Once upon a time, Coorg was regal. Its beautiful, lush green meadows were never abandoned. The natives of Coorg never considered moving elsewhere as they were sure they would never find a paradise this comforting. Tending to his land was his best skill and a bountiful harvest was the biggest celebration for a Kodava.

But as man’s doings took their toll on Mother Nature, the aftershocks were experienced in the beautiful land of Coorg as well. Coffee cultivation became a hard and expensive affair. Water shortage and irregular rainfall made things still harder.

With such a huge outflow of people from Coorg, the Kodava planters found it an arduous task to find people to work for them in such a labour-intensive industry.

But as the grass on the other side always seems greener, this was the case here as well. As all these people had a feel of the city, they realized it was nothing so glorious after all. It left them longing for their native land adorned by beautiful valleys. Somehow, all the hard work put in on the plantations seemed immensely sweeter than city life.

Culture had come full circle and was slowly reaching a point where it had commenced. The youth were slowly beginning to realize what Coorg was worth, and returning to this paradise on earth. They were coming back to reclaim what their fore fathers had left them, and trying to carry on the beautiful legacy of the Coffee Planter.

A Young Coorg

This inflow of young blood into Coorg is changing Coorg’s image. After a long day of hard work, everyone wants to just sit back and enjoy themselves. To suit this need, planters have joined hands and set up private clubs that are popping up all over Coorg. Meant only for members, these clubs are beautifully maintained. Some of them have been around for years. However, their image is changing gradually.

The Coorg Sports Club

The clubs provide the people a good reason to socialize and stay in touch. They are provided with amenities like tennis and badminton courts, swimming pools, snooker tables, and beautiful pubs, the latest additions being dance floors. A good example is the Coorg Sports Club. It has been around for a while now, but has recently undergone a drastic makeover. The club has beautifully manicured lawns and serves fine cuisine. The latest addition is a brilliantly done pub with a dance floor. It is just as comforting as a Scottish pub in the bosom of beautiful mountains and valleys.

The New Pub

It is nice to observe how Coorg is changing to suit the needs of a younger generation of planters who are taking over this land. The change is beautiful as it leaves its surroundings unharmed.

Bavna Achayya

Bavna Achayya is a B.Com student at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She is the daughter of a coffee planter from Coorg and is greatly interested in plantations herself. She is passionate about writing and photography and calls the environment her main inspiration.