True to the saying that ‘Charity begins at Home’ and proper encouragement from parents and teachers bring out the sea of hidden talent among children, amongst us is M.J. Namratha, a 10th std. student of JSS Public School at SJCE campus and the proud daughter of Rotary District-3180 Assistant Governor Rtn. M.S. Jayaprakash and R. Joshila, who stole the limelight by winning the ‘National-level Balashri’ for creative writing by outsmarting as many as 150 competitors from different parts of the country at the contest held at Bal Bhavan in New Delhi.
Besides being a talented writer, who gained entry into the national-level contest for her outstanding performance in the South India-level contest held at Hyderabad, the multi-faceted Namratha is also a talented dancer who secured first rank in Bharathanatya Senior Exam.
The Balashri award, which comprises a purse of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation, will be presented to Namratha shortly.
A disciple of danseuse Dr. Vasundhara Doraswamy, Namratha has been selected for Cultural Talent Search Scholarship given by Central Government-run Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) till she attains the age of 21 years, for learning Bharathanatya.
Aims: Namratha, speaking to Star of Mysore, claimed that she had read more than 200 books of reputed writers while preparing for the National-level contest which was held in 10 rounds and added that she was determined to achieve more with the support of her parents and elder sister M.J. Jahnavi.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday , January 07th, 2015
City’s senior litterateur and Saraswathi Samman awardee Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa has been appointed as the National Research Professor by the Central Government.
An official letter confirming his appointment was received by Dr. Bhyrappa here on Monday.
Speaking to SOM, Dr. Bhyrappa confirmed that he received the appointment letter from the Joint Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, HRD Ministry, stating that he has been chosen in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the field of literature.
The letter also said that the selection was done by a Committee consisting of Prime Minister, HRD, Finance and Home Ministers.
The tenure is for five years which could be extended by another term and the appointee is entitled to a monthly honorarium during the tenure and pension.
Persons of eminence, who have attained the age of 65 years and have made outstanding contributions in their respective fields and are still capable of productive research, are considered for appointment as National Research Professors.
It may be recalled, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on Dec. 10, 2014 had disclosed the appointment of Dr. Bhyrappa in the Lok Sabha while replying to a question by Poonam Mahajan, a Lok Sabha Member from Mumbai (North-East) who wanted to know the initiatives taken by the government to promote literature in translation.
The Centre in 1949 had instituted the National Research Professorship to honour distinguished academics and scholars in recognition of their contribution to knowledge. In 2009, the Centre had fixed the honorarium for National Professors at Rs. 75,000 per month. Such persons can also avail of a contingency grant of Rs. 1 lakh every year.
The 83-year-old writer over five decades has authored about 24 novels covering a wide range of topics. His latest novel ‘Yaana’ was released last year. Many of his books have been translated to Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit and other Indian languages.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday , January 07th, 2015
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, a host of activities promise to keep people of all ages engaged. In what is touted to be the city’s first such festival, ‘Kere Habba 2015’ is aimed at fostering an appreciation of Bengaluru’s existing lakes, besides increasing community participation.
Right from workshops about quilting, making bags from old clothes and recycling newspapers to make reusable household items, to storytelling, performances by bands and walks to identify reptiles and birds, there are enough and more activities to keep people enraptured.
Organised by Namma Bengaluru Foundation, in partnership with Mahadevapura Environment Protection and Development Trust and United Way, Bengaluru, the first ‘Kere Habba’ will be held at Kaikondarahalli lake where the community events will be held from dawn to dusk.
The event, organised by neighbourhood volunteers, will witness the community connecting to the lake, to one another and to issues and inspiring ideas in the field of conservation. The nearly 2-km walkway around the lake will feature various stations where activities will be held for free.
For more details, visithttp://goo.gl/OfVqYBor call Lakshmikanth on 8861768806.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – January 10th, 2015
First Karnataka State Buddhist Convention held at Ch’ Nagar
Chamarajanagar :
“Buddhism incorporates freedom, equality, brotherhood and human values,” opined Chief Minister Siddharamaiah. He was speaking after inaugurating the first Karnataka State Buddhist Convention jointly organised by Bharatiya Bouddha Mahasabha and International Buddhist Monks Charitable Trust at Jyothigowdanapura in the taluk yesterday.
Stating that the humane values propounded in Buddhism can be an answer to terrorism, naxalism etc., the CM observed that peace cannot exist in the absence of equality in society.
Pointing out that Buddhism was one of the oldest religions, Siddharamaiah said that this religion does not give way for any superstitious beliefs or practices and called upon everyone to shun violence and hatred.
Declaring that the State government would grant Rs.10 crore for the construction of Nalanda Buddhist University at Jyothigowdanapura, the CM also promised 50 acres of land for the proposed Varsity. Stating that he was against declaring holidays to mark the birth anniversaries of social reformers, Siddharamaiah said that as such, the State government will not declare a holiday on account of Buddha Poornima.
MP and Congress party leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge, said that the Constitution has given rights for citizens to follow the religion of their choice. However, cases of forceful re-conversion in the country are on the rise, he lamented.
He also said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism out of self respect.
Lamenting the lack of unity among Dalit community members, Kharge called upon each community member to get educated.
Bodhidatta Bantheji of Nalanda Buddha Vihara, Banthe Manorakkhita, Banthe Viriyasheela and Banthe Varajyothi graced the occasion. Revenue Minister V. Sreenivasa Prasad presided. PWD Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa released a book titled ‘Dharmapatha’ on the occasion.
Co-operation Minister H.S. Mahadev Prasad, Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya, MP R. Dhruvanarayan, former MP M. Shivanna, former Ministers Motamma and Narendra Swamy, MLAs Puttarangashetty and Chikkamadu, MLC D.S. Veeraiah, former MLAs A.R. Krishnamurthy and S. Balaraj, MUDA Chairman K.R. Mohan Kumar, Poet Moodnakoodu Chinnaswamy, former Mysuru Mayor Purushottam, Chamarajanagar Municipal President Nanjundaswamy and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Monday , January 05th, 2015
As a part of the ‘December to Remember’ Tourism Fest, an initiative of the District Administration and Department of Tourism, an Heritage Walk was organised early this morning.
Around 100 people participated in the Heritage Walk which was flagged off by DC C. Shikha. Speaking on the occasion, DC Shikha said that the Heritage Walk was organised to encourage more and more people to participate.
The walk, which started at Town Hall premises, passed through Clock Tower, Kote Anjaneya Swamy Temple, K.R. Circle, Devaraja Market, K.R. Hospital, Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI), City Central Library, CAVA. Later, the participants and the officials were taken to Hotel Paras for breakfast. DC Shikha was present till the end of the Heritage Walk.
Prof. (retd.) Rangaraju and journalist Echanur Kumar explained the history of heritage buildings to the participants of Heritage Walk.
DDPI H.R. Basappa, DDPU K.M. Puttu, Nehru Yuva Kendra Convener M.N. Nataraj, Department of Urban Development Project Director Lingannaiah, University of Mysore Dean Rudraiah and others were present.
Dec. 26 events: 6 am to 9 am: Heritage Walk (cycling for students) starting from Balarama Gate (Mysuru Palace); 10 am to 12 noon: Boating at Karanji Lake; 11 am to 12 noon: Carol Singing at St. Philomena’s Church.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Thursday , December 25th, 2014
Plays from the city travelled across the world and the seven seas, new forms flourished… It was an exciting year for the city’s theatre scene
The Bangalore theatre scene, this year was marked by new productions, new forms, re-runs of older plays, and plays from the city staged abroad. Apart from the regular theatre festivals, including The Hindu MetroPlus Theatre Festival and Jagriti Season 2014, Ranga Shankara celebrated turning a decade and the 60th birth anniversary of veteran theatre personality, Shankar Nag, with a theatre festival that showcased some of the best contemporary Indian productions.
S. Surendranath, artistic director of Ranga Shankara, names three. “Ramneek Singh’s Chidiyon Ka Pinjra was very well received by the audience. Abhishek Majumdar’s Kaumudi was one of the best productions that happened in Indian theatre. The writing, the performances and the overall structure were excellent. And A Straight Proposal from Delhi was an eye opener.”
A scene from Trivial Disasters. Photo: special arrangement
Nimi Ravindran and Shiva Pathak are ecstatic with how much they have achieved with Sandbox. “We have done 110 shows. There have been 35 shows of Anish Victor’s Koogu. It was staged in Delhi, Kolkata and Assam and even travelled to Kenya. We also had 26 shows of Ajay Krishnan’s Trivial Disasters,” says Nimi. The focus of Sandbox is to stage plays at alternate spaces. Shiva adds that performances, so far, have primarily been held in home spaces. “But we have also had plays at offices, at academic spaces like IIHS quite a few performances at Humming Tree in Indiranagar and at Beaglesloft.”
A scene from Koogu. Photo: special arrangement
Remote Bangalore, presented by Rimini Protokoll and produced by Goethe-Insitut, Max Mueller Bhavan, was another unique theatre experience for Bangaloreans. The ‘performance’ involved a re-look at the city through a tour through undiscovered spaces. Sandbox Collective closely collaborated with German-based Rimini Protokoll for Remote Bangalore. Sandbox is set to welcome 2015 with travelling with The Company Theatre’s Piya Behrupiya to Chile.
2014 was yet another year of achievement for Abhishek Majumdar. He won the first Shankar Nag Theatre Award. His theatre company The Indian Ensemble, which he founded with Sandeep Shikhar, also had a fruitful year. Two landmark productions, Thook, commissioned by the Hunger for Trade Project, an international theatre network, and Kaumudi, were presented by Indian Ensemble. “It was a challenging year for us,” says Abhishek. “We have never had two openings in the same year. Thook andKaumudi were very different productions. Also, Indian Ensemble came together in a way that has made us very happy. We had our first international tour as a company. We travelled to the United States and performed at Carriage House Theatre in Hartford Connecticut and the Iseman Theatre at Yale.”
This year Indian Ensemble started the Director’s Programme. “It was started with four students, Basav Biradar, Amit Sharma, Anju Alva Naik and Karen D’Mello. The students have already put up individual scenes from Sakharam Binder.”
There were other members from Indian Ensemble who won awards and acclaim for their work. Ramneek Singh received the Inlaks Scholarship to continue his studies at LISPA and Anshuman Acharya won the Hindu MetroPlus Playwright Award.
Bangalore Little Theatre, the city’s oldest English theatre group, lived up to their reputation of staging stunning productions, including Finding Ananda, a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birthday, Ira Hauptman’s Partition, directed by Sridhar Ramanathan, both held as part of the History of Ideas Programme, and Our Iceberg is Melting, directed by Amjad Prawej.
Vijay Padaki, director of BLT, says: “One of the most successful productions in the History of Ideas programme has been The Prophet and The Poet. Prasar Bharati commissioned a tele-film of the play. It was broadcast by Doordarshan twice in the year. An event of great significance was a theatre festival facilitated by BLT. It involved four other theatre groups of Bangalore, and was a tribute to the playwright-statesman Vaclav Havel. The experience of the Theatre Collective was presented by me in an international conference in Prague on Havel’s life and works. BLT organised the All-India Arts and Heritage Management Conclave that was held in Bangalore.”
Actor and director Vivek Madan says this year a lot of shows travelled abroad. “There were a lot of collaborations. New forms developed because of Sandbox Collective. There was also Zip Zap Pow, an all-woman, one-minute festival.”
But 2014 was also a year of loss and bereavement for the theatre community. One of the most talented light designers in the city, Beary Mustafa passed away, leaving behind a void in the theatre community.
“We worked together for ten years. It is a huge thing to adjust to going to a theatre space and not seeing him,” says Abhishek.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Sravasti Datta / December 29th, 2014
‘Vihar Utsav,’ a three-day boating festival has been organised by Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) at Karanji Lake in city from Dec. 26. It is an opportunity for the visitors to take a boat ride in the lake located at the foothills of Chamundi Hill.
It is extending discounts for adults and children to get them to visit the lake when they are in the city this festival season. The charges for boat ride are Rs.20 for adults and Rs.10 for kids. Given that the Utsav is scheduled during the extended holiday season, it is likely to attract travellers in hordes.
Vihar Utsav is part of the Mysuru Utsav, the tourism promotion activity undertaken by the District Administration along with Tourism Department which will be launched tomorrow.
The event also includes heritage walks, adventure sports like walking from the foot of Chamundi Hill to the Hill shrine. A women band from Switzerland is also scheduled to perform at the Balaram Gate of the Mysuru Palace as part of the festival.
It may be recalled, during the Dasara season, DC C. Shikha had tasked Executive Director of Mysuru Zoo B.P. Ravi to work out details for a single-ticket entry pass system, designed to cut down the time taken to get entry tickets at places of tourist interest in the city and its surroundings.
Karanji lake attracts 1,000 visitors a day. During 2013-14, it attracted 3.19 lakh visitors, raising Rs. 73.21 lakh in revenue for the Zoo.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday , December 24th, 2014
Mohan Manoraj from Mysuru was consecrated and installed as the Bishop of the Church of South India (CSI) in Karnataka Southern Diocese recently.
He was installed at a ceremony organised by the CSI Moderator G. Dyvasirvadam at CSI Shanthi Cathedral, Balmatta, in Mangaluru.
During the ceremony, followed by a short procession, the moderator consecrated the new Bishop by presenting a copy of Bible and the Pastoral Staff. Prayers were sung and various religious rituals were performed as the new Bishop was installed. During his address, Bishop Mohan Manoraj said: “In the past, there was a belief that Bishop leads the people, now things are different. Where there are people of God, there will be a Bishop. He is for common man, who is nearer to God.”
About Mohan Manoraj:
Mohan Manoraj, born in 1954, is a postgraduate in Sociology from University of Mysore, Bachelor of Divinity KTC (SSC) and M.Th Social Analysis TTS (SSC). In his previous assignment, he was the Priest of Sawday Church in Mysuru. He has served as Vice-President of Karnataka Southern Diocese (KSD) and Convenor of Socio-Economic Concern Committee, KSD. He has worked in various posts in Synod level as well. At present, he works as guest lecturer at Karnataka Theological College in Mangaluru.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday , December 24th, 2014
‘104 Women Will Inspire,’ a book authored by Dr. M.C. Mohan Kumari (Gita Mahadevprasad), wife of Co-operation Minister H.S. Mahadevprasad, will be released by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah at a programme organised by Sangama Pratishtana, Gundlupet, at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), near Hotel Chalukya, Bengaluru, on Dec. 31 at 11 am.
Suttur Seer Sri Shivaratri Deshikendra Swamiji will grace the occasion. Higher Education & Tourism Minister R.V. Deshapande, Co-operation Minister H.S. Mahadevprasad, critic Narahalli Balasubramanya and Karnataka Lekakiyara Sangha President Dr. Vasundhara Bhupathi will be the chief guests.
Jnanapeetha Awardee Dr. Chandrashekara Kambara will preside over the programme.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Wednesday , December 24th, 2014
LOVE FOR KANNADA: Youth from Haveri, Gopal, spreading the message of Sahitya Sammelana through bicycle tour.
As Shravanabelagola, well known pilgrimage and tourist spot, is gearing up to host ’81st All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana’ of Kannada Sahitya Parishat, a youth from Haveri is busy spreading the message about the conference.
24-year-old Gopal has set out on a bicycle tour from his home town in North Karnataka and is planning to cover all the 30 districts before commencement of the three-day Kannada literary meet on February 1.
Studied upto second year Pre-University, Mr. Gopal set out on his ‘Kannada akshara jatre’ on November 23. So far, he had covered Haveri, Hubballi, Davanagere, Chamarajnagar, Ramanagar, Bengaluru districts and entered Kolar a couple of days ago. He continued his tour through Chickballapur district.
Mr. Gopal instantly attracted the attention of people with his red and yellow coloured clothes symbolizing the Kannada flag. Also, his bicycle has been coloured with the same colours and carried the Kannada flag. People flock him as he enters every village, town and city.
“I am happy that people receive me with love and affection and inquire about my health”, says Mr. Gopal. While appreciating his love for Kannada, people voluntarily arrange for his food and stay the night.
This is second such journey for Mr. Gopal. He toured on his bicycle when the 80th meet was held in Haveri last year. However, he was not happy about that tour as he could not cover entire Karnataka. “I have decided to cover all the districts this time around to take the message of Kannada conference to more people”, he said.
Twin message
Spreading the message of environment protection was also his motto. Though he could have opted for a motorcycle for the purpose, he chose bicycle to propagate the importance of environment conservation.
The message written on the rear side of his bicycle read, “Cycle Balasi, Indhana Ulisi, Parisara Samrakshisi” (Use cycle, save fuel and preserve environment).
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Vishwa Kundapura / Kolar – December 28th, 2014
