CNC Makes Theerthodbhava Memorandum

Madikeri:Ahead of the October 17, 2025, Theerthodbhava observance, the Codava National Council presses for Talacauvery's status as a Codava holy site, the Cauvery River's legal entity declaration, and a 200 TMC water share for Codavaland, invoking global precedents and indigenous equity.

The Codava National Council (CNC) released a compelling memorandum on October 15, highlighting the indigenous Codavas' sacred observances and rightful claims, timed with the impending Theerthodbhava celebration on October 17 at Talacauvery's holy spring.

For these Animistic mono-ethnic people, the event symbolizes the divine "emergence" of sacred waters from the Cauvery River's origin, a moment infused with anticipation and reverence. CNC Chairman N U Nachappa Codava addresses the Government of India (GOI) and Government of Karnataka (GOK), positioning these aspirations as spiritually vital and legally grounded appeals for Codava dignity.

Central to the document is the imperative to proclaim Talacauvery as the Codavas' paramount pilgrimage destination, akin to Jerusalem's Temple Mount Moriah for the Jewish faith. As the epicenter of Codava Animistic traditions, the spring anchors their rituals and folklore, making its formal acknowledgment essential to preserving their ethnic sovereignty against assimilation.

Equally pressing is the bid to endow the Cauvery River with "living entity" and legal personhood, affirming its sanctity among Bharatha Varsha's seven revered rivers Sindhu, Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Narmada, Godavari, and Cauvery. This status, the CNC posits, would eternally shield its perennial springs, uphold its spiritual essence, and champion biodiversity conservation across South India.

Referencing their 2018 march from Talacauvery to Poompuhar, the CNC aligns with New Zealand's 2017 recognition of the Whanganui River as a legal person for Maori guardianship, advocating a similar indigenous-led protection for Cauvery.

The CNC also stakes a claim to 200 TMC feet of the river's annual 740 TMC yield, originating in Codavaland's Brahmagiri Range within the Western Ghats and culminating at Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu. Citing the 1966 Helsinki Rules, the group insists on the source region's inherent entitlement, beyond the Tribunal's 270 TMC to Karnataka and the Supreme Court's 14 TMC increment.

This plea reframes Codavas not as Karnataka's subordinates but as stewards of their uncolonized homeland, resisting resource extraction from their territory.

Through relentless efforts, the CNC champions Codava rights, weaving their cultural, spiritual, and ethnic tapestry around the Cauvery's flow. This memorandum transcends advocacy, embodying a quest for equity, reverence for sacred landscapes, and command over heritage waters. This can also be seen as a clarion call for GOI and GOK to affirm the Codavas' place in India's diverse mosaic. (