Dancer Adapts Kodava Poems To Bharatanatyam

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All

Submits two-year Fellowship thesis to Centre for Cultural Resources and Training

Mysore/Mysuru:

Acclaimed Bharatanatyam artiste from Kodagu Mukkatira Shilpa Nanjappa has recently completed her two-year fellowship research with the Central Government’s Ministry of Culture. She was awarded the prestigious Fellowship by the Indian Government’s Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) for 2019-2021.

Her topic was ‘Adaptation of Kodava language/literary compositions into the classical format and Bharatanatyam’. Shilpa pursued this work with the intention of popularising and propagating the language of Kodavas ‘Kodava Thakk’ which is deemed to vanish by the turn of the century. 

The Fellowship is awarded to only 200 artistes across India and includes all art fields like dance, music, sculpture, literature, photography, video-graphics, etc. The CCRT is one of the premier institutions working in the field of linking education with culture. 

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Shilpa said that she has submitted her 150-page thesis as part of the Fellowship. Mentioning about her research work, Shilpa said that there are many poems and prose in Kodava language and her intention was to make them accessible to the masses. 

“I am proficient in the vocabulary of Bharatnatyam, Kannada, Kodava and English and I also understand the nuances of the Kodava language and as such it helped me to achieve proficiency in the Fellowship and also bring out a full length Bharatanatyam production titled ‘Tales in Kodava’. 

Shilpa is the first from the community to adapt the language to dance in such a format, making it entertaining, catchy and enabling people to ponder and reflect on their present situation. Her research work and dance production makes Kodava poems effective, making people visualise and also raise questions to make their own lives better. 

In fact, Shilpa did a 45-minute solo dance drama composition for Doordarshan when she was just 14 and it was about ‘Yayati’ by Haradasa Appacha Kavi. She has created a set of classical connoisseurs through her performances in Bengaluru. “I have developed the storylines, concept, content and context using Kodava poems and literature for a wider reach and appeal. All are in classical music as classicism ensures that a language lives and thrives,” she said.  

The research work and the dance production come after years of research on this subject. The ‘Tales in Kodavas, the fragrance of Kodagu’s culture, its people, psyche and language through Bharatanatyam’ premiered on Sept. 2 in the online festival ‘Padmini’ brought out by Rasabodhi Arts Foundation. 

Daughter of Allaranda Kamy and Uthappa, she is married to Mukkatira Pavan Nanjappa and lives in Madikeri with her family. 

Dance compositions 

The dance production brings to the fore the fragrance of Kodagu’s culture, people, psyche and language through various dances choreographed and conceptualised by Shilpa.

There are five compositions in the production and the first one is by late Mandira Jaya Appanna’s musical poem ‘Jaya Mohini Bhasmasura’ episode of Lord Aiyappa that follows the legend of Makki Sarthavu Temple at Bethu village in Kodagu. The second poem ‘Conversations with Shiva’ has been written by Shilpa herself and it brings forward the no-fuss spiritual journey that the Kodavas have.

The  third poem is by late Nadikeriyanda Chinnappa in 1917 titled ‘Sri Moola Kanniye Pommale Kodumale…’ adapted to the current problems of environmental pollution, family discords and extensive exploitation of nature and how Cauvery caused landslides and floods where mountains came crashing. Called the ‘Plight of Cauvery’ Shilpa compares river Cauvery, ravaged by man-made exploitation to a woman who has been violated by a greedy society and how she hits back with a vengeance.

The fourth poem in the dance production is a poem by an anonymous poet about betrayal, love and friendship. The last one is a ‘Thillana’ in Kodava language. It is a dance of joy, exuberance with Puthari (harvest festival) as the theme, again penned and composed by Shilpa.

‘Tales in Kodava’ is available for viewing until Sept. 20 and tickets can be bought at https://www.tikkl.com/RasaBodhiArtsFoundation

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 07th, 2021

Kodava Academy annual awards announced

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All

Twelve achievers have been selected for the annual honourary awards and book awards conferred by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.

Addressing reporters on Tuesday, Academy chairperson Dr Ammatanda Parvathi Appaiah said that the award function will be held at Kodava Samaja in Makkanduru on September 12.

She said that the award function could not be held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The awards for both years will be presented on September 12.

The honourary awardees for the present year are Monnanda Shobha Subbaiah and Badakadammanda Kasturi Govinda Mayya (literature), late Kameyanda C Ayyanna and Bottolanda Kali Achaiah (art), Kambiranda Cauvery Ponnappa (research) and Appaneravanda Kiran Subbaiah (sculpture).

Annual book awards will be present for, ‘Pojang’ a collection of poems by Bacharaniyanda P Appanna and Ranu Appanna, ‘Mahavira Achunayaka’ a novel by Kadyamada Reeta Bopaiah, ‘Badk Pinja Dechavva’ a play by Addanda C Cariappa, ‘Nadapeda Asha’ a novel by Nagesh Kaluru, ‘Nangdar Kodava’ by Maletira Seethamma Vivek and ‘Nataka Ranga’ by Uluvangada Cauvery Uday.

Honorary awards will comprise a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each and the book awards comprise Rs 25,000 each, said Parvathi Appaiah.

Kodava thesaurus ‘Pala Pajel Kodava Takk’ will be released during the function.

There are 5,000 words and descriptions have been given in Kannada, Hindi and English, she added.

Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan M P will inaugurate the programme. Virajpet MLA K G Bopaiah, MLC Sunil Subramani M P, MLC Veena Achaiah and others will take part, said Makkanduru Kodava Samaja president Napanda Ravi Kalappa.

Academy members Babbira Saraswathi, Machimada Janaki Machaiah, Makkanduru Kodava Samaja secretary Anchettira Manu Muddappa were present at the press meet.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / September 08th, 2021

Kodava movie ‘Nadapeda Asha’ screened

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All
A scene from the movie ‘Nadapeda Asha’.

The much-awaited Kodava film ‘Nadapeda Asha’ was released on Monday and the first screening of the film was held at Kodava Samaja in Moornadu.

The movie has a positive social message during the tough time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nadapeda Asha narrates the story of the wife of a martyr and was appreciated by movie lovers.

The film has reflected the Kodava way of life and heritage.

Nellachandra Rishi Poovamma and Bollajira B Ayyappa are in the lead roles.

The film is based on the work by Nagesh Kaluru. Kottukattira Prakash Cariappa has directed the film.

Nadapeda Asha is the 21st Kodava film. The other films in the Kodava language are ‘Kodagra Sipayi’, ‘Mahavira Acchunayaka’, ‘Nadamanne Nada Kool’, ‘Mandara Poo’, ‘Na Bayanda Poo’, ‘Jadimale’, ‘Ponnra Manassu’, ‘Nirikshe’ and ‘Makkada Manas’.

During the first screening of the film, Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum president Col (retd) Subbaiah, writer Nagesh Kaluru, producers Eramanda Harini Vijay and others were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / September 06th, 2021

Kailpodh Festival of Kodavas: A Unique Festival of Weapons

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Festival season is approaching and so are the moments of colorful traditions and culture. Some of them are celebrated within communities and some of them nationally and globally. Community festivals are significant to the respective community and connect them with their families and social structure of living.

Festival of weapons

Situated at 3000 feet above sea-level, Coorg is beautiful and is known as the Scotland of India and is home to the Kodagu Community, where this festival of weapons is celebrated. Coorg is home to various agricultural crops  like coffee, pepper, oranges, avocado and cardamom. The delicacies include dishes cooked with pork, mutton, rice, wild mushroom, bamboo shoot and smoked meat.

About the Kodagu Community:

The Kodagu community has got its own rituals and very interesting traditions still kept alive. One such Festival they still celebrate within their community is Kailpodh, which is celebrated in the month of September. ‘Kail means armory and Podh means festivals, so Kailpodh means “Festivals of Weapons”.   This Unique traditional festival is celebrated within the Kodagu community where arms and weapons like guns, knives, swords, bows, and arrows are cleaned and prayer lamps are lit. The hanging prayer lamps are called Thookbolcha in Kodava and flowers called Thokk Poo (Gloriosa Superba flowers) are placed on the nozzles of guns.

The Kodavas have always maintained an intimate relationship with their weapons. Its been said that during weddings they use a large Kodava Knife to cut banana Stalk with one single cut. During the death and birth, they fire a single shot into the air to share the news with the neighbours. Largely there were forest land where they lived and hunting used to be their favourite past time. At present even if hunting is not done, these weapons are passed down from generation to generation.

This is a time which marks the end to the sowing season and then they have to remain watchful and protect the crop. The weapons used to protect the crop hence are taken and decorated on this day and pooja is offered. The river deity Kaveramma, and Mahaguru Igguthappa and the supreme ancestor Guru Karana, are invoked during this day.

The festivities:

Kodava cuisine includes well-prepared, tasty food such as steamed dough balls called kadambuttu, and rice cakes, string hoppers meat dishes such as Pork curry, Chicken curry and Mutton Curry as well as desserts like Rice kheer. They also wear traditional costumes and play various games like folkdances ,shotput, rifle shooting , traditional dances.

source: http://www.krishijagran.com / Krishi Jagran / Home> Others / by Dr Lakshmi Unnithan / September 07th, 2021

Waterfalls in Suntikoppa are in full splendour

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All
Haleri Falls near Suntikoppa.

Several waterfalls in Suntikoppa hobli have been attracting people and tourists with their natural splendour.

Some of these waterfalls in Suntikoppa are located inside plantations.

As the region has witnessed intermittent rainfall from the past week, many waterfalls have regained their natural beauty.

The sound of the water flowing down the hills has been beckoning the tourists.

Haleri Falls is situated at a distance of 2 km from Boyikeri. The sound of the flowing water can be heard till 2 km.

‘D’ Block Falls in Kedakal Gram Panchayat limits near Suntikoppa, is one of the most attractive falls. The waterfalls cascade amidst the greens, providing a feast for the eyes.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Suntikoppa / August 24th, 2021

Onam celebrated at Coorg Public School

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Coorg Public School (COPS) celebrated Thiruvonam on the school’s premises, keeping in mind the present pandemic and adhering to the necessary safety protocol.  

The celebrations started with the setting up of an attractive floral decoration Pookalam in the reception area.

The main attraction was a semi-classical dance performed by the staff members.

Dr Benny Kuriakose, the principal of the school, spoke on the occasion.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / August 24th, 2021

Prasad Bidapa Joins Advisory Board Of Pearl Academy

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Pearl Academy welcomes Bengaluru based fashion connoisseur Prasad Bidapa on its academic advisory board.

India’s leading creative education institution, Pearl Academy, today announced that fashion and image expert Prasad Bidapa has joined the academic advisory board of its Bengaluru campus.

The advisory board, with eminent veterans from diverse creative fields, is responsible for bringing industry insights and global best practices that can be incorporated into the curriculum and pedagogy to ensure that the students receive the most relevant education.

On joining the Pearl Academy Bengaluru advisory board, Prasad Bidapa said, “I strongly believe that contributing to the education of the youth is one of the best ways to make your years of expertise and experience count and hence, I am delighted to collaborate with Pearl Academy.

The institute’s seriousness towards nurturing creative minds in a way that prepares them for professional lives while retaining their unique identity and passion for the chosen craft is exemplary.

I am looking forward to engaging with the young creators, innovators, dreamers and disrupters. My mission is to sensitize our young minds into appreciating & using the vast wealth of our indigenous textiles & techniques, and helping them achieve global recognition”.  

With 40 years of experience, Prasad is undoubtedly amongst the iconic fashion gurus of India.

He has been revolutionizing the fashion industry by curating various high-profile fashion events like India Men’s Fashion Week, Colombo Fashion Week and Rajasthan Heritage Week.

He is also committed to the cause of reviving the traditional textiles of India. 

source: http://www.bweducation.businessworld.in / BW Education / Home / by BW Online Bureau / September 02nd, 2021

Explained | Why coffee prices are soaring

Coffee News, World Opinion

Adverse weather, strict lockdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic and severe logistical bottlenecks have disrupted the global coffee market making your morning brew dearer.

The global shortage is a blessing for India where FY21 output jumped 12%. India is the world’s seventh-largest coffee producer but not a major consumer, and exporters have better availability of containers compared with Vietnam and South America and are getting good prices (Image: Shutterstock)
The global shortage is a blessing for India where FY21 output jumped 12%. India is the world’s seventh-largest coffee producer but not a major consumer, and exporters have better availability of containers compared with Vietnam and South America and are getting good prices (Image: Shutterstock)

Global coffee prices are soaring because of lower availability from the main producing countries, which has created a demand-supply mismatch in the international market for the beverage.

Adverse weather, strict lockdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic and severe logistical bottlenecks have disrupted the global coffee market and raised prices to multi-year highs for both varieties of coffee — Robusta that has more caffeine and a stronger, bitter taste, as well as the Arabica grade that has a smoother and sweeter taste.

Moneycontrol looks at what is driving the international coffee market and what it means for India.

Sharply rising prices

Robusta coffee futures soared to more than $2,000 per tonne last week, having risen about 50 percent this year; while in July the Arabica grade had risen to the highest since November 2014, making the beverage more costly around the world. Robusta prices had been slightly lower than Arabica for more than a year but last week’s move brought them on par with Arabica.

Brazil ignited the coffee market

Coffee prices started rising because of adverse weather in Brazil, the world’s biggest producer of the bean for the last 150 years. Output in the country is expected to fall to the lowest in nearly two decades.

After erratic rainfall, the Brazilian crop was hit by extremely cold weather, which damages coffee plants. Many coffee plants in Brazil developed spots on their leaves as the cold weather was the worst since 1994.

The coffee crop is even more vulnerable to damage when a cold spell hits the plants that have already been weakened by a drought. The damage is so severe that some plantations in Brazil may need to plant a new crop, which will take years to mature.

Other major producers

Supply from Vietnam, the second-biggest producer, has been disrupted by lockdowns because of rising COVID-19 cases. The government has imposed a lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City, a coffee exporting hub, while movement of the beans from plantations to cities is also affected. As a result, Vietnamese coffee is unable to reach consumers around the world.

The third-largest producer, Colombia, also has problems. Supply was disrupted because of a series of anti-government protests in the country, which raised Colombian prices to a record in May this year and affected supply as well as the market sentiment globally.

Logistics adds to the woes

Like various other commodities and goods, coffee is also suffering from very high freight costs and shortage of containers. The problem is quite severe in South America and is raising the cost of Brazilian and Colombian coffee. There are several cases of vessels not being available despite being booked in advance, which creates sudden supply glitches.

Implications for India

The global shortage is a blessing for India, which is the world’s seventh-largest coffee producer but not a major consumer as the country’s favourite beverage is tea.

India produces mostly the Arabica variety of coffee, 70 percent of which is exported. Exporters are getting good prices and the output in 2020-21 increased by 12 percent, according to data from the Coffee Board.

Indian exporters also have better availability of containers compared with Vietnam and South America. This is because containers coming in with cashew imports are being used to ship out coffee, traders say. Indian coffee imports have increased about 10 percent so far this year.

Outlook

Prices may rise further as concerns about the weather continue to dog the market. Arabica coffee futures rose on August 30 because of forecasts of adverse weather, indicating more stress for beleaguered crops in top supplier Brazil, according to a Bloomberg report. Key producing regions in Brazil are forecast to face adverse weather in the coming weeks, it said. This can further increase global coffee prices.

(The author is an independent journalist)

source: http://www.moneycontrol.com / MoneyControl.com / Home> News> Business / by Himangshu Watts / September 01st, 2021

Public Prosecutor Felicitated

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Public Prosecutor Kaliyanda Muthamma Poonacha was felicitated at her office in city yesterday by Mysuru Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Superintendent of Police (SP) P. Arunamshugiri (extreme right) with a shawl, garland, Mysuru Peta and a certificate, for handling ACB cases extremely well.

ACB Dy.SPs Parashuramappa and Dharmendra are also seen.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / August 31st, 2021

Drive detox #28States28Plates drive goes to Coorg

Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports

Moving our way right across the country towards the west, we go to Coorg from Bengaluru.

Day 22 of the #28States28Plates drive saw us leaving the hustle and bustle of Bengaluru city as we headed to a beautiful hilly region in Karnataka — Coorg. Also known as the Scotland of India, Coorg is famous for its coffee plantations, chilly climate and the amazing views.


There are three ways to get to Coorg from Bengaluru and because of our tight schedule, (the real reason was we just couldn’t wait to get there), we took the shortest route which passes through cities like Ramanagara (silk city) and Channapatna (city of toys). This highway is christened NH275, but the locals know it simply as Mysore road.

All the three routes from Bengaluru join-in at Mysore. It is to be noted that if you are taking the route we took, be ready to face a lot of diversions as some parts of this highway are still under construction.

After crossing Mysore, the road turned into a two-lane winding stretch of smooth tarmac with trees on both sides! It definitely was a sight to behold.

Now, our destination for the day was a town called Yevakapadi, situated in the hills of Coorg.

We reached there by lunchtime, at Bungalow 1934, where a friend of evo India, Amrith, had kindly invited us for lunch at his super famous estate — Bungalow 1934.

A place so pretty, a certain Gordon Ramsay chose to shoot his show Uncharted here!

We were in awe of the beautiful views from Amrith’s estate and just as we thought it couldn’t get better, Amrith set up a traditional Coorgi cuisine buffet for us. Pandi curry (pork stew), bamboo shoot curry, colocasia curry — a few of the dishes we enjoyed, along with a view to die for. To wash it all down was prepared-on-the-farm coffee liqueur and some bird’s eye chilli wine.

After that wonderful lunch, we headed to our abode for the night. King’s Cottage, a place situated just 15km from Amrith’s estate, but by the time we reached and rested for a bit, it was time for dinner time. So, the kind folks at King’s Cottage setup a much needed bonfire for us to enjoy our dinner. We were treated to simple but oh-so-delicious veg food with a view of the clouds, touched by bright moonlight, settling right in front of us in the valley. After chilling our bones to the cool blowing winds, we went straight to bed in our cozy little cottage.

This place was certainly a good detox from the city life and we loved it so much that we decided to take day 23 off for some rest.

Is Coorg a haven in the hills? We’d certainly say so!

Day 24 will see us reach the west coast of the country, Mangalore — via Kasargod.

source: http://www.evoindia.com / EvoIndia.com / Home/ by Team Evo India / August 22nd, 2021