Koppa - Kashmir of Karnataka

When I saw the "Brahmopadesham" invite from my uncle who stays in Koppa, without a second thought I made sure to confirm my dad that I would be joining! Koppa is located in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka. It is famous for coffee and tea plantations. I have heard my cousins say that it’s a beautiful town which is always present in every traveller’s dream destination list. How can I ever miss out on an opportunity like that?!

We reached Koppa early in the morning. The sky was clear and the place was green everywhere. I loved the smell of green! It makes me rejuvenated. Enjoying the weather, we walked to my uncle’s place. When I reached, I could see kids playing and hear thunderous laughter. The atmosphere was very festive. I was pleased to see all my cousins. They welcomed me and the ‘Camera’. My kaki offered us Koppa special coffee and it was strikingly delicious. We got ready for the Upanayanam.

The function was arranged in the premises of a temple. I was impressed by my little cousin who was performing all the rituals with so much dedication. Seeing his dedication, I ran to my parents and asked them to explain to me the significance of Upanayanam. With a broad smile, my father explained that ‘Upa’ means near and ‘Nayana’ means eyes and Upanayana means being by the side of teacher. He also said that Upanayana is performed at the time when a child is ready to start schooling. My mom added that Bramhopadesha (Upanayanam) signifies the schooling phase of a child and hence we call the child Brahmachari. My mottiaaye(Grad-mom) who was sitting next to me, also couldn’t resist but add that during Upanayana the child would receive its first lesson (Gayatri Mantra) from its first guru, who is the father. She said that the mantra causes vibrations in the body and rejuvenates the body and the mind with positive energy. At that point I realised that there is significance and meaning behind all the ritual practices and I was just a fool for not knowing it.

My cousins and I took a walk in the evening. It had rained heavily an hour ago and the sky opened up and the sunset painted the sky. It was mesmerizing. Looking at the weather my cousin said Masala puri To banta hi hai. We spent the entire night planning about next day’s schedule.

The next morning, I got up as early as I could and was ready to explore more of Koppa. We first planned to visit Sirimane falls which is 5 kms from Kigga, Sringeri.

 This place is like a hidden treasure. It’s located deep into the woods. We climbed down a few steps to reach the falls. We went up to the waterfall. When I stood under the waterfall, I felt like I was receiving a natural massage therapy. It was an amazing experience. An interesting fact is that the waterfall feeds coffee estates and paddy fields. It was an awesome place.

After the darshanam at Sringeri Sri Sharadamba temple, we headed for Kuppalli. Kuppalli is a small village in Thirthahalli taluk, Shivamogga. It’s the home town of Rastra Kavi ‘KUVEMPU’. We stopped by Kuvempu’s home which is now converted into a museum. The entire house looked like a glaring castle which stood majestically amidst the greens. 

It’s a vintage three- storey building with tile roof (ಹಂಚಿನ ಮನೆ). The ground floor had a kitchen (ಅಡಿಗೆ ಮನೆ), store room (ಸಾಮಾನು ಕೋಣೆ), bananti kone, bedrooms etc. It was an authentic traditional house. Another amazing thing which we noticed is that the wall clock which is stopped at 1:03; it is the time when Kuvmpu passed away.

As we walked around the house we could see Kuvempu’s sayings engraved on the walls. Some of which were,

ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಪತ್ರಿಕೆ, ಕೆಲವು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಗ್ರಂಥಗಳು ಇರಬೇಕಾದುದು ಸದ್ಗುಣದ ಲಕ್ಷಣ

Meaning, One good news paper and a few knowledgeable books is the definition of a noble house. 

ಬದುಕುವ ಛಲ ಮತ್ತು ಹಠ ಇದ್ದವನಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರವೇ ಬದುಕು 

Firm determination to live and aiming at it at any cost what may come, assures life fulfillment.

ಎಲ್ಲಾದರು ಇರು ಎಂತಾದರು ಇರು ಎಂದೆಂದಿಗು ನೀ ಕನ್ನಡವಾಗಿರು, ಕನ್ನಡವೇ ಸತ್ಯ, ಕನ್ನಡವೇ ನಿತ್ಯ 

Where ever you are, however you are, forever you be a Kannadiga. Kannada is the truth, daily it is Kannada.

We could also hear Kuvempu’s poem sung by late C.Ashwath in the background which made us climb the first floor. The first floor is all about his achivemants, certificate, medals, awards...etc. We all came out of the house inspired and headed to ‘Kavishaila’.

Kavishaila is about half a km from Kuvempus home. This is believed to be the place where he first started penning down sitting on the rocks of Kavishaila. This is in the midst of greenery and it is breath taking.

However, all good things eventually come to an end and it was 6 o’clock, we had to head back home. I wished we had 48 hrs a day!

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign”. Every place is beautiful and exploring new places made me realise how small I am!