Castes and Tribes of Southern India is a seven-volume encyclopedia of social groups of Madras Presidency and the princely states of Travancore, Mysore, Coorg and Pudukkottai published by British museologist Edgar Thurston and K. Rangachari in 1909.
Born to Chacko Joseph Kelachandra & Mariamma Joseph in a Knanaya Syrian Jacobite Church Christian family, spent most of his childhood in Coorg and later relocated to Bangalore.
He completed his education from S.B.S Thanneercode, Government High School, Kumaranellur, St. Thomas College, Thrissur and Sree Krishna College, Guruvayoor, Saraswathy Law College, Mercara, Coorg, Karnataka.
In Coorg many Kodavas converted to Islam during the rule of Tippu Sultan(The sword of Mysore) in Coorg,are called 'Kodava Maaple' Or 'Jamma Maaples' ( not to be confused with the Kerala Mapillas).
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Many of them retain their Kodava family or clan names.They contract marriage alliances with the Muslims of Coorg, Mangalore and Kerala.
Long Ago in Coorg is a book written by Mookonda Kushalappa about the history of Kodagu.