India, Feb. 8 -- Thousands of Kodavas gathered in Madikeri on Friday and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, urging action against alleged discrimination and attacks on their cultural identity. The demonstration, led by Akhila Kodava Samaja, Kodava Riders Club, and various Kodava organisations, recorded an overwhelming turnout demanding the protection of their traditions, people aware of the matter said.

More than 25,000 Kodavas, dressed in traditional attire, took part in a rally and marched for six days from Kutta, a Kodagu-Kerala border village, to Madikeri, covering 82 km. Their primary demand was the right to wear their traditional attire in all temples, a right they claim has come under attack, the people added.

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