Right in the heart of Madikeri, some 125 kilometers from Mysore lies a legendary Kodava house. The hosts- Bopanna and his wife Muthu threw open the doors of their sprawling bungalow to the discerning traveler recently. Bops (as Bopanna is fondly called) and Muthu are a well educated and a widely traveled couple. They both are renowned for their great hospitality and sense of humour. This homestays was once the house of the Mr. Appaiah and his wife Mrs. Gowramma- the grandparents of Bopanna. Every nook and corner of this sprawling house- from the handmade floor tiles to the old doors, pillars and windows that were rescued and painstakingly restored, has its own story to tell. All the 4 rooms of this homestay are airy, tastefully done up and spotlessly clean. Bops and Muthu are as charming as the house they live in.
They try to ensure that guests coming here get to learn more about the rich culture and heritage of Coorg. Bops can take his guests to one of the most important festivals of Coorg- Kailpoldu or the festival of arms, which is celebrated in the month of September every year. Guns are a way of life in Coorg- a birth is celebrated with firing a single shot in the air, whereas a death is condoled with firing two shots in the air. Kailpoldu is that day of the year when Kodavas (the natives of Coorg) polish, decorate and worship their beloved guns. Muthu can take her guests to some of the weddings to which they have been invited. Weddings in Coorg are like something from another world. In a typical wedding ceremony, a bridegroom claims a bride once a member of his clan has cut 6 banana stumps with an odikathi (a curved dagger) - this symbolizes the obstacles a bridegroom has to surmount to win over the hand of his bride. This homestay in the true sense of the word. Bops and Muthu like to invite guests to their homestay not just for spending another holiday, but for an unique experience.
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