Madikeri, Oct. 27: The 12th year Kodava Namme program will be held at the Kodava Cultural and Sports Complex of the Kodava Samaj Kodava Union in Balugod. With the aim of preserving and developing Kodava culture, customs, traditions and sportsmanship and creating awareness among the youth about this, this program was started under the name Kodava Namme by organizing a hockey match, tug-of-war and other Kodava folk art competitions among inter-Kodava societies in a festive manner during the tenure of Mallengada Dada Belyappa, who was previously the president of the union.
Now the 12th year Kodava Namme will be held from November 6 to 9, and the F.M. Kariappa Cultural Center in Balugod is getting ready. There are about 35 Kodava societies in and outside the state, including Kodagu, and this program is held every year as a competition between inter-Kodava societies.
More than 15 Kodava societies participated in last year's Kodava Namme. About 70 teams participated in eight types of folk competitions in the cultural competition. Hockey, tug-of-war, heavy gun competition, will be held separately for men and women. Along with this, a coconut shooting competition will also be held, which is open to all castes.
Women's hockey added
This time, it has been decided to organize a 5-a-side hockey tournament especially between inter-Kodava societies. So far, 15 Kodava societies have registered in the men's category and 7 Kodava societies in the women's category. The same number of teams are expected to participate in the cultural competition as last year.
In the cultural competition, various Kodava societies can compete in the Kolat, Bolakat, Parayakali, Katthiyat, Ummathat, Sammanda Adkvo, Balopat and Talipat competitions, and the last day for registration is 30th. Kambirada Kittu Kalappa and Tambukuthira Madhu are the sports coordinators, Kalimada M. Motayya and Hanchettira Manu Muddappa are the cultural coordinators, and Virajpet Kodava Samaj President Ammunichanda Ravi Uthappa is working as the catering committee coordinator. The four-day program will be held under the leadership of the union president Kallichanda Vishnu Kariappa, secretary Vaterira Shankari Poovayya and the team. Various Kodava Samaj teams are practicing for the competition.
Program details
The sports competition will begin with a puja on November 6. The inauguration of the hockey tournament and the coconut shooting competition will be held on that day. Sports competitions will continue on the 7th, and a 5A side women's hockey match will be held. On the 8th, a tribute to the martyred soldiers of the district, a tug-of-war, and a heavy gun throwing competition will be held at the war memorial in the union premises.
This time's Kodava Namme will conclude with cultural competitions and the final competition of the sports event from the morning on the 9th. Food will be provided on all days. Representatives of the district and other prominent people will participate in the program, informed the union's secretary Shankari Poovaiah. Various development works are being carried out with the Rs. 6 crore grant received by the union through the state government, including the construction of the sports ground and gallery. 80 percent of the work has already been completed.
