Now that the dust has settled from the extended General Elections and life is back to normal, it is time to reflect on the exceptionally well conducted Kundyolanda Family Hockey Festival.
The Carnival was a GRAND SUCCESS, capped by the stellar recognition being accorded by Guinness Records. The people who made it happen deserve wholehearted applause for their well planned and tireless commitment. Too often the media is guilty of sensational coverage and the subsequent follow through and implications quietly fade into oblivion.
The Kundyolanda family is a tightly knit unit of 103 members obsessed by their overwhelming passion to be together as one unit in whatever they do. Members of the CLN Research team have been fortunate to witness the binding force that brings the family together – they celebrate all the major festivals and family events together. Thakkame and Kodavamme is evident in everything they do including in the manner they planned for the Hockey Festival which started many years before the event. Community Services is a hallmark of their contribution to the kodava society.
Contrary to well intentioned descriptions that they are a small family from a remote village, the family traces its history to beyond 700 years and their MundhMane has been in existence for over 320 years. They are a very prominent family in the NaalNaad area – known for their avid interest in being amongst the foremost custodians of everything to do with Kodava culture. From the famous Makki Sarthavu temple and its festival and the surfeit of old well maintained AineManes’ in the region, NaalNaad, the clan is blessed to be the Ooruthakkas of Sannakki Kolakeri.
While Kundyolanda Ramesh Muddaiah was the pre-eminent elder as President and the indefatigable Dinesh Cariappa as Convener of the festival, every member of the clan had a role in the event. The Okka made this event into more than just a Hockey Festival by hosting amongst others – hockey training camp, Umpires clinic for youngsters, Kodava thandu-bendu and Aat-Paat program for youngsters, Health Camp, career guidance, well orchestrated Food Festival, cross-country run and many such community events that engaged the Kodavas at large.
What stood out was the acknowledgment that the festival was a continuum of past such events and a deliberate attempt to look beyond it being another sporting event.
There’s much to learn and emulate from the humility and commitment to make this unique festival a Platform and an opportunity to build camaraderie within the community, sans politics, and a deep sense of bonding to set a co-determined agenda for the future of the Kodavas in the larger context.
Excellent work by Dinesh and Family members a small vokka has set a standard for a World Class Carnival this year tournament has made the Founder of Hockeyy Tournament proud , his main objective of team work coordination between family and village members have achieved…..
It was a very memorable event for all of us. Very blessed to be a part of it.
Outstanding organising the hockey festival from a clan of 103 members. Kudos to the clan for their dedication and getting the recognition by the Guinness World records.
Indeed admirable team work by Kundyolanda okka. CONGRATULATIONS.
Yes indeed KUNDYOLANDA HOCKEY CARNIVAL was an extremely well organised event. The high point of the event was the record breaking effort by getting into GUINESS BOOK OF RECORDS. All this was possible mainly because the entire family came together as one unit without any politics and they were ably led by their convenor the DYNAMIC DINESH CARIAPPA. Hats off