs with Bejoy Nambiar’s 2011 thriller, Shaitan, and went on to headline the coming-of-age adult comedy Hunterrr four years later as the bumbling Mandar Ponkse. Life was on a roll for the 39-year-old actor when he went to Kashmir to bring in his wedding anniversary on February 12, 2017. The following day, Gulshan was skiing on the snow-capped slopes of Gulmarg when he took a tumble that resulted in a broken knee, and he was to be confined to the bed for the next eight months.
Reminiscing about the unfortunate accident, the actor says, “I was just a beginner, on a 4.5 km run at 10,000 feet. The previous day I had done seven runs from 10 am to 4 pm, and even though I fell a few times I didn’t hurt myself. On February 13, I continued from where I had left off. After three runs I was exhausted but since I was feeling good, I decided to do one more before taking a break. After a kilometre I swerved to the left and my ski got stuck in the snow. The next thing I remember, I’m flying through the air.”
Usually the ski opens out when something like this happens, but in Gulshan’s case, his right knee twisted and snapped. “I knew something bad had happened as a shooting pain felled me,” he narrates, recalling his trainer and wife Kallirroi Tziafeta panicking as they watched him try to stand and topple over because of his knee.
Even as he was hoping it would turn out to be just a sprain; the actor was rushed to the local dispensary in a sledge and, with the help of pain killers, survived the night. “The swelling was so bad that even going to the bathroom was difficult. The doctors told me that the medial and lateral ligaments had been severely damaged and my anterior ligament was blown. I would have to undergo surgery but they needed to rehabilitate my leg first for three weeks by putting it in a straight brace which I could only take off while having a bath. I could barely walk,” he recalls.
After three weeks, Gulshan went into surgery and post-op couldn’t bend his knee even at 15 degree but the pain was gone. “The doctor said I was one in a thousand cases when it came to pain tolerance. I guess I had prepped myself well,” he slants a wry smile, going on to inform that the doctors had used a tendon to replace the ligament which, being much harder, usually needs a year to become more flexible. “After two months, the doctor assured me that my leg was healing well but I was out of work for eight months. I had to drop a couple of films and turn down two I might have done, along with several other offers. In the meantime I only focused on my physiotherapy. At times I would even over-train and then the doctor would tell me off,” he smiles.
Finally, Gulashan is back on his feet with Vasan Bala’s romcom Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota, which introduces Abhimanyu Dassani and Radhika Madan. “The physical training I had to undergo was a challenge as my leg was broken then. This is the only film I am doing and we should wrap it up by early March. It’s almost like re-starting my career from scratch after eight months of being out of action,” he signs off with a smile.
source: http://www.mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com / Mumbai Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / by Shravan Shah,Mumbai Mirror / February 13th, 2018
Shravan and Varsha in a still from Kalyanam | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Rajesh Nair says his film ‘Kalyanam’ narrates a love story that is married to comedy. It reaches cinemas today
It is again ‘son rise’ in Malayalam cinema! If Pranav Mohanalal made his debut last month, this month, it is the turn of Shravan, son of Mukesh and Saritha, to make his debut in cinema with Rajesh Nair’s Kalyanam.
“Kalyanam is a marriage of comedy and romance,” says the director about his film after his previous one, Salt Mango Tree, dished out a tangy treat to viewers.
“This is about a romance that began at the age of five for Sharat, enacted by Shravan. A laidback guy, his only aim in life is to woo his girl, Shari, and win her for keeps. Varsha Bollamma plays Shari. In this day of communication glut, there is no dearth of means to convey his feelings to his girl. Yet, he is hesitant and that is how the story unfolds. By the way, the tale is set in the nineties,” explains Rajesh. On the lookout for new faces for this story of young love, Rajesh happened to hear that Mukesh’s son was all set to follow in his parents’ footsteps. So Shravan became Sharat while Rajesh found his heroine from dubsmash videos of which Varsha is quite a star. The girl from Coorg had no issues about the language as her mother is a Malayali. “I call it a clichéd love story, which is also our tag line,” chips in Rajesh.
Till a few decades ago, a couple would struggle to meet each other, talk to one another or even express their feelings. It was an age of stolen glances, hidden messages, wayside meetings and so on. “I wonder how many love stories died an early death because the concerned people could not talk about it to each other,” muses Rajesh who quips that he chose his partner himself. However, today every youngster has hundreds of methods to reach across to his/her love. “But that does not mean every one is finding it easy to communicate with their partners. That nervousness and apprehension have still not changed,” laughs Rajesh.
Shravan, says Rajesh, was Sharat and he points out that there was nothing surprising in that considering that “acting is in his genes”. When acting with his father, Mukesh, Sharat was able to hold his own despite his initial nervousness, says Rajesh.
He says while Salt Mango Tree was a sugar-coated pill for viewers, this is a “full-length comedy” about two families and their children. He hastens to add that though the film is not preachy and makes no claims to have a message or anything of that sort for viewers, there is an underlying thread that makes it clear why parents should support and guide their children as they assume new responsibilities and begin new chapters in their lives.
Mukesh acts as Shari’s father and Sreenivasan and Parvathy act as the parents of Sharat. Rajesh insists that even the parents are not the usual screen parents. “Parvathy chechi and her husband are so in love with each other that he leaves his job in West Asia to be with her. He indulges her so much that he happily does all the work in the house while she bosses him around,” he narrates.
Standout role
According to the filmmaker, Parvathy’s character is a standout role for the actor who has been evolving with every role of hers. He can’t stop gushing about her act as Sharat’s mother and how she stepped into the character so well.
Salt Mango Tree had some memorable lines that still make the rounds of comedy clips aired on television. Will Kalyanam also have such sparklers to liven up the proceedings? “Of course. Dialogues have been written by Govind Vijayan, Summesh Madhu and Rajesh Radhakrishnan. So you can expect plenty of funny one-liners and dialogues,” says Rajesh.
Binendran Menon is the cinematographer and debutant Prakash Alex is the composer of all the five songs and background score of Kalyanam.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Saraswathy Nagarajan / Thiruvananthapuram – February 22nd, 2018
Says it has not approved the Thalassery-Mysuru rail link
A burgeoning environment movement across Kodagu was put to halt — albeit breifly — by the state government on Wednesday.
Putting an end to the rising levels of anxiety among thousands of Kodavas and green activists, the state government clarified that it has not approved the controversial rail link connecting Thalassery (Kerala) with Mysuru (Karnataka) via Kodagu. Further, the state government clarified that it would not even allow preparation of detailed project report (DPAR) for the proposed rail link as the project would jeopardise the fragile ecosystem of the pristine Western Ghats.
Allaying the fears of thousands of people, RV Deshpande, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries and Infrastructure, told the state legislature that the government expressed its opposition for the project. Drawing the attention of the state government, BJP MLA from Virajpet KG Bopaiah alleged that both Karnataka and Kerala already met once and agreed to carry out survey for the proposed rail link amidst stiff opposition from the local population.
Deshpande acknowledged that a meeting between secretaries of Karnataka and Kerala did take place recently, however, the Karnataka government had not consented for the project. “Holding a meeting does not ensure our approval for the project. We have not consented for the rail link project. Further, the project is yet to be approved by the Railway Board and thereafter a formal request has to be made by the Kerala government. Only then, we will be able to take a decision,” Deshpande revealed.
Going further, Deshpande stated, “We already had discussion about the project at government level. Our forest department has not only expressed reservations but also opposed the project as it would jeopardise the green cover and affect elephant corridor through which the rail link passes. Hence, the state government in principle has not consented for the project.” According to Bopaiah, as per the Railway minister’s reply in the Lok Sabha in December 2017, a joint meeting between Kerala and Karnataka secretaries had resolved to take up survey along the route only if the Kerala government submits a proposal to Karnataka provided it does not cause disturbance to wildlife areas. Interestingly, the rail link spanning more than 200 km would pass through Wyanad of Kerala and enter Kodagu at Kutta to pass through thick forest regions like Balele-Nittor-Canoor and Thithimati to reach Mysuru.
Perturbed that the new railway line with a project cost of Rs 6,685 cr would result in clearing of about 40 per cent of Kodagu’s forest, Kodavas, including retired defence officials, planters, environmentalists and public had staged massive protest rallies recently at Kutta and Madikeri. Fighting against the projects that would spell doom over the fragile eco-system of Kodagu where the River Cauvery originates, people from Kodagu, Mysuru and Bengaluru had launched Save Kodagu and Cauvery campaign led by Coorg Wildlife Society. Col (Rtd) Muthanna had even accused Kerala political leaders, including Congress parliamentarian KC Venugopal, of misusing his office as the Congress in-charge in Karnataka by leading Kerala delegations to push for destructive projects cutting through Kodagu benefiting Kerala.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> States / by Niranjan Kaggere, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / February 08th, 2018
The Kodavas were always a martial race with a pronounced colonial hangover (Agency Photo)
It’s an impressive roll call. Field Marshal K M Cariappa, Gen Thimmaiah, B C Nanda, M P Ganesh, Prasad Bidapa, Len Aiyappa….The Kodava community, from southwestern Karnataka, has always punched above its weight in Indian public life. Kodavas rose high in the Indian Army; they excelled at sport, particularly hockey and flourished in the coffee trade. But that was then. Today, the Kodavas are buffeted by the winds of change. Modernity and migration are taking their bewildering toll on a people that set great store by tradition.
This is the context of renewed demands for a separate Kodava autonomous region, which would give them a separate place of their own, in keeping with their claims of being vastly different from everyone else. For this would also accrue all the benefits that go with a distinct identity. The men are strikingly handsome and their women appealing winsome. Their customs and traditions too are quite different from those in the rest of the region,one being that an uncle usually marries his niece. For nearly two decades, the Codava National Council (CNC) has been fighting for autonomy and the issue is back on the agenda with regular dharnas and sporadic protests at the state legislature.
The Kodavas were always a martial race with a pronounced colonial hangover. Their loyalty to the British meant they found secure footing in the armed forces. Even though they had few officers and mainly made up the rank and file, the Army had a significant Kodava presence. No longer. Kodava recruitment at the Bangalore Army headquarters, which caters to Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep, fell steadily from 85 in 2001-02 to 28 in 2007-08. Today, the highest-ranking Kodava officer is a lieutenant-general and they have just a few major-generals.
The once-famous Coorg Regiment has suffered too. Twenty-five years ago, every Kodava family could proudly list several of its men in uniform. That’s history. Sons prefer to head for engineering colleges now or professions more lucrative than the Army, say recruitment officers.
It is the same with sport and the Kodava’s once-legendary skill on the hockey field. M P Ganesh, the first Kodava to captain the national team, heads a list that also features ace players such as M M Somaiah, B P Govinda, Len Aiyappa and Mandepanda Monappa. The community always enjoyed and excelled at traditional war games such as pareya-kali and shakti-kolu. This is why Ganesh, who started playing hockey late, was deemed a natural.
Army hockey teams, particularly those that played for the Madras Engineering Group, had several Kodavas. They were robust, used to walking to school several miles a day. And they had the right temperament for the game. But now, hardly any Kodavas play hockey, says Ganesh. “High coffee prices, other employment opportunities and a more sedentary lifestyle have led to a lack of interest in the game,” he says.
Today, the Kodava’s passion for hockey surfaces only during the annual tournament in Madikeri, the town in the Kodagu district that Kodavas regard as home. The tournament is hosted by one Kodava family or clan. Other families and clans play for pride and honour. Women are allowed to compete. National and state players are welcome but Ganesh says they are nothing like yesterday’s Kodava hockey stars. “Players should be picked up from here and coached,” he suggests. Eight Kodavas play in the Karnataka team today, but none in the national team. Len Aiyappa was the last to distinguish himself at the national level.
It is hardly different in the former Kodava mainstay, the coffee plantation. Once upon a time, almost every Kodava family owned a coffee estate, or part of it, ranging from a few acres to vast swathes of land. Coffee is cultivated on roughly 2.5 lakh acres in Kodagu, says M C Nanaiah, a member of the state legislative council, but the Kodavas no longer rule the roost.
Many Kodava families are selling off their ancestral homesteads and estates and migrating to Bangalore or Mysore. The trickle grew to a flood after coffee prices slumped a few years ago. Kodavas are also converting their palatial bungalows into home-hotels, burgeoning business ventures for sure but emblematic of their decision to swap a timeworn culture for modern commerce.
The winds of change are sweeping the little district, bearing the scent of the white coffee flowers. The Kodavas are hanging up their hockey sticks and Army boots. Many argue that it is all to the good for a community to change with the times, embracing newer professions such as IT and science. For the Kodavas, the change may be eagerly sought but bewildering.
deepa.bhasthi@timesgroup.com
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> India News / by Deepa Bhasthi / TNN / November 02nd, 2008
In 1837, this anger turned to action for freedom and the British suffered a temporary defeat, says N.S. Deviprasad Sampaje, Writer.
The Jangama Kalyanaswamy’s flag used during the Sullia rebellion was hoisted by Guddera (Guddemane) Appaiah against the British in 1837 was later adopted as the Kodagu Gowda coat of arms. They are also called Arebhashe Gowdas
Mangaluru:
It was the first armed uprising against the British, which took place 20 years before the First War of Indian Independence in 1857. The men who laid down their lives in this uprising of 1837 in Mangaluru are not forgotten.
The Tulunadu Rakshana Vedike and several others organisations marked the 179th anniversary of the uprising on Tuesday at Bavutagudda, where the rebels hoisted the Indian flag to mark their victory over the British on April 5, 1837.
“The people of Kodagu and Canara (coastal Karnataka) were unhappy with the British for various reasons. In 1837 this anger turned to action for freedom and the British suffered a temporary defeat,” recalls writer, N.S. Deviprasad Sampaje.
Mr Sampage , who wrote the book ‘Amara Sulliyada Swatantrya Sangrama,’ detailing this early struggle for freedom, says it was a mass movement and not restricted to some villages or caste.
“It received unprecedented support from the people of Dakshina Kannada. However there were efforts to tone it down by labelling it ‘Kalyanappa na Katakayi, or ‘loot of Kalyanappa’.
But in reality it was a major movement for freedom in the region, which scared the British. The reports of the then Collector of Dakshina Kannada, Leven, reveals this,” he says.
The rebellion was led in Kodagu by leaders such as Aparampara, Kalyanappa and Putta Basappa and continued in Sullia, Puttur before culminating in Mangaluru, the seat of the British Collector.
It is said the rebels held control of the city for 13 days before British reinforcements arrived in Mangaluru and recaptured it.
But it took two months more for the British to arrest the rebels and hang them in public to silence the movement.
“The government must do a proper study of the entire movement so people get to know its importance,” emphasises Mr Sampaje.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation>Current Affairs / by Gururaj A. Paniyadi, Deccan Chronicle / April 06th, 2016
Passionate about relics and all things old, this retired History lecturer’s face brims with excitement as he shows his collection to the tourists and attempts to provide a theatrical demonstration of the artefacts. Bacharaniyanda P Appanna, a native of Kushalnagar, is a hoarder of historical artefacts that are exclusive to Kodagu. History comes alive in his house not just through the artefacts, but also through his energetic tale-telling enactment.
The history and culture of Kodagu have been an enticing topic for professional and amateur researchers alike. For most of these researchers, the abode of Bacharaniyanda P Appanna is a treasure trove of knowledge, resembling a theatre of history.
The dwelling
Appanna invariably accompanies while the curious visitor explores his collection. Taking you through a small room, he points out at an ordinary bulb. Switching it on, he says, “This bulb has been functioning from January 1, 1973.” Such is his precision and enthusiasm for age-old things. One is welcomed by a huge bookshelf at the entrance of his house. There is a kurikutt – a single piece vermilion and turmeric holder made of wood, hanging beside a brass lamp inside the house. Below this lies a chanduka, a compartmented wooden case.
Sitting beside these dateless artefacts, he says, “I have been hoarding historical objects for over 30 years now. Students and professionals from around the globe come here to learn about the significance of these artefacts.”
Appanna travels to the interior parts of Kodagu and scrutinises each village to source his artefacts. He is interested in exploring old ancestral houses, and says, “I mostly visit age-old houses owned by the elderly. Requesting their permission, I first scrutinise the attic and then the backyard to find the valuables.” Thereby, he acquires innumerable authentic and priceless artefacts for his collection.
Appanna has thoroughly researched and named the artefacts correctly, some in Kannada and the rest in Kodava language. Since his house cannot accommodate all the artefacts, some are placed in a makeshift shed outside the house.
Several Kodava weapons hang inside the house. They include the amb kathi, meembal, vodi kathi and a variety of rifles strung along with a line of bullets. Spirited, he precisely enacts how the Kodavas used these weapons, and explains, “Amb kathi was designed for the ladies, who were skilfully trained to use them. The meembal was used for fishing.”
Showcasing hobbies
His makeshift shed is home to antique vessels, vintage knitted baskets and stone measures to name a few. Explaining the functionality of sekala, a huge mud pot with pores in its inner lining, he says, “It was the steam cooker of the bygone era.” He then lines up a few measuring bowls, pare, pani and sair, and explains, “One pare is 10 sair, one pani is two sair…” These are local measuring units of the bygone days. Similarly, he lines up a few stone weights and goes on to explain their units, which include pare and batti.
Furthermore, he introduces the kota kudike, a mud pot that used bamboo leaves and wet sand placed at its bottom to preserve meat and fish for five to six days. He also possesses a wooden device used to make nuputtu, a famous Kodava dish. Next is the batte bari, a knitted basket, that acts as a wardrobe. Showing one of the ancient ones, he says, “This belonged to the wife of Kaliyat Ajappa, a cult deity.” Likewise, he shows more items such as the pombana (coin holder), maal pott (jewellery holder), ele thatte (ancient tray), etc.
He also possesses the ceremonial dowry items given to women during their weddings.
In the backyard, equipment related to agriculture and fishing is arranged. The design of the ancient fish trap is sure to enthral the viewers. Bacharaniyanda house is open to all enthusiasts who want to experience the culture of Kodagu and the visitors’ names are jotted neatly in his diary with dates. Appanna can be contacted on 9480730763.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Prajna G R / January 22nd, 2018
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