Nariandada Central Highschool in Cheyandane

Nariandada Central High School, Cheyandane

The Nariandada Central High School at Cheyandane is remembered as one of the educational initiatives inspired and supported by Nadikerianda Chinnappa Subbaiah, popularly known as Appayya.Appayya started the school in the early 1960s, initially in a small roadside building at Cheyandane. The school catered to students from Class VIII onwards and was co-educational.

Appayya had earlier served in the administration of the former Coorg State, including responsibilities connected with education. Following the merger of Coorg with Mysore State in 1956, he used his experience and contacts to obtain the necessary permissions for establishing the school under the new administrative system. The exact designation he held in the Education Department requires further documentary verification.

Contribution of the Boverianda Family

When a permanent school building was proposed, the Boverianda family donated land for the new school. The family’s contribution provided the site on which the institution was subsequently developed.

Appayya personally contributed substantially towards the construction. He is remembered as having committed most of his personal savings, gratuity and provident fund, while also approaching elders and well-wishers in the surrounding villages to raise additional funds.

A plaque at the entrance of the school building reportedly carried the names of several major donors who contributed towards its construction.

Appayya and Ammayya

The contribution of Appayya and his wife, Nadikerianda Ponnamma, affectionately known as Ammayya and from the Nervanda thamane, extended beyond financial support.

Both are remembered as having taught at the school without remuneration throughout the years they were associated with it.

Their involvement reflected a wider commitment to making secondary education accessible to children in rural Kodagu, where students often had to walk considerable distances to reach the few schools then available.

A Wider Educational Vision

Appayya’s contribution was not limited to Cheyandane. He is remembered as having travelled to villages and towns across Coorg, meeting local elders and encouraging them to collectively establish schools in their own areas.

His appeal was based on a simple concern: children in rural Kodagu should not have to travel long distances merely to receive an education.

According to the recollection, several communities responded to his efforts and came together to establish educational institutions in their respective areas.

Later Challenges

Over the years, the school building is reported to have suffered from inadequate maintenance and limited government funding. The increasing preference for English-medium education also affected student enrolment.

The Boverianda family’s contribution of land remains an important part of the school’s history. According to the family account, the family has subsequently sought the return of the land, citing the changed circumstances of the institution. This aspect requires verification through land and government records.

Legacy

The story of Nariandada Central High School illustrates an important chapter in the history of education in Kodagu: the role played by individuals and families who contributed land, personal wealth, voluntary teaching and community mobilisation to expand access to education.

The efforts of Nadikerianda Chinnappa Subbaiah (Appayya), Nadikerianda Ponnamma (Ammayya) and the Boverianda family represent a tradition in which education was regarded as a responsibility towards the wider community rather than merely an institutional undertaking.

The history also reflects the educational challenges of rural Kodagu during the transition from Coorg State to Mysore State after 1956, and the efforts of individuals who worked to establish schools during this period.