Bengaluru: Journalist and author P.T. Bopanna’s new book, Who are the Kodavas (Coorgs)?, looks at the origins of the Kodava community of Kodagu, drawing on the first genetic study of the community.

The study was led by Coorg-born Professor Buttiyanda Kuttapa Thelma, popularly known as B.K. Thelma, a prominent Indian geneticist and genomics researcher.

Her team, comprising scientists from the University of Delhi South Campus and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, analysed genomic samples from Kodavas to study their genetic links with other populations. The findings form a separate chapter in the book.

The study found that the Kodavas have a more complex genetic profile than their shared cultural identity might suggest. It identified three distinct subgroups, with differences in genetic isolation, drift and admixture. The findings also offer insights into the genetic history of populations in South Asia.

A separate chapter by Sociologist Prof. Neravanda Veena Poonacha examines the community’s socio-cultural heritage. She argues that Kodava identity cannot be explained by genetics alone or through colonial-era racial theories. It has also been shaped by trade, wars, migration and cultural exchanges over the years. She also examines how the Kodavas have retained their distinct identity while sharing cultural links with other South Indian communities.

This is Bopanna’s 12th book. Deepika Cariappa, Bengaluru Bureau Chief of The Hindu, has written the foreword.

Published by Prism Books, Bengaluru, the paperback edition is available online.