About – Nitin Kushalappa

Nitin Kushalappa M P (Mookonda Nitin Kushalappa)

Education

Mookonda Nitin Kushalappa did his schooling from Clarence High and St. Joseph’s PU.

Kushalappa studied BE in Telecom, from Vishwesvaraya Technological University at CMRIT in Bangalore.

He holds an international project management certification (PMP) from Project Management Institute (PMI) which is valid since 2016.

In 2018, he completed his MA (Master of Arts) in History and Archaeology from Oceanik, Kuvempu University.

In 2020-2021, he completed EPGDM (Executive Post Graduate Diploma in Management) in Finance from Alliance University.

Script discovery

Late in 2021 and early 2022, Kushalappa put together the characters found in two 1371 CE temple inscriptions of Kodagu (at Bhagamandala and Palur) into an alphabet pattern and named it the thirke script, after the Kodava word for a temple. This alphabet is also known as the Old Kodava script. These results were published in the Star of Mysore and the Deccan Herald.

Researcher

In 2022, he was selected as the research guide for the India Foundation for Arts (IFA)’s Kodava Living Virtual Museum project (aka Sandooka).

Early Life

Kushalappa was born in Virajpet, in Kodagu (Coorg), as the son of Kodava parents M K Sunny Poonacha and Damayanthi Pushpa (nee Muckatira). He was brought up in Bangalore along with a younger sister.

Career

Kushalappa works as a software engineer and has made 22 apps and games for the iPhone.

Featured in the news

Moral stories from the South, The New Indian Express, February 27, 2023

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2023/feb/27/moral-storiesfrom-the-south-2551192.html

Tales from the hills, The Hindu, April 02, 2014 https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/tales-from-the-hills/article5862863.ece

Newspaper Interview (The Hindu) during the release of his first book, penned under his traditional name, Mookonda Kushalappa. This book was actually a work of narrative non-fiction (which is obvious when one checks the style and sources in the book), unlike reported.

Udaya News – interview in Kannada on TV (please ignore all the ads)

Talking about Folklore at the India Habitat Centre for India Foundation, New Delhi

Friend and fellow author, Dr. Siddharth Nirwan from The BookBakers (our common book agent), made this book review vlog for The House of Awadh and a few other books by author friends.

Interview by Itihasdhir:

Instagram Reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMaLjiySH1U

The following podcast, in which Nitin is interviewed about his book “Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold”, was made on Spotify by book reviewer Rati Ganesh https://open.spotify.com/episode/52dfDM0Gt6mFM4rWcfQv5T?fbclid=IwAR1Mp6r18LQD7efJIoEKNcIeELxsYw4e4WE77YPJvlJPFhLZagtixJTU92A

Nitin has had speech disorders early in life. Also, Nitin speaks four languages – Kodava, Kannada, Hindi, and English. As part of the Kodavaame team, here Nitin is giving a short conclusion to a programme in Ammathi.

Again, as part of the Kodavaame team, Nitin is giving a lecture on the history of Kodagu (Coorg) and the Kodavas (Coorgs) this time in Kaveri College, Virajpet, Kodagu.

Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold

Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold (Feature article, review) by C P Belliappa, April 18, 2023, Star of Mysore

Nitin Kushalappa’s book “Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold” launched

Nitin Kushalappa’s book “Dakshin: South Indian Myths and Fables Retold” launched, April 7, 2023, Star of Mysore

Discovering alphabets of old Kodava script

Star of Mysore, January 24, 2022

Youth urged to join armed forces

The Major who kept his cool book release in Madikeri, Star of Mysore, April 30, 2019

https://authindia.com/museum-with-native-voices-bengaluru-based-ifa-invites-design-experts-and-members-of-kodava-community-to-launch-online-museum

https://www.coorgtourisminfo.com/c-p-belliappas-column/sandooka-virtual-museum-of-coorg-kodava-culture

‘Are Kodavas (Coorgs) Hindus?’ book launched

Mentioned as one of six co-authors of this edited compilation work by P T Bopanna with a foreword by Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa, Star of Mysore, April 4, 2018

Interview on the Puththari (harvest) festival of Kodagu by Cheranda Sanjay Ponnappa, on Karnataka Tak’s YouTube channel. Karnatak Tak is India Today’s Kannada division.

In 2018, Nitin helped make a video on Puththari, the harvest festival of Kodagu, with assistance from cameraperson and recorder Raghavendra (Raghu S Raghav of Mysore), TV anchor and lawyer Puliyanda Anu Chengappa, Poomale newspaper owner and editor Ajjinikanda Mahesh Nachaiah, and others. The video was shot partly in Nitin’s grandparents’ home with members of his family (Mookonda) and native hamlet (Mundoni keri, Bilugunda village), and in the Virajpet Kodava Samaja. as well as partly with archive footage.