The following is a list of prominent

Kodavas The Kodava people or Kodavas are an ethno-linguistic group from the region of Kodagu district, Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava language. They are traditionally land-owning agriculturists and pat ...

(also known as the Coorg or Coorgi community).

Religion

Kalyatanda Ponnappa Kalyatanda Ponnappa was a 17th-century warrior of Kodagu (Coorg). Since he was deified after his death, the people of Kodagu consider him to be a god. He is also known as Kaliat-Achchappa or Kaliat Ajjappa. Early life Ponnappa was born in ...

(c.1600) was a religious leader and warrior who is now worshipped as a demi-god *

Sadguru Appayya Swami Appaiah Swami or Sadguru Appayya Swami (ಅಪ್ಪಯ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ 1885–1956) (not to be mistaken with Appayya Swamy, a 17th-century Carnatic Musician and scholar of Tamil Nadu) was a Hindu Indian spiritual master who lived in Virajpet ...

(1885–1956), (born of Kodava parents) founder of Kaveri Ashram, a Hindu monastery in Virajpet, born as Palanganda Appaiah, ordained into Sannyas (monkhood) by Guru Ramgiri. *

Swami Narayanananda Swami Narayanananda (12 April 1902 – 26 February 1988) was a teacher of Vedanta philosophy. Life and work He was born in Kongana, B. Shettigeri, a village in Coorg, Karnataka state, South India. From an early age, he practised regular m ...

Swami Shambhavananda Swami Shambhavananda (1894–1972) was an Indian Hindu monk who pioneered beekeeping in Kodagu and secondary education in Mysore. Born in Halugunda village in the Thelapanda family of Kodagu as Chengappa, Shambhavananda joined the Ramakrish ...

Indian Independence Movement

Mathanda Appachu Mathanda Appachu was an Indian warrior and freedom fighter. He was an officer in Chikka Vira Rajendra's army. He was from Bollumad village in Beppunad in Kodagu. He was also known as Madanta Appachu. He defeated the British in battle in 1834. ...

, defeated the British in battle in 1834 *

Pandyanda Belliappa Pandyanda I. Belliappa (or Pandianda I. Belliappa) was a Gandhian, a freedom fighter and politician from the erstwhile state of Coorg. Freedom struggle Belliappa entered politics in 1921 as a member of the Coorg Planters' Association. He later ...

(also called Pandianda Belliappa or P I Belliappa) Gandhian, Freedom fighter, politician, journalist. *

C M Poonacha Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha was the Chief Minister of Coorg, Minister in Mysore State, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha), Union Railway Minister of India and Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Governor of Orissa. Freedom Movement ...

(Cheppudira Muthanna Poonacha) Gandhian, Freedom fighter, politician.

Armed forces

* Field Marshal

K M Cariappa ' Field Marshal (India), Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Chief of the Army Staff (India), Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. He led Indian forces on the Western Fron ...

(Kodandera family), OBE, first Indian Commissioned Officer, later became first Indian General and then first Commander-in-Chief of India. High Commissioner (Ambassador in the Commonwealth) of India in Australia and New Zealand, Field Marshal in 1986. Residency Road and a park in Bangalore has been renamed after him. * General

K. S. Thimayya General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya (31 March 1906 - 18 December 1965) was a distinguished soldier of the Indian Army who served as Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961 in the crucial years leading up to the conflict with China in 1962. Gen. ...

(Kodandera), DSO, secured Ladakh for India during the Kashmir War of 1948, General and Chief of the Indian Army, after retirement he led the UN peacekeeping forces during when he won International acclaim, Chairman of the Repatriation Committee after Korean War, died in Cyprus, his statue was set up in Singapore Wax Museum, the Cyprus Govt. issued stamps in his honour. Richmond Road in Bangalore has been renamed after him. * General A C Iyappa, first chief of

Bharat Electronics Limited Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is an Indian Government-owned aerospace and defence electronics company. It primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications. BEL is one of nine PSUs under the Ministry ...

* Squadron Leader A B Devaiah (Ajjamada), who shot down an enemy aircraft before presumably dying in Pakistan during the 1965 war. He is the only Air Force officer to be awarded the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously. *

Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna Major Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna was a war hero of India. Early life Mangerira Chinnappa Muthanna was born in Chettimani village (near Bhagamandala), Kodagu district (Coorg) on 21 April 1964. Army service He joined OTA, Chennai in Oct 1984 an ...

Army Martyr *

Pattacheruvanda C. Thimayya Lieutenant General Pattacheruvanda Chengappa Thimayya, PVSM, VSM, ADC is a former General Officer in the Indian Army. He was the 21st General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Army Training Command. He assumed office on 1 November 2018 fr ...

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

of Indian Army

Sports

Ashwini Ponnappa Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda (born 18 September 1989) is an Indian badminton player who represents the country at the international badminton circuit in both the women's and mixed doubles disciplines. She had a successful partnership with Jwal ...

- Indian

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

player *

Jagat and Anita Nanjappa Jagat and Anita Nanjappa are a well-known couple in the sport of motor racing in India. They belong to the Kodava people, Kodava community and are natives of Kodagu district of Karnataka. They have participated and won many motorbike and car rall ...

- motor racers *

Joshna Chinappa Joshna Chinappa (born 15 September 1986) is an Indian professional squash player. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 10 in July 2016. She was the first Indian to win the British Junior Squash Championship title in 2005 in t ...

- Indian

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

player *

Rohan Bopanna Rohan Bopanna ( ; born 4 March 1980) is an Indian professional tennis player. His singles career-high ranking was world No. 213 in 2007 and his career-high ranking in doubles was world No. 3 on 22 July 2013. He has been a member of the Indian ...

- Indian tennis player *

K. C. Cariappa Air Marshal Kodandera Cariappa 'Nanda' Cariappa is a former Air Officer in the Indian Air Force. He is the son of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army post-independence. Military career Air M ...

, professional cricketer *

Robin Uthappa Robin Venu Uthappa (; born 11 November 1985) is a former Indian cricketer, who last played for Kerala in domestic cricket & Chennai Super Kings in IPL. Robin has represented team India in ODIs and T20Is. Uthappa made his One Day International ...

, Indian Cricketer

Hockey

Kodavas have a long history of association with the game of

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

. The district of

Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies ...

is considered as the ''cradle of Indian hockey''. *

A B Subbaiah Anjaparavanda Bopaiah Subbaiah is a former Indian hockey goalkeeper and coach. Early life He was born in Madikeri ( Kodagu district, Karnataka) into the Kodava community. He played hockey for his school, St. Michael's Madikeri, as a fourte ...

- Indian field hockey goalkeeper and coach. *

Len Aiyappa Len Aiyappa (born 31 March 1979) is an Indian professional field hockey player. He remained one of India's best drag-flickers until he retired from the national team following a fallout with the Indian Hockey Federation in 2006. He last played ...

- Indian field hockey player. * M. M. Somaya - Indian field hockey player. * M. P. Ganesh - Indian field hockey captain and coach. *

S. K. Uthappa Sannuvanda Kushalappa Uthappa (born 2 December 1993) is an Indian professional field hockey player who plays as an Field hockey#Positions, attacking midfielder for the India men's national field hockey team, India national team and Kalinga Lance ...

- Indian field hockey player.

Civil office

B. B. Ashok Kumar B. B. Ashok Kumar (also known as Tiger Ashok Kumar) is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police credited with arresting several notorious criminals and the many police encounters in which he was involved trying to capture hardened criminals ...

, police officer * C B Muthamma (Chonira), first woman

Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...

officer * C. G. Somiah was the first IAS Officer from

Coorg Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State. It occupies ...

to rise to be the Home Secretary, Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and Comptroller and Auditor General. *Diwan Bahadur Ketoli Chengappa, administrator (Chief Commissioner of Coorg province) Shri.Kodandera.Chengappa Maddappa (I.A.S) the first Kodava Secretary to the President of India under Dr.Sanjeeva Reddy.

Law and order

* Rao Bahadur IGP P.K.Monnappa (Pemmanda), IPS Officer, DGP of Madras, helped suppress the Nizam's rebellion in Hyderabad in 1950 as part of the Police Action led by Sardar Patel, IGP of Hyderabad then of Mysore, also first police chief of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. * A. S. Bopanna (Ajjikuttira Somaiah Bopanna) is a Judge of Supreme Court of India. He is former Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court. He is also former Judge of Karnataka High Court. He was born in Madikeri, Kodagu on 20 May 1959.

Actors

Prema (Kannada actress) Neravanda Chetticha Prema is an Indian actress known for her work predominantly in Kannada , Telugu and few Tamil and Malayalam language films. She has appeared in many commercially successful and critically acclaimed feature films. She was a ...

Rashmika Mandanna Rashmika Mandanna (born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada films besides few Hindi and Tamil films. She is a recipient of four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. She made her acting debut ...

Gulshan Devaiah Gulshan Devaiah is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Hindi films. He is known for his roles in ''Shaitan'', ''Hate Story'' and '' Hunterrr''. His performance in Shaitan was critically praised and earned him a nomination for Filmfare Awar ...

Literature

Appachcha Kavi Appachcha Kavi (born 21 September 1868, d. circa 1930) was an Indian poet and playwright. He belonged to the Kodava community. He is known as the first playwright in the Kodava language. Early life Appachcha (also spelt: Appacha) was born in ...

(also called Appachu Kavi), playwright *

Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa are translators and scholars of Kodava studies. Their '' Pattole Palame'' was written using the Kannada script originally. It has been translated into English by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa and has been pub ...

, translators, authors *

B D Ganapathy Bācamāḍa Ḍevaiah Gaṇapati (1920–1997) was an Indian writer, scholar and journalist writing in English, Kannada and Kodava Takk, covering religion, anthropology and philosophy. He is particularly noted for his coverage of the Kodagu ...

I. M. Muthanna Dr. I. M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator; he wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava takk and studied history, folklore and international studies. He was born in Kodagu Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) ...

author and translator *

Nadikerianda Chinnappa Nadikerianda Chinnappa (1875–1931) was an Indian compiler, poet, translator, army man, police officer, cricket player, singer and philanthropist from Kodagu. Origins Ancestry The Nadikerianda clan name originated from the words ''Nadu keri ...

, folklore compiler

Entrepreneurs

* Kavya Madappa, Amanvana Spa Resort Coorg, Bluecat Paper Founder, * N S Narendra, Firepro founder

Politics

Prema Cariappa Iychettira Prema Cariappa is an Indian political and social worker. A politician from Indian National Congress party, she was a former Mayor of Bangalore and a former MP (member of the Parliament of India), as she was representing Karnataka in ...

, Mayor of Bangalore, Rajya Sabha MP *

Appachu Ranjan M. P. Appachu Ranjan (born 11 September 1957) is an Indian politician who was the former Minister for Youth Services and Sports in Karnataka, a state in Southern India. He is a leader of the BJP in Karnataka and a fifth time Member of the Karn ...

, former sports minister, Government of Karnataka

Music

Biddu Appaiah Biddu Appaiah (born 8 February 1944) is a British-Indian singer-songwriter, composer, and music producer who composed and produced many worldwide hit records during a career spanning five decades. Considered one of the pioneers of disco, Euro d ...

is a Kodava (Coorgi) by birth. He is a British Indian musician and winner of Grammy award. He was pivotal in the career success of sister-brother duo, Nazia and Zoheb Hassan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Kodavas

Kodava people