What is Coorg Village? Discuss about the Legacy of the Coorgs.
A COORG VILLAGE
Coorg is a ‘tiny’ province in South India and is a region full of mountains with heavy rainfall, flooded rivers and dense forest. Coorg is about 1593, square miles and is under Reserve Forest. After rains, the rivers are not navigable and hence the water is not used for irrigation. Coorg is an isolated region and hence have a distinct style of life and culture. Because Coorg is a rice growing area, people used to visit the neighboring markets for selling rice and get their daily use items in return. Also they used to visit religious places of Hindu Shrines and Temples.
In Coorg, the villages have houses and huts confined in a particular space and having fields and gardens around them. The houses are built on its ancestral estate having a servant house nearby. Ancestral houses are huge houses build of stones, mortar and carved wood work. Such houses were built by masons and carpenters. These houses consist of 250-300 members and had a kitchen garden near it. The estate also consists of jungle and valleys for rice cultivation. Water comes from pond or well near the building.
Coorg is made up of two twon Mercara, which is the capital having a population of 7/12 people and Virarapet having 4106 people. People of Coorg speak Kodagi language which is connected with the Kannada and with the language of Malabar Coast.
LEGACY OF THE COORGS.
Coorgs were attacked and conquered by Changalva and Kongalva dynasties in the ninth century A.D. Both the dynasties occupied some part of Coorg and ruled them. These dynasties were following Jainism by faith, till lately Changolvas changed their religion to Lingayatism or Sivism. A new dynasty named ‘Hyosalas’ rose to power in western Mysore.
Because Changalvas refused to accept their lordships, several battles were fought between them with Coorg fighting the battles with Changalvas. Changalvas lost the battle and all the belongings like elephants, horses and bold were captured by the hyosalas. An army general called Battarasa was sent by Hyosala to attack Changalvas and drive them out of Coorg. In this battle, Battarasa was successful and finally established the capital at Balpore.
The Muslim rulers, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan then attacked Hyosala and transferred prince of Bednur to Gorur, who reached Coorg after escaping from Gorur. Vira Raja, then occupied Coorg in 1834. Prince of Bednur ruled Coorg, but because he had no male issue, his brother ruled Coorg and later his 20 year old son, Chkka Vir Raj ruled Coorg till 1834, when Britishers annexed Coorg.
