Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Capturing Wildlife Needs a Trip to Wild, He Makes it Happen

February 14, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Natureadmin

(From left) A kingfisher bird in flight; tourists clicking wildlife; Bopanna Pattada, and a rare sight of flying owl

Bengaluru :

Photographing birds, especially the rare ones in the wild, and spending time outdoors are Bopanna Pattada’s passions. He quit his job as software engineer at Wipro to make his passion a profession. When he realised that he is not the only one in love with birds and Nature, he decided to start India Birding Adventures. Now, Bopanna finds places where photography enthusiasts can get good wildlife and avian shots and arranges trips to these locations. His clients vary from engineers to doctors to businessmen. “I plan one-day trips around Bengaluru. Sometimes we also go on longer trips to Ooty, Masinagudi, Bandipur, Mysuru, Nagarhole and Coorg,” he says. He also takes nature enthusiasts to places like Corbett National Park and Pangot at the foothills of Himalayas.

The best places to spot birds in Bengaluru according to him would be Nandi Hills for winter migrants, Hoskote lake for waterbirds, Ramdevarabetta for vultures, Bannerghatta for forest birds.He doesn’t take more than three to four members at a time. “Firstly, with smaller groups, it is easier to give personal attention and secondly large groups scare the birds away,” he says.

“As a trained photographer and naturalist, I instruct people on photography – what settings to use in which situation, and also help them in spotting birds and wildlife.” The job, for him, is an escape from a sedentary life.

“It takes me closer to nature,” he says. It can be challenging to click birds in flight. Bopanna suggests that the best time to click pictures is either in morning or evening, when they are most active. “Birds tend to be shy. They don’t let you get very close for photographs. Part of my teaching is on how to get closer to birds to take better photographs and also how to position yourself so that the photograph has a nice backdrop.” Bopanna’s images were featured in Sanctuary Asia Magazine and Bombay Natural History Society calendar-2015.

He specialises in photographing birds flying or in action.

Photography enthusiasts can reach Bopanna through his website www.indiabirding.com or bopannap@gmail.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Pratima Shantaveeresh / February 10th, 2016

Easier way to talk the Kodava ‘takk’

February 12, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, Alladmin

K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, said that the dictionary, which was being printed, would probably be released in Kodagu itself.

A minority language unfamiliar to many in the State will finally have a comprehensive dictionary of its own with meanings in Kannada and English.

Kodava vocabulary will be captured in Kodava Arivole, which will be published by Mangalore University in March.

Boverianda C. Uthaiah (77) and wife B.U. Thangamma (66) joined forces and compiled the Kodava-Kodava-Kannada-English, which has about 11,000 words.

Mr. Uthaiah is a former professor of agricultural sciences.

According to the UNESCO, Kodava is a ‘vulnerable’ language, said Lokesh K.M., coordinator, Kodava Samskritika Adhyayana Peetha at Mangalore University.

Those knowing Tulu and Malayalam can grasp Kodava takk (language) better as it has common words with these two languages, as well as Persian.

Though the latest statistics on how many speak Kodava takk is not available, according to the 2001 census, only 92,193 people speak the language, Mr. Uthaiah said.

A handicap he faced was trying to include 2,000 words in the lexicon as no one knew their meanings.

Mr. Lokesh, also a professor of History at Mangalore University, said the lexicon has some rare words such as ‘kaju’ (gold) and ‘aarayu’ (water). It has social and cultural terms, and words relating to folk traditions such as ‘jamma’ (a land tenure system in Kodagu with long-standing hereditary rights held by clans), and ‘okka’ (Kodava clan, all of whom have descended from a common ancestor). The dictionary also has botanical and zoological terms.

Mr. Lokesh said though two Kodava dictionaries have been published earlier, they are not comprehensive. I.M. Muthanna’s Kodava Nudi Artha Kosha, the first dictionary published in 1988, gave the meanings of Kodava words in Kannada. In addition, Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy brought out a handbook Kodava-Kannada-English Kaipudi in 1988.

K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, said that the dictionary, which was being printed, would probably be released in Kodagu itself.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by RaviPrasad Kamila / February 12th, 2016

SAG 2016: Joshna Chinappa beats Pakistani rival, clinches squash gold

February 10, 2016Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Top seed Joshna Chinappa came back from behind to beat second seeded Toorpaki Wazir of Pakistan to clinch gold at the South Asian Games on Monday.

Star player Joshna Chinappa clinched the gold in women’s individual squash after beating Maria Toorpaki Wazir of Pakistan in a tense and ill-tempered summit clash to make up for India’s disappointment in the men’s event on Monday.

Top seed Chinappa, ranked 14th in the world, recovered from one set down to beat second seeded Wazir 10-12 11-7 11-9 11-7 at the brand new squash facility at the R G Baruah Sports Complex here.(Wrestlers make India proud at SAG)

With Chinappa’s gold, India has so far won three medals in squash with Sourav Ghosal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu having grabbed a bronze each after losing to their Pakistani opponents yesterday.
Chinappa, one of the few top Indian players to have opted to play in the SAG, thus gave some solace to the team management after men’s players failed to reach the final.

The women’s final match had all the drama which was witnessed during the men’s semifinals with Chinappa expressing unhappiness to the match officials with the “aggressive” play of Wazir who was seen as trying to be a bit physical with the top-ranked Indian.

Wazir, ranked 50th in the world, won the first set 12-10 after a neck-and-neck contest but she got injured midway in the second set at 7-7 as blood came out of her left eyebrow region after contact with Chinappa and play was stopped for a while to get her treated.

The Pakistani was immediately given first aid and she resumed play after a few minutes. It looked like the break gave Chinappa time to ponder on her game and the glamorous Indian started dominating the match from there on.

Wazir looked tentative just after coming from her injury break and Chinappa did not take much time to take the second set 11-7 and level scores at 1-1.

The third set saw Chinappa taking a 5-2 lead but Wazir came back with some superb shots to make it 6-6 and then 8-6. By then there was tension among the crowd at the stands, but a calm Chinappa just went about her job and brought the score to 9-9 and then 10-9 before taking the set.

In the fourth and final set, Wazir gave some fight initially but later frittered away as Chinappa won it 11-7 to give India the first gold in squash in this edition.

Chinappa later made it known that she was not happy with the way the referees handled the match and that she did not enjoy playing the match as her opponent was “very aggressive” and “not playing fair”.
“Wazir is a good player but she was very aggressive. Fortunately, I won the gold but I did not enjoy playing the final. I play in the professional circuit and there, these kind of things, likes lot of interference and blocking (by rival player) does not happen,” she said after the match.

“I tried to keep myself calm but I had to let them (match officials) know what was happening on the court. I cannot let things happening all the time,” said Chinappa, who argued with the referee on a couple of occasions.

“I am a kind of player who plays fair, without these interfering and blocking etc. Doing all these is not nice for the spectators and also for the game,” she added.

Asked if the referees should have handled the situation better, she said, “I don’t want to be in trouble again but I feel it is their job to control the match and stop all those things. They should have done better.”

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> News> Sports> Other Sports / PTI / Guwahati – February 08th, 2016

Poovamma, Inderjeet to lead 68-member athletics team at SAG

February 10, 2016Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Ace quartermiler MR Poovamma and Asian champion shot putter Inderjeet Singh will spearhead a 68-member Indian athletics team at the 12th SAF Games to be held in Guwahati from February 5-16, Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said today.

Poovamma, who won gold in the women’s 4x400m relay at the 2014 Asian Games, and Inderjeet, a gold medallist at the Asian Athletics Championships in 2015, will be part of the Indian squad which also includes Olympian shot putter Omprakash Singh Karhana.

The Indian athletics team, comprising 36 men and 32 women, will compete in the track and field tournament of the SAF Games which is scheduled be held from February 9-12.

India topped the medal tally in athletics in the previous edition held at Dhaka in 2010, winning 29 medals overall, including 10 gold medals, 11 silver and 8 bronze. The Indian team is expected to face competition from Sri Lanka, which finished second in the medal tally in track and field in the 2010 Games.

This time, the athletics competition will witness 20 events in men and 17 in women respectively at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium, Sarusajai Sports Complex, Guwahati.

AFI President and Olympian, Adille J Sumariwalla said: “The 12th SAF Games is special because it’s being hosted in Guwahati and we hope to notch up maximum number of medals at home.

Though the competition is being held at a time when our elite athletes are in the midst of their training for 2016 Olympics, we’ve tried to select the best possible team under the situation. The team is a good mix of experience and youth and we hope they will return with a rich haul of medals from the 2016 SAF Games.”

Meanwhile, the preparations are in full swing at the various National camps and a number of elite athletes who have qualified for Rio, are also expected to be part of the action at the SAF Games.

The National campers for quarter miles, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relays for both men and women under coach Yuri Ogorodnik returned from a 69-day training stint in Turkey and will reach Guwahati from their present camp in Thiruvananthapuram.

The leading long and triple jumpers in the country who are currently training under Romanian coach Bedros Bedrosian in Thiruvananthapuram are scheduled to participate first in the SAF Games and next at the Asian Indoor Championships to be held at Doha from February 19.

Asian champion Inderjeet Singh is scheduled to reach Guwahati directly from his training centre in the US. However, the organisers have not received enough entries to conduct the men’s hammer throw event, and therefore the event is uncertain till now.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Other Sports / PTI / New Delhi – February 01st, 2016

I auditioned for Mareyalaare despite its troubles

February 7, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorgadmin

Mareyalaare is Coorg lass Pavitra Belliappa’s second Kannada film, a project she is quite excited about considering that movies were not in her scheme of things till not long ago. “I am an only child from a family that expected me to become an entrepreneur, as I had graduated in business studies. Many of my college friends were involved with the arts and showbiz, which interested me. They suggested that I should get a portfolio shoot done, which I did, after which I got the offer for my first Kannada film, KA,” says Pavitra.

While she was excited about bagging her debut, the actress tells us that the news remained a secret for her parents for a while. “I did not tell them that I had auditioned for a role or that I got it. It was only after the team did a promotional photoshoot that I broke the news. My mother was OK with my decision, but my dad was dead against it, as he had some preconceived notions about the film industry. He said that I should start a business or get married. I persisted, though, and he relented,” says Pavitra.

KA did not have a great run at the box office, but was good learning ground, says the actress, who subsequently auditioned for Mareyalaare. “I had heard about the issues director Sharat Khadri had in making this film with the earlier cast and even saw the movie Sandalwood Sa Re Ga Ma Pa that he made about his troubles. It was clear to me that he is very passionate about filmmaking. So, when his team announced that they were relaunching the film, I decided to audition, and as luck would have it, I was selected,” she says.

Mareyalaare, she adds, is a love story at its core, but there is more to it than meets the eye. “In fact, my character has three distinct shades. I start as this bubbly collegian, then become this socially-aware mature person, and in the climax, my character has a totally different look as well,” she says.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Kannada> Movies /by Pratibha Joy / TNN / February 03rd, 2016

K M Cariappa’s 117th birth anniversary: Some interesting facts you must know

February 5, 2016Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, Alladmin

“An Indian and to the last breath would remain an Indian. To me, there are only two Stans – Hindustan (India) and Foujistan (the Army).” – Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa

Famously known as Kipper, Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa was born today, 117 years ago on January 28, 1899. He was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and was the first Indian Officer who was given command of a unit before independence.

Some interesting facts that you must know:

– K. M. Cariappa’s full name was Kodandera Madappa Cariappa

– He was born at Shanivarsante in Kodagu, which was a princely state in Karnataka

– Cariappa was selected to the first batch in King’s Commission after the World War I in 1918

– His permanent regimental home was 2nd Queen Victoria’s Own Rajput Light Infantry

In 1933, he was the first Indian officer to undergo the course at Staff College

– Cariappa served in many countries like Iraq, Syria and Burma
In 1949, he was appointed as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army

– After his retirement, he served as the High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand till 1956

– He was awarded with the General Service Medal, Indian Independence Medal, Order of the British Empire, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star, War Medal 1939-1945, Indian Service Medal and Legion of Merit

– He died on May 15, 1993 at the age of 94.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / IndiaToday.in / Home> GK & Current Affairs> Listicles : Microfacts / Story / New Delhi – January 28th, 2016

Harshika Poonacha works on Re like a newbie

February 3, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorgadmin

I have always been a fan of Sunil Kumar Desai and have grown up watching his movies. He was ahead of his time and made experimental movies, which are hot now, back in the 80s and 90s.

So when he personally called me to ask if I would be interested in working in his comeback film, I said yes immediately, without even hearing the narration or asking who my co-stars were,” says Harshika Poonacha, when asked about her upcoming film, Re.

The actress, who plays Paro — an outspoken, bubbly and inquisitive reporter in the movie — says that she prepared herself mentally to feel as if this was her debut film, as she wanted to bring to life her director’s vision.

“Re is a very special movie and one that is close to my heart.

Although I have been in the industry for close to 10 years and have worked in many films, this is my first project with such a senior director.

I like directors who are particular about what they want, and Desai sir is very strict in that sense. He ensures that he gets from his actors what he has in his mind. In the process, he taught me a lot, like about small pauses and dialogue delivery. So, although I had a lot of fun while filming for the movie, I found it challenging to portray exactly what he wanted from me. But at the end of the day, when it was time to pack up, I left the set feeling satisfied at having done a good job. I am a director’s actor and want to be their mirror.”

The young actress shares screen space with senior actors Anant Nag and Ramesh Aravind in the movie, and Harshika says that she has always wanted to work with Anant, but it had somehow never worked out before.

“Apart from starring in Desai sir’s film, being cast with Ramesh sir and Anant sir was the icing on the cake. Since I was 15, I wanted to work with Anant sir, but that hadn’t happened till now.

Everything seems to have fallen in place with this one movie. I spent a lot of time with both of them and it was an amazing experience.

They are both so good at what they do that I got a lot of inputs from them, which I am sure I wouldn’t be able to get from anywhere else. Both of them are so energetic that they can put young actors to shame. Ramesh sir still looks like he is 25 or 26 years old, and is very young at heart.

And Anant sir is the eternal charmer. He is so good looking that he doesn’t need any makeup. He glows and has a presence about him. I would love to be cast opposite him,” she adds.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movie / by Dhwani Desai – Dhwani.Desai@timesgroup.com / TNN / February 02nd, 2016

Nidhi Subbaiah finds riding a bike therapeutic

February 2, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sportsadmin

The ‘Ajab Gazabb Love’ (2012) actress, Nidhi Subbaiah gets a high zooming off for long rides.

In both her upcoming films, ‘Love Shagun’ and ‘Direct Ishq’, she was required to ride the two-wheeler.

The youngster had her share of thrills and spills during the shoot in Goa.

Nidhi is also big time into adventure sports and likes paragliding and cliff climbing. An action flick is right up her alley.

source: http://www.mid-day.com / mid-day / Home> News> Mumbai News> National> Columnists> Entertainment News> Bollywood News / by The HitList Team / February 01st, 2016

Annual Flower Show at Balyatri Estate near Madikeri, Today, Tomorrow

February 1, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Natureadmin

F. M. Khan is taking a walk in his home garden. Picture right shows Dahlia in full bloom.

Madikeri :

Former Rajya Sabha member F. M. Khan is holding the annual flower show at his home garden for the public in Boikeri, near Madikeri, on Jan. 30 and 31.

The garden at Khan’s Balyatrie Estate, with more than 100 varieties of flowers — most of them rare — is spread over more than half-an-acre in front of his house.

Multi-hued roses, dahlia, chrysanthemum, jasmine are in full bloom to welcome the visitors.

Addressing media persons here yesterday, he said floriculture helps in the economic progress of the country and urged the government to support floriculture.

Stating that there is a huge demand for flowers at the international market, he said floriculturists should grow flowers in a natural atmosphere.

With the vagaries of nature, one needs to give special emphasis on protection of plants, he added.

Flowers like Jasmine, anthurium, marigold, salvia, Gerbera, Zenia, Dahlia, Cosmos, croton, colin, Plectranthus, Impatiens, Daisy, Gardenia, sun flower, Hollyhocks, Clarkia, Cockscomb, Lupine, Verbena, Fuchsia, pinks, spider flower, oster flower, calendula flowers, cupia, Gazania, Sweet pea, Cineraria, stock flower, love in a mist flower, devil in the bush and others are on display.

The flower show will be open to visitors from 10 am to 5 pm today and tomorrow.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 28th, 2016

Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa rememberd in city

January 31, 2016Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leadersadmin

Mysuru :

Paying rich tributes to Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa on his 117th birthday, Mysuru Kodava Samaja President M. K. Kuttappa today said, “considering the services rendered by Field Marshal Cariappa during the First and Second World Wars, the Government should celebrate the birth anniversary of the warrior as a State festival.”

Speaking after offering floral tributes to the portrait of the Field Marshal at a function organised by the Kodava Samaja at Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa Circle (Metropole Circle) in city, Kuttappa recalled that K. M. Cariappa was the first Chief of Army Staff in India who sent Indian troops to take part in United Nations sponsored missions.

Maj. Gen. (Retd.) C.K. Karumbaya, speaking on the occasion, said that Field Marshal Cariappa, who was an epitome of discipline and hard work, should be taken as a role model by the youth.

Kodava Samaja Vice-President B.M. Nanaiah, Hon. Secretary M.P. Kalaiah, Joint Secretary Prema Uthaiah, Capt. Narasimha Sharma, Social Worker Srinivasa Gandhi, Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club Vice-President N.M. Thimmaiah, Secretary K.D. Muthappa, Corporators H.N. Srikantaiah & M.J. Ravi Kumar, former Presidents of Kodava Samaja Dr. A.A. Kuttappa, K.A. Kariappa & M.M. Karumbaiah, office-bearers and members of the Samaja and the Club were present on the occasion.