The idea for this book took shape by accident. In recent years, Coorg has emerged as a major tourist destination. Tourists from both within the country and abroad, wanting to visit this landlocked hill station, do not find much information either through books or on the Net. Moreover, Coorg has a unique history and culture, different from any of its neighbours in South India. With a view to throw more light on this martial race, renowned for its brave men and beautiful women, I launched a website on Coorg called www.coorgtourisminfo.com. With computer penetration being low in India, I thought the best way to reach out to those who want to know more about Coorg, was to bring out a book. I hope this book will serve as a handbook for those wanting to know more about Coorg as well as those looking for information from a tourist’s perspective. Hailing from Coorg, and having monitored the developments in Coorg from a journalistic point of view in the last two and half decades, I thought it was my professional duty to write on this astonishing land of the bold and the beautiful. This book was produced with ePustaka - Ink and Weave initiative by Techfiz Inc (hIps://techfiz.com).

Veerarajendra, the exiled raja of Coorg and his eleven-year-old daughter Gowramma, were the first Indian royals to land in Britain in the summer of 1852. In this book, C.P. Belliappa has reconstructed the extraordinary saga of the earliest Indian royalty to live in Victorian England. By unearthing hitherto unpublished material, he explores the true motives behind Veerarajendra's decision to move to England Queen Victoria's designs to marry his daughter to another exiled royal: Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab and the remarkable affection bestowed on the young princess by the English queen.

In this collection of over fifty anecdotes, well-known humour writer C. P. Belliappa showcases, with his trademark wit, warmth and wisdom, the funny side of life. These slice-of-life stories, drawn from his personal experiences, cover topics such as the 'wonder years' that is childhood and hilarious cultural bloopers, and are replete with pithy observations on everyday situations. From embarrassing diplomatic gaffes committed by State dignitaries to the author's language misadventures in Paris and China, from 'It Happens Only in India' to other rip-roaring social blunders, this book has it all. Sit back and enjoy the eloquent wit and sublime humour contained in Tongue of the Slip-this is Indian satire at its best.

The patient is Sudhansu Mohanty, an Indian civil servant in his early fifties; his scourge is the carcinoid tumour which, unknown to him, he has been carrying around for some time Mohanty’s introduction to this ‘scourge’ was gradual - starting with an almost-continuous fatigue, followed by intermittentdiarrhoea, a loss of appetite, enhanced perspiring, especially while eating, and a wasting away of muscles. He ignored them all, he lived in denial. Before he knew it, he was overtaken by nemesis in the form of a sharp drop in his haemoglobin. The cause is carcinoid - a rare form of cancer, rare in terms of appearance, hard to detect in its nascent stages, and, therefore, all the more deadly. In Mohanty’s case, it was suspected early, post-colonoscopy, thanks to the perspicacity of his gastroenterologist who – most unusual for a physician - pronounced: ‘I consider this malignant. I want to go in and see.’ The author takes the reader on his four-year-long odyssey with carcinoid, the rogue cancer. He touches lightly on his back-to-back surgeries and experiences in the hospital. He describes alternative remedies for cancer - eating asparagus, broccoli, lime, lemon grass - suggestions forwarded to him by well-wishers. He uses the Internet and finds the stories of fellow-sufferers. He narrates his ‘battles’ to ‘live’ life full tilt: holding down a demanding day job while he undergoes a third surgery; and, as though nothing has interrupted his life, even contemplates a sabbatical in a US university. Anatomy of a Tumour is a tale of courage and hope. Mohanty’s writing is imbued with both humour and courage, and clearly reflects his determination to face all odds with the same ‘gung-ho’ spirit that has informed his life.

This book provides detailed information on the various ethnic fermented foods and beverages of India. India is home to a diverse food culture comprising fermented and non-fermented ethnic foods and alcoholic beverages. More than 350 different types of familiar, less-familiar and rare ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages are traditionally prepared by the country’s diverse ethnic groups, and include alcoholic, milk, vegetable, bamboo, legume, meat, fish, and cereal based beverages. Most of the Indian ethnic fermented foods are naturally fermented, whereas the majority of the alcoholic beverages have been prepared using dry starter culture and the ‘back-sloping’ method for the past 6,000 years. A broad range of culturable and unculturable microbiomes and mycobiomes are associated with the fermentation and production of ethnic foods and alcoholic drinks in India. The book begins with detailed chapters on various aspects including food habits, dietary culture, and the history, microbiology and health benefits of fermented Indian food and beverages. Subsequent chapters describe unique and region-specific ethnic fermented foods and beverages from all 28 states and 9 union territories. In turn the classification of various ethnic fermented foods and beverages, their traditional methods of preparation, culinary practices and mode of consumption, socio-economy, ethnic values, microbiology, food safety, nutritional value, and process optimization in some foods are discussed in details with original pictures. In closing, the book addresses the medicinal properties of the fermented food products and their health benefits, together with corresponding safety regulations.

Herbs and spices are among the most versatile ingredients in food processing, and alongside their sustained popularity as flavourants and colourants they are increasingly being used for their natural preservative and potential health-promoting properties. An authoritative new edition in two volumes, Handbook of herbs and spices provides a comprehensive guide to the properties, production and application of a wide variety of commercially-significant herbs and spices.Volume 1 begins with an introduction to herbs and spices, discussing their definition, trade and applications. Both the quality specifications for herbs and spices and the quality indices for spice essential oils are reviewed in detail, before the book goes on to look in depth at individual herbs and spices, ranging from basil to vanilla. Each chapter provides detailed coverage of a single herb or spice and begins by considering origins, chemical composition and classification. The cultivation, production and processing of the specific herb or spice is then discussed in detail, followed by analysis of the main uses, functional properties and toxicity.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, the two volumes of the new edition of Handbook of herbs and spices are an essential reference for manufacturers using herbs and spices in their products. They also provide valuable information for nutritionists and academic researchers. - Provides a comprehensive guide to the properties, production and application of a wide variety of commercially-significant herbs and spices - Begins with a discussion of the definition, trade and applications of herbs and spices - Reviews the quality specifications for herbs and spices and examines the quality indices for spice essential oils

Joyappa...considered falling to the ground and feigning a heart attack to get out of trouble. But he couldn't quite remember if the heart was located on the left or right of one's chest-so he dropped the idea.