Tag Archives: Kodagu District

Embrace peace and beauty at Aurika, Coorg

Nestled amidst the verdant hills of Coorg, Aurika is not just a hotel; it’s an oasis of tranquillity and refined luxury.

Aurika, Coorg review: Know everything about the hotel here

As a travel critic, I have had the privilege of visiting some of the world’s most luxurious retreats, but my recent stay at Aurika, Coorg – Luxury by Lemon Tree Hotels, left an indelible mark on my soul. Nestled amidst the verdant hills of Coorg, Aurika is not just a hotel; it’s an oasis of tranquillity and refined luxury.

Hospitality:

From the moment I stepped into the resort, I was greeted with warmth and genuine hospitality that set the tone for my entire stay. The staff, impeccably trained and attentive, ensured that every aspect of my experience was nothing short of perfection. Their dedication to guest satisfaction was evident in every interaction, making me feel like royalty from check-in to departure.

Beautiful View from Room:

My room at Aurika, Coorg offered more than just a place to rest—it provided a breathtaking window into the natural splendour of Coorg. Waking up to panoramic views of mist and lush greenery was a privilege reserved for those seeking serenity and connection with nature. The design of the room itself complemented the surroundings, blending modern comfort with traditional charm seamlessly.

Relaxing Spa:

The spa at the resort was a sanctuary of peace and rejuvenation. It offered a range of therapies that combined ancient healing techniques with modern luxury. From aromatherapy massages to revitalizing facials, each treatment was a journey toward relaxation and renewal. The skilled therapists ensured that every visit to the spa was a personalized experience, leaving me refreshed and invigorated.

Food:

The resort’s culinary offerings were a delightful exploration of Coorg’s rich gastronomic heritage. With its elegant ambiance and attentive service, the restaurant became a haven for culinary indulgence. Each dish was a masterpiece, crafted with local ingredients and presented with artistic flair. Whether savouring traditional Coorgi delicacies or international fare, every meal was a culinary journey that satisfied both the palate and the soul. That’s not all, their bar set-up and mixologist stood out for me – I have my favourite tangy cocktail that I am missing in Delhi.  

During my stay, Coorg’s famed monsoon rains added an enchanting dimension to the resort’s beauty. The rain-kissed landscape transformed into a vibrant tapestry of greenery, enhancing the hotel’s natural charm. The sound of raindrops against the lush foliage created a symphony of tranquillity, inviting guests to immerse themselves fully in the serenity of their surroundings.

One of Aurika, Coorg’s most remarkable attributes was its ability to foster a sense of calmness and relaxation. Whether lounging by the pool, exploring the meticulously landscaped gardens, or simply enjoying a quiet moment on my private balcony, the hotel exuded a peaceful ambiance that was both soothing and rejuvenating. It was a place where time seemed to slow down, allowing for moments of introspection and mindfulness.

Improvement Suggestion:

To further enhance accessibility and comfort for all guests, including senior citizens and those with mobility challenges, the resort could consider adding a lift to its infrastructure. While the hotel’s design harmonizes beautifully with its natural surroundings, ensuring universal access would make it even more inclusive and welcoming. This enhancement would cater to diverse guests’ needs and reinforce Aurika’s commitment to providing a seamless and exceptional hospitality experience.

source: http://www.financialexpress.com / Financial Express / Home> FE Leisure> Business News> Life> Lifestylye / by Eshita Bhargava / September 01st, 2024

Annual Meeting of Kodava Samaja

The 46th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of Kodava Samaja will be held on Sept. 15 at 10 am at Gurumane Hall of Kodava Samaja in Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysuru. 

Kodava Samaja President Ponjanda A. Ganapathy will preside over the meeting, according to a press release from Kodava Samaja Hon. Secretary Ketolira A. Belliappa.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / September 04th, 2024

‘Permanent solution needed to prevent elephant-human conflicts’

Madikeri:

“There is an urgent need to find a permanent solution to prevent wild elephant-human conflicts,” stated Meriyanda Sanketh Poovaiah, Member of the State Board  of Wildlife (SBWL).

Speaking at the ‘World Elephant Day‘ celebration organised by the Madikeri Wildlife Division of the Kodagu Circle at Harangi Elephant Camp, Poovaiah highlighted the critical role of community involvement.

“Rescuing wild elephants is not solely the responsibility of the Forest Department and the Government. There is an immediate need for the participation of border residents, organisations and the public in this effort,” he emphasised.

Poovaiah also mentioned that, to address the rising human-wild elephant conflicts in Kodagu district, a consultation meeting was held with Forest Ministers and officials from the neighbouring States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A decision on this matter will be taken by the Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna.

During the event, Dubare Elephant Camp Veterinarian Dr. Chittiappa educated students about elephants and their habitats, answering their questions. Madikeri Regional Division Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Bhaskar underscored the significance of World Elephant Day.

The elephants at the Dubare camp, including Lakshmana, Eshwara, Ekadanta, Vikrama, Rama and Karna, were bathed, anointed with castor oil, adorned and honoured with a puja. Mahouts Putta, Manju, Vishwanath, Nagaraja, Sanju and Manja guided the elephants in raising their trunks to greet the guests.

Notable attendees included Kodagu Elephant Task Force DCF P. Anusha, Virajpet Subdivision Conservator of Forests N.H. Jagannath, Forest Mobile Squad DCF Syed Ahmed Sha Hussain, Madikeri Wildlife Division DCF K.A. Nehru, ACF Srinivas, along with Forest Officials N.C. Shaman, Mariswamy, Range Forest Officers (RFOs) Rathan Kumar, Kotresh, Aravind & Ravindra and Deputy Range Forest Officers (DRFOs).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 02nd, 2024

Winners of 14th Celebration Mysore Marathon 2024

Mysuru:

More than 800 sports enthusiasts took part in the 14th edition of Celebration Mysore Marathon, organised by Life is Calling in city this morning.

The marathon was flagged-off by Mountaineer Dr. Usha Hegde  in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple near the Balarama Gate of Mysore Palace at 6 am.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Usha Hegde said that taking part in sports event is important for people to stay fit and healthy. “Events like marathon should be organised more frequently to enhance the health conditions of those taking part,” she added.

The event comprised 30K Run, 21K Half Marathon, 10K Run and 5K Fun Run/ Walk. Organisers had made all necessary arrangements for the runners including drinking water at various points, medical team and ambulance on stand-by, and direction boards for the benefit of the participants.

Results

Open Male 10K Run

1. S.Y. Prajwal (36:35.7), 2. A. Abishek (36:35.9), 3. K. Kiran (37:00.00).

Senior Male 10K Run

1. Chandrasekaran Subramanian (45:14), 2. K.R. Ramakrishna (48:18), 3. N.T. Ranjit (48:37).

Veteran Male 10K Run

1. Ravindra Gundurao (54:18), 2. Hosur Udaykumar Shetty (56:26), 3. L. Ananth (59:42).

Open Female 10K Run

1. Deepika Prakash (46:45), 2. Seema Dasila (50:51), 3. Sandhya Satyan (51:53).

Senior Female 10K Run

1. Mamta Bharaktiya (01:04.44), 2. Shobha (01:07.12), 3. Dr. B.H. Vatsala (01:11.23).

Veteran Female 10K

1. Shamala Padmanabhan (01:33.38), 2. Geetha Vijaya (01:53.23).

Open Male Half Marathon (21K Run)

1. Madhusudhan (01:20.26), 2. Syed Atif Umar (01:29.51), 3. Dhanasekar Rajendran (01:31.36).

Senior Male Half Marathon

1. B.K. Madhukar (01:34.49), 2. Bhagya Mohan Konwar (01:45.02), 3. R. Sujanya (01:45.09).

Veteran Male Half Marathon

1. Girish Gubbi Dasappa (02:23.52), 2. Sanjeeva Balkur (02:25.20), 3. Kurupath Sureshkumar (02:35.20) .

Open Female Half Marathon

1. Meera (02:05.34), 2. Bharathi Chandrashekar (02:16.44), 3. K. Madhavi (02:16.45).

Senior Female Half Marathon

1. Divya Madaiah (02:22.04), 2. Sarvanidhi Thakur (02:24.24), 3. Rashmi Urs (02:44.03).

Veteran Female Half Marathon

1. S.G. Vijaya  (02:18.58).

Open Male 30K Run


1. Mohmmad Sahil Annigeri (01:54.12), 2. Sreejin Thankamani (02:13.08), 3. Chan Pasha (02:19.22).

Senior Male 30K Run

1. Reji Kumar Aravindakshan (02:25.58), 2. Ravikumar Yalagach (02:26.00), 3. Siddhartha Menon (02:27.04).

Veteran Male 30K Run

1. G. Mohan Rao (04:14.20), 2. Ramakrishna (04:44.54).

Open Female 30K Run

1. Pragati Gupta (02:36.17), 2. Mamta Yadav (02:53.19), 3. Bindu J. Prakash (03:25.23).

Senior Female 30K Run

1. Suman Srinivasa (02:56.02), 2. Rajalakshmy Mani (03:37.26), 3. Chintana M. Patkar (03:56.56).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News (headline edited) / September 01st, 2024

Home Minister calls on Mittoo Chengappa

Madikeri:

Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar called on senior Congress leader Mittoo Chengappa at his residence in Kushalnagar on Thursday, 16th May 2024.

Earlier, Dr. Parameshwar had gone to Kumbaragadige village near Mutlu in Somwarpet, Kodagu district, where he met the family of U.S. Meena, a minor girl who was recently beheaded by a man. The Minister inquired about Mittoo Chengappa’s health and reminisced about old memories as Congress activists and wished him good health before leaving.

Madikeri MLA Dr. Manthar Gowda, former MLC Veena Achaiah, KPCC General Secretary K.P. Chandrakala, Congress youth leader N. Madhu and other prominent leaders were present with the Minister during his visit to Chengappa’s residence.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 18th, 2024

Aditi Chengappa roots for indie filmmakers’ creativity

Busy working on high-budget Telugu period-drama “Rudhramadevi”, southern actress Aditi Chengappa is simultaneously working on multi-lingual film “X”.

Busy working on high-budget Telugu period-drama “Rudhramadevi”, southern actress Aditi Chengappa is simultaneously working on multi-lingual film “X” and says she agreed to do the indie movie because she prefers “quality over quantity”

“X” is being directed by eleven filmmakers – Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, Anu Menon, Hemant Gaba, Pratim D. Gupta, Q, Raja Sen, Rajshree Ojha, Sandeep Mohan, Sudhish Kamath, Suparn Verma and Gautham Vasudev Menon. She is wowed by the creativity brought forth by the independent filmmakers to the project.

“I think what makes independent filmmakers brilliant is their creativity and resourcefulness. It is far more challenging, and I have a lot of respect for them. The crew seemed more like a group of my friends. We had a fantastic time shooting, no ego, no fuss, just hardworking and enthusiastic filmmaking.

Despite knowing “X” is an independent project and might have a limited release, Aditi signed the film because for her “it’s always been quality over quantity”. 

“I’m aware that it may not have a wide release, however what satisfies me is that I’m part of a very classy and intelligent filmmaking process, honestly a dream come true.”

Aditi, who has starred in southern films such as “Konjam Koffee Konjam Kadhal” and “Takita Takita”, is cast opposite Rajat Kapoor in “X”.

“It was a pleasure working with Rajat, who is so talented and respected and yet down to earth. I was nervous initially, but he broke the ice and made things comfortable with his great sense of humoUr on the sets,” Aditi said.

She further added: “I admire his presence of mind in every moment. His attention to details in each performance and situation is impeccable.”

Aditi, who calls this exercise of collaborating and working “a unique concept”, has been shooting for her part for over the past few days. The part featuring her is being directed by Sudhish Kamath.

“X”, being produced by Manish Mundra, is slated to release later this year.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Telugu / by IANS / August 29th, 2013

I’ve always been intrigued about how people feel: Shubra Aiyappa

I’ve always been intrigued about how people feel: Shubra Aiyappa © Provided by The Times of India

Model and actress, Shubra Aiyappa, who abandoned formal education at 18 to pursue her passion of acting, feels that the right environment is crucial for one to be able to chase what their heart desires. In a conversation with us, she talks about her upbringing and emphasises the need for balancing boundary setting with being sociable.

Excerpts:

“I excel at getting people to open up. My fascination lies in understanding emotions rather than actions, delving into the nuances of individuals,” says Shubra, talking about how most people she meets feel at-ease confiding in her. “My friends say I could have been a therapist, if not an artiste,” she adds.

Giving context to this nature of hers, she explains how all of her life’s learnings have been experiential. “Whatever I have learned in life has been through books and experiences. Stories inspired me and helped me do better in life. I hope to create a space where people can be open and vulnerable. When people share their stories with me, I just hope that those who’re listening find learnings and inspiration to keep going from it, because life will always hand you failures along with successes, and it all boils down to how you confront your testing times.”

‘I’m grateful to my parents for letting me carve my own path in life’

I come from a simple South Indian family. I took part in a modelling contest which I never thought I’d win but when I did, I told my parents that I will be discontinuing my formal education, and they agreed. I think I flourished because they let me carve my own path.

source: http://www.msn.com / further acknowledgement: The Times of India / by Devika V Menon / December 17th, 2023

Once A British Colony, This Place In Karnataka’s Kodagu Now A Major Tourist Attraction


A fountain is also situated in the Raja Seat’s garden.

Paddy plains between the coffee and cardamom plantations, vehicles, and the settlements on the adjacent hill are other attractions of the Raja Seat.

Raja Seat is one of the most famous tourist hotspots in the Madikeri town of Kodagu, Karnataka. According to the Local 18 Karnataka, there is a pleasant atmosphere in Raja Seat, the whole day. This culturally significant site has been constructed on the border of Madikeri town.

After the British rule had ended, the coffins of the natives were moved to different places and a garden was developed there. A moat (deep and wide trench around the rampart of a fortified place (such as a castle) that is usually filled with water) and a garden are situated on both sides of this tourist attraction. Features like the tall mountain peaks and the trees growing on the slopes between them add to the charm of the Raja Seat.

Paddy plains between the coffee and cardamom plantations, vehicles, and the settlements on the adjacent hill are other attractions of the Raja Seat. If you visit this site early morning, you will witness the paddy field covered with a dense fog. The trees on the hills are covered with a mist (a cloud made of very small drops of water in the air just above the ground, that makes it difficult to see).

A fountain is also situated in the Raja Seat’s garden. Ziplining sports are a major source of attraction as well for the children and elders. Zip lining is an action-filled recreational activity that involves riding a steel cable on a protective seat or a belt. In this sport, the people have to ride between two points and generally on a valley that exhibits spectacular scenery. There is also a play park for the younger children. An interesting fact related to Raja Seat is that it was once a British colony.

Raja Seat was known as the place where the King and Queen enjoyed the view of the sunset during the time of King Chikka Virarajendra. During British rule, a grand pavilion with four arches was built here using cement and tiles.

Visiting Hours – Monday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News> India / by Newsdesk, Local18, Bengaluru / July 29th, 2024

World Masters Athletics Championships: Mysuru’s Reeth Abraham wins Bronze in Triple Jump

Mysuru:

Mysuru-born athlete Reeth Abraham has won the bronze medal for India in the women’s Triple Jump final event of the World Masters Athletics Championships held in Björlanda, Sweden recently.

Reeth finished with a best effort of 9.83 metres, behind USA’s Neringa Jakstiene (9.99 m) and Great Britain’s Joanne Willoughby (9.91m).

The 63-year-old Reeth finished a considerable margin ahead of fourth-placed Hilde Bottin of Belgium, who managed a best of 9.29 metres.

Now settled in Bengaluru, Reeth is the daughter of late Ballachanda A. Devaiah (Chimney) and Tomy Devaiah, resident of Saraswathipuram, Mysuru.

A former Asian medallist in long jump and 100 metre hurdles disciplines and a former National Champion in heptathlon, Arjuna Awardee Reeth Abraham has four sisters, popular as Devaiah Sisters (Preeth, Geeth, Seeth and Neeth), who too were prolific sportspersons and have represented their respective Universities, State and country in various sports fields.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / August 27th, 2024

Three-time Olympian Poovamma credits family support and encourages young athletes to persevere

MR Poovamma, a three-time Olympian representing India, spoke at the Press Club’s ’Gaurava Athithi’ program organized by the DK Working Journalists Association on Saturday.

She credited her family, particularly her parents and husband, for supporting her throughout her sports career, stating that her achievements are shared with them.

Despite being 34, Poovamma emphasized that age should not be a barrier for athletes. “I wanted to prove that I can still compete and inspire others, regardless of age,” she said. She also expressed her intention to continue her career for a few more years and plans to open a sports academy post-retirement.

Acknowledging her husband Jitin Paul’s support in managing her training and household responsibilities, Poovamma praised her mother for her unwavering presence at all her events since her school days.

She highlighted the growing opportunities in sports, noting the government’s supportive role through programs like Khelo India and improved facilities. Poovamma advised young athletes to remain resilient in the face of setbacks, injuries, and failure, encouraging parents to support their children’s interest in sports. She stressed the importance of good practice, adequate rest, and proper nutrition for athletes’ physical and mental fitness.

source: http://www.mangaloretoday.com / Mangalore Today / Home> Main News / by Mangalore Today News Network / August 25th, 2024