Vehicles set off to conduct Aadhaar registration in the tribal hamlets of Kodagu.
Observing that many people in tribal hamlets and line houses are getting deprived of the facility of Aadhaar registration in the district, the district administration has initiated the process of Aadhaar registrations at the doorsteps of people, which is a first of its kind initiative in the entire state.
About 65,000 people are dwelling in 167 tribal hamlets of the district and thousands of people reside in the line houses of the coffee plantations.
During a Janaspandana meeting held recently, the people said that they do not have Aadhaar number to avail the benefits of social security schemes implemented by the government. Following the same, the district administration took measures to conduct Aadhaar registration drives in the tribal hamlets.
The Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) Department has been set to work and three jeeps carrying the necessary staff and equipment started off to the tribal hamlets in the district on Monday morning. The tribal hamlets in the remote areas areas are also covered.
In the first phase, a 15-day registration drive will be conducted in Madikeri, Virajpet and Somwarpet taluks. People in the tribal hamlets have been informed about the same and they have been asked to be present at the time of registration and produce the required documents, said ITDP officials.
The government has initiated a scheme of providing scholarships up to Rs 25,000 for the students from tribal hamlets. But students who do not have Aadhaar were deprived of the facility last year.
Aadhaar registration staff member Rakesh said that the registration team will visit the tribal hamlets in the district and they aim to register a minimum of 100 residents in a day for Aadhaar, including those of the students.
Computers, kits and power backup equipment are also carried to the place of registration. As the Aadhaar enrolment is done in rural areas, there is a provision for offline registration. The Aadhaar card will be ready in a month.
Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that the duration of the enrolment drive will be extended based on the people’s response.
The district administration has deputed its own staff for the enrolment work. One of the main objectives is to ensure the enrolment of students. Last year, 900 students were deprived of scholarships by the government as they did not meet the requirement of Aadhaar registration, she added.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service, Madikeri / July 15th, 2019
Rafting, an activity that is a big favourite of tourists at Dubare, is back. As a result, the tourist camp is buzzing with activities again.
As river rafting had been banned in River Cauvery at Dubare a year ago, the number of tourists had dipped drastically.
The rafting association had urged the district administration and District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh to lift the ban on rafting and support the local entrepreneurs.
As the ban has been lifted, tourists are now making a beeline during weekends to take part in the adrenaline-pumping and adventurous activity.
This, in turn, has left the organisers of the rafting activities as well as the local vendors smiling.
River water level
Water rafting at Dubare is being conducted along a distance of eight kilometres. The water level in River Cauvery too has risen, following good rain in the district. More number of youth were seen enjoying rafting.
The sport was relaunched at Barapole as well. Barapole is located 35 kilometres away from Madikeri. A fee of Rs 600 is charged per head for those keen on rafting activity.
River rafting was introduced in Dubare in 2002. In case of good rain, rafting activities can been conducted till December.
Dhanush, a software engineer who took part in rafting at Dubare, said, “The plans to take part in the rafting activity could not be realised a year ago as it had been banned. Now, we got a new experience.”
Elephant camp
Businessmen said that as the rain was less this year, more number of tourists were landing in Kodagu. Many of the tourists have also been visit the elephant camp at Dubare.
Randeep from Bengaluru said that he would like to explore all tourist sites in Kodagu.
Tourists have been thronging Raja Seat, Abbey Falls, Mallalli and Irpu Falls. The homestay and resort business has also been revived, the businessmen added.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service, Kushalnagar / July 19th, 2019
It is monsoon season in Kodagu and though rains are less this year, people in remote villages of Kodagu, who have grown Garcinia gummi-gutta tree in their estates or have access to the tree grown in the wild, are busy in preparing Kachampuli, the dark, tart vinegar. Kachampuli preparation has been passed on from generations and is indispensable in Coorg cuisine. Every Coorg kitchen has a couple of bottles, or more, of Kachampuli tucked away at the corners or stored in the attic. This Weekend Star Supplement introduces readers to this enigmatic liquid and explains the process of obtaining it from yellow fruits hanging on top of tall trees.
Kachampuli: The Quintessential Coorg Condiment
A full-fledged processing unit at Ponnampet Forestry College
by B.C. Thimmaiah
Souring agents are an integral and inseparable part of our culinary traditions. Depending on the State and community, souring agents vary. Apart from lip-puckering tamarind and lime juice that is quite ubiquitous in most Indian dishes, there are a host of other souring agents that enhance the flavour of dishes like Kodava Pandi Curry (pork curry) where Kachampuli makes it the ‘Dish with a Zing’.
The concentrated juice is obtained from Garcinia gummi-gutta, the same fruit that is used in dried form in parts of Kerala, where it is known as punampuli or kodampuli/kudampuli. It is a relative of kokum, which is used in Mangalorean, Konkan and Maharashtrian cuisines. In Kodava language, the fruit is known as ‘Panpuli’ and its boiled extract is ‘Kachampuli’.
The fruit is like a large Amla but with prominent sections. In its fresh form, it is known to possess medicinal properties and is the basis for many weight-loss products. The English name is Brindle Berry. Before it is stored, the Panpuli is taken apart in slivers, dried and then smoked. It’s here that the green fruit turns into matt black. Later, dry pieces are soaked in warm water and torn apart before being added to the curry.
Students of Forestry College, Ponnampet, extract the seeds from the fruit. Once the succulent aril is separated from the seeds, the extracted juice is boiled and stirred constantly to procure the thick Kachampuli.
Juice preparation process
In Kodagu, the fruit is left out in baskets until the pulp breaks down. A large vat is kept below to collect the juice and the pulp is removed. The juice at first is pale and golden. It is then boiled in large clay pots until it turns dark burgundy in colour. This slow heating turns it into a syrupy vinegar. The final result is a dark and thick liquid and this liquid extract is known as Kachampuli.
Interestingly, Kachampuli improves with age. The older brews are preferred over the newer ones for cooking. The new bottles are usually stored in attics in Kodagu and are left there to mature and attain that perfect texture, taste and colour. Kachampuli is usually used in the final stages of cooking, mainly in meat and fish dishes, most famously in Pandi Curry and fish curry.
An expensive commodity
While Kachampuli was abundantly available in the open market earlier, now it is a scarce and an expensive commodity even in Kodagu, its hometown, thanks to the present generation that is unwilling to take the trouble of preparing it as it is a long-drawn and pain-staking process. Adulteration of Kachampuli to make a quick buck too has become rampant.
A fully grown Panpuli or Garcinia gummigutta tree in Kodagu with its yellow fruits
Realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative
Considering the rarity of the fruit and its many uses, College of Forestry at Ponnampet in South Kodagu has started a full-fledged unit that procures the Garcinia gummi-gutta fruit from farmers, processes it, prepares Kachampuli and then markets it. This initiative has not only ensured that the tradition continues but also eased the scarcity of the unique product in the market.
The initiative at the College was started by former Dean of the College Dr. B.C. Uthaiah and continued on a major scale by the present Dean Dr. C. G. Kushalappa, who has conducted extensive research in Devarakadus, the Sacred Forests of Kodagu and the wild and edible fruits of Kodagu, and Dr. B.N. Satish, Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Products and Utilisation.
Hands-on Training
The College is following the traditional methods of using forest produce available in Kodagu. “Our College offers Hands-on Training (HoT) programme to add value to non-timber forest produce where wild and edible fruits of Kodagu like Garcinia gummi-gutta, gooseberry, kokum and Karada (karmunji in Kodava language) fruit are made into products including pickles, jams and jellies, candies, squash, toffees and, of course, Kachampuli. This apart, we do produce hair care products from soap nuts and agarbathi. These exotic products are marketed under Sayhadri Brand,” says Dr. Kushalappa.
“This initiative is completely agriculture-and-farmer-oriented and we want to tell our farmers that their products have value and market. We provide plantation material or saplings, standardise production, maintain quality and focus on effective waste disposal. We have procured Government of India-manufactured machines from Coimbatore and we have a larger plan to set up Small Scale Industry production units at Ponnampet,” he explains.
Efforts to retain youths from migration
Basically it is to retain the youths in Kodagu who are migrating to cities in search of job opportunities. “We want to tell them that they can lead a comfortable life by adopting innovative farming and cultivate such unique fruits in a large scale as Kodagu is a natural zone under Western Ghats for such fruits. Our intention is to make them self-reliant. It is our way of nation-building aligning with the theme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative,” he rues.
“It is an entire world out there when it comes to wild berries and there is a huge market. For example, Garcinia gummi-gutta extract by multi-national companies is sold in the US and Europe as bio-slim products. We are trying to tie up with institutes like Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) for product development,” Dr. Kushalappa explains.
Grafted trees for high yield
Apart from producing the actual and authentic Kachampuli, the College supplies Garcinia gummi-gutta saplings for large-scale cultivation. “It is a huge tree and no coffee plant can grow under it. Our grafted tree does not grow that tall and growers can take up integrated coffee and Garcinia gummi-gutta cultivation. Our saplings are short and gives a high yield,” he reveals.
On the Kachampuli product marketed by the Forestry College, Dr. Satish says that the product is made in a traditional way with the use of modern techniques. “It is free from any sort of adulteration and we have not used any preservatives. There is a great demand for the product from both residents of Kodagu and the natives who live outside the district,” he says.
One tree, many fruits, multiple uses
The Garcinia gummi-gutta is a small or medium-sized tree and the bark of the tree is grey, smooth and contains abundance of bright-yellow gamboges (a gum resin produced by various trees, used as a yellow pigment and in medicine as a purgative). The tree starts bearing fruits when it is eight-years-old and it continues to bear fruits till it reaches 40 to 45 years. The fruits are two to three inches in diameter and are yellow when ripe with six to eight grooves. One tree can yield 100 to 125 kgs of fruit.
Around 25 kgs of Garcinia gummi-gutta fruit is required to prepare one litre of Kachampuli with an investment of Rs. 300 to Rs. 350 per litre. Once the product is ready, it can be sold up to Rs. 1,500 per litre.
There will be six to eight seeds surrounded by a succulent aril (an extra seed covering, typically coloured and hairy or fleshy). Usually, the Garcinia gummi-gutta flowering takes place from February to May every year and from June to August it is fruiting season and that’s the time when people of Kodagu get on to prepare the famed Kachampuli.
Uses of Garcinia gummi-gutta fruits
The Garcinia gummi-gutta fruits are edible, but too acid to be eaten raw. They are valued for their dried rind which is used in Travancore-Cochin and Malabar as a condiment for flavouring curries in place of tamarind or lime. In Sri Lanka, the fruits are picked under-ripe, the thick pericarp cut into sections, dried in sunlight and preserved for future use. The dried material is used along with salt in the curing fish. The edible oil extracted from the seed resembling kokum butter is used extensively in preparation of the local dishes.
Apart from using the fruit and its extracts for food purposes, the raw and processed rind of the fruit is extensively used as a condiment, coagulant and for polishing gold and silver articles. The Garcinia gummi-gutta seed is an edible source of fat and interestingly the tree does not have any pest or disease and is a characteristic trait of the tree family. The fruit is also used in Indian traditional medicine for edema, delayed menstruation, constipation and other intestinal disorders.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / July 14th, 2019
Constant efforts are being made to convert children in the district by supplying books containing evangelical literature, to the libraries of government schools in Kodagu through post, said Hindu Jagarana Vedike leaders.
Speaking to the media in Madikeri on Wednesday, Hindu Jagarana Vedike General Secretary Kukkera Ajith said that the forum condemns the supply of books only related to the Christian religion to the government libraries and schools in the district.
The books are supplied through post, by some organisations based in Shivamogga and Bengaluru, he said and accused the role of vested interests behind the same.
There is a racket of caste conversion at work, he said and urged the government to withdraw the books and to initiate strict legal action against the suppliers of the books.
“Most of the children who study in government schools belong to financially less privileged families. Christian ideologies are being spread through the books, targeting these children. Severe protests will be conducted against the activity,” he added.
He further pointed out that the DDPI too has no knowledge about the supply of evangelical books to schools.
Various books related to Christian religion are printed in different names, he stated and demanded action by the district administration of Kodagu.
Balele bandh
If the education department does not take action against the supply of Christian books by unknown persons before July 25, a bandh will be observed in Balele, warned zilla panchayat member B N Pruthyu.
He urged the authorities to initiate a police inquiry into the same.
Speaking at a meeting held at Vijayalakshmi PU College in Balele, he said that the values of Hindu religion are mocked in the books ‘Yohananu Bareda Suvarthe’ ‘Sathyameva Jayathe’ and ‘Devada Pudiya Oppanda’, printed in Kannada and Kodava languages respectively.
Alamengada Bose Mandanna, C S Krishna Ganapathy and members of local gram panchayat and taluk panchayat were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service, Mangaluru / July 17th, 2019
Aiming for a Goal: A match in progress during the Kodava Hockey Festival 2016 in Madikeri, Kodagu. Photos by DH, Niran Shantheyanda
Kodavas loved to pursue two patriotic passions. One was to be part of the nation’s defence forces and the other was to play the national sport. Hence, it was said that a Kodava was born with a hockey stick in one hand and a gun in another.
Hockey was not just a sport in Kodagu, it was a way of living. Kodagu’s children practised and excelled in hockey. There was untapped talent in Kodagu but there was no way to demonstrate it.
Aiming for a Goal: A match in progress during the Kodava Hockey Festival 2016 in Madikeri, Kodagu. / Photos by DH, Niran Shantheyanda
Considering this, Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani) and his brother Kashi Ponnappa decided to begin the annual Kodava hockey festival in 1997. “I wanted this festival to be of use to children. I wanted them to get a chance to play for India,” says Kuttappa , former first-division hockey umpire.
That year, Kuttappa’s extended family helped organise the event. Teams from 60 Kodava clans came to participate. The Kaliyanda team won the Pandanda cup. The event is called a festival (namme, in Kodava language), and not a tournament because it helps bring people together to celebrate. Each year one Kodava clan conducts the tournament and the cup is named after the clan. The Kodava Hockey Academy governs the annual festival.
Members releasing the banner of a hockey tournament.
The academy also decides which family can organise the tournament in a particular year. As of now, families have been selected to organise the tournament until 2025.
According to Shantheyanda Ravi Kushalappa, any family that wants to organise the festival should apply to the Kodava Hockey Academy. The application will be checked and considered on a first-come- first-serve basis. The selected family will have a year to prepare for conducting the event. The state government partly funds the event on most years. Lok Sabha MP for Mysore-Kodagu also grants some money. The rest of the money is collected by the family through donations.
Kodava hockey festival.
The family puts together a committee which is responsible for organising the event. They select a convenient ground and arrange all the facilities near the family’s ancestral residence.
According to the Limca Book of Records, the Kodava hockey festival is both the largest and the longest hockey tournament in India. This is probably the world’s largest family tournament as well. In 2018, 329 teams participated in the Kulletira Cup held in Napoklu.
Men, women and children take part in the tournament. There is no bar on age or gender. Among the prominent women players are goalkeeper Shivachaliyanda Nilan (Ekalavya awardee) and Malamada Lilavati.
In 2014, the Thathanda family organised a rink hockey event for 35 families. Later, two formats were supported: league matches for champions who regularly made it to the semifinals and knockouts for others.
In recent times, a number of similar family tournaments such as Kodava cricket, badminton, tug-of-war and golf, Kodagu Gowda cricket, Kodagu Heggade hockey, Amma Kodava cricket, Yerava cricket, Kodagu Muslim football and volleyball events are held in Kodagu.
The champions
There are a few strong family teams who often make it to the top. The Palanganda team has won the festival the highest number of times (five) so far. They entered the finals eight times (between 2006-2016).
Kodagu has produced several Hockey Olympians like Maneyapanda M Somaya, Mullera P Ganesh, B P Govinda, Arjun Halappa, S V Sunil among others. Most of the winning teams have Olympians in their midst. The Koothanda team, led by former Olympian K K Poonacha, comes a close second, having won the festival four times (including the 1999 draw with Kulletira team) between 1998-2008. The Cheppudira team, with another Olympian C S Poonacha, were the runners-up in the 2001 edition.
Olympian goalkeeper Anjaparavanda B Subbaiah’s team has been consistent over the years since 1997. They were winners twice and in the finals five times. Subbaiah attributes the team’s success to the remarkable individual efforts of its players.
The Kaliyanda team won thrice and came second twice. The Nellamakkada team won thrice and hosted the 2001 Cup. Kulletira won all the three times it came to the finals. The Mandepanda team won the tournament once.
In the 2018 finals, the defending champion Chendanda scored two goals and didn’t allow Anjaparavanda to score. Two Olympians were on the field: Nikkin Thimmaiah, a young forward, and Subbaiah, veteran goal-keeper.
“The hockey festival brought the family together. The family members stay in different villages. Earlier, there were no interactions between them, and they didn’t know each other (for many decades),” says Subbaiah. This has been the case with many Kodava families.
The kids of Kodagu are taught to wield the hockey stick at a young age. Their parents make crude hockey sticks and play the game with them after school hours.
Every summer, during the months of April and May, this festival brings together members of joint families. The relatives living in the cities, in the army or elsewhere converge in Kodagu. Uniforms and kits are prepared and at least eleven players are registered. For weeks, the teams practice playing with their hockey sticks on fallow fields and empty grounds.
Personal touch
My family team, the Mookonda team, is quite strong having players like Nikhil, Jnapak who trained in Sports Authority of India.
The first time I watched a Kodava hockey festival game was in our hometown Ammathi. It was the 2001 Cup. Cousins, aunts and uncles came together after a long time. Even my paternal grandmother, who was bed-ridden at the time, requested us to take her to the stadium to watch the hockey game.
The air was filled with slogans being shouted out cheering our home team: “Come on, Mookonda! Steady, Ammathi!”
We also went to watch the Muckatira family match during the 2002 Chekkera Cup in Hudikeri. Even while the sun was beating down upon us and we were all sweating, we cheered the team enthusiastically.
Paused by calamity
Floods and landslides ravaged parts of Kodagu in 2018. In order to show solidarity with the victims, the 2019 hockey festival was initially cancelled. However, the cancellation was not appreciated.
“A year break would make youngsters lose a chance to practice and display their skills,” says Hockey Coorg treasurer Palanganda Lava. Paikera E Kalaiah, who played in the 1975 Hockey World Cup, presides over Hockey Coorg.
Therefore, Hockey Coorg organised a 2019 family tournament with 146 teams in Kakotparamb. Funds were handed over to the calamity victims during the closing ceremony.
In 2020, the Harihara Muckatira family will host the event.
As families bond during this annual festival, hockey players, both young and old, exhibit their talent.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Top Stories / by Mookonda Kushalappa / July 13th, 2019
Kodagu Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K Lakshmi Priya has directed the concerned officials to dispose of the wet waste from Gonikoppa Gram Panchayat limits, at a landfill site in Halligattu village, under police protection.
Conducting a special meeting at Gonikoppa Gram Panchayat on Wednesday, the ZP CEO sought details on the current condition of the landfill site.
The government grants should be utilised towards the unit, which is meant for the collection of waste generated from Gonikoppa, Ponnampet and Aruvattoklu villages, she added.
As the local residents have been opposing the waste disposal unit, police protection should be taken during waste disposal at the site, said the ZP CEO.
Lakshmi Priya meanwhile told Panchayat Development Officer Chandramauli to segregate dry and wet waste.
The wet waste should be collected at the Halligattu waste disposal unit and the dry waste should be collected at the dry waste collection unit near Gonikoppa market.
Three workers should be deployed at each ward for the door to door waste collection. The attendance of workers should be recorded through the biometric system, she said.
PDO Chandramauli said that there is no provision to invite tenders for waste management under the Panchayat Raj Act. Therefore, no tenders have been invited in this regard.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DH News Service, Ponnampet / July 17th, 2019
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee has conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award on Kakamada Ganga Changappa for her outstanding contribution towards child welfare. The Award was presented to her recently in Delhi.
The President confers Rajiv Gandhi Award on Kakamada Ganga Changappa
After her marriage, Ganga Changappa, who holds a Master’s degree in English, settled down in Munnar where her husband worked for Tata Tea. Looking for something worthwhile to do, she found her vocation – welfare of women and children among the Tata Tea estate workers, teaching them skills which they could turn to profit.
With the active support of Tata Tea, she became very involved in setting up a special school and rehabilitation centre in Munnar for children with disabilities – Dare School. She was its Principal for nine years and with her innovative ideas imparted specialised skills to her students in order to make them independent and earn a living.
Her dedicated work was well recognised and in 1999 she received the FICCI award.
When her husband retired as a director of Tata Tea, they settled in Kodagu. Even here, Ganga was determined to work for disabled youngsters. Tata Coffee, as part of their corporate social responsibility, set up a school on the lines of the Dare School, in Kodagu.
The school, Swastha, a special school for the differently-abled was set up in Sunticoppa in 2003. It is partly residential and offers free education. She has worked tirelessly for eleven years taking the school to great heights. Tailoring, screen printing, offset printing, book binding, paper bags and candle-making are a few of the skills being taught there.
Some of the youngsters from the school even got a chance to represent India at the international level in the Para-Olympics.
by P.T. Bopanna
source: http://www.coorgnews.in / CoorgNews.in / Home> Features> NewsMakers / by P.T. Bopanna / December 02nd, 2014
People of Kodagu can avail Manipal Arogya Card to get concession in treatment at KMC hospitals, said KMC Hospital marketing department deputy manager Rakesh.
Addressing reporters, he said that the card can be used at KMC hospitals at Dr B R Ambedkar Circle and Attavara in Mangaluru, Kasturba Hospital in Manipal, Dr T M A Pai Hospital in Udupi and Dr T M A Pai Rotary Hospital in Karkala. Manipal Hospital in Goa and Manipal College of Dental Sciences in Mangaluru are also covered under the scheme to avail treatments at concessional rates.
Cards of one year and two years duration are available. The membership fee for Manipal Arogya Card for individuals is Rs 250 for one year and Rs 400 for two years. The fee for the family card for one year is Rs 500 and for two years is Rs 700.
To get the facility, one can contact KMC hospital representatives in Madikeri. Phone: 97314 74598, 98802 62038 or 94807 88634.
KMC hospital representatives A A Pratish, Padmanabha and Ponnappa were present in the press meet.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service, Madikeri / July 10th, 2019
According to industry reports, coffee shops and cafés market in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 11 per cent during the period 2016-2021.
A cup of coffee is all it takes to get one’s day started
While the essence of coffee is lost amongst major players in the industry, a group of coffee lovers are taking their adulation for the beverage to a larger audience, nudging them to wake up and smell what real coffee is.
In this quest, they are also bringing forth the significant role India plays as a major player in the production of good coffee.
According to industry reports, coffee shops and cafés market in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 11 per cent during the period 2016-2021.
This high growth is primarily on account of the growing coffee culture among the young population, especially the millennials, rising disposable income among other factors.
“This coupled with the implementation of various government plans to develop smart cities, etc., is projected to drive growth in Indian market for coffee shops / cafés over next many years,” shares Aharnish Mishra, co-founder of Bizibean, which got involved in the B-to-B R&G (Roast and Ground) coffee segment from 2004. They were naturally inclined to foray into the retail segment.
“This was a natural extension to our roasting business. We thought the market is ready for a brand that epitomises gourmet coffee and offers its patron speciality coffee both in bean form as well as RTD form,” he says.
While there has been a growth in the coffee market, it is still in its infancy as compared to the global market.
“People are only just beginning to learn the basics and are willing to experiment with different coffees and brewing equipments,” says Krittivas Dalmia, Co-Founder, Kaffa Cerrado, adding, “There is a very small percentage of the market willing to experiment. So there’s a long way to go before we can become a mature coffee market.”
Desi cuppa
The Indian fresh R&G coffee market for domestic consumption is a very small one and is geographically concentrated in the southern part of the country.
Mishra believes that there is no mainstream coffee variety and due to the cost factor, cheaper Robusta blended with a little Arabicas and Chicory is the de facto coffee blend consumed at home.
“The Indian coffees that are internationally popular but find little takers in the domestic market are Monsoon Malabar AA, Mysore Nugget Extra Bold, Plantation AA and Robust Kapi Royale,” he adds.
However, according to Dalmia, there are a lot of plantations that have started selling under their own branding or as a single plantation. “These are all unique because of the different practices and procedures they follow in processing and harvesting the coffee. The beauty of the third wave is that it’s all unique,” says Dalmia.
Brewing hot in India
“Traditionally this role of educating and growing the market is taken up by the bigger players like CCD/ Starbucks in conjunction with the government bodies like Coffee Board of India,” says Mishra, adding, “Sadly, in India this hasn’t happened with the result that the smaller and newer player have to expend energy and resources to nurture the market.
“At BiziBean, we assume the role of missionaries and spread the story of the coffee bean by bean! We have taken the kiosk format route with value pricing strategy to make the experience of having or buying coffee a very pleasurable one.
“All our counter staff is well versed with the intricacies of coffee and performs the role of guides to our patrons.”
On the other hand, Dalmia works with the farmers in bringing out their story and flavour in the way they roast. “The more we’re able to educate our consumers on that, the more they’re willing to try.
So it’s a lot of work in educating the consumer by everyone in the coffee chain right from the farmer to the roaster to the barista and coffee shop,” he states.
The competition is usually in terms of cafes or instant coffee space. There isn’t much completion when we talk about home coffee, feels Ajai Thandi, Co-founder of Sleepy Owl.
“Rooted in the spirit of Make in India, their vision was to rethink the in-home coffee experience while wanting their patrons to have the best quality coffee as conveniently as possible and consume it its best; using the best quality coffee sourced directly from Indian farmers.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Food / by Express News Service / July 08th, 2019
A year after Kodagu District Administration banned White Water River Rafting activity on River Cauvery in Dubare and other rivers, the activity has resumed in full swing. Yesterday, around 10 water rafts were made operational at Dubare following the lifting of the ban by Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.
The rafting activity was officially flagged off by Somwarpet Dy.SP P.K. Muralidhar at a stretch of Cauvery water in Periyapatna. Administration sources told Star of Mysore that the ban was lifted on the instructions from Tourism Minister S.R. Mahesh, who is also the Kodagu District Minister.
While lifting the ban, the DC has put stringent terms and conditions, including strict permissions for the activity. Organisers must ensure safety of tourists during the activity and Departments including Forest and Tourism have been asked to take necessary measures for re-starting river rafting. Rafting charges will not exceed Rs.600 per group, and a total of 48 rafts will be allowed in Dubare area, the DC said in her order.
Each owner has been asked to get a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from a local Panchayat, Fire and Emergency Services Department, Public Works, Ports and Inland Water Transport Department, certificate for raft instructor and also mandatory registration in the Labour Department.
According to the current guidelines, water rafting must start only at one point in Dubare (earlier rafting was being held at multiple points). Only five people have been permitted to operate rafts and each of them can own only two boats. Officials from the Kodagu District Administration will be monitoring the water rafting activities.
Before the ban, water rafting was an all-year programme in Kodagu.
Last July, the then Kodagu Deputy Commissioner P.I. Sreevidya had banned river rafting activity and white water rafting across the district for one month and subsequently extended the rafting ban.
In her order, the DC had stated that there were many adventure organisations and home stays running river rafting activities without permission.
The DC had issued the orders in the wake of several complaints from the tourists and villagers that adventure activity organisers have no expertise in river rafting and some of them are organising such events just to make money. Mandatory safety measures are not being followed by the organisers and lives are at stake, the tourists had complained.
Last February, a tourist from Hyderabad had got into an argument with an organiser of river rafting in Dubare and was killed in the ensuing altercation. It had come to the notice of the District Administration that many organisers of the adventure sport submitted fake documents to the DC and there was a no match between the permission letters and the submitted letter.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 08th, 2019
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