Kakkada Padinett: A festival of Coorg having medicinal and curative importance

Kakkada Padinett is a feast festival all around the Kodava/Coorg region. It is observed on the 18th day of the Kakkada month in the Kodava calendar(called Ashada in most of the Hindu calendars).

The month of Ashada(mid monsoon) in most of the Hindu calendars is considered to be inauspicious. However in Kodagu the 18th day of this Kakkada month is celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Kakkada month in Kodava calendar

Out of all the 12 months in a Kodava calendar, Kakkada is the fourth month. In all other calendars this month is called Ashada. This month usually falls between july 17th and August 16th. Rains pour heavily in this month and sky is always covered with dark clouds and the weather is biting cold. The people from the bygone times used to prepare themselves and their houses prior to the start of this month. They used to clean their houses, repair the dripping roofs, clogged drains, leaky faucets and clean the cattle sheds. After the Kakkada month, comes the harvesting season, so the people would repair their harvesting tools too.

The transport facilities were very poor in those times. The rivers used to overflow and their would be floods in the region, forcing the people to stay at home and not able to move around anywhere else. So the people used to stack food and firewood for themselves, their cattles and pets.

In all these bad conditions there was one good thing in Kodagu region and that was a medicinal plant called Madd Toppu. It is a seasonal plant which has medicinal values. Kodavas thus, found a reason for celebration. Every household celebrates the 18th day of this month as a family feast festival which is called Kakkada padinett. The guests are served delicious dishes specially made from the seasonal herb called Madd Toppu. In other parts of Karnataka they call naati soppu in Kannada.

The most important thing about Kakkada Padinett festival is the herb Madd Toppu. It is also called Kurunji toppu. It is a medicinal plant. It is believed that the leaves of this plant contains 18 types of medicinal herbs.

Celebration of Kakkada Padinett. Photo courtesy: ww.Coorg.com

All the dishes prepared from Madd thoppu are prepared from the extract of its leaves which is obtained by boiling them thoroughly.

You must be wondering, if it is that good why they donot eat it regularly throughout the season? No it is not eaten all the time. First of all it is not eaten directly and secondly its curative effect is said to be at the highest on the 18th day of the Kakkada month. Thus, this day is celebrated as Kakkada padinett.

Yella Kodavak Kakkada Padinett shubhashaya!
Best wishes to all Kodavas on Kakkada Padinett!

Omkareshwara Temple, Madikeri Coorg

Omkareshwara Temple situated in the town Madikeri, Coorg(Kodagu) is a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. This famous temple draws a lot of devotees and tourists every day. The unique feature of Omkareshwara temple is its architecture which is a mix of Gothic and Islamic construction style. The most distinguishing thing about this temple is that though it is an Hindu temple but the architecture is in Mohammedan style.

Omkareshwara Temple Madikeri, Coorg

History of Omkareshwara Temple, Coorg

It was built by a Kodagu King Lingarajendra II in the year 1820. According to the history, this temple was built by him as a penance. The story behind this temple is that a cruel king had killed an innocent Brahmin for some political reason after which he started getting nightmares of his evil deed. So he consulted a few wise men of his kingdom. They suggested him to bring Shivalinga from the holy city Kashi and build a temple where he should install that Shivalinga.

The king followed the advise and thus built this temple. The Shivalinga in this temple is worshipped as Omkareshwara.

Architecture of Omkareshwara temple, Coorg

Omkareshwara temple Coorg has a very unique architecture. It is built in Islamic style with a huge dome in the center and four minarets at the corners. The dome is made with a guilded ball on the top over which a weather clock has been fixed. A large water tank surrounds the temple. The water tank has plenty of ducks and fishes.

Omkareshawara Temple 

*Photo credits : Lies with the original photographer

A more precise description can be like the tank has a mantapa in the center which is connected through a walkway. The water around gives a serene atmosphere. One very interesting thing about Omkareshwara Temple is that unlike most other Hindu temples, the hall of this temple does not has a pillared structure.

The entrance of the temple has the complete history inscribed on copper plates that is fixed on the entrance door of the temple. The Shivalinga is installed near the entrance itself surrounded by Basavas(i.e bull statues).

How to reach Omkareshwara Temple Coorg

Omkareshwara temple is very much in the town Madikeri. Madikeri is well connected to all the other parts of Karnataka. How to reach Madikeri is not a big question though. It is well connected through road. Several buses ply to Madikeri from other places in Karnataka and Kerala.

Information about Omkareshwara Temple, Coorg

Omkareshwara Temple is open for devotees and tourist to visit from 6.30AM to 12PM in morning and from 5PM to 8PM in the evening. The entry to the temple if free. The visit to Omkareshwara Temple might take a total of 1 hr approx.

The best time to visit Omkareshwara temple Coorg is from October to March as there is not much rains in the season.

Tala Kaveri Temple: A must visit when in Coorg

 

Talakaveri is one of the most important holy places of Kodagu(anglicised name Coorg). TalaCauvery is the origin of the holy river Kaveri. It is located on the Brahmagiri hill near a place called Bhagamandala. This pilgrimage is considered very auspicious among all those who reside in Coorg specially the Kodavas. It is said that the holy river Cauvery originated somewhere from this place. The flow is though not prominently visible. There is a tank made at the place which is considered as the origin point of river Kaveri.




Talakaveri kundike. Img courtesy: gingerhomestay.com



The holy spring of Kaveri(Kaveri source)

One small temple is also made exactly near the origin point. A spring comes out from the point of origin which fills up the whole tank. People come here to worship Kaveri matte. The holy spring shown in the image is actually worshipped by the devotees. Some devotees also drop coins in the holy spring pond and make wishes. They believe their wishes are granted by Kaveri matte and they would receive the blessings of Lord Agastheeswara. The water here in the kundike(tank) is considered so auspicious that every year thousands of pilgrims come to take the holy bath on the day of Tula Sankramana someday in the month of October.

The water from this tank then flows underground from where it emerges out (some distance away from the temple) as the main river Cauvery.

History of Talakaveri

Talacauvery is the originating point of the holy river Cauvery. The mythological legend of the origination of this river says that the river Kaveri was held by sage Agasthya in a Kamandalu, a pot shaped container usually used by saints to carry sacred water. While Agastya muni was busy meditating, Lord Ganesha took the form of a crow and tipped the kamandalu. It toppled and river Kaveri poured out and started flowing.

River Kaveri originating point

The crow then took the form of a small boy. Saint Agastya got angry on the little boy and pound on his head. The boy is believed to have escaped and later disappeared. The Lord finally re-appeared in his original form. Realising that he tried to knock down the Lord, Agastya muni knocked his own head with his own clenched fists.

The Talakaveri Temple

Tala Kaveri temple Entrance Gate

As described earlier this place Talacauvery is a pilgrim centre and even has a few temples in the campus. The main temple at Talakaveri is dedicated to Lord Agastheeswara which is believed to be the link between the river Kaveri and sage Agastya. Other temples in the campus are of Lord Shiva and Maha Ganapathi. The Talacauvery temple is open to pilgrims for darshan on all days of the week.
Talacauvery temple timings: 6 a.m to 8.30 p.m



TalaKaveri Shiva temple. Img courtesy: Poomale weekly

Usually the complete visit to the talacauvery temple would take around 2 hrs except on the Tula Sankramana day which is one of the biggest Kodava festival celebrated at the Talacauvery temple.
The entry to the Talakaveri temple is free and open all 7 days of the week.

Karthamani Pathak: The traditional Coorgi mangalsutra

Karthamani and Pathak are though two different things but they are mostly worn together as one unit. Karthamani Pathak is the most important jewellery for any Kodava bride. It is the symbol of marriage. Like women in other parts of India, Kodavathis also wear an ornament to symbolize their wedding. This particular ornament identifies them as a married woman. The name for this wedding ornament though varies from region to region based on the language spoken in that area. In Sanskrit it is called a mangalsutra and so is in Kannada. However, the Kodava/Coorgi mangalsutra is called the Karthamani Pathak.

What is Karthamani and Pathak?

 

Pathak is the pendant part in the picture. It is the large gold coin which usually has the image of Goddess Lakshmi(considered auspicious) engraved in the middle. In some regions the engraved image of Queen Victoria is also seen. The coin is framed using rubies on the circumference and is surmounted by a Cobra head which is quite similar to another tradition Coorg jewellery Kokkethathi. The cobra head symbolizes fertility in the life of the woman wearing it and her family. The pathak pendant may or may not have fresh pearls hanging on its circumference. This pendant is put on a gold wire or chain along with coral and gold beads. This complete piece as in the image with the coral beads is called Pathak.

Pathak pendant

Karthamani is the black chain part as shown in the image here. It is made of several fine black glass beads. These beads are strung using a thin chain in as low as just 2 g of gold. The Pathak is attached to this twisted bead chain. 




Pathak worn by a bride a day before marriage

The concept is actually similar to other mangalsutra designs with a pendant in a black bead chain but the design of this Kodava mangalsutra is totally unique.

How to wear Karthamani Pathak?

 

Karthamani Pathak is worn by a Kodava bride a day prior to her wedding. One distinct thing about wearing a karthamani pathak is that unlike in most of the cultures this Kodava version of mangalsutra is not tied by the groom instead it is tied by the bride's mother a day before the marriage.

Usually such ornaments like mangalsutras are supposed to be worn daily by married women but now a days people wear them only on special traditional occassions like weddings etc. Same is with the Karthamani Pathak.



Wearing a Karthamani Pathak

Where to buy Karthamani Pathak?

 

If you are looking to buy Karthamani Pathak, this beautiful ornament would be best purchased from Coorg itself where you can get the traditional and authentic designs. However, its also available on order in some jewellery stores in Bangalore and Mysore. And still if you cannot approach jewellers in these cities also, you can buy it online through the online shop of some of the leading jewellery brands. It is available on some websites but is made strictly on order. So you need to give them time atleast 20 - 30 days and an advance full payment.
 

How to make Coorg Filter Coffee - Filter kaapi

Coorg is famous for its aromatic Coorg coffee whose aroma fills up the entire Kodagu district all through out the year. More prominently during the blossom season. The coffee cherries once ripe, the beans from them are extracted and are properly dried and then roasted to form coffee beans. In Coorg, mostly people stack these roasted coffee beans and grind and brew them fresh every time they want to have coffee. When you are in Coorg all you would crave for is the freshly brewed hot cup of Coffee and you'll enjoy it best when its the rainy season.




Bisi Bisi Kaapi (Hot cup of Coorg Filter Coffee)

South Indian filter coffee is made by brewing the coffee decoction first and then mixing the same with milk. Filter coffee is milky as more than 70% of it is milk with a little decoction depending on how strong you have made it. It is served in a steel tumbler and container or as is called in Kannada lota and dabarah or davara as shown in the picture.



South Indian Coffee Cups

Coffee Filter

The main utensil needed to make filter coffee is the Coffee filter. A traditional south indian Coffee filter has been shown here in the picture, however you can also use the electric coffee filters too. But remember, old is gold and filter coffee tastes best when made using the traditional coffee filter. A South Indian traditional coffee filter is shown here in the picture. Kept adjacent to it is the grinded filter coffee powder. You should grind it as fine as possible if you like to have strong coffee.

A traditional coffee filter has 4 components:
1. Lower container where the decoction will get collected.
2. The upper perforated container which would serve as a seive for brewing the decoction.
3. A pusher mainly whose purpose is to spread the coffee powder evenly in the upper container.
4. The filter lid to prevent the steam from escaping.



Shown below are the parts of a traditional coffee filter:


Parts of a Traditional Coffee Filter


If you are looking to buy one, I would suggest you to check out some of the online available Traditional Coffee Filters. One such website is CoorgShoppe. They have good designs. You can check at http://coorgshoppe.com/shop/accessories.

If you are using roasted coffee beans first grind them to fine powder. This powdered coffee though is called finely powdered but if you compare it with instant coffee powder you'll find it to be quite coarse.

Now that you know about the filter and the serving cups lets start with the recipe of filter coffee.

Step 1: Take  2 - 3 tablespoons of coffee and put it in the filter and level the filter coffee powder using the pusher.

Step 2: Boil water in a pan and pour the boiling hot water in the filter and cover it with the lid. Keep the filter aside and wait for some 10 - 15 mins till the time the coffee decoction is brewed completely.

Step 3: Now boil milk in a vessel. Add sugar as per your taste to the coffee cup/tumbler and add milk to it. Mix the sugar properly in the milk. Pour the filtered coffee decoction to it.

Step 4: Your filter coffee is ready. To get the desired froth as shown in the picture transfer your hot coffee 2 - 3 times from the tumbler to the lower container and vice versa.

Coorg Filter Coffee

Serve it hot in the morning or with breakfast or whenever you want :)

Coorg Coffee: The most recommended shopping item from Coorg

Coorg apart from being famous for its scenic beauty, brave warriors and hospitality, is also famous for its Coorg Coffee. After Chikmanglur district in Karnataka, Kodagu is the second largest coffee production area in India. It is also referred as the "Coffee cup of India". Some of the world's best variety of coffee is grown in Coorg. Two famous ones are :
1. Arabica
2. Robusta

Hot cup of Coffee

If you are on a trip to Coorg, one of the most important thing on your shopping list should be Coorg Coffee. Its worth trying. You cannot afford to miss this one if you are in Kodagu.

While you go to the market in Madikeri or other towns in Coorg, you'll find plenty of Coorg coffee shops. There are a plenty of brands available in the market. You can choose either of them or you can get it from the estates as well.

 Mostly, you will get the filter coffee powder in the market. This filter coffee powder is coarsely ground coffee powder mixed with a coffee substitute called Chichory in ratios ranging for 60:40 to 80:20.

Here are a few brands of Coorg coffee you might see in the markets:



A few brands of Coorg Coffee

Chicory is a herbaceous plant whose roots are baked and used as coffee substitute. Chicory is also called poor man's coffee. It tastes almost similar to coffee and unlike coffee which has high caffeine cotent, Chicory does not contains caffeine. Thus, if mixed with coffee powder it reduces the overall caffeine content of your cup of coffee.

If you are those 100% coffee lover types, you can get the 100% Coorg filter coffee powder too in the market. Mostly people use filter coffee powders because they donot require much of processing but just in case you are one of those hard core coffee lovers, you would prefer to buy the roasted coffee beans.

Its guaranteed, later when you go home and brew a fresh cup of Coffee you'll miss Coorg and your trip to the Coffee land :-)

This is not all, you can also take home the green coffee beans. But then you'll have to roast them, grind them and then brew a fresh cup of filter coffee.

Varieties of Coorg Coffee

 

Coorg coffee is mostly of 2 varities, Robusta and Arabica. The flavour, caffeine content, acidity and aroma of coffee is largely dependant on the environment of the coffee cultivation region. Coorg is the "monsoon fed" coffee cultivation region. Coffee cultivation in Coorg is mostly done under shade.

Robusta Coffee Beans

 

Robusta coffee is the most common varity of Coffee found in Coorg. Almost 30% of the the coffee production in the world is of the Robusta varity. It gives a good yield and is easy to take care of. Robusta is a strong coffee but is a little high on bitterness. Its considered as the harsher species of Coffee. If you like a strong cup of coffee, Robusta coffee would be an ideal choice. The cost of Robusta is also a little lesser than the other species. Below is an image showing the Robusta coffee beans:



Roasted Robusta Coffee Beans

Arabica Coffee Beans

 

Arabica coffee accounts for 75 to 80% of the world's coffee production. Generally, Arabica variety is considered better than Robusta because it is the less harsher one i.e the caffeine content in Arabica coffee beans is lesser. Caffeine mainly accounts for the bitterness of the coffee and since Arabica coffee is less on caffeine, it is less bitter. You would notice price of the Arabica coffee beans/powder would be slightly more than the Robusta variety. Following image is of the Arabica Coffee beans:


Roasted Arabica Coffee Beans

 

Probably you might not be able to distinguish between the two just by having a look. But then the shop keeper would help you with it.

Just in case, you miss/missed buying Coffee in Coorg you can now purchase it online too. There are 3 - 4 websites that are offering Coorg coffee at reasonable rates(though they would be more than what you'll get in Coorg). They have Coffee Beans(roasted & green) as well as Coorg Fillter Coffee powder. You can easily order it there and get it delivered right to your doorsteps.

Jomale Sara: Traditional Coorg gold beaded necklace

Jomale is one of those essential Coorg jewellery that every Coorg/Kodava bride must possess. Usually women buy these jewellery at the time of their wedding but even otherwise every Kodavathi would have a Jomale sara in her collection.

Jomale is a long chain which is about 71 cms. It is made of gold beads. These gold beads are hollow and are filled with lac. Traditionally, these Jomale beads are strung on a thick black thread or even sometimes this connecting cord is made of small black beads. Now with the changing fashion trend even the color of the connecting cord has changed. You might find it in orange colour or even golden strings are used in Jomale necklace. You can even get matching earrings for your Jomale sara.

How to wear Jomale Sara?

Jomale: Gold beaded long necklace

Jomale is a long beaded necklace so mostly it worn with another small necklace. Something like a junior choker or a smaller chain with a pendant. However, if you want you can pair up jomale alone with one of your beautiful silk cotton saris for small occasions or festivals.

If worn with a junior choker, the earrings of the choker can be worn. But if you are wearing Jomale alone you will have to match it up with either some golden jhumkis or you can get a similar golden bead earring made, with 1,2 or 3 golden beads hung in a single string or different lengthed gold strings.

*Note: The image in the right is courtesy www.CoorgJewellery.com

Where to buy a Jomale Sara?

Jomale sara would be available at any branded store from South of India. You can even ask your North India's franchise store to arrange it from their stores in South.

 

But the best buy would be if you get it from some good jewellery store in Coorg. The design would be traditional & authentic if you buy it from Coorg.

Tourist attractions in Coorg

Coorg also called 'The Scotland of India' is one of the famous places of tourist attraction lately. Kodagu has become one of the most famous weekend gateways for people living in the surrounding big and busy cities like Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore etc. This is because it provides a wonderful environment for those who like to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, away from the hustle & bustle of urban life.

Madikeri is the administrative headquarters of Coorg and is the most easily accessible place for tourists coming to Kodagu.

Experience the Beauty of Coorg

Kodagu as I said above is also called the Scotland of India because of its breath taking scenic beauty. The misty hills, the lush green rain forests and the magnificent waterfalls makes Coorg heaven on Earth.

This hill station is a small district in the southern part of Karnataka. It is famous for its unique culture, customs & traditions and for the bravery & hospitality of its people.

Places to see in Coorg

Coorg for tourists can broadly be divided into 3 regions to cover:

1. Madikeri
2. Kushalnagar
3. Virajpet

There are several tourist places in Coorg. Some of the major tourist attractions in Coorg are Abbey waterfalls, Iruppu waterfalls, Chelavara falls, Mallali falls, Talakauvery, Omkareshwar temple, Tibetian monestery & temple, Harangi dam, Tadiandamol peek, Dubare elephant camp and many more.

I have tried to cover them in articles here based on the region.
One can decide on the areas to cover either region wise or as per their interest and taste.

Traditional Coorgi Jewellery: Kokkethathi

The traditional Coorg jewellery is one of the oldest jewellery pattern that is still seen in India. From olden times till date Kodavas are one community who have tried their level best to preserve their traditions and culture. Kodavas take pride in their culture and customs and believe in passing it on generations after generations. Though with the changing time you would notice the men folk do not wear their traditional dress very often but the female folks have kept the tradition on. However, in festivals and weddings you would find most of them in their tradtional attire. The same is with the traditional Kodava jewellery. In functions and weddings, the Kodava females adorn themselves with the beautiful traditional coorgi jewellery and silk sarees.

One such beautiful traditional Kodava jewellery is Kokkethathi. The typical design of a Kokkethati pendant set is shown in the image below:

 

What is Kokkethathi?

Kokkethathi is a traditional kodava pendant which is in a crescent shape. The upper portion of a Kokkethathi pendant from where it gets attached to the chain is in the shape of distended hood of a Serpant with pearl and rubies embedded on it. The serpant hood signifies fertility and prosperity in life. Followed by which are a few rubies embedded. Just below the sequence of rubies is engraved an image of a seated Goddess Lakshmi being showered upon by flowers by elephants from either of her sides. Goddess Lakshmi in Hinduism is the God of wealth and prosperity and is considered very auspicious. Lastly the rim of a traditional kokkethathi is fringed with small pearls which enhances the beauty of this traditional Kodava jewellery.

 

Kokkethathi pendant is made of gold and is hollow. It is filled with lac from inside. There a few designs available in it now but the basic concept would be same.

Kokkethathi is a mandatory Kodava jewellery that a Kodava bride or a newly wed Kodavathi is ought to have.

How to wear Kokkethathi?

Kokkethathi worn in a bead chain

One can wear Kokkethathi both ways, either as a standalone pendant or as a set with matching Kokkethathi ear rings.

 

When buying, the Kokkethathi pendant will come as a separate piece without any chain attached to it. One is suppose to buy the chain separately. Kokkethathi pendant is not worn with any specific type of chains. So one can put it in any chain. Mostly, the chain is kept long about 26 inches to show it off to advantage.

Though there is no particular design for the chain but many of the Kodavathis wear it in bead chains. The beads of which again differ in pattern. It can however be worn with flat or rope chains also.

How to and from where to buy a Kokkethathi pendant set?

You can buy Kokkethathi from any gold jewellery shops in Coorg. It is also available at selected jewellery stores in Mysore and Bangalore like Malabar Gold, Bhimas and others. As of now it is not available online.

Now a days jewellers are coming up with many modern adaptations of Kokkethathi but if you are intended on buying traditional Kodava jewellery, you should only purchase the typical traditional design. It is an evergreen design and is far beautiful than the modern adaptations.
 

Coorg Public School & PU College Gonikoppal

Coorg Public School & PU college, Gonikoppal is a co-educational boarding/residential school in Coorg, established in the year 1996. It has students not only from different parts of India but also from the world. Long back in the 90s Coorg felt the need of some good schools and colleges in the region. Thus was born Kodagu Academy for Education & Culture which sponsored and established this school in Gonikoppal. Since then Coorg Public School and Coorg Pre-University College have grown and flourished beyond imagination. Today COPS is among one of the best residential schools in India.

The management committee members are Mr.M.N.Belliappa, Mr.K.A.Subbaiah, Mr.K.A.Poonacha and Mr.M.M.Thimmaiah. Prof. M.D. Nanjunda is the Founder Principal of Coorg Public School, Gonikoppal. Academically, COPS believes in the famous Chinese proverb which says, "Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself". The Coorg Public School has a highly qualified and efficient faculty and non faculty staff.

Facilities and Infrastructure of COPS



Coorg Public School Entrance

The school is equipped with the best facilities. It has a big campus. The school has all the basic academic facilities like library, well equipped computer labs, physics, biology and chemistry labs.

Apart from this, the school has a hygenic dining hall which serves wholesome nutritional food to students both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. It has a store for all the stationary requirement of students. COPS has its own medical wing too which has professionally trained nurses and matrons.


Classrooms are well lit and the class interiors are in accordance with the age group of the students. In accordance with the current education trend the school has Educomp-smart classes with all the required audio-visual equipment.


COPS is a residential school and thus has excellent boarding facilities which are like a home away from home for its students. The hostel has all the essential facilities required for the students along with full power back up and 24/7 medical facilities. The store in the campus provides students with their other stationary, toiletry requirements.

Admission in Coorg Public School Gonikoppal

Coorg Public School is affiliated to the ICSE up to 10th std. The Coorg PU college(+2 level) is affiliated to the Karnataka State Pre-University Board. It is a co-ed  English medium school.
The academic year is from June to April.

The school follows ICSE pattern and thus offers English as the first language and Kannada, Hindi or French as the second language. It offers Science stream and Commerce stream at the PUC level.
For admission parents should apply online on the official website of Coorg Public School. Parents need to produce the following documents in original at the time of admission:

• Transfer Certificate from the last attended school
• Report card of the last exam
• Character certificate and caste certificate(if applicable)
• Original birth certificate of the child
• Migration and eligibility certificate
• 10 recent passport size photographs

Apply online for admission: http://www.coorgpublicschool.org/cops/admission/apply-online
Check the fees details at: http://www.coorgpublicschool.org/cops/admission/admission-details

Contact details:
Coorg Public School & PU College
P.B.No.14, Gonikoppal – 571213
 S. Kodagu, Kodagu District Karnataka, INDIA.
Phone : Off : (08274) 247011, (08274) 247881[fax]
Email : cops@bsnl.in
Website: www.coorgpublicschool.org

*Images courtesy: Official website of Coorg Public School, Gonikoppal