A new breed of Kodavas (Coorgs), known as ‘week-end planters’ have sprung up in Kodagu (Coorg).

These are the Kodava professionals working in cities like Mysore and Bangalore, a few hours drive from Kodagu.

During the week, they are busy in their offices pursuing their careers. In the week-ends, they take off to Kodagu to look up their ageing parents and tend to their coffee estates.

It is not an easy task to have one leg in Kodagu and another in Bangalore. Not with the kind of labour shorage in Kodagu. But still many manage to do the tight-rope walk. This involves the payment of exorbitant wages to the estate labourers. This may not be to the liking of resident planters who cannot match the money power of the week-end planters with deep pockets.

What has come in handy for the week-end planters is the emergence of new firms who contract to pick the raw coffee berry from the estates with their own labourers. This avoids the bother of week-end planters having to cart jeep loads of labourers from the ‘paisari’ labour settlements to pick the coffee berries.

Besides being week-end planters, some of the Bangalore-based professionals also have to practise their professions during the week-ends. This doctor from Bangalore, a cancer specialist, will have patients waiting for him at his residence in Balele when he visits Kodagu.

There are some week-end planters who have found it difficult to manage two shows simultaneously.

Prince Monnappa, a former Manager with Cognizant Technologies (in picture above), quit his well-paying job in Bangalore and moved to Kodagu three years ago. By deploying his managerial expertise on his farm, he became a ‘model farmer’. For his efforts, Monnappa was recently given an award for being a progressive farmer by the local farmers’ organization.

Besides raking in the extra money, it is a sort of stress-buster for the week-end planter to be in the green environs of a coffee estate. The fact that road conditions have improved between Bangalore and Kodagu, have made it comfortable to drive down to Kodagu.

There is another major advantage from being a week-end planter. There is no need for one to sell the estate merely for the sake of a career in the cities. As long as one can have the cake and eat it too, why worry!

Environmentalist Col C.P. Muthanna has urged the Karnataka government to regulate tourism in Kodagu, instead of allowing the haphazard growth of resorts and hotels.

Excerpts from Col Muthanna’s letter to the state tourism minister is given below:

1. Kodagu district is a vital catchment area of Cauvery River that sustains millions of people in South India. It is therefore in the national interest to protect and preserve the environment and eco-systems of Kodagu. It is for consideration that Kodagu is a hilly area with heavy rainfall which embodies a very fragile ecology that could be easily degraded. Kodagu is also the homeland of several small indigenous communities who will be rapidly marginalized if they are separated from their land.

2. In this context, it would be extremely important to regulate tourism in Kodagu so that it does not meet the same fate as other hill areas such as Shimla, Mussoorie, Ooty, etc. These regions have seen severe degradation of the landscape due to massive tourist influx.

We are therefore happy to note that the Karnataka Tourism Policy 2009-14 [Annexure 1] makes a special mention of this aspect. Para 3 of the Introduction states: “Eco- tourism in Western Ghat Districts like Kodagu, Chikmaglur and Shimoga is an important component of Karnataka Tourism. In order to preserve the serene atmosphere of these locales, it is important not to encourage construction of large hotels------”.

However, despite this, it is a matter of deep concern that a number of hotels and resorts are proliferating all over Kodagu. Such projects are enjoying substantial government subsidies through the Tourism Department.
3. While the promotion of tourism in any region is beneficial up to a point, we note with deep concern that Kodagu has already reached a stage where massive tourist influx threatens the fragile and precious ecology of Kodagu and the very societal fabric of the indigenous communities. Towns such as Madikeri are already reeling under water shortage and lack proper waste management systems. Kodagu is also losing hundreds of acres of tree cover due to construction of resorts and hotels. In several cases, the constructions are on steep slopes that have been gouged to make the hotel foundation. A photograph of a recently constructed hotel close to Madikeri is attached. Pollution and improper location of hotels is another aspect. A photo is attached of a newly constructed hotel in Gonikoppal town that is located very close to the edge of a stream that is already heavily polluted. During a recent weekend the streets of Madikeri were clogged with vehicles and there were chaotic scenes due to the entry of thousands of tourists. Madikeri was once a serene, peaceful town. Today, tourism has turned it into a dirty and polluted city like Ooty.

4. I have also attached a newspaper report which shows the degradation of the Irupu fall in South Kodagu due to uncontrolled entry of tourists. This is one of the sacred spots for the people of Kodagu. There is a growing resentment of further efforts to developing tourism in Kodagu without taking the opinion of the people. For example, the plan to introduce heli-tourism in Bhagamandla is coming under flak from local organizations. A related newspaper report is attached. Due to large scale purchase of land for tourist resorts and hotels, the people are tempted to sell their land. Separating the land from the people will have serious long-term repercussions on the indigenous communities of Kodagu who have very small populations.

5. In the light of the above facts, it is apparent that tourism in Kodagu needs to be carefully ‘regulated’ rather than ‘promoted’. Some of the steps that we recommend are as follows:

A. All subsidies for hotels and resorts should be discontinued till a proper assessment is carried out on the environmental impact of the hotels and resorts in Kodagu and the carrying capacity for tourists in the District.

B. Other financial inputs for promoting tourism in Kodagu should also be restricted for a period of at least three years till the assessment is completed.

C. The District tourism committee should include some well known NGOs of Kodagu such as the Coorg Wildlife Society, Kodagu Model Forest Trust and Cauvery Sene.

D. There is growing resentment among the people of Kodagu due to the heavy tourist influx that is defiling our places of worship such as Talacauvery and Irupu. The tourist department must make an attempt to ascertain the true mood of the indigenous communities of Kodagu.

6. In the ultimate analysis, heavy influx of tourists into areas such as Kodagu would bring some economic benefit only to a small section of society. But even this is at a very heavy cost. Continued encouragement to the tourist industry would lead to the ruination of the fragile socio-environmental fabric of Kodagu. I have enclosed a copy of an e-mail that I recently received which is being circulated in Kodagu.

7. In view of the facts given in this letter, I request you to give urgent consideration to regulating and moderating tourism in Kodagu, rather than promoting and encouraging investment in the tourism industry in the District

Apparanda Chitra (40), of Kakkabe Yavakapadi in Kodagu, and her husband Jayaram Kotian (42) of Mangalore, and their four-year-old son Rahul, were killed in the air crash at Mangalore on Saturday in which 158 persons perished.

Jayaram who was working in an advertising agency at Dubai had recently changed his job and was visiting Mangalore in connection with work related to change of visa.

Chitra, a commerce graduate, was living with her family in Dubai for the last 10 years. Rahul was planning to join school this academic year.

Chitra’s mother Machamma has been inconsolable after she heard about the tragedy, according to Chitra’s brother Apparanda Venu.

Is the Kodava family hockey festival turning out to be another ‘IPL’ in the making? The just concluded Maneyapanda Twenty 10 Cup played at Ponnampet was a case of commercial interests taking over the game of hockey. This may spell disaster for the game in India’s hockey nursery.

Though the Maneyapanda family put up a grand show, the over-commercialisation of the event, led to a situation where the crowds expressed their disappointment by booing when the chief guest Maneyapanda A. Ganapathy, IPS, was addressing the gathering.

In a way, Mr Ganapathy, IG of Police, Uttarakhand, should partly take the blame for coming over 20 minutes late for the function. The packed crowds numbering around 25,000, sitting in the sultry afternoon sun, were growing restive for the match to start.

There were too many ‘commercial breaks’ in between the speeches. The whispers in the galleries was that the Maneyapanda show was hijacked by an industrialist, who is also a member of the Maneyapanda clan. The dais was packed with the ‘friends’ of the industrialist, which included a Kannada actor.

Though the real credit for the mega show should have gone to the core committee, including members like Brig. Viju and Maj. Bopanna, the impression was given that the show was the sole effort of the Bangalore-based industrialist belonging to the clan.

Those compeering the programme spent more time in praising the ‘achievements’ of the ‘friends of the industrialist’. The person compeering the programme in Kodava Tak, did not bring glory to his mother-tongue!

There were repeated announcements of how one of the chief guests had offered to build an indoor stadium for the Ashwini Sports Academy. Though Ashwini needs all the support in her sports ventures, this was not the occasion to make such announcements by the master of ceremonies. Any such announcement of donation could have been made by the chief guest himself.

Without doubt, the chief guest, Maneypanda Ganapathy, IPS, made the best speech. Being a local lad from Ponnampet, the hosts had made a good gesture by making him the chief guest. The IPS officer had turned up in a simple attire, as is common in Ponnampet, and spoke from his heart about his childhood days in Ponnampet. However, the spectators were not prepared to listen to the speeches and wanted the game to start.

Though the game needs sponsors, one has to be careful in selecting the sponsors. One of the major sponsors of the Maneyapanda Cup was a notorious land shark from Bangalore. If red-carpet is extended to such elements, they would use the opportunity to start their land-grabbing operations in Kodagu.

The finals of the Maneyapanda Cup was won by the Palanganda clan (in picture above) who beat Mukkatira (Bonda) by 4-2 goals. Though it was a thrilling match (some said the Mukkatiras’ played a better game), Amar Aiyamma’s hat-trick helped the Palangandas’ to clinch the trophy. The umpiring was shoddy at times.

EDITOR’S VIEW: The Kodava Hockey Academy should take corrective actions to ensure that the Kodava family hockey does not become totally a commercial proposition.

In the event of the function not starting on time due to the non-arrival of the chief guest, the Pattedara of the tournament hosting family, should be authorised to start the function without waiting for the chief guest.

There is need for ensuring that those compeering the programme in Kodava Tak should be well-versed in the language.

The family hockey tournaments should showcase the Kodava culture and not turn the event into some tamasha.

Novelist Puttichanda Sarita Mandanna’s recently released novel ‘Tiger Hills’, set in Kodagu (Coorg), has started making waves. Sarita is scheduled to speak on her book this week in London.

New York-based Sarita was in the news last year following reports that she had received the largest advance Penguin India had ever paid for a debut novel (Tiger Hills).

Sarita, daughter of Col. Kambeyanda Ben Mandanna and Dr Charimanda Rani Mandanna, is married to Puttichanda Siddarth Apaya, son of Puttichanda Indra (who served in the merchant navy) and Avani Poovaiah.

Tiger Hills is a sweeping popular narrative which also has elements of romance in it. The plot of the novel is interesting.

The year is 1878. As the first girl to be born to the Nachimandas in
over sixty years, beautiful, spirited Devi is adored by her entire
family. She befriends Devanna, a gifted young boy whose mother has
died in tragic circumstances. The two quickly become inseparable,
'like two eggs in a nest', as they grow up amidst the luscious
jungles, rolling hills, and rich coffee plantations of Coorg in
Southern India; cocooned by an extended family whose roots have been
sunk in the land for hundreds of years. Their futures seem inevitably
linked, but everything changes when, one night, they attend a 'tiger
wedding'. It is there that Devi gets her first glimpse of Machu, the
celebrated tiger killer and a hunter of great repute. Although she is
still a child and Machu is a man, Devi vows that one day she will
marry him. It is this love that will gradually drive a wedge between
Devi and Devanna, sowing the seeds of a heartbreaking tragedy that
will have consequences for the generations to come".

According to sources, Tiger Hills is likely to be released in India sometime in July this year.

Sarita is an investment banker. She did her MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a post-graduate degree in management from the Indian Institute of Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the Shriram College at Delhi.

The 14th edition of the Kodava family hockey festival was inaugurated on April 18 by Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill at Ponnampet in Kodagu district.

The tournament known as Maneyapanda Twenty 10, being hosted by the Maneyapanda family, has participation from 214 Kodava families.

After releasing balloons in the air to mark the occasion, Mr Gill said: “Kodava family hockey festival is unique in the history of Indian hockey. About 800 families come together without seeking any financial aid from Centre and State governments to organise the hockey tournaments, which is highly commendable.”

Lieutenant General Ballachanda K Chengappa, GOC, Southern Command, and the founder of the Kodava hockey festival Pandanda Kuttappa, were present on the occasion.

At an exhibition match, the Kodagu team led by Olympian C S Poonacha defeated Indian Olympian Star team led by Dhanraj Pillai by 3-2 goals.

The finals of the Maneyapanda Cup will be held on May 9. The winners will take home Rs 1 lakh, runners-up Rs 75,000 and the third-placed team Rs 50,000.

The Karnataka government has once again triggered a controversy over the Jamma tenure in Kodagu by claiming that Jamma Bane lands belong to the government.
A circular issued by Revenue Department on February 11, 2010, has stated that all “Bane” lands belong to the Government and landholders do not have rights over such land in Kodagu.
According to the circular, the Bane lands came under the purview of the Forest Department and could not be granted without the permission of the Government of India.
The issue of the Bane lands went before the Karnataka High Court and a full bench of the Court held in its judgement delivered in October, 1993, that Bane landholders had limited privileges for grazing, supply of firewood and timber for the domestic and agriculture purposes, but had no right to exploit the trees for commercial purposes, unless the holder had paid full timber value to the government. The Court also held that the land-owner had no right in the sub-soil.
Way back in October, 2006, the Revenue Department had issued a circular which stated that holders' rights over “Bane” lands were limited and no conversion of these lands would be allowed. Applications for conversion which had been granted should be annulled.
A clarification was issued in January, 2007, stating that such restrictions would not apply to “redeemed Bane” land in the district, for which the owner would have paid the value of land and trees to the Government.
There was an agitation in Kodagu last year which was spearheaded by the Bane Hakku Rakshana Samiti and Kodagu Asthitva Horata Samiti. The Jamma-holders protested against the circulars and demanded their revocation.
The time has come to review the Jamma tenure and strengthen the institution. In the past, Karnataka politicians have threatened to scrap the Jamma tenure on the contention that the land belonged to the government. Such ignorant announcements would only encourage forces that are fighting for a separate Kodagu state.
Instead of issuing frequent circulars, the government should enact a legislation to deal with the Jamma tenure to the satisfaction of the Kodagu people.

Several Kodagu organizations, including the Kodava Samaja at Balele town in Virajpet taluk, have called a ‘Balele bandh’ on March 29 to protest against the alleged derogatory references to the Kodava community (Coorgs) in a book authored by a lecturer of the Vijayalakshmi Junior College at Balele.

According to the President of the Balele Kodava Samaja, Malchira Bose, the lecturer, Dr J. Somanna, in his book ‘Dalita Lokada Novu-Nalivu’ had made unwanted references to the style in which sari was worn by the Kodava women and also had allegedly made blasphemous remarks against Goddess Cauvery, the presiding deity of the Kodavas.

The President of the Samaja has demanded that Dr Somanna must apologise to the Kodava people and withdraw his book. He clarified that the bandh would not disturb the ongoing examinations.

Bose pointed out that Macchamada family and Podamada family were responsible for the starting of the Vijayalakshmi PU College and hundreds of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe students were pursuing their education in the college. Dr Somanna had been serving the college since 1990.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Dr somanna had apologized for the unfortunate developments. He was quoted as saying: “The statement by leaders that my book has hurt the sentiments of Kodavas has hurt me. If my book has hurt the sentiments of the people, then I tender my apology.”

He clarified: “I have documented local people’s views. The book is being published with the assistance of Kannada and Culture Department. All the remarks are not my personal views. I have great respect for Kodava culture and tradition. I never intended to hurt their sentiments. I do not have any association with the Naxal movement. Let the police clarify whether I have any connection with Naxals.”

EDITOR’S VIEW: Since the author of the book has reportedly tendered an apology, the agitators should call off their plans for the bandh.

In a democratic system, a writer has every right to express his views and espouse the cause of the downtrodden sections of the society. The people of Kodagu are known for their peace-loving nature and should desist from disturbing the peace, especially when students are taking their examinations.

If any writer tries deliberately to create rifts among people, such things should not be tolerated. There are legal remedies to tackle such issues.

The occasion calls for an introspection on the plight of the local tribals like Yaravas and Kurubas and efforts should be made to improve their living conditions.

Col C.P. Muthanna, Principal Advisor, Coorg Wildlife Society (in picture above), has strongly opposed the proposed survey of the Mysore-Madikeri-Mangalore railway line through Kushalanagar. Col Muthanna’s article has been reproduced below:

In many respects, the proposed railway line through Madikeri could be like the final nail in the coffin for the people of Kodagu. It is with a sense of dismay and disbelief that one sees politicians and others rejoicing over Union railway minister Mamata Banerjees’ approval for a survey of the railway line through Kodagu.

It is more than obvious that there is excellent connectivity to Kodagu with the existing bus services. It only needs to be ensured that the roads are maintained in good condition. Without going into any kind of detailed analysis of the issue, let use take a commonsense approach to see how the railway line will cause serious damage to the land, forests and the people of Kodagu:

The railway line will pass through forests of the Somwarpet sub-division. This area already has one of the most severe levels of Human Elephant conflict in the entire country. The Harangi and Chiklihole dams together with other pressures has isolated a population of about fifty elephants that are literally trapped North of Cauvery River. The Railway line will only add to the woes of both people and elephants. Calf elephants will not be able to clamber up the steep rail embankments. This will further restrict the movement of entire sub-herds that are struggling to cope with severely fragmented forests. Already there are calls to trans-locate the entire herd. It would be a tragic situation of removing the species rather than saving and improving the habitat. To the West, as the railway line exits through the Western Ghat forests of Kodagu, it will compound the degradation and destruction of our precious evergreen forests. Due to various disturbances in the Kadmakal and Pattighat Range, elephant intrusion into villages near the forests is very frequent. In villages like Hammiala, the situation is so bad that during the past decade, the bulk of the villagers have migrated outside the district to take up jobs as security guards etc. These are the very people who had lived proudly for centuries in the land of their birth. Owing to the remoteness of the area, media coverage is low and the plight of these villagers receives little attention.

Kodagu is already buckling under demographic pressures where the indigenous communities are being steadily marginalized by outsiders. A railway line will accentuate this problem; the deadly process of ‘Bloodless Ethnic Cleansing’ will speed up as the trains smash their way in. Does this sound familiar? Yes, very much like the railway line to Lhasa, touted as a ‘marvel’ of Chinese engineering. The real intention is to flood the Tibetan plateau with Han Chinese, reduce the Tibetans to a helpless minority in their own home land and kill their spirit for ever. It may seem far-fetched to compare Tibet with Kodagu; but there are similarities that cannot be wished away.

We are told that among various benefits of the railway line, the tourism industry in Kodagu would receive a tremendous boost. While tourism has its benefits to some extent, we have already reached a point where the pressure of tourists has exceeded the carrying capacity of Kodagu. Many people are fed up with the tourist influx. During weekends, when thousands of tourists descend on Madikeri, the local citizens feel like strangers. If Madikeri reels under water shortage every summer, one of the main reasons is the extra burden of supplying water for resorts and meeting the needs of tourists. While tourism has resulted in our sacred places and pristine areas being converted to garbage dumps, hundreds of acres of land are being sold to outsiders for construction of resorts and hotels. There is definitely no need to ‘promote’ tourism in Kodagu. What we require is for tourism to be ‘regulated’ to the extent possible.

Lastly, the railway line will not be constructed in thin air. It will pass through private properties: hundreds of acres of coffee and large tracts of wetlands will be destroyed. The rail line will go like a rocket, taking the shortest possible alignment. It would pass through estate infrastructure such as drying yards, pulp houses, godowns, labour lines etc. If required, the line may even require the demolition of several houses that come in the way. Along the entire Somwarpet-Madikeri axis and further to the West, the landscape would witness a devastating transformation.

In Dec 2006, the Minister of State for Railways, Mr R. Velu had stated that surveys had been conducted during 1998-1999 for the Channarayapatna–Kushalnagar line and during 2003-2004 for the Mysore-Mangalore line via Madikeri. The cost estimates as of those dates had been Rs 107.54 crores and Rs 1138.38 crores respectively. The Minster had also mentioned that the project had been shelved as it had been assessed as being financially unviable and also due to lack of resources. By the time the fresh surveys are completed and the actual work commences, the costs could exceed Rs 2000 crores. Such a huge quantum of money could well be invested for setting up projects in Kodagu that are in consonance with coffee and other agro-based or horticulture products of Kodagu. One excellent example is the unit of the Coorg Orange Growers Cooperative Society established in Gonikoppal several years ago by the late Dr K.M. Aiyappa. Such industries would ensure that processing and packaging of Kodagu produce is carried out within the District. This would create employment for the people of Kodagu and improve our economy. But NO! There is no such depth of vision. Instead, more than Rs 2000-crore would be pumped in to put an arrow through the heart of Kodagu! The people of Kodagu must stand united to oppose the project.

It is encouraging to note that the civic infrastructure in Madikeri town has shown marked improvement in the last few months with the authorities, especially the City Municipal Council (CMC), taking a number of steps to improve and beautify the town.
Concreting of several arterial roads had been completed. Asphalting of main and cross roads was on.
In a significant development, the BJP government in Karnataka has finally managed to find a solution to the shifting of the private bus-stand at Madikeri.
The proposal had been hanging fire for many years. At a meeting called by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, it was decided to hand over three acres of land belonging to the University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS) at Madikeri to the CMC for relocating the crowded private bus-stand.
The UAS has already handed over the land to the CMC, in exchange for eight acres of land next to the Agriculture Research Station in Ponnampet to be given to the UAS.
The main problem facing Madikeri town is the shortage of drinking water. Both the government and civic agencies should take up the matter on a priority basis.
It is gladdening to note that the CMC had embarked on a drive to ban use of plastics in Madikeri town.

Kalengada Muthanna Cariappa of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has been conferred the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service by the President of India on the occasion of this year’s Republic Day celebrations.
Cariappa (in picture above) is an Assistant Director and has the rare distinction of receiving the award for his work in Public Relations and Perception Management. He is a civilian Officer in the SSB, which is a Border Guarding Force mandated to guard the Indo Nepal and Indo Bhutan Borders. In the last two decades, he has been instrumental in driving the Comprehensive Border Management works of the Force and thus enabling the Force to nurture an endearing relationship with the people of the border for the benefit of the nation. He facilitates and oversees perception management works across the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
He completed his M.A., M. Phil in Parliament and National Security Policy of India from Bangalore University. After completing his Public Relations from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, and a three year stint with the Times of India in Bangalore, he joined the Special Services Bureau under the Cabinet Secretariat in New Delhi, in 1989. Here he picked up the nuances of perception management of people on the International borders and gravitated it to the optimum benefit of the organization. He broke new grounds to change the contours of the achievements in public relations and publicity of the organization.
He is a practitioner of phrenology. He has divined the craniums of over 30,000 people through phrenology and has analyzed people from all walks of life. He entered the Limca Book of Records in 1993 in the human endeavors section with a single piece 3mm elephant carved out on chalk. He has over 100 pieces carved depicting various spheres of life.
Puttichanda Vinod Thimaya and Vivek Madappa, twins, have won the Emerging India Award-2009 for Travel and Tourism for their innovative hospitality business chain Humming Bird Suites Pvt. Ltd., that offers corporate executives a roomier alternative to the expensive star hotels in five cities in India.
The Award, instituted by CNBC TV 18 and powered by CRISIL, is given to small and medium scale entrepreneurs having the potential to grow in major industries in the future. Home Minister P. Chidambaram presented the award in New Delhi recently.
Humming Bird is one among the seven winners out of the three lakh applications received by the CNBC under seven business categories.
The Bangalore-based twin brothers have done their MBAs from Mumbai's Bajaj Institute (JBIMS).

The romances of a Coorg Princess, the amazing affection bestowed on the young Princess by Queen Victoria, the Empress of India, and the disappearance of the Coorg Crown jewellery are the stuff of the latest book by well-known writer C.P. Belliappa.

The book - Victoria Gowramma, the Lost Princess of Coorg - focuses on Chikka Veerarajednra, the exiled Raja of Coorg, and his 11-year-old daughter Gowramma, who were the first Indian royals to land in Britain in the summer of 1852.

Chikka Veerarajendra, the last King of Kodagu, who was banished from his land by the British in 1834, used the pretext of his daughter embracing Christianity and acquiring a Western education as a ruse to secure permission to visit England.

Author Belliappa has proved his talent as a storyteller to spin out yet another interesting book on Coorg (Kodagu). His other books are Tale of a Tiger’s Tail and other Yarns from Coorg, and Nuggets from Coorg History.

In the process, Belliappa has unearthed hitherto unpublished material that throws light on Veerarajendra’s and Princess Victoria Gowramma’s life in England.

Though the story of the last Raja of Coorg occurred more than 150 years ago, Belliappa has managed to keep the flow of the story, by deploying certain amount of dramatizing, at the same time keeping intact the historical facts and occurrences.

What is extraordinary is the fact that Belliappa managed to gather so much information by sitting in his room located at Home Estate, his house near Gonikoppal in Kodagu, by getting a lot of information from the search engine Google and surfing the archives of The Times, London.

In the book, Chikka Veerarajendra, emerges as a tragic figure, who lost his kingdom because of his lack of tact in dealing with the British and his atrocities against the Kodavas who were alienated to the point of supporting the British in taking over the administration of the kingdom. The last Raja was initially taken to Vellore in Tamil Nadu and subsequently banished to Benares in 1836. The book deals with the Kodagu royal family’s life in Benares and his remarkable journey to England in 1852 along with his 11-year-old daughter Gowramma.

Chikka Veerarajendra was the first deposed Indian ruler granted permission to sail to Britain on the ground that he wanted his daughter to be raised as a Christian and given a Western education. But the real reason for the Raja to visit England was to fight a legal battle against the British East India Company to claim interest on the deposits with the Company made by his uncle Dodda Veerarajendra. The British refused to pay him the interest on the ground that ‘What is in the treasury belongs to the people of Kodagu, and will be used for their benefit.’

The British saw the visit of the Raja of Kodagu to England as an opportunity to convert a member of an Indian royal family to Christianity. Not only that. The clever British imperialists saw an opportunity to form a matrimonial alliance between the Princess of Coorg Gowramma and Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab who too had sailed to England.

The British hoped that a union between Maharaja Duleep Singh and Princess Gowramma would act as a catalyst in encouraging voluntary conversion to Christianity amongst the upper castes in India, especially the Hindu rulers. Belliappa says: “For the evangelists, there was the delightful possibility of eventually a predominant Christian India emerging, which would owe allegiance to the Church of England.”

Queen Victoria took a personal liking for Princess Gowramma and was personally present for her baptism ritual performed by none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury. Her Majesty amazed everyone by announcing herself as the godmother of Princess Gowramma. The Queen presented Gowramma a leather-bound autographed copy of the Holy Bible, embellished with gold-plated trimmings.

Much to the disappointment of the British, Maharaja Duleep Singh was not keen to enter into matrimony with Gowramma. He was put off by the coquettish behaviour of the Coorg Princess who was quite a flirt, making eyes at all the young men, including the then Prince of Wales. Though Duleep Singh was fond of the Princess, he was not keen on taking her as a life partner. Gowramma’s affair with a stable boy led to a major scandal in the British high society which disappointed the Queen.

Maharaja Duleep Singh played matchmaker and helped in forming an alliance between the 19-year-old Gowramma and 50-year-old Col John Campbell, who had served in the Army in India. Campbell, the blue-eyed, handsome and dashing equestrian was mainly interested in the wealth of the Coorg Princess.

After Chikka Veerarajendra lost his legal battle to claim interest for his deposits from the East India Company, Campbell began neglecting Gowramma whom he had married. The couple had a child named Edith Victoria Gowramma.

Campbell, who was into gambling, began eyeing the Coorg Crown jewellery which had been handed over to her by Veerarajendra prior to his death.

The developments devastated Gowramma who succumbed to tuberculosis when she was 23 years old. Soon after Campbell vanished with the black bag containing the jewellery and was not seen after that. The disappearance of the Coorg Crown jewellery still continues to remain a mystery.

Victoria Gowramma, published by Rupa & Co is priced at Rs 295.

Air Marshall K.C. Cariappa (retd) who was recently nominated as ‘Coorg Person of the Year’, has given credit to his fellow environmentalists in Kodagu in Karnataka for ably supporting him in his fight to prevent the formation of a road across the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Reacting to the news on his nomination as ‘Coorg Person of the Year’ by the members of www.coorgtourisminfo.com, the first news portal of Kodagu, the Air Marshal said in a letter: “I confess to being surprised and indeed honoured that my fellow Kodavas/Kodagina should have approved of me. It is important to put into perspective that the moving force behind the public interest litigation (filed before the Supreme Court) was Wildlife First and its many dedicated personnel.

“Here in Kodagu, we have KM Chinappa and Thammoo Poovaiah to name just two stalwarts, and in Bangalore there is Pravin Bhargava who is quite indefatigable in his quest for an environment-friendly population. That stated, Colonel CP Muthanna (President of the Coorg Wildlife Society) has, I think been singularly responisble for the Coorg Wildlife Society getting due recognition for its conservation efforts.”

In a blatant violation of the law, the Kodagu district administration, backed by the two Kodagu MLAs, and supported by local villagers attempted to lay a road through the Pushpagiri reserve forest, amid opposition from Karnataka forest officials. This was opposed by the Air Marshal and his fellow environmentalists.

The controversial road is a seven km stretch between Madikeri and Subramanya near Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada district. Over 400 villagers from Galibeedu near Madikeri, deployed earthmovers to make the road. Their contention was that the road would shorten the distance between Kodagu and Subramanya.

Air Marshal Cariappa is the son of the late Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

Air Marshal K.C. Cariappa (retd), an environmentalist who took on the powerful timber lobby in Kodagu district of Karnataka is the ‘Coorg Person of the Year, 2009’.

Air Marshal Cariappa, son of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, topped a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, the first news portal of Kodagu, to select the Coorg Person of the Year.

The others who were in the reckoning for the title, include another hardcore environmentalist and President of the Coorg Wildlife Society, Col C.P. Muthanna (retd) and New York-based novelist Sarita Mandanna, who has been given the largest advance by Penguin India ever paid to a debut novelist for her novel ‘Tiger Hills’, set in Kodagu.

Taking a pro-active role, Air Marshal Cariappa went beyond the ‘call of duty’ and approached the Supreme Court of India to restrain the timber mafia, backed by the Kodagu district administration and sundry politicians to prevent the formation of a road across the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodagu in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Following a public interest litigation filed by Air Marshal Cariappa, the Apex Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to make an on the spot study of the situation and file a report.

In a blatant violation of the law, the Kodagu district administration, backed by the two Kodagu MLAs, and supported by local villagers attempted to lay a road through the Pushpagiri reserve forest, amid opposition from Karnataka forest officials.

The controversial road is a seven km stretch between Madikeri and Subramanya near Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada district. Over 400 villagers from Galibeedu near Madikeri, deployed earthmovers to make the road. Their contention was that the road would shorten the distance between Kodagu and Subramanya.

In a mockery of justice, the villagers were provided ‘police protection’ to form the road by the district administration, headed by the then Deputy Commissioner Baldev Krishna.

The top district officials, including the Superintendent of Police, went to the extent of publicly humiliating forest official Anil Rathan who protested against the road being formed through the reserve forest.

Air Marshal Cariappa was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1957 and he was shot down in the 1965 India-Pakistan war while carrying out attacks on enemy positions and taken Prisoner of War (POW). When President Ayub Khan of Pakistan, an old buddy of Field Marshal Cariappa, offered to release his son forthwith, the later famous said: “They (other POWs) are all my sons, look after all of them.”

After retirement from the Air Force in 1996, Air Marshal Cariappa has been living at Madikeri in Kodagu. He has been taking a keen interest in environment and was the President of the Coorg Wildlife Society for four years. Two years ago, Air Marshal Cariappa wrote the biography of his father, which brought out his literary talent as a writer. He is a keen student of international and military affairs.

Dr Jagadeesh Subbaiah Moodera, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and winner of Oliver E. Buckley Prize, was the Coorg Person of the Year, 2008.

The past winners of Coorg Person of the Year include cricketer Robin Uthappa, researcher Dr Boverianda Nanjamma Chinnappa, and novelist Kaveri Poonacha Nambisan.

The newly released book on Coorg – Rise and Fall of the Coorg State – tries to throw more light on the circumstances leading to the unpopular merger of the erstwhile Coorg State (now officially known as Kodagu District) with Karnataka in 1956. The book also deals with the neglect ever since of the scenic Kodagu district by successive governments in Karnataka.
Authored by journalist P.T. Bopanna, the book finds answers to some of the questions like why the key players, including the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, took such a short-sighted decision resulting in the snuffing out of the prosperous Coorg State forever from the Indian map.
The book discusses the growing demand for separate statehood for Kodagu and suggests the political road map for the future of the district.
The author argues that the time is not ripe for an independent statehood, but favours the setting up of an autonomous council on the lines of the Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council in West Bengal to look after the developmental needs of the neglected region.
In view of the general belief among the locals in Kodagu that the then Chief Minister of the Coorg State, C.M. Poonacha, was mainly responsible for the merger of Kodagu with Karnataka, Mr Poonacha’s son and noted writer C.P. Belliappa has written a chapter in the book, explaining the circumstances in which his father had to agree for the merger of Coorg with Karnataka.
Well-known political scientist Dr Sandeep Shastri has given an ‘outsider’s’ perspective by writing a chapter on the feasibility of seeking separate statehood for Kodagu. He has also prescribed the ideal road map for political action by those demanding separate statehood.
Mr C.M. Ramachandra, former Editorial Advisor of The Hindu, Bangalore, who was the Coorg Correspondent of the Hindu newspaper in the 1950s when the crucial decision was taken to merge Kodagu with Karnataka, has written the foreword for the book.
The well-researched book with tables and other illustrations, has a chapter on how politicians in Karnataka have deprived Kodagu of its rightful share in Cauvery River water by diverting the water to irrigate the farm lands in their assembly constituencies.
There is an exclusive chapter on the Freedom Movement in Kodagu. The book also analyses the reasons for the shrinking population of the local Kodavas, and the exponential growth of the migrant population leading to an Assam-like situation.
Author Bopanna has nearly three decades of experience in journalism working for various national dailies in Bangalore. He is the author of ‘Discover Coorg’, the bestselling handbook on Kodagu which was recently translated into Kannada. Bopanna also runs the popular Kodagu websites www.coorgtourisminfo.com and www.coorgrecipes.com.
Published by Rolling Stone Publications, Bangalore, the book is priced at Rs 100. The book is available at all the leading book shops in Bangalore, including the Gangarams on M.G. Road. The book is available at Sapna Book House in Mysore, located next to Gayathri Bhavan on Narayan Shastry Road. The book is available at select shops in Kodagu, including Daily Needs, Gonikoppal, Komal's, Madikeri, and MSR Mart, Virajpet. You can also shop online at www.sapnaonline.com

In a shocking development, police investigation has revealed that Nazir alias Ummer Haji, the Indian Mujahideen operative, of Kerala origin, arrested recently in Bangladesh for masterminding the Bangalore serial blasts last year, had been running a terror training camp in Kodagu.

According to police investigation, Nazir Tarian Dabede (25) had taken five acres of land on lease at a village near Madapura in Somwarpet taluk in 2007, for ginger cultivation, and had set up a training camp for jihadis. He had put up a temporary shed on the land. The land belonged to Ajeej, a former taluk panchayat member.

After the local residents grew suspicious of the ginger farmer receiving strange visitors, Nazir moved out of Kodagu along with his accomplices. He was allegedly involved in imparting training to the youth belonging to a minority community in terror tactics. In fact, Nazir had taken shelter in Kodagu as he was wanted by the Kerala police in a murder case involving a RSS activist.

Nazir escaped to Bangladesh after masterminding the Bangalore serial blasts in 2008.

The ongoing investigation has revealed that Nazir was associated with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and was mandated to carry out terror strikes in south India.

Nazir and his accomplice who were handed over to India by Bangladesh Rifles near the border in Meghalaya are currently being interrogated by a special team of Karnataka police.

The Kodagu police too have swung into action and questioned several people involved in helping Nazir to take land on lease for ginger cultivation.

In the recent years, local people of Kodagu have been recklessly leasing out lands to people of Kerala origin for the cultivation of ginger. As it has come to notice that several of these ginger cultivators are also involved in nefarious deals, the people of Kodagu should check the antecedents of the persons before leasing out land to dubious characters.

Fed up with the condition of the roads in Kodagu, the villagers of Kanive near Kushalnagar have come up with a novel idea to draw the attention of the rulers in Bangalore to the worsening condition of the roads.

The villagers have sought the ‘permission’ of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to name the potholes on the roads after the ministers in the Cabinet. They have hinted that the biggest pothole could even be named after the Chief Minister himself.

This shows the desperation of the people of Kodagu to their neglect by the rulers of Karnataka. The villagers are horrified by the condition of the road linking Kushalnagar to Hassan. The authorities have not responded to the appeal of the villagers to attend to their woes.

The ‘pothole contest’ comes close on the heels of a road blockade held by the people of south Kodagu. Last Wednesday, the villagers of Kanoor, Kutta, Shrimangala, Hudikeri, Nalkeri, Birunani and Ponnampet observed a successful and peaceful bandh against the condition of the roads.

The Deputy Commissioner Ashwath Narayana Gowda visited the affected areas and assured the villagers that the administration would try to improve the condition of the roads. In the past, such assurances have not been kept up by the district administration.

Renowned researcher and herpetologist, Gowrishankar, of the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in Shimoga district has said that research work would be taken up on the cobras in Kodagu.

Gowrishankar who was recently at Gonikoppal, said Kodagu district in Karnataka which comes under the Western Ghat region, has favourable climatic condition for cobras as the region receives between 3,500 and 4,000 mm rainfall.

He said: “Our aim is not only to conduct research on cobras, but also to protect them from being killed. Efforts will be made to spread awareness.”

Mr Gowrishankar noted that a survey would be taken up to identify the habitats of cobras in the district. In the second phase, he added awareness will be created through slide shows, seminars and demonstrations.
The King Cobra is probably the longest venomous snake in the world. It is also the only snake that builds a nest to lay eggs.
A book on snakes in Kodagu, authored by herpetologist Satish, has been published by the Coorg Wildlife Society.
The book gives insight into snakes and their habitat. Besides, the book provides scientific information on various types of snakes in Kodagu.
Satish, who is known as ‘snake’ Satish, has made attempts to dispel myth about snakes and the fear that exist among the people about snakes in his book.

Kodagu has lost one of its great daughters in the passing away of Chonira B. Muthamma, the first woman Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer in the country.

Muthamma died in Bangalore on Wednesday at the age of 85.
Born in Kodagu in 1924, she completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Girl School in Madikeri, and graduated with distinction from the Women’s Christian College in Chennai. She did her post-graduation in English Literature from Presidency College, Chennai. She retired from the IFS in 1982 after 32 years of service.
Muthamma passed the all-India civil services examinations in 1949 and served in her diplomatic career in many capacities in Europe, Asia and Africa. In 1970, she was posted as India’s Ambassador to Hungary, the first career woman from within the service to be appointed Ambassador. Her last posting was as Indian Ambassador to The Hague.
She will be most remembered for her successful fight for equality for women in the male-dominated Indian civil services of her time. She moved a petition in the Supreme Court against the government of India on the ground that she had been overlooked for promotion, arguing that the rules governing the employment of women in the service were discriminatory. Her case was upheld in 1979 in a landmark judgment by a three-member Bench headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer.
After her retirement, she was nominated as the Indian member of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues set up by the then Swedish Prime Minister, Olaf Palme. She continued to write prolifically and on a range of interests during her retirement, from a collection of scholarly articles titled “Slain by the System: India’s Real Crisis” (2003) to a cookbook on Kodava cuisine.
Muthamma was a spinster and donated lakhs of rupees to educational institutions in Kodagu without much publicity.
She had all the traits of a true Kodavathi. Kodava women should emulate the example set by her.

Kodagu district is all geared up for the ‘Thirthodbava’ at Talacauvery at 4.35 p.m. on October 17.
On the Tula Sankramana day, water gushes out from a pond at an auspicious moment at Talacauvery, the birthplace of river Cauvery, 44 km from Madikeri.
The Kodagu district administration officials headed by the Deputy Commissioner K.H. Ashwatha Narayana Gowda, reviewed the preparations for providing the facilities for the pilgrims.
Over 700 police personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth flow of vehicular traffic and regulate the crowds at Bhagamandala and Talacauvery temples. Arrangements will be made for providing food and clean drinking water.
Meanwhile, the Bangalore Kodava Samaja located at Vasanthnagar, has made arrangements for celebrating the Cauvery pooja and distribute Cauvery ‘thirtha’ on October 18.

It was home-coming for the descendants of the last ruler of Kodagu, Chikka Veera Rajendra, of the Haleri dynasty, who ruled Kodagu for more than 200 years.
Lakshmi Devi, the great granddaughter of the last ruler of Kodagu, and her sons, Dr Sardesai, an ENT specialist serving in Hyderabad and his brother Praveen, a businessman, and their family members were accorded a reception by the Kodagu unit of the Akhila Bharata Veerashiava Mahasabha.
The British who had wrested power from Chikka Veera Rajendra in 1834, had banished him and his family from Kodagu and prohibited them from entering Kodagu.
However, after the Independence, the family members had visited Kodagu on a couple of occasions on private visits.
A spokesman for the Mahasabha has clarified that the visit of the descendents has nothing to do with laying claim to any property in the district.
The clarification comes in the wake of the claim laid by one of the descendants that Madikeri Fort and other properties should be handed over to him as they were taken over by the British from the family illegally.
The members of the visiting descendants are staying at a private resort in Kakkabe, near Napoklu.
The family members were felicitated by Shantamallikarjuna Swamy of Arameri Kalancheri Math near Virajpet on Monday.
Lakshmi Devi is the great granddaughter of Chikka Veera Rajendra and granddaughter of Gangamma, one of the three daughters of Chikka Veera Rajendra. Gangamma was married to a zamindar in Hyderabad.

The Kannada version of journalist P.T. Bopanna’s ‘Discover Coorg’, the bestselling handbook on Kodagu, has been launched.

The book titled ‘KODAGU: MUNGARU MALEYA VISMAYADA NADU’, has been translated into Kannada by Mr T.S. Gopal, Principal of Srimangala Junior College in Kodagu district.

On the new book, the author, Bopanna, who is also the editor of the portal, www.coorgtourisminfo.com, said: “In view of the phenomenal success of the English version of my book ‘Discover Coorg’, I decided to bring out the Kannada version. The decision to bring out the Kannda edition was reinforced by the fact that hardly any book on Kodagu in Kannda was available in the book shops. While the English version was basically aimed at the tourists from outside the state, the Kannda edition is meant to open a window to Kodagu for the rest of Karnataka. I hope I will succeed in my mission.”

Mr Gopal who has translated the book into Kannada, had earlier undertaken the work of bringing out a Kodava-Kannada dictionary.

The foreword for the book has been written by Mr C.M. Ramachandra, former editorial representative of The Hindu, at Bangalore. Mr Ramachandra was the Kodagu correspondent of The Hindu for several years in the early 1950s.

Most of the articles in the third English edition of ‘Discover Coorg’ have been incorporated in the Kannada edition. These include the articles of Mrs. Bollera Jajie Mandanna, well-known consumer activist and former president of the Bangalore Kodava Samaja, on Kodava wedding, Dr S.V. Narasimhan's article on birds of Kodagu, Dr Boverianda Nanjamma Chinnappa’s article on Kodava cuisine, Mrs. Chindamada Arati Monappa’s articles on Kodagu jewellery and on the Huthri harvest festival.

The book is priced at Rs 120. The book contains more than 40 colour photographs, including the photographs of the renovated Bhagamandala and Talacauvery temples. The cartoons of Ponnappa, and photographs from internationally renowned wildlife photographers – Krupakar-Senani, figure in the Kannada edition also.

The book has been published by Prism Books, Bangalore, who had published the English editions.

The book is available at all the major book shops in Bangalore and Mysore. The book will be made available shortly in Kodagu.

To honour a war hero from Kodagu, the Madikeri City Municipal Council has named the Madikeri private bus-stand circle as “Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devaiah Circle”.
Ajjamada Devaiah was awarded the Maha Vira Chakra posthumously for his heroism during the 1965 Indo-Pak war.
The late Devaiah’s wife Sundari (in picture above) and daughters were present at a function held at the Madikeri bus-stand on Monday which was attended by Air Marshal Rajkumar (Retd).
The Squadron Leader who was taken as missing in action, emerged as a war hero following the publication of the book “Battle For Pakistan” written by a British author.
In the book, the author had quoted an episode narrated by Flight Lieutenant Amjad Hussain of Pakistan Air Force on how an Indian Air Force pilot had fought valiantly even though his aircraft was almost damaged.
Devaiah was a member of a strike force assigned to attack the Sargodha airfield on September 7, 1965. However, Devaiah failed to return to the base after the raid on the airfield.
The Pakistani pilot had narrated in the book how he had intercepted the Dassault Mystere aircraft piloted by the Indian pilot (Devaiah) while he flew the supersonic F104 star fighter aircraft.

Going by the account of Flt. Lt. Amjad Hussain in the book, Devaiah was piloting a Dassault Mystere aircraft which was intercepted by his supersonic F104 star. In the dog-fight, Devaiah’s aircraft was badly damaged, but this did not stop him from going after the Pakistani aircraft which was shot down. The Pakistani pilot managed to eject and lived to tell the story.
Apparently, Devaiah was killed either while failing to maintain control of his aircraft, or while attempting low-level ejection.
Only after the book of the British author was published, the Indian nation came to know the bravery of the pilot from Kodagu who was conferred the Maha Vira Chakra posthumously during the Republic Day and the award was received from the President of India by Sundari Devaiah.
The Madikeri Municipal Council should be complimented for honouring the war hero from Kodagu who laid down his life fighting the enemy. The Pakistani pilot should also be given credit for bringing the episode in the open and giving credit to a member of the Indian Air Force.

Though work on laying the synthetic hockey turf at Madikeri was completed last year, the ground is yet to be thrown open for national and international competitions due to bureaucratic red-tape.
Kodagu, one of the nurseries of Indian hockey, now boasts of a Rs 3.5 crore synthetic turf facility imported from Australia.
The ground has not been used for competitive hockey due to the fact that it was not certified by a technical team from the International Hockey Federation (FIH). A team from Australia inspected the ground three months ago and certified it as “fit for play”.
According to reports, the new ground will be inaugurated in September following a decision taken at the monitoring committee meeting of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) recently at Madikeri.
Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill is likely to inaugurate the ground.
The land for the ground has been leased by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, to the Coorg Hockey Association (CHA), whereas the synthetic turf was laid by the SAI.
According to Prince Karumbaiah, Administrative Officer of the SAI, Madikeri, discussions at Wednesday’s meeting focused on the issue of sharing the ground facility by the SAI and the CHA.
The CHA proposes the construction of a Club House at one portion of the ground.
The preliminary work at the ground was done by the Central Public Works Department, which was entrusted with the job by the SAI, New Delhi, last year.
Once the ground is commissioned for competitive hockey, the youth of Kodagu could take full advantage of the facilities.

EDITOR’S VIEW: Though many people in Kodagu feel that the Kodava family hockey tournaments could be held at the new synthetic turf, this portal is of the view that the family tournaments should be held at playgrounds in small towns to improve the infrastructure.

For instance, the Kallichanda hockey tournament held at Ponnampet helped in improving the infrastructure at the local junior college.

Four members of the Kambayenda family committed suicide by jumping into a pond at Kunjila village near Napoklu over a property dispute allegedly involving the sisters of Nithya Bheemaiah (40).
Besides Bheemaiah, the victims have been identified as Vincy (36), wife of Bheemaiah, daughter Mridula (14), student of Francis Xavier School in Bangalore, and son Raj Devaiah (aged three).
The family had celebrated the birthday of Mridula on Sunday after which Nithya had reportedly hatched a suicide pact, unable to withstand the harassment meted out by his parents and sisters.
According to a report, in a letter handed over to his nephew, Bheemaiah had alleged that his sisters Shobha, Tara, father Subramani and mother Ponnamma had been performing black magic against them following a property dispute.
Bheemaiah was upset because he had borrowed huge loans to develop his 10-acre property for which his sisters had allegedly staked a claim.
The suicides came to light on Monday when an estate worker found the main door bolted from outside with a copy of the letter placed on it, indicating that their bodies could be found within the estate.
The worker came across the bodies inside the pond. He alerted the neighbours who summoned the police.
According to a report, all the four had consumed sleeping tablets before jumping into the well.
Bheemaiah had left behind the copies of the suicide notes for the police and the media. The police have registered a case of unnatural death.

The Kodagu we know will soon cease to exist, warns Col. C.P. Muthanna (picture above), Secretary of the Kodagu Model Forest Trust, in the following article:


For Kodagu and its people, a new threat looms large on the horizon. The danger is very real. It is a growing menace that must be tackled immediately; we just do not have the luxury of time. The threat is the rapid urbanization of Kodagu, cloaked under the cover of ‘development’. Most of our towns are steadily growing in every possible direction. Let us take the example of Gonikoppal. To the east, Gonikoppal has merged with Harishchandrapura and is fast extending to Seegethod. To the west, Gonikoppal and Kaikeri will soon become one. Kaikeri is already reaching out to Hathur and Hathur to Bittangala. In turn, Bittangala is growing into a small township and will head towards Virajpet, while Virajpet itself extends to the east towards Bittangala. To the north, Gonikoppal is steadily gaining ground towards Athur on two separate axes. Even within towns, ‘layouts’ and ‘extensions’ are springing up and expanding in areas that were once lush green slopes overlooking the town.

Conversion of land into sites is the new way to wealth in Kodagu. Lands that are on the road side are being viewed in terms of ‘cents’ and not acres. The value is especially high if the land is close to a major town such as Virajpet, Madikeri or Gonikoppal. It could be paddy fields, coffee plantations or uncultivated land. Soon, Kodagu will resemble Kerala. Buildings and houses will dominate the landscape all along the roads. It will not be possible to discern where one town ends and another begins. The bulk of these sites will be purchased by people who have migrated to Kodagu from outside the district. In view of the recession, an estimated seven lakh people from neighbouring Kerala have lost their jobs in the Gulf and have returned home. Kerala will find it difficult to absorb them and a large segment of these people will move into contiguous areas including Kodagu. Even if five percent of them move into Kodagu, it works out to a figure of thirty five thousand! The demand for sites for houses will therefore get a huge boost, and at the same time, the marginalization of the indigenous communities will get further accentuated. In a sense, the situation in Kodagu today is already worse than Assam.


Kodagu is the catchment area of River Cauvery that sustains millions of people across South India. Therefore, protection of the forested and rural landscape of Kodagu is in the national interest. Being a hilly region, the ecology of Kodagu is extremely fragile. Ecological degradation will soon result in water-stress. In the case of Madikeri City, the annual rainfall is ninety to hundred inches. Yet the city faces water shortage during summer. The recent months have seen the worst water shortages ever faced by Madikeri. Yet, the City Muncipal Council plans to expand the city municipality limits by an additional eight kilometers! Urbanization of Kodagu will result in more bore wells, and rapid depletion of the water table. This will lead to demand for additional piped water schemes from the rivers. Consequently, there will be a scarcity of water for irrigation of plantations and agricultural land. Coffee plantations and agriculture has been the mainstay of the Kodagu economy for several generations.

There is also a serious issue of waste management. The existing waste and sewage management systems of the towns are extremely inefficient as well as inadequate. Town municipalities and Gram Panchayats routinely dump their garbage in forest areas, sacred groves, river banks and on road sides. In the face of improper waste disposal, the threat of ground-water contamination in Kodagu is real, and ground-water contamination is extremely serious because it is permanent. Further urbanization will only compound this problem.

One of the issues related to urbanization is the huge mass of tourists that descend on Madikeri during week-ends and the holiday season. There is a need to regulate tourism not only in Madikeri but all over the district, so that it does not exceed the carrying capacity of Kodagu. Tourism may bring in some money to Kodagu- but at what cost? Uncontrolled tourism will see further demands on depleting water resources and further strain the waste management systems. At the same time, we will lose more of our precious land to resorts and hotels.

There are also other serious ramifications to urbanization in Kodagu. Urbanization will bring in its wake land sharks and mafia. Crime rates will soar and we will witness greater social and societal tensions.

Kodagu could rapidly slide into the ‘urbanization trap’. Certain urgent steps that need to be considered are:

A. Town delimitation and town planning

B. Restrictions on conversion of agricultural/ plantation land for commercial purposes or for sale as sites.

C. The Zilla Panchayat should impose a three-year cap on fresh licenses for new hotels and resorts, home stays, guest houses etc, and for expansion of existing ones. This will check further loss of agricultural and plantation lands .It will also ensure that the number of tourists does not exceed the carrying capacity of the fragile hill-ecology of Kodagu.

D. Any effort to check urbanization of Kodagu will meet with stiff resistance from vested interests. There is huge money involved in land conversion, no-objection certificates [NOCs], and sale of commercial lands. This money is channelized to various echelons. However, the urbanization issue must be tackled head-on to save Kodagu. In the ultimate analysis, Kodagu must remain a rural landscape that is dominated by forests, plantations and wet lands. Apart from the plantation sector, development and employment must be in the form of agro-forestry, fruit processing industries, organic fertiliser and pesticide production, bamboo-based industries, honey production, live-stock, herbal medicine and cosmetics, etc. These are industries that are in consonance with the landscape and which will protect the long-term interests of the indigenous communities of Kodagu.

E. If we do not succeed in halting the urbanization of Kodagu, all other struggles and efforts to protect this land will be in vain. Time and again I am reminded of these sad lines from an old song-‘‘Once there were green fields kissed by the Sun- Once there were valleys where rivers used to run.”

Monsoon tourism is a big draw in Kodagu, unlike in the past when tourists stayed away during the rainy season.
The major water falls across Kodagu and the increasing interest in water rafting, have contributed to the growing trend of monsoon tourism.
A leading Madikeri hotelier said there was no “off season” for his hotel as tourist flow has been steady in the last couple of years even during the monsoon.
Whitewater rafting has caught up in a big way at Kakkattu-Kith river near Srimangala with the Karnataka government ministers too showing interest in the sport.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar and the Minister for Youth Services and Sports Goolihatti D. Shekar, witnessed rafting recently near Srimangala.
Irpu Falls near Kutta, the less known Mallalli Falls in Somwarpet, the famous Abbi Falls near Madikeri, Medura Falls at Surlabbi, Geejaganda Falls near Garwale, Chelavara Falls near Cheyyandane, Devaragundi Falls at Mukkodlu and Mullanda Abbi near Mutlu are some of the water falls which provide wonderful spectacle to tourists visiting Kodagu during the monsoon.

Kodagu district has received more rainfall this year, though the monsoon was erratic.
Kodagu received 1,583.31 mm from January to July 17 this year against 940.42 mm during the corresponding period last year.
Major rivers, including the Cauvery, are in spate and have inundated vast areas of paddy fields. Several people were shifted to rehabilitation centres at Gonikoppal, Balamuri and Karadigodu areas as water entered their houses.
The Cauvery was overflowing at Bethri, cutting off road connectivity between Madikeri and Virajpet. Tandagundi bridge nearby has been submerged.
The overflowing Lakshmanateertha river has inundated paddy fields and severed the road link from Nittoor to Balele town.
The Keerehole near Gonikoppa overflowed and the water entered many houses along its banks. The Madikeri-Hakathur road stretch between Kaggodu and Hakathur was cut off for some time. The Cauvery water entered the Kottamudi road and blocked the Napoklu-Murnad road at Bolibane.
Rafts were deployed to shift the affected people at Balamuri. Situation remained grim at Bhagamandala and Aiyyangeri as the road links from Bhagamandala remained cut off for a few days. Work was in progress to clear debris on Madikeri-Chettalli road following a landslip on Wednesday.
Power supply was disrupted in most parts of the districts for days on end, including Madikeri town.
A mechanised boat was used to ferry people to and from Bhagamandala as roads to Madikeri and Aiyyangeri are under water. The old bathing ghat and the new changing rooms close to the Triveni Sangama have been submerged. Several trees have fallen all along the Bhagamandala-Madikeri route.
Deputy Commissioner Ashwatha Narayana Gowda and Assistant Commissioner Akram Pasha visited Bhagamandala to take stock of the situation.
A number of waterfalls along the Madikeri-Chettalli road and Bhagamandala-Karike road have come alive, due to the incessant rainfall. Almost all major waterfalls in the district such as Abbi Falls, Chelavara Falls in Cheyyandane, Medura Falls and Geejaganda Falls in Surlabbi, Devaragundi Falls near Mukkodlu are in full flow.

The monsoon has finally arrived in full force in Kodagu after playing hide-and-seek for the last couple of weeks, keeping the people on tenterhooks.
Bhagamandala area has been receiving heavy downpour in the past few days, leading to floods in the adjoining areas, affecting the movement of vehicular traffic.
The rainfall in Kodagu so far has been less compared to the same period last year.
The district received a rainfall of 552.74 mm from January to July 3 this year, compared to last year’s tally of 847.24 mm in the same period.
Farmers have begun agricultural operations like sowing across the district. However, this reporter who visited Kodagu recently found that most of the paddy fields have been left fallow, apparently because of serious shortage of labourers.
The district administration has set up a control room to keep track of the situation and take up relief measures.
Madikeri has been under a thick cloud of fog. Residents living in hilly areas have been apprehending land-slips in the town which killed four people a couple of years ago.

After holidaying for five days, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani left Kodagu in Karnataka on Sunday.
Mr Advani, accompanied by his family members was staying at the Orange County resort near Siddapur.
Though most of the time, the Advanis were confined to the resort due to security reasons, the BJP strongman turned a Kodava (Coorg) for a while by donning the colourful Kodava traditional dress. He was helped out in wearing the Kodava attire by an acquaintance who was with him in Bangalore Central Jail during the Emergency in 1975.
Ms. Kamala Advani, wife of Mr Advani, too wore her sari in Kodava style. Many who saw her photo splashed in newspapers, felt that those who helped her to wear the sari should have briefed her properly on Kodava attire. Normally, Kodava style sari is worn with half sleeve or full-sleeved blouse.

Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani has been holidaying in Kodagu along with his family members.
He is staying at the Orange County resort near Siddapur. Advani flew into Virajpet in a helicopter. He recalled his association with the late Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa.
For Mr Advani, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, this is a well deserved holiday after the grueling election campaign to the Lok Sabha which the BJP lost badly.
Mr Advani is spending his time by reading and walking amidst the greenery of the sylvan resort.
He is accompanied by his wife Kamala, son Jayanth and daughter-in-law Ruthika.
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is likely to visit Mr. Advani on Saturday.
The police have thrown a tight security ring around the resort and only a few BJP leaders were allowed to meet Mr Advani.

From Napoklu to Spain, it has been a long journey for Palanganda Poonacha, aged 51 years, presently working for United India Insurance company in Bangalore. Poonacha recently secured the second place in the ‘consolation event’ at the World Individual Tennis Championship at Mallorca in Spain in the 50-plus age group.

Interestingly, Poonacha started playing tennis only when he was 34 years old. During his school days at Napoklu, he used to play hockey and volleyball.

After his graduation from Mysore Open University, Poonacha (pet name Nondove), started working and in the next 13 years did not have much time for sports as he was busy in the office work.

To keep himself fit, Poonacha decided to play tennis for one hour a day. Says Poonacha:”I used to watch matches on TV to learn more and more about the game. I was impressed by players like Pete Sampras and Tim Henman. I distributed sweets when Sampras won the Wimbledon.”

Since he played volley-ball in his younger days, he could tackle big serves from the beginning. He participated in the veteran national ranking tournament and qualified in all the three tournaments. “when I was 13 in the ranking, I went to play Asian seniors open 2004 at Bangkok,” he said.

In February,2006,he injured his leg while walking on J.C. Road in Bangalore and was out of competition for nine months. But he started playing in 2008 when he played Asian seniors open at Bangkok where he came to quarter-finals and lost to second seeded player from Japan. In 2008, he was ranked number four in the national ranking and 295 in the world ranking.
Poonacha’s latest win at Spain was the icing on the cake.

The moral of the story is ‘it is better late than never!’

It is a matter of pride that, of late, Kodava women have been elected to important public offices in Kodagu.
The latest Kodava woman to hit the headline is Kechamada Sarita Poonacha who has been elected president of Virajpet Taluk Panchayat.
While Sarita will head the Taluk Panchayat, Kallira Kanthi Belliappa is heading the Virajpet Pattana Panchayat (municipality). Kanthi has been pro-active in the public affairs of Virajpet town.
While the two Kodava women are ruling the roost at Virajpet, Kelettira Chitra Nanaya has been elected vice-president of Madikeri Taluk Panchayat in the recent elections.
Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah has been a prominent of leader of the Congress in Kodagu for the past few years now and she is at present the president of the Kodagu unit of the party.
It is not just Kodava women who are making waves in Kodagu, but even non-Kodava women too have been in the forefront.
Deerghakeshi Shivanna recently stepped down as Kodagu Zilla Panchayat president after successfully completing a full term.
H.S. Subhashini is the new president of the Madikeri taluk panchayat and Geetha Basappa is the vice-president of the Somwarpet taluk panchayat.
Though the present political set-up is not conducive for women to enter politics in Kodagu, women have managed to become office-bearers by virtue of the reservation for women under the panchayat raj system.
Among the Kodava women who have been successful in public life include, Bollera Jajie Mandanna (in picture above), well-known consumer activist and former president of the Bangalore Kodava Samaja and Ms. Ichettira Prema Cariappa, former Bangalore mayor and Rajya Sabha member.

Mukkatiras of the world unite, is the latest buzzword in Kodagu.
Nineteen Mukkatira clans living across Kodagu have decided to form an association to promote the interests of the members of its clan.
Apparently, the decision to come together could be a spin-off from the recent Kodava Family Hockey Festival.
It is of interest to note that three different Palanganda clans – Kadangamurur, Murnad and Napokulu – have joined together to form the Palanganda hockey team, which has become a formidable force, thanks to the decision of the three different clans to form a single team.
The various Mukkatira families include those from Harihara, Gonikoppal, Kutta, Bondha, Pulikotu, Nelaji, Kunjilageri, Bavali, Arapattu, Aruvatoklu, Kumbaladalu, Kadagadalu, Madapur, Betri, Bittangala, Balamuri, Moovatoklu, Mukkodlu, Toochamekeri and Kunda.
Haven’t you heard the joke that each village in Kodagu has a Mukkatira Okka!
According to a Mukkatira family spokesperson, the existing rules governing a particular Mukkatira family as of now, wherever they lived, concerning deaths, births and other traditional practices, except marriage, would continue.
However, matrimonial alliances among different Mukkatira families may not continue in future, the spokesperson clarified.
Mukkatira T. Nanaiah, noted advocate from Bangalore, said that the bylaw of the association was being prepared and the association would be registered soon.

New York-based Puttichanda Sarita Mandanna’s novel ‘Tiger Hills’, set in Kodagu in Karnataka, is understood to have received the largest advance Penguin India has ever paid for a debut novel so far.
Sarita, daughter of Col. Kambeyanda Ben Mandanna and Dr Charimanda Rani Mandanna, is married to Puttichanda Siddarth Apaya, son of Puttichanda Indra (who served in the merchant navy) and Avani Poovaiah.
According to reports reaching here, David Godwin Associates Ltd, the Britain-based literary agency, has sold ‘Tiger Hills’ to Penguin Books-India for an undisclosed amount.
A spokesperson for Penguin India was quoted as saying: “It is a sweeping popular narrative which also has elements of romance in it. The style of writing is wonderful and the manuscript has been creating a flutter ever since it came to us. The whole period sweep of the book makes it a page-turner.”
Sarita is an investment banker. She is expected to make a public appearance at the ongoing London Book Fair.
She did her MBA in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a post-graduate degree in management from the Indian Institute of Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the Shriram College at Delhi.

The 13th edition of the Kodava Hockey Festival began at Ammathi town in Kodagu on Monday. More than 200 Kodava clans will participate in the festival being organized by the Mandepanda family this year.
The festival flag was unfurled by the president of the Mandepanda family M.B. Appaiah, in the presence of the Deputy Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly K.G. Bopaiah.
Mandepanda S. Monnappa (Monni) and Mandepanda Prakash, who have represented India in hockey, and former India basketball player, Pushpa Kuttanna, brought the ‘festival flame’ into the grounds amid cheers and applause from the spectators.
The bagpiper music band from the Indian Army’s MEG put on a good show. Kodava folk dances were performed.
For the first time, the State Government has contributed funds for the festival.
Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani) who conceptualized the Kodava hockey festival, inaugurated an exhibition match between Coorg XI and the Sports Authority of India, Bangalore.
Mr. Appachu Ranjan MLA, who also belongs to the Mandepanda family,thanked the main sponsors, Café Coffee Day, and the State Government and other donors.
The winning team would get Rs. 75,000 and the runners-up Rs. 50,000 and the semi-finalists would get Rs. 25,000 each, according to Shuja Kushalappa, vice-president of the festival committee.

After a gap of over 400 years, the re-consecration (punarprathisthapana) of the four renovated temples at Bhagmandala in Kodagu district was performed on April 9.
Rituals to mark the re-consecration of the four renovated temples had begun on April 2. Renovation of both the temples at Talacauvery, the birth place of river Cauvery and the Bhagandeshwara temple at Bhagamandala were taken up by the Karnataka government-promoted Cauvery Neeravari Nigama.
The renovated temples at Bhagamandala include Sri Bhagandeshwara, Sri Maha Vishnu, Sri Subramanya and Ashtabandha Lepa of Sri Maha Ganapathi temples at the Bhagandeshwara temple complex.
The re-consecration rituals were performed by a team of 84 priests led by Padmanabha Tantri from Neeleshwara in Kerala.
Devotees from Kodagu and outside the district witnessed the rare rituals performed during the historic occasion. The 13-day rituals would conclude on April 14.
The Kodagu district administration had taken steps to ensure smooth conduct of the event.
Slaughter of animals had been banned in and around Bhagamandala from April 2 to 14, and liquor shops were close down for a few days. Cultural programmes were held to mark the occasion.

Is the ‘family hockey’ concept losing ground in Kodagu? It seems so, if one goes by the fact that only around 150 teams have registered this year for the 2009 ‘Mandepanda Cup’ to be held at Ammathi in April.
Mandepanda A. Kuttanna, the spokesperson for the hockey festival, said the last date for registration of teams has been extended to March 30 to accommodate more teams.
It is a paradox that the while the budget for the hockey festival has reached a staggering Rs 35 lakh this year, the number of teams has fallen drastically.
For instance, the Kaliyanda Cup played at Napoklu in 2003, drew a record 280 teams and the Maleyanda Cup witnessed the participation of 235 teams in action.
The matches this time would be held at the Ammathi government primary school and high school grounds.
Work is on to build galleries to accommodate over 30,000 people for the semi-final and final matches of the 13th edition of the festival. Café Coffee Day will be main sponsor.
With Madikeri BJP MLA Mandepanda Appachu Ranjan being the patron of the festival, there seems to be no constraint on sponsors and funds. The organizers have even come forward to provide hockey sticks and other accessories to the needy teams. Besides, they have offered to provide vehicles to ferry the teams.
It is time for Pandanda Kuttani, who conceived the idea of family hockey to introspect as to why the number of participating teams have come down.
The reasons could be many. From recession in the economy to the obsession with cricket among the Kodava youth. Probably, the players do not want to risk their jobs in time of recession by taking leave from their work.
There have been reports that gambling dens have been coming up near the venue of the matches and people have lost interest in the game of hockey.
For the sake of Kodava unity and to encourage the spirit of the game, the Kodava Hockey Academy should draw up a road map to restore the festival to its original glory.

Taking a pro-active role, the Supreme Court of India has admitted a public interest litigation filed by Air Marshal (Retd) K.C. Cariappa, to restrain the Kodagu district administration and elected representatives from forming a road across the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodagu.
The Apex Court has directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to make an on the spot study of the situation and file a report.
Sources said a CEC team is expected to visit Kodagu sometime next month to make an assessment.
In a blatant violation of the law, the Kodagu district administration, backed by Kodagu MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and Appachu Ranjan, and supported by local villagers attempted to lay a road through the Pushpagiri reserve forest in the Western Ghats a couple of months ago, amid opposition from Karnataka forest officials.
The controversial road is a seven km stretch between Madikeri and Subramanya near Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada district. Over 400 villagers from Galibeedu near Madikeri, deployed earthmovers to make the road. Their contention was that the road would shorten the distance between Kodagu and Subramanya.
In a mockery of justice, the villagers were provided ‘police protection’ to form the road by the district administration, headed by Deputy Commissioner Baldev Krishna.
The top district officials went to the extent of publicly humiliating forest official Anil Rathan who protested against the road being formed through the reserve forest.
It is learnt that Conservator of Kodagu G.A. Sudarshan, who has since been shifted out apparently as a fall-out of the ‘road formation’, was behind the move to form the road, allegedly at the instance of the timber lobby and the MLAs.
The Kodagu Zilla Panchayat even passed a resolution for forming the road and even directed the police to lock up forest officials who tried to interfere with the road laying!
It looks like that the MLAs were only interested in the votes that would accrue to their BJP party by supporting the road project to benefit the local villagers.
EDITOR’S VIEW: The road laying project across the Pushpagiri sanctuary is a suicidal step which could further damage the ecology of Kodagu.
Just for the sake of votes, the BJP MLAs cannot prevail on the district administration to allow people to take law into their hands and take up road formation, in utter disregard for forest laws of the land, including Supreme Court ruling banning felling of trees in reserve forests.
Air Marshal Cariappa, son of the late Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, and other environmental groups like the Coorg Wildlife Society headed by Col C.P. Muthanna, should be complimented for protesting against the illegal activities of the timber mafia.

It is a matter of pride that a Kodava girl Preeth Ganapathy has secured the first rank in computer science and engineering examination conducted by the Vishveshvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka.
This is a rare achievement because the VTU comprises of most of the engineering colleges in Karnataka. Moreover, computer science is the most sought after engineering stream.
She was awarded two gold medals for this distinction at the recent VTU convocation held at Belgaum by the Pro-Chancellor and the Minister for Higher Education, Aravind Limbavali on behalf of the Governor of Karnataka.
Preeth completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science at R.V College of Engineering in the year 2008.
She completed her secondary education at the Sindhi High School, Bangalore with 92.6% and PUC at MES College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Bangalore with 95.6%.
Preeth is the daughter of Mookonda K Ganapathy and Gowri Ganapathy who hail from Bilugunda Village of Ammathy in Kodagu.
Mr Ganapathy recently retired as a superintendent of police in Bangalore. He was known for his uprightness. He was one of the few officers in the Karnataka police department who had a clean image.
Preeth is currently employed with a multi-national company. She should serve as a role model for young Kodavas.
There is a myth that Kodava youngsters are not capable of hard work, required for achieving academic excellence. Preeth has proved that good parenting and hard work could achieve wonders.

It is not even summer, but alternate day water supply has become the order of the day in Madikeri, the headquarters of the Kodagu district.
This sorry state of affairs has been going for many years and the elected representatives and the officials of the district administration have to take the blame for it.
It is basically a man-made problem, though the erratic monsoon could also have contributed to the alarming situation.
It is a man-made disaster because the Kootuhole reservoir, the main source of water supply to Madikeri, has been leaking for so many years now and the authorities, especially the elected members of the Madikeri city municipal council, have not taken the issue of plugging the leakage seriously.
Interestingly, the authorities have been pumping the leaked water from Kootuhole, back to the reservoir for the past 15 days.
Thankfully, the municipal council has taken up work on the Kundamestri project. Once this was completed, water could be directly pumped to the storage and filter tanks in the city.
Most of the water supply schemes take years to complete. Unless the municipal authorities brace themselves up to complete the Kundamestri project early, Madikeri would continue to face water scarcity.
What is worrying is the fact that other sources of drinking water supply like the Roshanara tank and Pumpinakere have also been drying up.
Frequent and unscheduled power cuts had further deteriorated the water supply situation in Madikeri.
Madikeri has emerged as a leading tourist destination in the recent years. To sustain the tourist traffic, there is need for uninterrupted supply of drinking water.

A Virajpet court has given bail to Pramod Muthalik who had recently hogged national limelight after the activists of his Sri Rama Sene assaulted women at a pub in Mangalore.
The Kodagu police had taken Muthalik to custody after a Mangalore court had released him on bail in connection with the attack on the Mangalore pub.
Muthalik was arrested by the Kodagu police in connection with a case registered against him by the Gonikoppal police in 2003 for making a provocative speech at the Hindu Virat Samavesha at the College grounds.
The Virajpet JMFC court judge R. Ashok on Monday granted conditional bail to Muthalik after he furnished a bond of Rs 1 lakh. Advocate Machamada Nanaiah appeared for Muthalik.
After his release, Muthalik told reporters: “We are against observing Valentine’s Day on February 14. Observing Valentines’ Day is against our culture. We will continue our fight without taking law into our hands.”

Kundhira Karthik Somaiah (29), marketing operations manager at Sercon, driving his Honda Accord car in a rash manner, mowed down four persons in Bangalore’s Indiranagar on Saturday morning.
Karthik, a self-confessed party animal, son of K.M. Somaiah, a retired merchant navy officer, who was driving back home from a late night party, slammed a cyclist first on 100 Feet Road and then ploughed through the payment, mowing down three morning walkers.
The victims have been identified as Radhakrishnan (40), cyclist and a construction worker, Dr Ramanath Panathur (73), a medical practitioner of CMH Road, Kempe Gowda (76), a retired civil engineer, and Siddaiah (69), a retired civil defence officer.
Karthik, who was apparently drunk, fled the scene in an autorickshaw after some passers-by allegedly tried to assault him.
Though the accident occurred at 6.15 a.m., Karthik surrendered to the police only at 5.30 p.m. along with his lawyer. The police could not trace Karthik and found his house at BDA Flats, Domlur, locked with his dog inside.
Karthik told the media that he spotted a cyclist on the wrong side of the road and tried to swerve the car to the left when he lost control and hit the pedestrians. “I was very scared and ran away from the spot to avoid being killed.”
The police have charged Karthik for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Additional commissioner of police Praveen Sood was quoted as saying: “When he surrendered in the evening, still there was alcohol content in Karthik’s blood. He had partied with one set of friends till 11 p.m. on Friday night, where he drank and then he headed to another friend’s place and continued to drink. In the morning, he was driving to another friend’s place for breakfast, when the accident occurred.”
The car bearing the fancy number 008 was initially owned by Sunil Damani, of Mitsun’s Steels, who had sold the car to Karthik last year.
According to Karthik’s Orkut profile, he was huge fan of Ferrari and Formula 1 cars. To his Orkut friends, Karthik was a warm and caring person who would help anyone in trouble.
Karthik's family hails from Balele in Kodagu.

The first full length cinemascope colour movie in Kodava thak will be released at Gonikoppal’s Nayana Theatre on January 30.

Ponnera Manas will be the first Kodava movie to be released after a gap of over 11 years.
Machettira Jenith Aiyappa, who did his schooling at Kodagu Vidyalaya, Madikeri, and then his engineering at Mysore, will play the lead role.
‘Duniya’ Rashmi, who has acted in several Kannada films will be the heroine. The film has been directed by Raj Ballal.
Jenith, who also studied at St. Anne’s School, Virajpet, has dabbled in theatre and has interest in martial arts.

Some of the other actors include Bachmada Vishu Uthappa, Singoor M Poovaiah, Appaneravanda Shanti Achappa, Kolera Joru Ganapathi, Chammattira Praveen Uthappa, Uluvangada Lohith Bheemaiah, Mechanda Dhanya Uthappa, Paleyanda Jashwini Uthappa, Choyamada Chondamma Roshan, Banangada Prathima Prashanth, and Teena Brijesh.

This writer had the privilege of watching the premier of the first Kodava feature film over three decades ago at Gonikoppal’s Mamata Picture Palace.

It is heartening to note that several Kodavas have taken up career in films, mostly in Kannada movies.

Cricket fever of a different kind swept across the remote Nakoor village near Suntikoppa in Kodagu during the week-end as Indian Cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni landed up there to visit fellow cricketer Robin Uthappa.
Dhoni, who was moving around without his Z Plus security was accompanied by world billiards champion Pankaj Advani.
As the news spread, hordes of villagers and youth descended to have a glimpse of the star cricketers, some with their bats to take autographs. Dhoni declined to interact with the media as it was a private visit.
Playing host were Robin’s father Ayyuda Venu Uthappa, international hocket umpire, and mother Rozy. Dhoni offered prayers at the local Eshwara temple.

In a blatant violation of law, the Kodagu district administration and people’s representatives have supported villagers to lay a road through the Pushpagiri reserve forest, amid opposition from Karnataka forest officials.
The controversial road is a 7 km stretch between Madikeri and Subramanya in Dakshina Kannada district.
Over 400 villagers from Galibeedu village near Madikeri, deployed earthmovers to make the road. Their contention was that the road would shorten the distance between Kodagu and Subramanya near Mangalore.
The Kodagu MLAs Appachu Ranjan and K.G. Bopaiah supported the villagers and the road formation was backed by Kodagu deputy commissioner K. Baladevakrishna and superintendent of police T.R. Suresh. In a mockery of justice, the villagers were provided ‘police protection’ to form the road.
The top district officials went to the extent of publicly humiliating forest official Anil Rathan who protested against the road being formed through the reserve forest.
Environmentalists, including a few members of Coorg Wildlife Society, have urged the district administration to move cautiously in the matter.
The environmental groups have submitted memorandums to the district administration to obtain permission from the Union Ministry of Forests, Environment and Ecology.
They pointed out there were alternative existing roads which could be upgraded on the periphery of the forests, instead of formation of new roads through the reserve forests and wildlife sanctuaries.
The memorandum has been signed among others by by Air Marshal (retired) K. C. Cariappa, Thammu Poovaiah, and K. M. Chinnappa.

Dr Jagadeesh Subbaiah Moodera, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and winner of Oliver E. Buckley Prize, is Coorg Person of the Year, 2008.

The Kodagu-born Dr Jagadeesh, who did his Ph.D in Physics from Indian Institute of Technology (Chennai), led a multinational team of researchers for developing a novel magnetic semiconductor that will greatly increase computing power and flexibility of future electronic devices, while dramatically reducing their power consumption.

Dr Jagadeesh emerged as the Coorg Person of the Year, in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, Kodagu’s first news and tourism portal.

The American Physical Society will shortly honour Dr Jagadeesh with the Buckley Prize for his cutting-edge research in magnetic semiconductor material, which is seen as a major step forward in the field of spin-based electronics - or "spintronics", where the spin state of electrons is exploited to carry, manipulate and store information. Gadgets like laptops, cell phones and iPods already employ spintronics.

Dr Jagadeesh went to the United States in 1979 after his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Mysore University and Ph.D from IIT, Chennai. His wife, Dr Berera Gita Jagadeesh, is also a scientist at MIT.

Among those who were nominated for the outstanding Coorg Person this year, include Chennai-based squash player Joshna Chinnappa, and Olympian athlete M.R. Poovamma.

The past winners of Coorg Person of the Year include cricketer Robin Uthappa, researcher Dr Boverianda Nanjamma Chinnappa, and novelist Kaveri Poonacha Nambisan.

Anonymous letters, especially threatening Kodava planters in Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka has led to apprehensions among the peace-loving Kodava community.
Besides warning the planters against their “lavish lifestyle”, the letters have “prescribed” minimum wage for workers, depending on the size of the plantations. Planters have been warned against consequences if the prescribed wages were not paid.
Copies of the letter have been sent to the Codagu Planters’ Association, Kodagu Coffee Growers’ Cooperative Society, Kodava Samaja units, and certain individual planters.
A person who had received such a letter said that Kodava community in Kodagu had been targeted.
Kodagu Superintendent of Police T.R. Suresh said the police were aware of the matter. “We are yet to identify from where the letters came,” he added.
Meanwhile, the co-convener of the Kodagu District Pragatipara Chintakara Vedike K.R. Vidyadhar, advocate, has urged the district administration to order an inquiry to pin down the individuals or organisations who had written the anonymous threatening letters.
“The anonymous letters does not have anything to do with the Vedike,” Mr. Vidyadhar stated.
EDITOR’S VIEW: The district administration should not take the issue lightly. There is already social unrest in Kodagu because of the increasing migration of undesirable elements from the neighbouring Kerala state. Probably, the letters could be the handiwork of these elements.
Besides, there have been reports that the Naxalites who have already established themselves in the neighbouring districts, could be planning to set up their base in Kodagu.
The district administration should clamp down on the subversive elements before they could cause further mischief.

The Codava National Council (CNC) headed by N.U. Nachappa on Friday passed a resolution to take their demand for autonomous status for Kodava region in Karnataka to the United Nations if the Karnataka Government failed to concede to their long-standing demand.
Addressing the Codava National Day at the Gandhi Maidan at Madikeri to mark the 17th year of the movement, he reiterated that the Council would continue its peaceful struggle for creation of a Kodava autonomous region by merging the erstwhile 45 ‘nads’ (nad is a group of villages) in Kodagu.
Mr. Nachappa regretted that the movement for autonomous status was being dubbed as anti-Kannada.
Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) leader Dawa Pakrin attended the function.
Mr. Nachappa noted the CNC would not settle for anything less than conferring special status to Kodagu in consistent with Article 370 (Jammu and Kashmir) and Article 371 (North-Eastern States).
The CNC has decided to oppose any move to make Virajpet Constituency in Kodagu a scheduled area for tribal people based on the Dilip Singh Bhuria Committee report.

A Bangalore-based advertising professional Pavin Ponanna has won the challenge posed by Bollywood producer Ram Gopal Verma to watch his horror film ‘Phoonk’ all alone.
Thirty-year-old Ponanna from Kodagu district bought all the tickets for the 10 p.m. show on Sunday and watched the film without feeling scared for a moment.
Ponanna shelled out Rs 47,000 to buy all the tickets for the show at Inox, a Bangalore multiplex, to watch the movie.
After the movie, Ponanna said: “It was a fantastic experience. I never felt scared even a moment. I took just 10 minutes to settle down. I sat on seat No. 7 in D row as seven was my lucky number. I was the only person in the theatre which has a capacity of 227 seats.”
It all started after Ponanna read an interview of Ram Gopal Verma where he had challenged anyone to watch Phoonk, a movie on black magic, all alone. Though it was not the official challenge and he had no prizes to win, Ponanna decided to take the challenge just to prove a point that he was not scared of watching the horror movie alone.
Ponanna was quoted as saying: “Kodavas are warriors. We are known to be brave and daring. In Kodagu, it goes completely dark after eight. That does not scare me, so why should this film?”
However, Ponanna did not want to take chances. He asked the multiplex to provide a doctor on call and security personnel to meet any eventuality. While he visited a temple earlier in the day, wife Shruthi also performed poojas to invoke divine blessings for Ponanna.
After the show, the hero of the movie Sudeep, also from Bangalore, was there to greet him and get his feedback.
Ponanna remarked: “Overall, the movie is superb. The acting of Sudeep is excellent.”