Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

12th century Nishidhi stone inscription found in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
The Nishidhi inscription found in Harakere village near Shivamogga. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA
The Nishidhi inscription found in Harakere village near Shivamogga. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA

It commemorates a Jain ascetic

A Nishidhi stone inscription from the 12th century was found at Nandi Basaveshwara temple in Harakere village in Shivamogga taluk recently.

R. Shejeshwara, Assistant Director, Department of Archeology, Heritage and Museums, and Jagadeesh, historian, discovered the inscription during a field work undertaken in Harakere. The inscription is of 60 cm long and 15 cm wide and is chiselled from a schist rock slab.

Mr. Shejeshwara said the Nishidhi stone inscriptions are issued to commemorate Jain ascetics who perform Sallekhana vratha. According to the text of the inscription, a discipline of Nemideva, a Jain seer of Moolasangha took Sallekhana vratha here. The image of Nemideva preaching a couple on Sallekhana vratha has been carved on the inscription. The seer carried pinchi, a bunch of peacock feathers and kamandala. The umbrella, popularly known as mukkode, and the images of the sun and moon are intricately carved here.

He said that eight lines are engraved here in archaic Kannada. Based on the language used here, the historians have come to the conclusion that the inscription was issued in 12th century. The inscription found here proves that there was a strong influence of Jainism in the region. The Jain sculptures and inscriptions were also found in the past in Yalavatti, Purale and Hasudi villages in the vicinity.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Staff Reporter / December 10th, 2018

Awash with history, yet neglected

About Bangalore(Bengaluru) / Karnataka, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Kolar01BF09dec2018

Around 30,000 monuments under threat as they don’t come under purview of Central or State Acts

A muddy path snakes its way between eucalyptus plantations, stone quarries and fields of tomatoes to reveal a hollowed-out hill at Uddappanahalli in Kolar district. Dried eucalyptus branches, which are burnt to crack the stone underneath, litter the hill. The entire hillock has been carved out, leaving just a small fort on top.

“Every night, 2 to 4 truckloads of stones are taken from the hill… the mining has been happening for decades by some influential people,” said a villager.

Over the years, quarrying has come to the edge of the fort. Now, blocks are removed from right under the fort. “The fort won’t last long,” said the villager. The origin of the fort is unclear, with some historians believing that the structure could date back to the 17th century, where it was used as a defence post for the army. It is from this post, that they could get a view of the plains stretching till Bengaluru.

However, there is no legislation to protect the structure.

KolarChart09dec2018

No recognition given

The unprotected site is just one of the estimated 30,000 historical structures dotting the State’s landscape that has not been recognised under either the Central Acts governing the Archaeological Department or State laws for the State Archaeological Department.

Experts believe a majority of these structures, like the Uddappanahalli fort, are under threat. Their fears were communicated to Tourism Department officials during a recent meeting on protecting such monuments.

“There has been no survey of unprotected monuments since 1942. Surveys do not cost much, and there are enough archaeologists and students who can do it. It needs to be done before we lose out on a lot of history. We’ve already spoiled megalithic burial (10,000 to 30,000 years old) sites in most places of the states,” said N.S. Rangaraju, a former Archaeology professor and a member of the Heritage Expert Committee.

Kolar02BF09dec2018

A few years ago, he and his students had taken up a pilot of three districts in south Karnataka. Over 550 unprotected structures were identified. “These monuments are over 100 years old, and many of these are religious structures under the Muzrai Department, which does not have the expertise for conservation,” he said.

S.K. Aruni from Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) said a majority of these unprotected structures represent hundreds of years of village histories.

“There needs to be a micro-level documentation of history. But, it needs involvement from the people and the panchayat first. If they can get a preliminary document of the historical structures in the village, then researchers can build upon it,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Mohit M. Rao / Bengaluru – December 08th, 2018

Karnataka: Karavali Utsav off to a colourful start

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

The three-day event will not only showcase the culture, music and local art of the coast, but will also go a long way in attracting tourists to Karwar and surrounding areas.

A paramotor in action on the inaugural day of Karavali Utsav | D hemanth
A paramotor in action on the inaugural day of Karavali Utsav | D hemanth

Karwar :

Karavali Utsav 2018, a three-day cultural extravaganza, was inaugurated in Karwar on Saturday. Karwar’s Rabindranath Tagore Beach came alive as hundreds of tourists and residents thronged the venue to get a glimpse of events and exhibition.

The three-day event will not only showcase the culture, music and local art of the coast, but will also go a long way in attracting tourists to Karwar and surrounding areas.

The day began with Rear Admiral K J Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area, inaugurating a fruits and flower exhibition and fish festival near the Warship Museum. Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul accompanied him.

A rangoli competition was held at the DC’s office where more than 100 women participated. At Maladevi Grounds, Kabaddi was organised where 10 teams participated. The finals will be held on Sunday at the same venue. At Zilla Rangamandira, cultural programmes were inaugurated.Talks were also organised at Zilla Rangamandira.

Padma Shri awardee Girish Bharadwaj, who is also known as the “Bridge Man,” addressed hundreds of students from various colleges. He narrated how he faced difficulties during the start of the construction of the hanging bridge.

The festival was formally inaugurated on Saturday evening by Revenue Minister R V Deshpande at Mayuravarma Vedike on Rabindranath Tagore Beach. Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and Karwar MLA Roopali Naik were also present.

“The state has been making all efforts to make Uttara Kannada district a tourist hub which will provide employment to locals and bring revenue to them,” Deshpande said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States>Karnataka / by Arunkumar Huralimuth / Express News Service / December 09th, 2018

G. Venkatasubbaiah gets Bhasha Samman for South

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
G. Venkatasubbaiah
G. Venkatasubbaiah

Nagarajappa gets Sahitya Akademi book award

Centenarian lexicographer G. Venkatasubbaiah has been chosen for the Sahitya Akademi’s Bhasha Samman for South (2017). The award has been given in recognition of his contribution in the field of classical and medieval literature.

The akademi, on Wednesday, also announced an award for Kannada writer K.G. Nagarajappa for his work on literary criticism, Anushreni-Yajamanike, for 2018. He is among the 24 award winners announced by the akademi in various languages.

GV’s body of work

Mr. Venkatasubbaiah (popularly known as GV) has compiled 10 dictionaries, including Klishtapada Kosha, a dictionary of complex Kannada words; four seminal works on dictionary science in Kannada; edited over 60 books; and published four children’s books, eight translations, and several papers.

The Bhasha Samman, which carries a purse of ₹1 lakh, will be presented to him by the akademi president at a special function, the date of which will be announced later, said a release.

The award announced for Mr. Nagarajappa, according to the release, carries a plaque and a purse of ₹1 lakh. It will be presented on January 29, 2019 in New Delhi. Mr. Nagarajappa, born in Gubbi, Tumakuru district, has many fiction and non-fiction works to his credit, including Dodda Sankanna, Ikkattu-Bikkattu and Maru Chintane. He has won many awards, including the Rajyotsava and Nadoja awards.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bengaluru – December 06th, 2018

Documenting the lost lakes of Bengaluru

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion
Miller's Tank, which once served the water needs of the area, now houses institutes, houses and sports clubs. | Photo Credit: TH
Miller’s Tank, which once served the water needs of the area, now houses institutes, houses and sports clubs. | Photo Credit: TH

German-based freelance artist and photographer Laura Fiorio is reaching out to citizens

The city once had a well-connected network of 835 lakes. Today, less than 200 survive. What happened to the rest? Where were they located? What stands in their place today? These are some of the question that anyone interested in Bengaluru’s history may want answers to.

As part of her art-cum-research project ‘Bangalore’s Disappeared Lakes’, German-based freelance artist and photographer Laura Fiorio is reaching out to citizens and asking them to share everything, from memories and stories to photographs related to the lost / forgotten lakes of the city.

She is in the city under the Bangalore Residency programme of the Goethe-Institut. She has been working on subjects that focus on inhabited landscape and its transformation. Her area of interest is housing, human geography and personal archives.

“I came to the city in November this year. When I heard about the lakes and how many of them have disappeared over the years, I was curious to know more. As part of my residency project, I decided to analyse the transformation of these lakes,” she said.

The artist wanted to make it a community-driven and participatory project. “Over the days, we will be collecting from the community memories, images related to the places which used to be lakes, and photographs of families living there,” she said.

Ms. Fiorio is in touch with historians and researchers in the city to build the repository. “I have started with focusing on water-bodies in the central part of the city, including Majestic,” she said.

At the end of the two-month project, she will publish a book with photographs and stories about the lost lakes, which will be made available to the public. “I will organise a series of workshops on urban development and plan to create an online portal. I hope the project will lead to a larger discussion about the city and the way it has developed, and the way it should develop in the future.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / December 04th, 2018

A dropout because of poverty, he now helps poor students

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

As a young boy, Ningappa Gatin (43) was unable to study further than SSLC due to financial crunch.

Dharwad:

As a young boy, Ningappa Gatin (43) was unable to study further than SSLC due to financial crunch. Since the past decade, he has been giving away his remuneration of Rs 5,000 per month to meritorious and poor students. Till date, 300 students have received Rs 2 lakh from him.

A member of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat and president of the Standing Committee of Social Justice, Gatin does not want anyone to quit studies like he did. But he had to discontinue studies after the fourth standard. After a gap of years, he completed SSLC. But he could not afford college.

Gatin’s political journey began when he became a member of the Murkatti Gram Panchayat in 2005. Since then, he had not used a single rupee of his remuneration for his own use. Every year, he organises a programme, Pratibha Puraskar and distributes the remuneration to needy students. He has been giving away small cash prizes to meritorious and poor students selected by school teachers and committee members.

“The importance of education cannot be overstated. It can be the catalyst needed to pull families out of poverty. It is the most important for development. As I faced hard days and could not fulfil my dreams, today I am extending a helping hand to the poor and needy,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Mallikarjun Hiremath / Express News Service / November 30th, 2018

14th century stone inscription found in Bhadravati village

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
The inscription in archaic Kannada speaks of the valour of a local warrior. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA
The inscription in archaic Kannada speaks of the valour of a local warrior. | Photo Credit: VAIDYA

A 14th century stone inscription has been discovered at Hagalamane village in Bhadravati taluk by R. Shejeshwara, Assistant Director of the Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums.

Mr. Shejeshwara discovered the inscription in an agricultural field on the outskirts of the village based on the information provided by local residents. It has been chiselled from a schist rock slab.

The inscription, which is in archaic Kannada, speaks of the valour of Jakka, a local warrior and son of Homachara Bhaira Gowda. Mr. Shejeshwara said it is a ‘Mastigallu’, installed to commemorate Jakki, wife of Jakka, who committed self-immolation after her husband died while fighting enemies.

The lower panel of the inscription has been damaged and all that remains now is the head portion of a sculpture of Jakki wearing pandanus flowers.

In the middle panel, there are carvings of goddesses taking Jakka and Jakki to heaven.

In the topmost panel, there are carvings of a Shivalinga and a Nandi being worshipped by a sage in heaven.

Experts opined that the inscription was installed during the early phase of the Vijayanagar kingdom.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Shivamogga – November 29th, 2018

A journey from NASA to acting for Rupa Sridhar

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technology, World Opinion

RupaBF30nov2018

Meet Rupa Sridhar, who worked with NASA, and is now making her debut as an actor in Mataash

Rupa Sridhar describes herself as “an out and out IT professional” with 24 years experience. She has “worked in the US for many years at NASA. I was a software scientist, into research and enjoyed my work.

After having worked abroad for years, we decided to return for personal reasons,” says Rupa, who adds that she was at the peak of technology while working “amidst geeks and interesting people in the US”.

After 17 years with NASA, Rupa started working in Bengaluru, till she decided to take a break. “Working 16 hours a day in different time zones takes its toll on your health and mind.”

Hence, she started her own software company. “In spite of all this, I felt there was a tiny creative aspect hiding in a corner of my heart. Even in the US, I was a part of theatre. There I took it up as a hobby.”

Rupa also acted in an American short film, “which never was released I think,” she says with a laugh. It was chance meeting with director SD Arvind, that landed her in a role in his film Mataash, which will release in the first week of December.

“We had an audition and I was selected for the role. We were also given a short workshop where we were taught the nuances of acting and before I knew it, we had completed the shoot of Mataash.” Rupa plays a modern mother in the film and says she felt comfortable in the role as she could identify with it. She is also all praise for the director.

“Arvind stands out as a true professional. When I met him, I felt he is a brilliant combination of education and creativity and will surely go far ahead.”

Any initial jitters facing the camera? “I was awkward the first few minutes, but Arvind made it look like a piece of cake. Soon, we were all comfortable in front of the camera.”

If Rupa was offered a film and an invitation to return to NASA, which would she choose? She laughs and says, “I better zip my mouth. Actually, a second stint at NASA is always welcome; but if films also come up, I am open to that too.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Shilpa Sebastian / November 27th, 2018

The politician who fought hard for State’s cause

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AmbareeshBF28nov2018Ambareesh was a three-time MP who represented Mandya constituency

M.H. Ambareesh, who distanced himself from active politics during the 2018 Legislative Assembly elections, was a politician who fought hard on issues affecting the State.

The actor-turned politician served as the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the UPA government, led by the Manmohan Singh government. However, he resigned from the ministry in 2008.

A three-time MP, Mr. Ambareesh was elected to the 12, 13 and 14th Lok Sabha from Mandya constituency. He had served as the Housing Minister in the Siddaramaiah government. He was dropped from the Cabinet by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in 2017.

He was a member of the Assembly from 2013 to 2018. Though the party had given him ‘B’ Form to contest the 2018 Assembly elections, Mr. Ambareesh did not contest from the Mandya Assembly Constituency, citing health issues.

True to his ‘rebel star’ style, Mr. Ambareesh was an avid racer and active member of the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC). He opposed his government’s move to relocate the BTC saying racing is not gambling, and hundreds of families would lose their livelihood if it is moved out of the city.

Mr. Ambareesh questioned the motive behind the move to relocate the club. Noting that even in New Delhi, the Prime Minister’s official residence (7 Race Course Road) is very close to the Delhi Race Course, he opposed relocation of the BTC. Congress leaders M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Siddaramaiah, G. Parameshwara, D.K. Shivakumar and others condoled his death.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Nagesh Prabhu / Bengaluru – November 25th, 2018

Mangaluru – Konkan Fiesta – Fest of dance, music and food on Dec 2

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Mangaluru :

‘Konkan Fiesta’ a fest with dance, music and food is all set to enthral Mangalureans on December 2 at Mangalore Hills, Bondel, 3 pm onwards.

The one day extravaganza is organised by Hera Pinto in association with Club Mantra.

The fest organised under motto ‘Creating good fun for betterment’ aims to gather all dance, music and food lovers under one roof and celebrate togetherness with joy, cheer and laughter, especially for the Catholic community of Mangaluru and Udupi diocese.

As part of the upcoming fest, two online contests have already begun, namely ‘Baila Challenge’ and ‘Popular Family.’ Title winners will be awarded with cash prize of Rs.10,000 each.

The highlights of the event are ‘Sun Shine’ brass band, Perampally and ‘Alcatrazz’ a well renowned band which is coming all the way from Goa, to perform live.

To keep the audience enthralled, the fiesta will have various food and beverage stalls, along with games and sales stalls. Exciting spot prizes and lucky draws will be held during the event.

Konkan Fiesta, will raise funds on the day of the event for Riya Foundation (residential therapeutic home for persons with varied disabilities).

Entry to the festival is absolutely free.

Passes will be provided across Mangaluru and Udupi soon.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network / November 28th, 2018