Being Kodava – “No Thank you”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going against the theme of this blog by saying “no thanks” to being a Kodava. That’t not what this is about. Often I get asked where I’m from and more often than not people haven’t heard about Coorg. I also sometimes explain to people how and why the culture is so different from those that surround us. There’s a lot of hype about our origins, including that we’re somehow connected with the Greeks of Alexander’s time. “Being Kodava” is my take on what it is to be a Kodava, and some of the things we should be proud of.

Someone once asked me how do you say thank you in your language. I told them in my language, we do not have words for “Thank you, Please, or Sorry”. We have never been taught it, and as far as I know, these words don’t exist. Did they once exist but were got rid of once the brits took over our educational system? We’ll never know. But what I was told was the reason for this paucity of “Golden words” is because for kodava’s, it’s our duties as family, community and friends to help each other out at all times, to always be there for anything, without having to ask please if you want something, say thank you when you have been helped, or say sorry if you have hurt.

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This is quite deep if you think about it. Western education is steeped in the use of golden and kind words almost mechanically, sometimes without really meaning it. Making helping others a duty is really unique in our culture, and it really has to do with the unique clan setups we have in Coorg: Clans typically helped each other with everything from planting crops, defending them against wild animals, celebrations, festivals, weddings, wars, etc. Every traditional wedding begins with the close family members getting together to cook for the entire wedding. It is our duty to help.

See there is more to being Kodava than coffee, Greeks and our weddings!

A Summer morning in Kuwait, one of THE HOTTEST countries!! Part 2

There was a lady plucking the henna (mehandi) leaves… its leaves are supposed to cool the head in summer besides being strengthening the hair roots.. there are many bushes in the park & when it blooms spreading the pleasant fragrance nice to be near it. As I was thinking what she is going to do I caught hold the sight of this young boy perhaps around 8 years of age sitting & crying. He looked like from a decent family sitting on the low parapet wall facing the 5^th ring road in bright sun shine. It was only 6:10 am but it was bright.. I thought he must be lost & as a mother I could not resist myself & walked upto him & asked him if he is lost? He was a handsome little Arab kid neatly dressed in a white short & white & blue striped T-shirt. Shaking his head still tears rolling he pointed his finger to tell me he knows his house. I asked him if he needed anything.. he just shook his head.. when I finished the round about 10 minutes, I did not see the boy in its original place & I felt happy thinking he must have gone home… then I saw him moved to another part of the wall where there was shade from trees.. so he was clever enough to understand things… I did not want to ask him again but tried to take a picture from far without getting into his privacy. Even though I was not close when I clicked the mobile he turned immediately… so he was alert too… on the way home was wondering what must have made that young boy from a decent family to be in that spot so early in the morning… I was thinking of my own son in that age… somewhere somehow this stranger boy had touched my heart. My neighbor a doctor by profession forever punishes his eldest son (he has 3 kids – 2 boys & a girl) sometimes I hear him screaming late in the night & even 5 am…. the boy crying… there were occasion I felt like going & punishing the doctor myself. I myself was (is) a strict mother but when I punish my elder two children always smile at me or run around the coffee table me chasing them!! Is it because I am their mother & not father? do children punishment from parents differently? I still can’t understand..

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The Park looked peaceful & safe. Last few years the Park has been the favourite joint for bunch of malicious youngsters from 3-4 different nationalities who snatched chains, mobiles & anything valuable. Thanks to the effort of the cops, eventually they were all arrested… not sure deported or rotting in the jail. How stupid of those young men who lost the privilege of living in Kuwait for temporary sensual gratification. They not only rocked their life but also their family… everything happens around us has a lesson to teach.. Once this park also hosted the one & only homeless Kuwaiti (but luckily it was self imposed – why I have no idea most likely he had mental issues as I had seen him passing vulgar/livid remarks on women passerby!) He used to wear clean clothes, had carpet with pillows to sit, cartons of mineral water, fan & visitors too… hum so much for homelessness!! Heard police had evacuated him & wonder where he is now?

There were couple of dog walkers around the park wall but unlike in USA they simply don’t clean up after the mess created by their dogs. May be they think they can create the top soil or manure for the trees from the biodegradable byproduct… just kidding.

It was time for me walk back home before the sun starts smiling at me… when I passed in front of an old Arabic school, scores of very large gunny bags were on the pavement for a second I thought wow such a large polypropylene (PP) cement bags… but when I neared the bags, it was cane sugar packed in Dubai… what a place to store… perhaps it was there for repacking… wondered if the heat will react with the gunny-bags & turn the to cause some disease but one thing was certain that the sugar was insect free!

I saw one of the watchman was wiping the cars with cloth… giving the final touch. I wondered how long the hose was spilling water wasting the resources of the Mother Nature & contributing to pollution. I wish I could tie up those people who waste & not give them water for a day so that they will realize the value of fresh water. One interesting factor I like to mention which I am not sure practiced elsewhere is that when we rent a house, the watchman has a condition (UWL – Unwritten Watchman Law) that at least one car (usually everyone has more than one – secondhand cars as well as fuel are cheap compared to rest of the world) should be washed by the watchman, usually they do a lousy job. The standard rate is KD5/= (roughly the rate is 1 dinar = 3.3 dollars) per car. So 10 kd per flat along with the rent, 5 car wash & 5 for garbage clearance. The best joke is that the watchmen does not really clean the car… in 90% of the cases they will hire a free lance cleaner generally a Bangladesh to do the job & share the total cost.

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Cats and sparrows in kuwait garden summer hot trash workers kids playing football soccer

Finally I was home sweet home a place which makes me feel like a queen… when I walked in with sweat dripping all over, the cool air of central air conditioners & the sight of my indoor plants were more than welcoming but when I went to have bath I realized that my feeling of nice morning was almost a mirage… as the tap water was pretty warm… while having bath another surprising factor brought a smile to my lips… Sun.. Sun everywhere Sun but people still take Sunshine Vitamin “D” tablets!!

For those years I stay behind in summer, I am always compensated in a different way… also it brings the nostalgic memories of my childhood.. I love fruits, growing up in the wilderness of Kodagu I enjoyed my summer plucking & indulging in wild fruits which is of course a luxury now with growing population, plantation, felling of trees & extinction of species. In general Kuwait is paradise for fruit lovers & come summer the varieties of fruits available even in the small fruit shop is mind blowing. To top it the prices are so very reasonable compared to most of the countries I have visited & even to India!! Guess it’s because there is no tax & the low fuel price. God bless my beloved Kuwait & its people, a country with which I have developed a deep attachment with beautiful memories. Kuwait is a well balanced country with the blend of old & new… with myriad of nationalities working.

Its 10 am & decided to pick up some water melon from the fruit shop across the street.. I was wrong about the temperature… oh boy its already 40 degrees seemed like its hot enough to cook an egg on the bonnet of the car!! Walking back I thought of the Iraqi occupation days… Thursday August 2^nd 1990, then we lived in another location called Shaab opposite to Arabian Sea. There were rumours that the Iraqi soldiers cooked their food just by burying the vessel on the sands… I couldn’t see from my balcony & not sure if it was true but surely it looked like my brain would get cooked if I stand for a while in the sun.

Why do we blink… a fascinating & beautiful story from Hindu Mythology

Have you ever wondered why we blink our eyes… like the beating of the heart.. it goes from birth to death.. unabated… something we take for granted as our birth right & yet we would never wish to lose it?

What would the world be like if we cannot see… the colours around us – the flowers, plants, birds, butterflies, fruits, etc., etc. Eyes are one of the most important organs gifted to us by our Creator. That’s why when the danger approaches the first thing we do is try to protect our eyes. Along with that, we are also blessed with a natural protection mechanism. Everyone blinks their eyes, unless they are paralyzed or suffer from some kind of disorder, till they bid final good bye to this worldly life. This process repeats itself without our knowledge unless we are sleeping. Blinking is the mechanism that protects the eye from external debris & spreads tears over the cornea. With every blink the eyelid spreads moisture over the cornea. There is a beautiful story about the blinking of the eyes (in every 0.2112 seconds) mentioned in Vishnupurana. A story of Love, Duty, Devotion & Commitment which seems to have almost slipped from the modern humanly diet!!

Ancient King Nimi was the son of Mithila King Ikshwaku & the grandson of Manu*, born in Janakpur (now part of Nepal). Nimi was a pronounced king with all the noble virtues & faultless ruling. Living in a utopia like kingdom, the subjects of his Videha Kingdom (aka Mithila) adored him. Keeping the welfare of his subjects and the peace & prosperity of the kingdom, Nimi wanted to perform a particularly powerful Yagna to evoke the blessings of the Gods. Preparation began & in the meantime he needed an exceptional powerful sage as the Presiding Priest for it. So after discussing with the Raja Guru & his Council, he came to the conclusion that Sage Vasishta would be the Presiding Priest.

So King Nimi himself went to Sage Vasishtha & bowed before him & with all the humility said: “Great Sage, I am performing a Yagna for the welfare of the Nation & the subjects. Kindly preside over it.”

Sage Vasishtha frowned & asked, “When are you going to start the Yagna?”

Surprised Nimi said, “as soon as possible Sir. We have already started gathering the essentials.”

Sage Vasishtha fell silent & perplexed & said “I am afraid I cannot come now. I have already committed to Devendra (Indra), the king of Devas, to preside on his yagna. In fact I am on my way & I cannot go back on my word.”

Now it was Nimi who went silent & kept looking at the Sage’s face with so many thoughts going through. He was wondering if he should wait for the great Sage to come back or not. Indra’s Yagna might take long time & it is a well known fact that it is always disturbed by the Danavas (demons – who also happened to be the step brothers of Devas). He thought, ‘the Yagna is not for me but for the welfare of the people…in this constantly changing world no one knows when things will change so I should not wait that long..’.

Sage Vasishta was also thinking… ‘the King has come all the way with humility, love & respect, & of course with a good cause, how sad would it be to send him back empty handed? The moment I am done with Indra’s Yagna, I will perform Nimi’s Yagna’.

Since both of them were highly evolved souls, they could not gauge what was going through other’s mind. Neither of them said anything & both went their ways….

Indra’s Yagna went on for quite some time & the minute it was over, Sage Vasishtha was happy because of the successful completion of the Yagna. Then immediately he remembered Nimi & bidding farewell to Indra he rushed back to Earth.

On reaching Nimi’s kingdom, Vasishta was in for a shock to see that the Yagna had already started with Sage Gautham as the Presiding Priest. Being Presiding Priest was a worthy & very revered job & sight of Gautham occupying what would have been his upset Vasishtha immensely. More over when he reached, King Nimi was sleeping & did not come to greet him too. It heightened his anger further. When in anger, one cannot think straight & Vasishta came to the conclusion that the King had deliberately insulted him by starting the Yagna without him. In the same fit of rage, Vasishtha cursed King Nimi: “You do not even have the courtesy to wait for the sage that you came to first. Such a man is not worthy of having a body. I curse** you, King Nimi that you will be without a body!!” As soon as the curse was uttered, Vasishtha realized his mistake but it was too late to undo it.

King Nimi woke up with a startle & when he heard the commotion around him realized that the things had changed from the time he went to bed. When he looked around he saw his own lifeless body & his family, the entire kingdom along with those present at the Yagna were crying. Wondering what was happening, he closed his eyes & meditated. With his divinity he was able to understand the situation & he was angry that Vasishtha was being so unreasonable. The thought of not completing the Yagna for his subjects & the opportunity robbed for no apparent reason accentuated the anger. Blinded by anger he cursed Vasishtha back saying: “I curse you that you would also be without a body!”

The king had not been a just ruler but also was very spirutal & had considerable spiritual prowess too. Hence his words also came true & Sage Vasishta’s spirit/soul**** left his body…..

Nimi roamed around in the form of a spirit & immersed himself in the Brahman. Now that he was not bound by his body or his responsibilities, he found the true joy of being one with the Brahman. The king became spiritually stronger as he meditated continuously.

In the mean time the citizens of King Nimis were very unhappy & they could not believe that the king who had looked after them like a father was no more. They could not phanthom the idea of continuing the yagna without their beloved King. So with help from the great priest present at the yagna, the family & the subjects manged to preserve the King’s body with oils & scents & continued the yagna with even more vigour.

Once the yagna was completed the Gods came in for their offering. At that time the people presented their plea before the Gods. They said, “Our King was the greatest king in the world! He performed this yagna for our benefit! It was because of the yagna that his lifeless body lies there…. Please help us!*** “

“What do you want?” the Gods asked them.

“Let the King’s spirit be reunited with the body! We want our beloved King back! Without him we could never feel safe!”

Their intention & request was so genuine that pleased by the love of the people, the Gods agreed to their request.

Using their powers they summoned the King’s spirit & were about to put it back in the preserved body when the King yelled “Please… please… don’t do that!”

The Gods were surprised when the plea came from the King’s spirit.

“I am now free! I do not wish to have any more bondage! Please do not put me back in the body! I wish to continue to be free & become part of the Supreme Brahman!”

“Your people wish that you have to be with them! That is the reason we….”

Nimi looked at his people & memories of his subjects came to him, as if from another life. But he realized that these people genuinely loved & trusted him with their lives. He turned to the Gods & smiled at them. “If my subjects want me to be with them, I will! But not in the way they wish!”

The Gods looked surprised.

“I have lived like a spirit for too long & I cannot be attached to a body! However I wish to be a part of my people & their future generations to perpetuity! I wish to be in a spirit form with them always!”

The Gods granted this boon & even now Nimi is said to stay on in the eyelids of people. It is said that people open & close their eyelids because Nimi stays there. In fact the time it takes to open & close the eyelids is called “Nimisha” in Sanskrit.

However it was not good enough for the family & the citizens of Nimi. So they took the plea to the Sages to find a solution.

The Sages looked at the Kings body & decided that the body itself could be used for creating another King. Using the powers of the mind, they churned the body of the dead King & from it a glowing person emerged with complete spiritual awareness, well-versed in shastras & Vedas. The glowing man was named Kushadhwaja & was crowned as the King. Kushadhwaja was just as Nimi & he kept his people very happy & prosperous. However Kushadhwaja was not known by this name. Because he was born from a dead body, Kushadhwaja was known as Vaideha (son of the man without a body in Sanskrit) & because Kushadhwaja was born without an actual father or mother he was called Janaka (the man without a progenitor). Kushadhwaja was also born from the churning of the mind & hence was called Miti.

The King was/is better known by the name Vaideha Janaka from Mithila the father of Sita…. or Ramayana.

*It is said that Manu was the Manasa-putra (son created from mind) of Lord Brahma {the creator – one of the Trimurthi & not to be mistaken with Brahman, aka Paramatman, the Supreme Reality} & he started the new Yuga. The Sanskrit word Manav (for man) comes from Manu as he the progenitor of mankind.

** We often read about Curse in mythology. Everything in the creation is predetermined by Brahman, as Brahman is both the cause & effect. For example when we are born our death is already registered! Only thing a channel such as heart attack, accident, drowning, etc… is required. Hence even the curse of evolved souls has a purpose to surve. Even Sri Krishna was cursed by Gandhari to be killed & his clan Yadukula wiped out like hers did. Otherwise they could not just walk out of earth without reason.

***This was the face of ultimate Sacrifice/Love – Subjects wanted the boon for their King & King did everything for his subjects.

**** Some call it Spirit & some call it Soul… you can choose what you want… after all India is a democratic country!!

Krishna Kamala or Passion of Christ… did I fall from heaven??

While walking around Kukkanalli pond in Mysore, I saw these wild fruits hanging from the vine on a fence which looked like a small wild passion fruit but was hairy like ramubtan. I was very sure it’s the cousin of passion fruit as the flower & the leaves looked same but I was not sure if the fruit is edible & as usual my husband would not let me pluck it to avoid me eating it. Known as Kukkiballi in Kannada is also called clock flower, love-in-a-mist and stinking*.

I have seen & tasted passion fruit all my life & simply love the amazing taste &, flavour of the juice which is hard to find on shelves even though its presence is felt strongly in most the cocktail juices. It’s a popular fruit in Kodagu & every one, young & old alike loves it. The pulp is used in juices, wines, ice creams, cakes (my mouth is watering, honestly), etc. Some of my relatives make amazing concentrates. There are more than 400 species in passion flower family passifloraceae & the flower is usually white & purple or mauve. Depending upon the variety & climatic conditions, there are many types of passion fruits & comes in different sizes, shapes & colours like purple/maroon, green, yellow etc & the taste could be sweet to sour to somewhere in in-between. Usually the purple/maroon ones are sweeter!!

When we were young we also used to eat a wild variety just like the passion fruit but with slightly elongated fruit with supple outer cover & white flower (I think), which is hardly seen these days. It said to have possessed many medicinal properties.

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Those who have not seen or eaten a passion fruit, the globose fruit have a white sack (which resembles dressed goat tripe – the Turkish towel like stomach cover) inside the smooth, hard outer shell/cover. The sack is filled with numerous black seeds with a very thin coating of orangish-yellow, pulpy-juicy flesh. Even when the fruit is wrinkled outside with aging, the sack inside remains fresh for some time.

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Coming back to the flower, it also comes in exotic colours such as dark purple, red, fuchsia, etc. But they are mostly ornamental & do not seems to be bearing fruits. The flower stays for a day only but blooms practically every day & butterflies are attracted to these flowers. The wild, cultivated & the hybrid flower formation looks the same at the first glance. But if you look closely it differs from one another. It looks as if so many different parts from different flowers are put together to form an unusual master piece. Human globalization is happening now but this species seems to be far ahead of us. The flowers usually have pleasant smell (at least the ones which are known to me).

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The amazing thing is that the uniquely beautiful flower & the vine is linked to scriptures & believes in different religion. The name passion flower was given by the 15^th century Spanish Christian missionaries who thought that the flower depicted the crucifixion (passion) of Christ (Crown of Thorns (corona), & other parts as the instrument – 3-nails, 5-wounds, sponge of Gall & vinegar, Pillar of scourging, sacrificing blood, Centurion’s spear (leaf), lashing (tendrils) & the fruit (as globe). Some people also link it to sexual passion, after all a man sees in the world what he/her carries in his/her heart….

In India it is called both as Krishna Kamala (particularly the large purple one) & Paanch Paandav (Mahabharata). The unique formation of the perennial flower is supposed to symbolize or represent: The waxy-white Petals (5) alternating with sepals (5) with their green hook (awn) at the tip for ten Avtars of Vishnu, five 5 filaments with anther in the center for five well-armed Pandavas, the single ovary (bulb in the center) for Pandava queen Draupadi & the three styles with stigma for the holy trinity of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. And the corona filaments are the Sudarshana-chakra of Lord Krishna. I was told that the filaments are hundred in number representing the Kauravas. I had to hire a pro-bono investigator to count the number… & luckily my husband’s niece who also has a degree in criminology fitted the bill & she reported back with a picture: I counted the filaments with a tweezers and there are exactly one hundred!!

To top it, the 3-lobed leaves which are alternately arranged along the stems & borne on stalks, shaped in trident (Lord Shiva’s weapon) form. Whatever one may perceive it as, one thing is certain that it is amazingly beautiful. Don’t believe me take a break & look in the neighborhood you might find one or go to a botanical garden!!

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I am sure besides being beautiful, there is something special about this flower as thousands of miles apart two different believers associated their belief in it!! After all the life spark/energy in me is the life spark/energy everywhere & everything comes from God almighty. If beauty lies in the eye of the beholder – Faith lies in the very being itself. When you are in love with God you can see God everywhere & in everything. This unusually beautiful flower looks out of this world… as if someone stole her from the heavenly garden & brought her to earth or perhaps she was so proud of herself & her significance, the weight of the pride brought her down to earth!!

The vine can be reproduced by seeds easily but it’s a very slow process. So commonly it is propagated by mature cuttings. This hardy long lasting vine loves sun but not scorching though & water, & unless groomed can grow uncontrollable yielding plenty of fruits under healthy conditions. So you have to provide a strong support. I vaguely remember seeing large bees & humming bird buzzing around. All the unopened buds from different species are light green in colour. The flower looks strong but it is delicate. The petals & sepals have the same finish & can be passed as petals. But if you look closely the sepals have green hook (awn) at the tip. It is said that each & every part of the flower has specific role which they play religiously!!

Among the flowers I have seen only the wild one on the bank of the pond had bracts, which are supposed to trap insects but if as merely as defensive mechanism to protect its flowers (think it was white) & fruits or is it carnivorous (digest & gain nourishment from its catch) is not known. Leaves & stems of this particular variety is said to be poisonous. Wondering if I should eat & test it??

The whole vine has medicinal properties & is used in treating digestive problems including dyspepsia & diarrhea, an astringent & expectorant for nervous conditions & spasms. Tea from the flower is an antioxidant & used to calm the mind (depressant) as well as sleeping aid, used to contain diarrhea/dysentery, neuralgia, etc.

Why Kodavas eat pork and not beef – Part 1/2

Coming back, all said & done I am sure the land was infested with Kadu-pandi (wild boars), the ancestors of present day domesticated pigs. Boars also known as suid, sus scrofa, wild swine & Eurasian wild pig, etc., are originated in Asia but where I have no idea!! Till the arrival & settling of Chandravama & Co., the land perhaps was filled with scores of free roaming wild animals. With no one to fear except the tigers and maybe leopards, & with plenty of water bodies/swamp, greens, roots & games, the highly adaptable hogs must have ruled the land with polle-pandi (female – sow). With the arrival of the humans & their farm lands & their domesticated animals it must have been a feast for the hogs.

The boars are opportunistic omnivores with voracious appetite (hence the term eat like a hog) & will eat anything that they can lay their hand sorry mouth on. I wonder how strong their long nose & lip must be as they plough anywhere & everywhere including under the bamboo bush which is hard surface to access. They are habitual rooters along with their strong nose in a constant search for food. With snouts to the ground, they eagerly push away the soil in search of tasty morsels including mushrooms. With their acute sense of smell acting as a guide, the dig-up gaily any rooted crops like colacasia, sweet potato, ginger, turmeric, etc. In the quite of the night months of work destroyed overnight. They affect agronomic crops as well as pasturelands, staying in an area long enough to devour its resources before moving on & crops like cardamom bushes are destroyed overnight. Vegetable patches, paddy fields, sugar cane plantation, you name it they attack it. They not only eat but also destroy everything beyond repair. I have seen their power of destruction with my own eyes when I was young. As a little girl I remember my father going wild-boar Bote (hunting) & it was/is considered a delicacy. Once killed it is usually shared among the hunters, neighbors & relatives, & at times dried for later use.

The boars are widest ranging mammals in the world as well as the most widely spread & their adaptability is the secret of their survival. They attack when they fancy, mostly moving in packs. Boars will mate with any sow in season, often battling for the opportunity but just does not perform any familial duties. The species lives in matriarchal societies, a sow herd consisting of young males, inter related females & their kutty (piglets – young ones). The groups known as drifts or sounder travel together as well as back each other against danger. Piglets likes to play, running around in circles & chaseing each other, barking & grunting in delight. Like most mothers sow is a superb protectoress & fearless when it comes to the protection of her young & they can form cooperative groups, & in danger they sound shrieking squeal & are smart enough to place their piglets in the center of their vicious circle of snapping, foaming jaws. However fully grown strong robust males are usually solitary outside of the breeding season. The matured ones with their powerful fangs are very ferocious & are capable of attacking humans & other mammals.

The law of jungle, the survival of the fittest & a hunger game of the yore.. Showcases the naked truth: Either you eat them or they will let you starve to death!! Or even you might become the victim… So the wise men/women seem to have come up with the indigenous idea. Instead of killing them outright why not make them the food? Against the back drop of mass killing of scores of foxes in New World by the newly arrived immigrant just because they linked the fox to witch craft back home or killing of tigers & elephants for fun.. or for that matter the recent killing spree of the over populated wild camels in Australia. But controlling the menace & making use of it is really ingenious!! Seems one of the most practical & smart idea from every angle. Everyone has to pay a price during the process of the cycle of evolution, why not make it advantageous? That’s what I would call the Art of Resource Management!!

Thus began the pork culture of Kodagu & became part & parcel of their culture. To go further they invented the perfect masala & vinegar which is laudable. I bet with you that no one can prepare pandi-curry like the Kodavas do!! The ruby red meat cooked with kartha (black) masala & kachumpuli is exceptional!! Kachumpuli also acts against the tape worms* & also reduces fat from the body. They also have chillie pork another specialty & of course the famous pandi chudukuva & the dry pork preparation. (I will post the recipe some time later). They also found a perfect combination kadambutt (round steamed rice balls) with the locally grown rice to go with it. So now it is the most famous combination not only with the Kodavas but also with the visitors, which strangely could be enjoyed any part of the day. Pandi-curry also goes well with otti (rice roti), taliyaput (cousin of idli), etc.

Kodavas made the boar hunting part of their sport activity too by organizing the group hunting trips. Annual Kailpodu (equivalent to Aayuda pooja) is the first festival of the year for Kodavas, just after they finish their transplantation work as an antidote for both the tired body as well as the pallet. Moreover they have to guard their future paddy crop & ensure the family is well fed throughout the year. So all the weapons, like guns, swords etc., resting in the Kanni Kombare (the prayer room) comes out, well cleaned & polished. Kodavas could keep the guns at home without license until a decade ago. Now we Kodavas can still keep the gun but with a license. The bravery & the necessity & of course the wise usage of gun had prompted the Britishers not to withdraw the guns from Kodavas also. Guess Kodavas were the only privileged ones in that respect in whole of India, like kukri for Ghurkas & kripan for Sikhs.

It is noteworthy that Kodavas don’t kill or eat piglings/piglet or the mothers in consideration to Mother Nature (obey the law of nature) & also to ensure both the supply as well as not to push them towards extinction. I remember my father telling me that no one on earth has the right to take the life of a (any) baby or deprive the baby of its mother. What a lesson passed on & included in our culture by our forefathers. Hats off to their forethoughts & it shows how advanced thinker they were. No wonder Kodava culture treats their children as poo-kunjis (child delicate as a flower) irrespective of the sex without gender bias.

In olden days, a day before the wedding the family used to organize boar hunting to throw banquet to their guests along with other mouthwatering delicacies. With the increasing population of people pouring into Kodagu, the boars have dwindled & hunting boar is prohibited which makes it a tradition of the past. However, the pork still stayed on as delicacy in their pallets along with scores of their dishes.

Basically boars (pigs) are clean & does not urinate of defecate in their sleeping quarters. With their thick skin, Boars are extremely heat sensitive & to cool themselves they roll in mud or wade in water. Pigs like to scratch & rub against trees, fencing & anything they deem fit. This also help them rid of parasites. It’s widely accepted fact that any animal that are allowed to roam & forage freely will be healthier & richer tasting than the farm fed as the muscle-enhancing movement generates a deeper, more flavorful meat. Logically the feral hog meat should be healthier than we give credit for as they are free roaming souls & eats loads of different roots & vegetables. It is said that hogs also eat small insects, birds & mammals if & when they can lay their mouth on.

I remember reading in many Southern parts of USA they are facing the problems with hogs especially the Texan… may be they can take lessons from our forefather’s Art of using Resources to their advantage than wiping out like the fox population… It can be used as a closed-loop system for sustainable meat: landowners can recover costs by selling their trapped pigs, & consumer can have the opportunity to eat some truly exceptional meat at a cheaper rate.

* Because of their constant contact with the soil, the boars are susceptible to tape worm infestation which could be passed on to humans unless the meat is cooked well. This is also applies to leafy vegetables grown in the infested soil so its wiser to wash the leaves especially the ones consumed raw such as coriander, lettuce, etc., in salt water. interesting winery incident on it later.

How the Kroda Desa got thier name! (Kodagu)

The confusion about the origin of name “Kodagu” itself is as colourful as the origin of the Kodavas & draws lot of curiosity… The name Kodagu is anglicized as Coorg… and I am sure the Britishers must have found it difficult to pronounce Kodagu… Between the confusion people refer to us as Coorgis… to make it clear we are not Coorgis or murgis, we are “Kodavas from Kodagu & speak Kodava takk” blessed children of our dear Mother Kaveramme.

Origin of the name Kodagu is brushed with different strokes & hues by different individuals. As the Indian culture is based on Guru-Shishya Parampara & the legends are passed orally, somewhere it must have got twisted. Many quote the reference in Kaveri Purana as the source & unfortunately my knowledge of Sanskrit is very limited. Hence I really don’t know which version is right which make me support the Kodava Culture & Legends which I am a part of. The only common thread is that Prince Chandravarma & his celestial wife were Kodava ancestors.. To quote few:

The Saga begins with the arrival of Chandravarma, the pious & brave Prince of Mastya Desha, in ancient Kodagu (supposed to be known as Brahma-Kshetra), seeking adventure & solace. After the marriage he settled down in South permanently with his queen of celestial origin. As the family grew larger the need for food grains increased & with that the requirement of cultivable land. So the brave grandchildren of Chandravarma leveled the hills for cultivation with their bare hands, like the wild boars dig up mounds for their sustenance. Hence the land came to be known as Kroda Desa (Sanskrit word Kroda means hog) & eventually Kodagu.

Some go one step further… all the grandchildren were mighty men of valour, strong of arm & foot. Their nails resembled the fangs of boars. WOW Celestial Mother & a Royal Father & children had fangs… how cool is that!! Running short of basic food supply & sleeping quarters, with the nails of their strong hands & feet, they tore up the ground & levelled the slopes of the hills with the valleys in a circumference of five-yojanas (60 miles). So much accuracy!! Then they settled themselves anew in the country, the face of which they had changed by the strength of their own arms. What a sight it must have made…

Another version … When Lord Vishnu returned to Vaikuntha (abode of Lord Vishnu) after killing Hiranyaksha in Varaha (boar) form, on the way Lord Vishnu tore out the fangs & threw it which fell in Kodagu thus getting the name Kroda-Desa.

It is also said that the word Kodagu is derived from the word Kudu, which means Hilly place but not sure in which language though!!

The most interesting aspect of my years of personal observation is that one too many people who comes to Kodagu or hears about the culture wants a piece of the pie & want to be part of the distinctive Kodava culture. And on the way they want to leave a mark & start to come up with their own version of certain things… for example Kachumpuli is the vinegar prepared from the fruit extract of Panapuli (a species of garcinia), indigenous to Western Ghats. But someone with half knowledge of Kodava culture writes Kachumpuli as the fruit. Similarly karik-muripa* (cutting the vegetables) is a part of oorukuduva ceremony but someone writes it as a first day of the wedding ceremony!

But what surprised me most was my experience in Kuwait. More than two decades ago I happened to see a booklet in Indian embassy regarding Coorg, when I went for some official work. In that there was a couple’s picture with their back towards the viewer where the bride was wearing the usual style saree & the groom was wearing white dhoti, white shirt & a Mysore style Peta (turban). I am sure a copy is available in their achieve!!

But Mrs. Amabssador (I don’t remember which year though) took the cake. One day Mrs.Rangaswamy (her husband Mr. H.V. Rangaswamy was the MD of Kuwait India Exchange in mid 90s), an acquaintance of ours called me & said if you don’t mind can I ask you something? I said go ahead.. hesitantly she asked me don’t you all wear blouses back home when you wear Kodava saree? I laughed & said what made you ask such a strange question? In fact my grandmother’s generation even wore jacket (long sleeved relatively longer bodied blouses) & even wore close collared to go with it too. These days only brides wear jacket as part of culture. For that she said she went for a fashion show at the embassy & Kodava saree was part of it. They wore the saree so awkwardly & also the so called model did not wear a blouse. It was rather poor tasted & really looked bad. Since I have seen you wearing the saree at the functions & I know how elegant it is, I asked why they wore like that? For that I was told that Mrs. Ambassador had done research & that’s what she found… Oh boy… God knows where she did her research in Timbuktu or Sahara Desert!! It was the worst case scenario.. I was angry & sorry for that half-knowledge lady at the same time. But what could I do? After all she was Mrs. Ambassador & represents our beloved country… hope she did not do any more fashion shows in other parts of the world!! In a decade or so with the help from Google-mama, future generation sadly will start believing in such quotes including the Kodava kids raised outside Kodagu.

* It is the gathering of women folks – close relatives & from the village – around round tables to assist the cooks by cutting vegetable & rolling kadumbuttu. It guarantees the quality of chopped vegetable as well as the kadambuttu. A gathering looked forward by women as it gave the chance to meet the cousins, exchange recipe & news, talk about latest fashion, & catch up on gossips, etc. sadly now everyone uses the catering services. Thanks to Kodava men, at Kodava weddings, women usually dress up well, meet everyone, be happy, look good & do not cook or chop meat. You can read more about it when I write about the Kodava wedding.

Origin of KODAVAS (Coorgs) – is it still a mystery??

The origin of Kodavas has been an anthropological puzzle… shrouded in mystery & yet to be decoded… why do they look different & standout in the crowd?? Why do they guard their custom so proudly & closely? And of course, why do Kodava women command great respect & have a large say in raising the family? Perhaps the mystery is hidden in their own day to day lives????

Have you ever wondered why, unlike the rest of the Hindu communities, Kodavas have the unique custom of Bride’s Mother tying the ‘Pathaak’ (Kodava equivalent of Mangala-sutra) to the bride? It’s a known fact that in every Hindu marriage, the husband ties the ‘Mangala-sutra’ (aka thali) to the bride on the big day. However, according to Kodava custom it is tied by the bride’s mother on the night before the official wedding. There is a very interesting legend to go with… which perhaps might shed some light on the much debated origin of Kodavas as well.

In the yore… at the period when the earth was visited by Gods & Goddesses, a lovely Devi-kanye (Apsara) fell in love with a man from the earth. The man, a prince** new to the area, was lost while hunting & was resting under a tree mesmerized by the beauty & serenity of the Kodava land. Leaning on the tree, surrounded by nature bathed in all her magnificence, the misty clouds, the mating call of the birds & animals echoed the silent valley below, the air filled with passion & the sight of beautiful maiden took him by surprise. The Prince also fell in love with the gorgeous Apsra instantaneously…. how could he not? Without realizing that she was not in his league he fell in love passionately. Love has no boundary & love is blind after all.

Forgetting his tiredness, his missing entourage, & kingdom, they spent some beautiful moments together. However, both the Devi-Kanye & the Prince were fully aware of the fact that Her father & family would oppose & forbid her from marrying him. They would stop her from leaving the heaven again & any effort from her to meet him would cost her status of the Devi-hood. The thought of separation would be unimaginable… he would rather die than separate from his love. She felt the same way too… she would not give up easily on her love. She made him promise to take care of himself & she promised that she would return to him one day. He was also aware that unlike the Apsara, he could not wait forever because for a mortal like him, death would be inevitable.

There was no choice but to part from each other & when it was time for her to leave she started crying. She treaded the path back home with heavy heart & tears in her eyes, looking pathetic. On the way she met her old acquaintance, the Naga-Deva & Devate (Snake God & Goddess). They chided her saying why the usual cheerful maiden had tears in her eye & said that crying definitely never suited her beautiful face. If there is any way they could help her to make her happy?

Upon hearing her story, they wanted to help her & the wise couple comes up with a solution to her problem. They said there is a way for her to marry him without him tying the managala sutra & be his wife but with one condition. As a human her husband cannot tie the Mangala-sutra to her but someone from her world can tie the knot on his behalf & she can retain her Devi-hood. But that someone has to be very unique because they should love & care for her more than anyone that ever existed in the three worlds does without expecting anything in return. They suggested that she ask her mother to tie the Mangala-sutra & sanctify her relationship with her prince charming. They also promised her that both of them would stand guard for her protecting from all the evils & perils in the human world.

Her kind hearted, sympathetic mother agreed to tie the Mangala-sutra & symbolize the marriage so that she could go & live with her lover. Her father & the rest of the family also agreed to let her go too. Hence she got married in heaven by her mother with family blessings & left to her husband’s house the following day. Even today Kodavas have two Muhurthas**** on same day. One is separate with each one’s family & the other one “Dampathi-Muhurtha” (dampathi means couple) with the presence of both the families, something perhaps is one of its kind!!

Both lived happily ever after till the prince died of natural causes, raising beautiful family of eleven sons. The eleven sons had hundred each of their own sons, expanding the families further. Years passed & seasons changed & so did her family; her husband died, children died & when her grandchildren started growing old, unbearable at the thought of losing them she returned to heaven*** with sad heart.

The descendants of Apsara & the prince still maintain the tradition to this day… Kodavati women get their Pattak tied by their mother a day before she gets married in the presence of all the elders of the clan & goes to her husband’s house the next day. Priest is absent in Kodava weddings. Each Kodavati is treated very special like the Devi-Kanye. To this day the Pattak holds a Snake Hood on top prominently as protection. Kokke-thati the traditional & compulsory second jewelry worn at the wedding also has a Snake Hood as tribute to Naga Deva & Devate.

So now you know from where the Kodavas originated…. Am I kidding?… is it a fairy tale?… NO Sir it’s the living fact… attend a Kodava wedding & see for yourself… Have a good day.

*The word Mangala-sutra (mangala meaning holy/auspicious & sutra meaning thread) is a sacred necklace that the groom ties around the bride’s neck on the day of the wedding in a ceremony called Mangalya dharana (wearing the auspicious), there by giving her the status of his wife & life mate. Thereafter, the wife wears the Mangala-sutra all her life or till the time the husband is alive as a sign of their marriage, mutual love, goodwill, understanding & faithful commitment to one other. She discontinues wearing it if she is widowed.

** Some say the Prince was none other than Chandravarma, youngest of the four sons of Kshatriya King Siddhartha, the Emperor of Matsya Desha of Chandravamsha (Lunar lineage). He was both pious as well as a great adventure seeker. His eleven sons married the princesses of Vidarbha.

***It is also said that the Deva-kanye was on earth due to a curse & when the period was over, she returned to heaven.

**** Muhurtha (equivalent to mangala) in Kodava custom is the auspicious moment on which stipulated time, the bride or groom is made to sit & seek blessing from the elders. You can read more about it in one of my future articles on Kodava marriage.

Based on the Legend which I heard when I was very young.

Legends of Magical Tala-Kaveri, River Kaveri and the Kodavas

If someone asks how old is River Kaveri… what could be the right answer? Well I guess she has been around forever!! Then how old is the Brahma Kundige? Unfortunately no carbon dating possible I guess… perhaps the old Ashwata-mara could have given a clue… it’s too late for that too…

The River Kaveri (anglicized as Cauvery) is a name every soul in Karnataka is familiar with. If they have the privilege of getting Kaveri water supplied to their homes, they go an extra mile in telling with a note of pride… “We get Kaveri water (as opposed bore-well water)”… its tasty & brings the flavour in the food. Don’t believe me, try it out!! Every visitor to Mysore will have the trip to KRS in their itinerary. Yeh.. The Krishna Rajendra Sagar dam is built across the river Kaveri by our late Maharaja Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar IV, under the guidance of Sir M. Vishveshwariah, one of the greatest Engineers Karnataka has ever produced. However, she is equally revered in Tamil Nadu. Ironically the two neighboring states Karnataka & Tamil Nadu constantly fight* over the distribution of water too.

Kaveri (birth name Lopamudra), born with the blessing of Lord Brahma, is the daughter of Sage Kavera, who had given up his throne to do tapsya seeking moksha (salvation) & for the welfare of his subjects. Then Kodagu & the surrounding area is said to be barren filled with only rocks & dirt. Wife of great Sage Agasthya, she came to be known as Kaveri, after her father Kavera muni.

“Brahma Kundige” (Kundu – pond in Kodava dialect) at Talakaveri (aka Dakshina Kashi) on the picturesque Brahmagiri betta (hill) at an altitude of 1276 meters above sea level, Kodagu district in the Western Ghats is the Ugama-Sthana (birth place) of the Jeevanadi (life supporting river) Kaveri. After originating at the little Kundige, flows down inconspicuously as Guptagamini, re-emerging at a distance downwards at Nagateerta. So called as the rock formation looks like the water is flowing out of a Cobra’s hood. It is also said that on Sage Agastya’s behest Nagas along with their king tried to stop her at this point. But when Kaveri told them her heart’s desire of serving the mankind, they let her go with utmost respect. From there she flows downstream joining river Kannike & mythical river Sujothi at Triveni Sangama (the confluence of 3-rivers) in Bhagamandala.

From Kundige, the steps lead up to the nearby Brahmagri betta with breath taking 360 degree panoramic view, where the Sapta Maharishis are said to have performed a special yagna. The Brahmagiri range was supposed to known as Agnigiri, Vayugiri & Gangagiri in the Puranas. With the misty clouds it literally gives the feeling that you are climbing the STAIRWAY to HEAVEN!! The butterfly kiss of fresh gentle air feels like God Almighty thyself caressing you gives the feeling of elation. A sentiment even the baring of tree on the hill is for a purpose: just to let the angles kiss you gently!! Time seems to be frozen & transporting one into another era/yuga… The thought of sharing the same ground once walked by the greatest souls, watching the same mountains & the misty clouds… wishing the feeling never ends… When you are up there your mind plays trick on you & you feel like as if you are transported into nothingness with the sound of Omkar in your ears. I have personally experienced it on every visit.

I remember my mother mentioning that there is supposed to be a very small pond filled with perennial water on top of the betta which is said to be made by Lakshmana from shooting his arrow to get water for cooking & drinking during his Vanavasa with Sri Rama. But I have never seen it. A lot of stories are attached with her origin & is supposed to be visited by Gods & Goddesses & many mythological characters. (It’s very interesting story appearing in Skanda purana but too long to cover here). Snaking through arduous journey joined by numerous tributaries, turning into a mighty maiden & nourishing/helping millions in various forms makes her way to merge with Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar covering almost a distance of 800 kms. There are numerous holy places & shrines built on her way so also bunds, dams, hydroelectric plant (Shivansamudra – Asia’s first built in 1902), etc.

We celebrate her birthday, Kaveri Sankramana on Tula-Sankramana day (the first day of Makara-masa in Hindu calendar), which normally falls on the 17^th of October every year. On that day occurs the spectacular emerging of the holy spring from the Brahma-kundige known as THIRTHODBHAVA. A very unique natural phenomenon which does not have any scientific explanation & I am sure there never ever going to be one!! The fountain head rises when water gushes up from the spring at a predetermined moment, predicted in advance an year earlier. {Thirtha = holy water & udbhava = springing from/growing/origin). The Kundige is never allowed to over flow as it is believed that overflowing would bring famine. The priests will pour out the thirtha on the devotees mostly with tonsured heads who jumps into the main pond in frenzy to get the glimpse of the occurrence & collect it in containers. I feel that there is enough & more Thirtha in the Kundige (roughly about 3-1/2 by 2-1/2 sq ft between the shrine & tank located on the platform enclosing the temple tank) for the entire worshipers & more.

Kodava men in traditional dress render traditional dudi-kott-paat (dudi is a small native drum, kott-beating & paat-singing), singing the glory of the mother. The Nandi (bull) at the small Lord Agasteshwara (Shiva) temple seems to be watching over the tank for mischief mongers. The prabhavali at the sanctum sanctorum close to the Brahma-kundige bedecked with grand floral arrangements adds momentum & fragrance. The whole atmosphere religiously surcharged amidst the relentless chanting of Vedic hymns by posse of priests, is electrifying as everyone praying/thinking in unison on the lap of peaceful serene Mother Nature. It’s something one has to experience & cannot be explained. Even though it is at a very high altitude & millions of pots of water are taken out each year, irrespective of the global warming, the magical Kundige has the same level of water 365 days. Earlier Thirtha used to be preserved for number of years at home without any preservative & expiry date, thanks to pollution; now it cannot be stored very long. This year (2014) the annual spectacle of Thirthodbhava occurred on October 17^th Friday at 6:04 pm just 3 minutes before the calculated time, followed by heavy rains. For next one month tens of thousands of devotees will make a pilgrimage trip to particpate in the Tula Sankrmana jathre (fair).

Growing up we were told that all across Kodagu, all water bodies in the paddy fields to wells to ponds to streams to rivers, you can see bubbles rushing out at the same time. Also come what may it will rain at least a little. Such is the power of Kaveri. Legend has it that every year Mother Ganga comes via an underground route to Kaveri for a cleansing dip to wash off the sins accumated from the devotees.

Being a Kodava/Coorgi, the river Kaveri holds a very special place in my heart. She is not only our Kula Devate & we consider her the Big Mother & believe that Kodagu flourishes because of her blessing. To mark our gratitude we name our children after her: girls are called Kaveramma/Kaveri & boys Kaverappa. Our civilization developed in her banks, our culture & tradition revolves around her, & even the unique way of draping our sari is in her honour. As a Kodava, for us she does not have a form & the name Kaveri always brings the Kundige to our mind as traditionally we don’t have a statue/image. Her beauty, character & legend par excellence, it’s impossible to fathom a shape or form. All the statues you see all around Karnataka or beyond is a recent addition to fit into each one’s mind set. This is how things including legends get contorted & contaminated generally…

She is called as the Ganges of South & one of the Sapta Sindhu (Seven sacred rivers) of India. We consider her holier than Ganges & our lives from birth to death & in-between is associated with her. Our final journey ends with our ashes immersed in her. When a Kodava dies his/her ashes will be immersed in Triveni sangama at Bhagamandala & believed that, only then the soul will be liberated. It is customary that after a Kodava gets married both has to make a trip to Tala-Kaveri (tala means head) & take a dip in the kola (pool) together in front of Kundige to SEAL the marriage. Basically Kodavas are not very religious & we just have a very special eternal maternal bonding/love affair with River Kaveri just like a “Mother & Child” as genetic inheritance!! After that as long as both are alive, both cannot make a solo trip to Tala-Kaveri. It may surprise the readers that Kodava wedding is performed with the Blessings of Elders of the community without the presence of a Priest!! Believe me up until the last decade or so divorce was never heard of in Kodava community. Also I am proud to say that there is no Dowry System as well & considered a shameful act. Every Kodava household keeps the thirtha at home & before taking up a long journey, a little is consumed pouring on the cup of the palm for protection on the way. When someone is above to die, the last drop of water given is the Kaveri thirtha. Generally, Hindus believe that anyone who dies without last sip of water in the mouth, be it Ganges or coconut or any water, his soul will not rest.

All said & done, Mythical incidents are beyond the understanding capacity of ordinary human mind, science or technology. Perhaps it’s subtler than the understanding on why a little “toddler cloud” from Africa causes havoc & misery in USA as “hurricane”. According to a mythical legend, the trimurthis, Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara, gave darshana to the great sage Agastya under the holy Ashwatha tree (was pretty small compared to its age) just above the Kundige which stood test of time for thousands of years. It’s noteworthy that dark skinned Agastya, one of the most powerful sages of his time was born in a Kumbha (pot), himself was very short, almost a dwarf. Finally about 15 – 20 years ago when some modern thinkers, wanting to please tourists, attempted to build a katte to the tree (perhaps out of good intentions) & while doing so managed to kill the tree itself. The one you see now is the modern one!! They had to clear lorry loads & loads of roots perhaps one for each year the tree stood there!! The whole Tala-Kaveri is given a facelift lately. People are really strange, an Indian colleague of mine suggested that someone should dig up the place between Talakaveri & Nagateerta to find out how the river flows gupta-gamini & I said sure if you are funding!! So until he comes up with funds, secret is safe!!

Sometimes human meddling in Nature might have negative consequences. For some unknown reason the insects & birds population in Kodagu have noticabley dwindled in the last decade along with scores of plant species, which is noteworthy.

Another interesting theology is that Kaveri wanted to be the holiest river & she did tapsya to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu told her Ganga is holy as she started from the touch of his feet. Kaveri would be his garland, close to his heart & therefore would be more sacred. Incidentally three of the holiest shrines of Lord Vishnu are found at Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra & Shrirangam called Adi-Ranga, Madhya-Ranga & Antya-Ranga respectively. Incidentally all the three temples are on island with the Kaveri encircling it just like the mythical garland!

I can write volumes… Next time you drink the Kaveri water just think how blessed you are to be part of a great legend! Mortal man came & gone, comes & goes, but legend lives on…. irrespective of the doubts in anyone’s mind. As for me even though River Kaveri is extra special, I have equal respect to entire water body of the earth irrespective of the size or legend. PLEASE conserve the water & help Mother Nature in whatever way possible for the betterment of our Future Generation & welfare of the Universe. Don’t let your future generation suffer & say what the heck my predecessors were thinking or doing? Simple fact of life: Mother Nature does not need us for her survival (perhaps better off) but we definitely cannot do without her!!

*When my younger daughter who is named after River Kaveri was 4-years old, she happened to be in Mysore with my cousins. There was a protest march & every one was shouting we want Kaveri… Kaveri is ours… (of course in Kannada) & when my daughter heard that got so scared & started crying bitterly, uncontrollable & shivering with fear. After that for a long time she did not even wanted to leave the house!!

FACE to FACE with the largest bunch of flower I have ever seen….

It was few years ago that I first I heard about the Jade Vine, from the legume/bean family & its multinational cousins. I learnt this from my plant guru, the late Dr Achaiah, a walking encyclopedia. I was tagging along with him once so that I could fetch some wild mushrooms. Looking at the bunches of maroon outer & little red flowers hanging around the mango tree, I said these are lovely & looks like the ornamental pieces of a chandeliers. I came up with a suggestion… may be you should make a structure in different sized circles to support the vines to create a natural chandelier & we all can sit under it & drink coffee… he said your wish is not my command you don’t eat my head run along now!!

We both always agreed to disagree on everything yet I followed him ignorant, enthusiastic & eager to learn & he was glad someone was willing to learn… so he explained to me about the four different vines among the many around their mansion.

The second one he told me about also with maroon outer & yellow flowers but with a different look altogether. It had no flower but I knew what he was talking as many of my relatives had it in their homes. Both had their own beauty & the first one is pretty simple like a homeless person goes unnoticed most of the time (figure 1). The second one little more attractive & makes its presence felt once a while (will post the picture when available). I was trying to impress with him with my knowledge of flowers quoting the silver oaks & the orange bunch flower we see at Mysore university campus & then told about the burgundy sausage tree flower. He said that’s all on trees & I am talking about the vine.

Finally when I saw the other two little vines supposed to be floriferous from pea family. They were growing on a pillar, and were actually imported costing a small fortune…. A flower which is going to look like the flower of pea.. & wondered if it is really worth it? They were the Jade vine & Red Jade vine (aka scarlet jade vine & New Guinea creeper) scientifically known as Strongylodon macrobotrys & Mucuna bennettii respectively. Then I mentioned the purple Wisteria flower hanging like grape bunches, also from pea family, which I saw in Niagara Falls the sight of which is enchanting in some Hollywood movies & serials. All the vines are evergreen.

After that first time I saw these flowes, on every subsequent visit to Ashok’s place, I searched for the flowers in vain & finally when I came across the pitcher flower in the nearby pot, wondered what the jade vine would really show case? Finally August… 2014 I got lucky, after a long wait met the fully bloomed Red Jade flowers & the buds of Jade vine.

The RED JADE, she was a beauty in her own rights….. she mesmerized & practically forced me to stand motionless & admire her. Even the pouring rain & cloudy weather could not dampen her spirit & beauty. She was already a month old & in full bloom, a cascading cluster of brilliant red-orange pendulous flowers which looked as if someone had meticulously chained them together to form a raceme…. I have never seen such perfect wholesale orange colour in my life other than the saris… Individual translucent flowers are clawed & the formation looks somewhere between flame of the forest & its cousins coral tree & panivala flower. Her perfect texture with absolutely no blemish on her celluloid boat shaped body which almost gives the feeling it’s not natural & plastic(ky). My husband said it reminded him of the cock’s head & its beak & for me it reminded the beak of a parrot.

It is said to be from New Guinea, I nick named her the middle class beautify, who is here to showcase her beauty & strength… the influence she can have on society!! The striking bright red-orange flower in full bloom could stay around two months (or more). So when the bunch starts blooming from one end to the other, it blooms till the entire bunch is bloomed then is still fresh.. so I guess it’s there for quite a while.

And then I saw the Miss Universe…THE JADE VINE, one of her kind challenging everyone one nearby… the colour of the bud blue/green or turquois or jade or copper oxide or somewhere near aqua… something so uncommon… sorry I am lost & have absolutely no idea! I have seen NATURAL green roses & orchids but absolutely no memory of jade coloured flower. One has to see it to believe its magnanimous size, unusual colour & smooth surface like a baby’s butt… I had to catch hold of my best friend’s handy man Kutty who is 5.1 feet to pose with the bunch so that I can remember the size. It’s almost 5 feet along with the top of the stem as the buds starts from few inches in a bunch. It is still growing like Lord Hanumanji’s tail in Sundarkand of Ramayana, as if to challenge me for questioning her worthyness!! Sadly it seems like the life span of jade flower is shorter than that of the orange & it started falling early… may be the mother is tired of over demanding child!!

Also known as emerald vine & turquoise jade vice, said to be native to forest of Mount Makiling on Luzon, the largest & most northern island in the Philippines (Tayabak), is also found in Hawaii, Jamaica, some warm humid strips of South Africa, etc. It’s hard to say where ANY PLANT species originated as no one has ever explored the entire Universe. Just because someone comes across a particular plant at a particular location at a particular time, they say it’s originated there. It’s like Christopher Columbus calling new world as India & calling the natives Indians!! Moreover they end up putting such difficult scientific name or sadly change the name after the person supposed to have dis-covered… oh boy!

Guess she is not that hard to grown but one has to be patient enough to wait for at least 2 years. Even though the growth seems to be little slow in the beginning, as the vine gets strong foot hold, under healthy conditions the large woody climber creeps generously & if not trained it would climb at its own whims & fancy. Sky is the limit seems to be the mantra for the growth of all the vines. Tender leaves are fragile & it looks glassy & dark somewhere between purplelish (reddish-brown/black) & then it turns to green. The stem is dark brown with finely peeling bark.

Fortunately I got the chance to see both of them this year. This is the second bloom of the vine & absolutely no idea if it is going to have any pods or the seeds this year too. Last years the vine bore few small bunches & no seeds. Ironically even though the tiny little black-ants were milling in & out, I could not see any sign of sweet attraction of the bees or other insects including wasps & not sure if it attracts any birds with long beak like humming bird or nocturnal pollinators like the bats. Since it is not native to South India & with ever dwindling bugs & little birds, whether it calls for hand pollination like the vanilla (see my earlier article) or will it be able to produce pods & seeds has to be seen in time. It is advised to plant male & female vines side by side… well I really can’t identify them!! Sorry folks we cannot give you a plant as this cannot be propagated by cuttings it seems.

Even though I wanted to spend more time with the flowers, I had to bid good bye soon but I am definitely planning to monitor the flower in 2015 from beginning to end, record it & also will write about it along with the pictures in different stages to those who are interested. But if Mother Nature will favor me with a bloom that size in 2015 is a big question mark!! It is said that coffee grounds (used coffee powder) increase the number of bunches… How proud my plant Guru would have been to see the flower if it had bloomed an year earlier…

Note: Unfortunately rather sadly the jade bunch was cut by a naughty child who was visiting just before it bloomed. Hope the vine will be kind enough to grace one more large bunch in the near future.

Blue Colored Bees, am I kidding?

Thanks to all…

When I started off with my blog, even though I am very passionate about the things around me, I was apprehensive about my writing skill & how it will be received. But most of my friends, colleague & family encouraged me & continues to encourage me. When they find something interesting straightaway it ends up on my lap. My readers also have been very supportive & it reached four & a half thousand mark, its really motivational.

My best friend sent me this picture yesterday of two different kol-thenu (stick honey) so called because they build their hives on low lying straight branches of the shrubs/trees. It’s so very beautiful, truly a work of art… I always admire the engineering skills of Mr. & Mrs. Bees.

One is like a … oh it remind me of so many things… sawed teak log to monkey face to pizza to what not.. use your own imagination.

The second one is like the bottom half of India map.. what is eye catching is that in the first one you can see the gray coloured worker bee & the black dots are the head of the bees in the comb. You can see the pairs of eyes very clearly.

The third picture (close-up of second) you can see the blue colour of the bee baby just out in open… blue bee babies… I never saw anything like it before. You can also see the blue shade in the capped brood comb. Queen bee is supposed to be blue & by any chance if I get to photograph I will definitely share with you all!! I have heard of the mysterious blue & green coloured honey from Ribeauville in Alsace, North West of France gathered by the candy loving bees from the sugary waste of M&Ms. But I did not see blue honey bee babies before!! That too fully blue.. how coooolll.

This was found on my late friend Dr. Achaiah’s backyard, who was very passionate about the nature & its beings, so I have nick named it as “Achaiah’s blue baby bee”!!

blue baby bee1

blue baby bee2 blue baby bee3

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The cream coloured waxy substance in the h ive is the Royal jelly (aka bee’s milk) secreted from the glands in the heads of worker bees, is the honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae, as well as adult queens. However, it is fed to queen bee though out her live & to all larvae in the colony for the first three days, regardless whether they are destined to become drones (males), workers (sterile females), or queens (fertile females). It is also is the secret of queen bee’s longevity (4 – 5 years compared to one season for the workers). It is supposed to possess magical properties & used as a general health tonic, for fighting the effects of aging, & for boosting the immune system.

coorgstories

Stories, thoughts and my perspectives on the world around me. I'm from Coorg, in South India. Please share your thoughts, suggestions, comments and any feedback you have!

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