Delightful and thoughtful article by Mamatha Subbaiah. Women have always held pride of place with equal rights and stature in Kodava Society, with few parallels. When we discussed this article with a few of our sounding board readers, they recalled countless formidable stories of strong personalities – Grandmothers, Mothers, Aunts and even Karanchis (Merianda Okka).
Kodava Women have excelled in every field – Foreign Service/Diplomats, Administrative Services, Armed Forces, Para Military Forces, Medical, Education, Forestry, Hospitality, Entrepreneurs, Corporate Professionals, Actors, Writers, Journalists and of course legendary sportspersons.
Post independence and right up-to the 70s and 80s, women teachers held pride of place in all educational institutions across this district. As a consequence, discipline and education of their own families and in the villages they came from was given top priority. It was not surprising to see children of that generation becoming doctors and engineers who have done very well in the profession. This has sadly declined quite substantially.
And here is an equally important phenomenon. Before (IMFL) Indian Made Foreign Liquor hit the now ubiquitous liquor shops which are embarrassingly are amongst the first establishments to open in Kodagu, the local brewing “stills” were always controlled by the matriarch of the family. Drunkenness was staunchly looked down upon and availability of local liquor was well controlled. With the loss of control by women, alcoholism is rather out of control in Kodagu – once again the time is ripe for the women to step in and take charge!
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There have been legendary stories of the support that the “better half” has provided in the joint efforts to create or revive coffee plantations, especially in my parents generation. This phenomenon gathered momentum when people living in a joint-family set-up in AineMane set out to create their own fortunes, in addition to the traditional paddy cultivation that existed. In addition, unfortunate circumstances from an early demise of the husband has revealed the grit and perseverance of the much respected stature of the Kodavathi, where she has demonstrated her capabilities to maintain, if not excel in this field too.
As a woman coffee planter in Kodagu, my relationship with coffee is not merely economic, it is emotional, ancestral and deeply personal. Coffee here is not merely a plantation crop, it is nurtured within families as a tradition and added much needed economic prosperity, to the land, as was the case initially with rice cultivation. Yet, behind the aroma that the world enjoys with our unique shade grown coffee, lies a daily struggle that many do not see.
Climate change has altered our rhythm of work. Earlier, the skies followed a pattern we could trust. Today, blossom showers arrive too early or too late, with devastating consequences. As women who manage both home and plantations, we often find ourselves anxiously watching the clouds, knowing that one untimely downpour can undo months of curated labour.
Pests and diseases have become more aggressive. The white stem borer and leaf rust no longer spare even well-maintained estates. With rising costs of fertilizer and limited scientific guidance reaching small planters, we are forced to make difficult choices, protect the crop or cut expenses and risk losses.
One of the biggest challenges we face is the shortage of labour. Harvest season, once a time of collective effort and shared meals, has turned stressful. Skilled workers are hard to find, wages have increased and as women, we often step into fields ourselves, plucking, supervising and managing after finishing household responsibilities.
The rising cost of cultivation weighs heavily on us. From fertilizers to maintenance, expenses keep increasing. While coffee prices remain uncertain, international markets decide our fate, leaving small planters financially vulnerable and the consequential stress.
Wildlife conflict has added another layer of fear. Elephants, wild boars and monkeys frequently enter plantations, damaging crops and infrastructure. This has become a constant concern for safety.
Financial stress has become a silent burden. Managing loans, repayments and household needs alongside unpredictable income takes a toll on mental well-being. Women often shoulder this stress quietly ensuring that families remain stable even when plantations suffer.
A growing challenge is coffee theft. During harvest ripe cherries disappear, overnight are not merely a financial setback, they shake confidence and security. What makes the issue worse is the lack of deterrence. Stolen coffee finds its way into informal markets with ease, while complaints rarely lead to swift action.
Despite all this, we continue. We continue because these lands were nurtured by our parents and grandparents. We continue because coffee, like cultivation of our wetlands, is a part of Kodagu’s identity and ours. Because behind every cup of Kodagu coffee is a woman who has watched the sky, faced the forest, balanced the home, and still chosen to place her faith in the land.
The time has come for a complete relook at the life of a small planter that constitutes the majority of planters in Kodagu. The woman planter can and should contribute in many ways:
- create and manage proper BUDGETS – after all we learn to manage our households with extraordinary skills!
- seek additional revenue streams with home scale produce taken to market – instead of passively watching the ungainly sight of “outsiders” set up all the shops for tourists. These “uncontrolled” units become a ready outlet for stolen produce.
- encourage value addition to the primary crop by directly reaching/selling products to tourists and develop a network through them.
- “responsible” Homestay units with high standards of cleanliness, traditional hospitality and “appropriate” pricing. DO NOT LOWER STANDARDS and UNDERPRICE. Our industry organisations like the Homestay Association and COHERA should take the lead in setting guidelines, training and ensuring compliance by all stakeholders.
The well written article by Mamatha Subbaiah reflects the lifestyle of the Kodavathi in villages in the early and middle 20th century. The acute shortage of skilled labour was not prevalent as people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and neighbouring districts used to come. The availability of resources became difficult with policy changes by the succeeding governments and availability of local resources became scarce.
It was not at all uncommon for all members of the family involving themselves with the estate work and also during the paddy season. When we worked ourselves we valued the produce and land more than we do now. And of course, the pressure of social commitments and related costs of “nammes” was much less. Women also had alternate sources of income be it as it may as teachers, sale of home produce and strict control over the budget. Things have changed quite drastically.
This beautifully captures the often unseen strength of Kodava women, especially some coffee planters who balance tradition, family, land, and mounting challenges with quiet resilience strength of Kodava women especially as mothers, grandmothers and planters—has always shaped our families and our land. The challenges highlighted—from climate change and labour shortages to financial stress and wildlife conflict—are real and lived every day, yet rarely spoken about. Still, Kodava women continue with dignity, resilience and deep respect for the land. This is a timely reminder that it is indeed time for women to step forward once again, lead with confidence, and protect both our livelihoods and our identity.
Thank you Mamatha what an article, What great presentation, sentimental, touching, brutal with facts, the past, the present & the future all interwoven with such great delicate balance.you are blessed by Almighty.
Thank you very much & my good wishes & blessings.
Yet, another relevant article by Mamatha . Kudos to her for letting us know, that behind every successful planter there is a woman despite challenges. Thank you Mamatha for your timely article. Keep Going.
Studies show committed women make better managers/leaders in all fields, and so planting is no exception. However the logistics of running an estate efficiently in Kodagu are inherently hard because it requires many external inputs and is loaded with uncertainties, as the author has pointed out. For the woman planter it also amounts to a second job, the first unpaid one being running the household and family affairs.
And yet they do well at both!
Excellent article. Very valid points and we Kodavas have to think twice before indulging in unwanted expenditure. We must have the budget kept aside for managing the estate which is so important to run the show. There has to be a permanent solution for the elephant menace as the amount of destruction they do whenever they come out in herds is unimaginable. We planters have to deal with so many issues and at times I wonder…what next
An important voice for small and women coffee planters.
A great article by a hands -on coffee planter!! Kudos to Mamatha. I wish the phenomenon of the fairer sex taking over the running of plantations happens with younger ladies so that a major problem( large number of unwed boys in Kodagu in their 30’s & 40’s) can be sorted out,and the connected problems of late marriages,intercaste marriages and the bigger issue of the dwindling ( certainly not vanishing!) Kodava population can be addressed effectively!
I am surprised you broughtup the VANISHING part again surprisingly after we both had a convincing and good debate on the particular issue. The title of Kaveri Ponnappas book THE VANISHING KODAVAS wasn’t only about the dwindling numbers among Kodavas but it refers to the totality of the VANISHING culture, traditions, dance forms, and a whole lot of other things what we today call KODAVAAME. The author of the book has very clearly clarified as to why she chose to use this title which I sent you. Please read it again.
Two points that must he stressed:
A. Proper soil analysis and advice on the application of fertilizer are not being followed. This will help us to maintain the soil health better than to keep piling unwanted quantities of chemicals.
B. Budgeting is a very rare exercise in Kodagu and is poorly planned.
It would go a long way if the basic maintenance of the estate is planned for the next 12 months, money kept aside for it, and only then think of spending on self.
Mamatha once again has hit the bullseye by chosing a topic of great relevance.
Yes indeed kodava women whom we know as KODAVATHIS are simply amazing in managing estates all by themselves and invariably have turned the estate for the better.
I clearly remember my grandmother who ran her estate in Kadanoor village all by herself almost for more than a decade after the passing away of my grandfather. She wouldn’t budge out of her estate when her children wanted her to stay with them. Her courage, her resilience, her stoic handling of all estate related issues, her crafty nature to handle labourers were simply outstanding, then, when we saw her managing her estate all by herself. But today when we are running the same estate by ourselves we realise what a great estate manager my grand mother was. No complaints, not a whimper of negativity but always ready to handle any situation which may arise. This is one of the main reasons, I have always held that KODAVATHIS especially after they are widowed really bloom fully and become totally independent and take control of not only the family’s needs but also MANAGE THE ESTATE MUCH BETTER than their male counterparts.
There are innumerable instances where KODAVATHIS have done exceeding well as estate managers. Mamathas article has beautifully broughtout the present day trials and tribulations faced by Kodavathis.
Climate change is a huge challenge along with the ever truant labour force. Here again personally I feel the Lady of the house is better equipped to manage the Labour. Sadly the terrain and method of growing coffee in Kodagu doesn’t give much scope for mechanization and is still very Labour intensive and here again my feeling is the womenfolk are better equipped to manage estate Labour.
Coming to the budget side of managing the estate the lady of the house is already naturally bestowed and gifted by being the budgeteer of every house and it but comes out very naturally when they plan the budget of the home. The menfolk are very instinctive without bothering much about budget planning whereas the lady always has an eye on saving that extra rupee.
Thanks to mamatha, with this article we should now see a lot of kodavathis taking CHARGE OF ESTATES IN KODAGU for the better.
Totally agree.