Dechu Puliyanda (Kokkalera) is a pediatric nephrologist and a kidney transplant physician at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. She grew up in Bangalore and then moved to the US where she completed her residency at the Rush Presbyterian Medical Center in Chicago and went on to complete her fellowship at the Children’s Hospital, Harvard medical school, Boston. She then moved to Southern California to be close to family and has been there for the last 25 years. She lives with her husband Subbaiah (Shyam) and their 2 children, Siddarth and Sitara, and their adorable dogs, Rusty and Bones.

There is nothing that Dechu is not passionate about! One of her strengths is her unique ability to bring people together. She has always been very involved in the Kodava community, a passion that has been passed on from her mother Machie Kokkalera, who was very active in the Kodava Samaja, Bangalore. Ever since she moved to Southern California, she and her husband Shyam have spearheaded and hosted the celebration of Puthari. This was an annual event at their home for over 10 years till the pandemic hit. Now with a community that is over 150 Kodavas strong, the festivals continue to be celebrated in the most traditional style. To assist with the Kodava wedding celebrations here in the US, Dechu and her Kodavathi friends, with guidance from Pattole Palame and elders in the community, created templates of the various rituals, which have been used in several Kodava weddings.

During the pandemic Dechu created educational videos in Kodavathakk, to allay the myths of Covid-19 in Kodagu. She was instrumental in raising funds to fight against the pandemic in Kodagu.

Dechu has played a very active role in the KodavaThakk Off competitions, being a judge in 2021, a host in 2022, and helped coach the young Southern California team in 2024. Dechu considers it an honor to be on the Kodava Koota Board. She hopes to continue to foster the rich heritage of the Kodavas, especially amongst the next generation, and to keep the bonds of the Kodava community thriving in the US.