The river is dying, and once it’s gone, what will we be fighting for?” The film artfully expresses the struggle of Kaveri, a mother, whose veins bleed with the torture she goes through. It was released in three languages, Tamil, Kodava, and Kannada (coinciding with the regions through which the Kaveri flows). The sharing of waters of the Kaveri River has been the source of a serious conflict between the two states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.The genesis of this conflict rests in two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore.The 802 kilometres (498 mi) Kaveri river has 44,000 km 2 basin area in Tamil Nadu and 32,000 km 2 basin area in Karnataka. Argumentative essay ap lang thesis about in river Essay kaveri kannada my village essay in english pdf odia essay on debate. Argumentative essay on film industry. Gender discrimination in school essay! Short essay about my favourite animal? Essay on goa in sanskrit language, summary of. Kaveri River translation in English-Kannada dictionary. Found 0 sentences matching phrase 'Kaveri River'.Found in 0 ms.
The story of river-water sharing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is as winding as the Cauvery’s path. It is no surprise then that an easy solution has evaded the two states, and the Supreme Court-appointed water disputes tribunal.
But is the ongoing violence in Bengaluru really a water riot as some have dubbed it, or is it more because of Kannada pride?
The answer isn’t easy to arrive at.
Consider the violence so far. On Monday, a fleet of buses owned by a Tamil businessman was torched at a depot in Bengaluru, and vehicles with Tamil Nadu registrations were targeted.
The whole cycle is eerily reminiscent of the 1991 riots in Bengaluru. Then, as now, the targets of the violence in which 23 people were killed were Tamils – and the violence began after the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal ordered the release of water to Tamil Nadu.
Then, as now, it was clear that the violence was not so much about water as it was about something else: Kannada identity.
The scholar Janaki Nair, who has studied these convulsions in detail, has noted that the attacks were about “securing the identity of Kannada through attacks on linguistic minorities.” Further, the attacks were characterised by an envy of Tamil Nadu’s “political and cultural solidarity”.
The Kannada activist stereotype
Take your average Kannada activist in Bengaluru: he (and it very often is a male) feels that he has a legitimate grievance. As Nair and others have noted, in administrative matters, Kannada has given way to English. In entertainment, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films dominate the city. This leaves few public spheres for Kannada. Literature, where Kannada writers have for decades produced world-class writing, is one such sphere, but it hardly has mass appeal.
Broadly speaking, scholars identify two streams in Kannada nationalism, which flowered in the early 20th century: a spiritual nationalism and a fear-centred one (there are other ideological strands too). The former, spearheaded by Alura Venkat Rao, was gentler, yet it ignored the contribution of Tulu, Kodava and Muslim cultures. The latter, led by Chidananda Murthy, has proved to be more enduring and attractive. As the name suggests, fear-centred nationalism thrives on confrontation, antagonism and violence. It is this strand that has endured as Bengaluru has undergone yet more demographic upheaval in the last few decades.
Bengaluru’s demographics
Kannada activists may claim the whole of Bengaluru, but the city has for decades, even centuries, been home to people from all parts of the South. The area known as Bengaluru was under the control of the Western Gangas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Marathas, even briefly, the Mughals; then Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, before passing to the Wodeyars under the British. In fact, even the so-called recent Tamils settled here decades ago in the British Cantonment part of the city. It was only in 1949 that all parts of Bengaluru were brought under a common municipal administration.
Geographically speaking, Bengaluru is, as the scholar J Heitzman put it, “a morning’s drive away from Tamil-speaking Tamil Nadu, Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh, and Malayalam-speaking Kerala”. Small wonder then, that the city can rival any other Indian city for cosmopolitanism. The expansion in the last two decades has only added to this mix.
The bottomline is that this fear-centred Kannada nationalism coupled with demographic change makes for a volatile mix, ready for exploitation by politicians.
But the 15,000 cusecs question then is: how different are things this time round?
Not anti-Tamil, not really
Professor AR Vasavi, a social anthropologist who has studied this phenomenon, has a different view.
“The riots are really a manifestation of two really large problems,” she said. “One, it is misgovernance. The political system has not been able to handle issues such as natural resource management and the growth of the city. Two, it’s rooted in the excessive attention that has been paid to the global economy of Bengaluru, and the neglect of other economies in the city.”
“These other economies have lumpen elements,' she continued, 'and for these people, these disruptions are an opportunity.”
Kannada writer Vasant Shetty said, “things changed in the last 10 years. Do you know that the number one community which wants to learn Kannada in Bengaluru is the Tamil community? The new generation of Kannada activism – even for most people in the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike – is characterised by maturity and understanding.”
A key aspect of the violence, said Shetty, is the media’s fondness of reducing every incident into a binary. “TV news channel camerapersons sometimes choreograph these incidents, asking rioters to perform acts for the camera,” he said.
So clearly there is more than meets the eye here.
Yes, the violence is rooted in the need for river water. For example, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has only considered one-third of the city has part of the river basin, and allocated very little to the city’s water needs.
Yes, demographic changes in the last two decades have resulted in increased tensions.
But it also true that a more nuanced approach is needed from all stakeholders, from the people of Bengaluru, the government and lastly, the media. “To read it all as Kannada vs Tamil, insider vs outsider, as Vasavi points out, 'is very inadequate.”
HR Venkatesh is Founder-Editor of NetaData, an independent and non-partisan news service focused on Indian politics.
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Temple Village | |
Coordinates: 12°23′N75°31′E / 12.38°N 75.52°ECoordinates: 12°23′N75°31′E / 12.38°N 75.52°E | |
Country | India |
---|---|
State | Karnataka |
District | Kodagu |
Elevation | 1,276 m (4,186 ft) |
Languages | |
• Official | Kannada,Arebhase, Kodava and Tulu |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Talakaveri Temple | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
District | Kodagu |
Deity | Kaveramma (Kaveri Matha) |
Festivals | Tula Shankramana |
Location | |
Location | Brahmagiri hills, Bhagamandala, India |
State | Karnataka |
Country | India |
Elevation | 1,276 m (4,186 ft) |
Talakaveri or Talacauvery is the place that is generally considered to be the source of the river Kaveri and a holy place for many Hindus. It is located on Brahmagiri hills near Bhagamandala in Coorg district, Karnataka. It is located close to the border with Kasaragod district of Kerala State. Talakaveri stands at a height of 1,276 m. above sea level. However, there is not a permanent visible flow from this place to the main rivercourse except during the Monsoon.
A tank or kundike has been erected on a hillside, at the place that is said to be the origin. It is also marked by a small temple, and the area is frequented by pilgrims mainly it is the worship place of kodavas. The river originates as a spring feeding this tank, which is considered to be a holy place to bathe on special days. The waters are then said to flow underground to emerge as the Kaveri river some distance away. The temple has been renovated extensively by the state government recently (2007).
On Cauvery Sankramana (colloquial changrandi) day (the first day of Tula Masa month , according to the Hindu calendar, which normally falls in mid October) thousands of pilgrims from neighboring flock to the river's birthplace to witness the rise of the fountainhead, when water gushes up from the spring at a predetermined moment. The cauvery changrandi (Sacred bath in the Tula month) is observed across pilgrim towns in Kaveri's banks.[1]
Talakaveri is about 8 km away from Bhagamandala, 36 km from Panathur (Kerala) and 48 km from Madikeri.
Pilgrim center[edit]
The temple here is dedicated to Goddess Kaveramma. Other deities worshipped here are Lord Agasthiswara, which denotes the link between Kaveri and SageAgasthya[2].
Talakaveri temple after renovation in 2010 by the state government
The link between Kaveri and Lord Ganesha extends to Srirangam, in Lord Ganesha's role in setting up the Ranganatha temple there.
The temple at Tirumakudalu Narasipura (confluence of Kabini, Kaveri and the legendary Spatika Sarovara)) is also dedicated to Agasthiwara.
Talakaveri Temple during Monsoon 2016
History of the temple priests of Talakaveri[edit]
It is believed that Mayura Varma, and Narasimman the Kadamba King who ruled vast areas of southern and central India in the 4th Century A.D. brought Brahmins from Ahi Kshetra (or Ahichatra) and put them in-charge of various temples in Tulu Nadu. Ahi Kshetra is mentioned in the Mahabharata as lying north of the Ganges, and as being the capital of Northern Panchala. It is apparently the Adisadra of Ptolemy, and its remains are visible near Ramnagar in Tahsil Aonla in Bareilly district.[3]
The Brahmins who first landed in Shivalli in Tulunadu and then spread across 31 villages came to be known as Shivalli Brahmins or Tulu Brahmins. It is from Shivalli and Tulu Brahmins, that the priests of Talakaveri temple have come from.
Talakaveri Road
Achar Family of Talakaveri[edit]
The beginning of the Achar family in Talakaveri starts ten generations or about 220 to 240 years ago. A Brahmin named Venkappayya and his two brothers, along with their families came to Talakaveri on a pilgrimage. Lingaraja the First was the ruler of Kodagu from 1780 to 1790 AD. One night God appeared in Lingaraja's dream and indicated that there was a Brahmin family currently visiting Talakaveri. God commanded Lingaraja to appoint this Brahmin to be the priest at the temple. After the king arose from his dream, he sent for this Brahmin family. The king's messengers found Venkappayya in Talakaveri and informed him about the king's desire. Venkappayya accompanied the king's messengers from Talakaveri to Madikeri, a distance of about 24 miles to meet the king.[citation needed]
Lingaraja received Venkappayya and requested him to start daily puja at the temple. The king set up an endowment to pay Venkappayya for his services at the temple. This was the beginning of the Achar family of Talacauvery. The priesthood bestowed by Lingaraja upon Venkappayya has passed on through many generations to his heirs. It is hereditary as most priesthoods are, and all male members of the family have the birthright to become priests at the temple. The current Achars are the ninth generation from Venkappayya.[4]
Venkappayya came from Shivalli Halli (village) of South Canara district. The Brahmins here were called Putturayas, probably meaning priests from Puttur. This Puttur is near Udupi. Venkappayya Putturaya's descendants are the Achars. It is not known why the descendants of Venkappayya took on the surname of Achar. Although Venkappayya came to Talakaveri with his two brothers, only Venkappayya's descendants are documented.
Talakaveri gate
Nearby[edit]
The Brahmagiri hill is situated right beside the temple. There are a series of steps leading to the top of the hill.
From there, one can have a 360 degree view of the surrounding hills. The nearest International Airport is in Kannur at a distance of 117 kilometres (70 mi),The nearest Railway station is in Kanhangad kerala at a distance of 72 kilometres (40 mi).
Panoramic view from the temple during Monsoon 2016
Rainfall[edit]
It is situated in the dense forests of the Western Ghats and gets very heavy annual rainfall of close to 7000 mm and is among the wettest place in the state of Karnataka.
Comparisons[edit]
The table below compares rainfall between Agumbe in Thirthahalli taluk in Shimoga district, Hulikal in Hosanagara taluk in Shimoga district, Amagaon in Khanapur Taluk in Belgaum district and Talacauvery in Madikeri taluk in Kodagu district, Kokalli of Sirsi Taluk ,Nilkund of Siddapur Taluk, Castle Rock of Supa(Joida) Taluk in Uttara Kannada District to show which one can be called the 'Cherrapunji of South India'.[5]
Year | Hulikal Rainfall (mm) | Agumbe Rainfall (mm) | Amagaon Rainfall (mm) | Talacauvery Rainfall (mm) [6] | Kokalli Rainfall (mm) | Nilkund Rainfall (mm) | Castle Rock Rainfall (mm) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | 5,700 | 6,311 | 4,733 | 5,859 | 3130 | 4981 | 5560 |
2016 | 5,721 | 6,449 | 4,705 | 5,430 | 2682 | 4655 | 4968 |
2015 | 6,035 | 5,518 | 4,013 | 5,319 | 2730 | 4367 | 3667 |
2014 | 7,907 | 7,917 | 5,580 | 7,844 | 8746 | 6710 | 5956 |
2013 | 9,383 | 8,770 | 8,440 | 8,628 | 4464 | 7082 | 3667 |
2012 | 8,409 | 6,933 | 5,987 | 5,722 | 5036 | 5398 | 6165 |
2011 | 8,523 | 7,921 | 9,368 | 6,855 | 4437 | 6593 | 7083 |
2010 | 7,717 | 6,929 | 10,068 | 6,794 | 4002 | - | - |
2009 | 8,357 | 7,982 | - | - | - | - | - |
2008 | 7,115 | 7,199 | - | - | - | - | - |
2007 | 9,038 | 8,255 | - | - | - | - | - |
2006 | 8,656 | 8,457 | - | - | -[7][8] | - | - |
Kannada Songs On Kaveri River Temple
References[edit]
- ^'Talakaveri'. Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2006.
- ^'The Rishi Agasthya And Vinayaka'. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2007.
- ^Allchin, Frank Raymond; George Erdosy (1995). The archaeology of early historic South Asia: the emergence of cities and states. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press. p. 297. ISBN0-521-37547-9.
- ^http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/a/c/h/Raj-Acharya-CA/PDFBOOK1.pdf
- ^Hulikal in Shimoga district is wettest in State from TheHindu.com accessed 23 March 2013
- ^Amagaon has got over 10,000 mm annual rainfall twice in the five years (2006-2010). The exact amount of rainfall is not available. See Amagaon is now Cherrapunji of South from DeccanHerald.com accessed 23 March 2013
- ^'Govt of Karnataka Rainfall Statistics (Kokalli)'(PDF). DES.
- ^'Rainfall Statistics of Karnataka'. DES Karanataka.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Talakaveri. |
Kannada Songs On Kaveri River Flow
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