Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

CM Releases Varsity Centenary Coins

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
Chief Minister Siddharamaiah is seen releasing Rs. 100 and Rs. 5 University of Mysore Centenary Commemorative Coins at a function held Crawford Hall in city this morning as (from left) University of Mysore Vice Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Professor Emeritus Ham.Pa. Nagarajaiah and Registrar Prof. R. Rajanna look on. Picture right shows a section of audience at the Crawford Hall.
Chief Minister Siddharamaiah is seen releasing Rs. 100 and Rs. 5 University of Mysore Centenary Commemorative Coins at a function held Crawford Hall in city this morning as (from left) University of Mysore Vice Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa, Professor Emeritus Ham.Pa. Nagarajaiah and Registrar Prof. R. Rajanna look on. Picture right shows a section of audience at the Crawford Hall.

Mysuru :

In a whirlwind two-day tour of Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah arrived at the Mysore Airport at Mandakalli this morning and headed straight to Crawford Hall where he released Centenary Commemorative Coins, a coffee table book and Kannada encyclopedia as part of the University of Mysore’s Centenary Celebrations.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that Central Government had not considered his suggestion to conduct the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2017 in Kannada despite several requests.

“NEET exams are being conducted in Tamil, Telugu, Assamese and Bengali languages and we thought that Kannada being a classical language, the exams must be conducted in Kannada too. But our BJP MPs failed to convince the Centre in this regard,” he said. We have written another protest letter to the Centre highlighting its apathy towards Kannada, he added.

Stating that basic science had been neglected in the recent years, the CM said that emphasis must be laid on making the subject attractive so that more students take up their research. He also lauded Prof. K.S. Rangappa for his exemplary works as the VC.

Earlier, Prof. Ham.Pa. Nagarajaiah, spoke on the Coffee Table Book and went on a nostalgic journey remembering his days at Maharaja College and Manasagangothri and said that University of Mysore had given him knowledge, employment and also his life partner.

Lauding Prof. Rangappa for giving a new look to Manasagangothri campus, he said that it was rare fete to see the statue of Kuvempu in a sitting posture as most of his statue were in standing position.

Prof. Nagarajaiah also remembered the contribution of Crawford, who had donated generously for the construction of the building which was later named after him, Perumal Chetty, who was in-charge of constructing the iconic Crawford Hall and Prof. H. Nanjundaiah, the first VC.

Siddharamaiah also unveiled a replica of the painting of the ‘Raja School’ with Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar sitting on the throne with British teachers and Ministers standing on the left and right side and students standing in front of the King.

Goraknath Yadav and Pankaj Chachadi, General Managers, RBI Mint, Mumbai and Sanjay Kansal, designer, who designed the centenary coins were felicitated. Janaki Ramachetty, son of Perumal Chetty was also felicitated. The newly released Rs. 5 coins are available for sale at the Crawford Hall for Rs. 6,000.

Later, Siddharamaiah laid the foundation stone to a 66/11 KV GIS Gas Insulated Sub Station to be set up by the Karnataka Power Transmission Company Limited on Dhobi Ghat, Saraswathipuram. At 3 pm, he was scheduled to inaugurate the State-level Yuvajanotsva at Kalamandira and participate in the valedictory of the 60th All India Police Duty Meet 2016 at 4 pm at KPA Grounds.

He was also scheduled to inaugurate the Flower Show in the Mysore Palace premises at 5 pm. He will stay overnight in Mysuru. Tomorrow at 11 am, he is scheduled to inaugurate a State-level convention and Boudha Samaj Nirmana Sankalpa Divas organised on the occasion of Bharat Ratna Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar’s Mahaparininirvahana at Mysore Medical College Platinum Jubilee Hall.

REACTION TO FORMER PM DEVE GOWDA

Earlier, speaking to reporters after he arrived at the Mysore Airport at Mandakalli, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah reacting to former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s comments that he (Siddharamaiah) was arrogant and egoistic, the CM said that JD(S) can never win the Karnataka Assembly elections on its own strength. “It was not possible when people like me were in the JD(S). Now it is literally impossible to win the elections with a handful of leaders and Deve Gowda knows it very well,” he said.

ON YEDDYURAPPA AND NANJANGUD POLLS

Saying that Congress candidate will win the Nanjangud by-elections, the CM said that the claims by BJP State President that BJP will win the elections were far from reality. “Yeddyurappa has said that Sreenivasa Prasad will be the BJP candidate but so far, Prasad has not yet joined BJP and his victory will be far-fetched idea,” he said.

On Yeddyurappa’s statement that some Cabinet Ministers in Karnataka will resign on corruption charges, Siddharamaiah said that Yeddyurappa is famous for hit-and-run statements. “Yeddyurappa must remember that he is a former CM and not a soothsayer,” he said.

ON RANGAYANA ISSUE

Speaking about the indefinite strike called by Rangayana senior artistes and employees, Siddharamaiah said that he had made provisions for the grants of ex-gratia amount to the artistes and employees while he was the Finance Minister before becoming the Chief Minister.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / December 23rd, 2016

All song and play at this school

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, World Opinion
Children attend music and academic classes at the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya near Dharwad | D Hemanth
Children attend music and academic classes at the Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya near Dharwad | D Hemanth

Kalkeri , Dharwad :

As dawn breaks over a picturesque little hillock in sleepy little Kalkeri, about 16 km  from Dharwad, the village wakes up daily to the strains of music from a nearby school.
The Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya, situated on the hillock and surrounded by three beautiful lakes and spread over 3.5 acres, has 248 children studying in various classes. The uniqe contribution of this music gurukul is just that…being musical.

Music is the life of this school so much so that even cottages in this residential school are named after Hindustani ragas  — Asavari, Khamaj, Bhairavi, Thodi etc.
The only qualification to join this school is that a child has to be from a lower economic strata and rural background.

Started in 2002, the school runs on a different rhythm. A typical day includes not just academic classes but also riyaz (music practice). It focuses on Hindustani classical music, classical dance and drama.
The day here starts at 5am when children gather for yoga and exercises. Post breakfast, they have classes in singing, playing bansuri, tabala, harmonium or any other musical instrument in the large common hall. Later, the children disperse to the cottages to pursue their academic classes.
The children are provided free food and education. Currently, the school has classes up to SSLC and follows the Karnataka state syllabus.

Children who study PUC and further will have to pursue their education in other institutions, where fees and other expenses are taken care of by the school administration.
Veeranna Pattar, head of Music Department, says the idea is to support children from poor socio-economic background and help them earn their bread and butter. “Several students from our music school are running institutes or working in various cities across India.”

Santosh Pujar, HR of the school, says that in 2002 the school started with just 14 students and today the strength has increased to 248.
Founded by Mathieu Fortier, Agathe Meurisse Fortier, Blaise Fortier from Canada and musicians from Dharwad Ustad Hameed Khan and Pandit Ravi Kudligi, the school’s goal is to empower the poor and rural children by providing them fundamental rights like access to education, quality healthcare and clean food.
The Canadian founders had travelled across India extensively and spent a few years in Shantiniketan in West Bengal learning Hindustani music. When they landed in Dharwad and found it was home to Hindustani music, they decided to open a school here, says Pujar.

Vishalakshi Charnthimath who has been staying at the music school for the last 10 years, says, “The school has shaped the life of many poor children.”
Sarita Rapanavar, a student, says she has won many prizes in dance competitions. “The teachers here support our interest towards music and also build our confidence,” she adds.
Today there is a huge demand for admissions after witnessing the positive results of this experiment.
“The founding team plans to expand the faciltiies. We are looking for land nearby,” says Pattar.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Mallikarjun Hiremath / Express News Service / December 18th, 2016

151-year-old government museum enters the digital world

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
w of Halmidi incription, the first Kannada inscription, found in Halmidi in Hassan district displayed at the Government Museum on Kasturba Road. | Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash K
w of Halmidi incription, the first Kannada inscription, found in Halmidi in Hassan district displayed at the Government Museum on Kasturba Road. | Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash K

Is conducting trials of an app that seeks to serve as an audio guide to visitors

Bengaluru:

Moving through the dank corridors where exhibits — often thousands of years old — lie in the shadows, an app could be the gateway to the rich history within the Government Museum.

The 151-year-old museum on Kasturba Road is preparing to enter into the digital world with a tour of the premises being incorporated in an app, named Pinakin. The app seeks to serve as an audio guide to visitors.

For a visitor, the labels around the Deccan-style paintings in the museum hardly provide adequate details. On the app, however, a voice guides you into the time of the kings and the techniques of the painters. The strokes that bring out the colours were done using squirrel or pig tail hair, guides the voice.

Similarly, the hero stone – where again the museum has put little by way of information. The app brings out the tale of the chieftain who died in a battle against the Ganga king.

Officials said the app is undergoing trials. “It should be available in a week or so. People can use the app to find more information about the exhibits and we hope this will lead to greater footfalls,” said an official.

Pinakin already offers free tours of Mysore Palace and Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, among other places.

Need for curation

Pinakin is free to download and covers over 20 exhibits out of the more than 185 in the museum. Available in English and Kannada, the recordings – which can be downloaded offline – runs to around 40 minutes.

“It is not merely a lecture on history. It brings out interesting facts to induce inquisitiveness among visitors and shifts the perspective from merely photographic memory to information,” says Srikanth Iyer, Chief Executive Officer of Aseuro Technologies, which has developed the app.

He hopes to expand the app to include paintings in the Venkatappa Art Gallery while information on the Government Museum will be constantly updated. “After six months or so, we can add 15 to 20 exhibits in the app so that those revisiting the museum will always have something more to see,” said Mr. Iyer.

Revamping the city’s heritage through museums

The city is far more than just about pubs and IT hubs. Bengaluru is, contrary to popular perception, a city where history played out for over five centuries.

This history, however, seems to have been forced into the sidelines during the city’s exponential growth. The birthplace of the ‘Bangalore Rocket’ – a torpedo which was developed by Tipu Sultan – has virtually disappeared, while the city’s museums – which are to chronicle this history – remains little more than storehouses of antiques.

Priyank Kharge, State Minister of Tourism, hopes to change the perception of the city’s history by introducing the Kempegowda Tower Tourism Circuit or tours featuring Colonial history at Cantonment. “It is an uphill task, and much of it has disappeared. But, whatever is there needs to be protected. As a start, we need to celebrate our museums and ensure that there is better curation so that a visit becomes an experience for tourists. We have started this on a trial basis in the Government Museum through an app,” he said.

Over the years, a mixture of apathy and lack of public interest in history has seen museums being forced into the sidelines. For instance, in its heydays at the start of the last century, over four lakh people would visit the museum (or, Tamasha House as it was called). Now, the number barely touches two lakh. Of this, many are school students out on an excursion.

While welcoming initiatives such as an audio-visual app for exploration of museums, Meera Iyer, co-convenor of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), says much more needs to be done to improve facilities on the ground. “What needs to be done is to revamp the museum. The method of labelling and giving out information is abysmal; the walls are damp, the lighting is not good. There is poor display. All of this needs to change,” she says.

The Tourism Department has sought a proposal from the State Archaeology Department on projects that would improve facilities and conservation of artifacts of the Government Museum.

The potential of museums

“There are a lot of interesting stories to be told of the heritage of Bengaluru. Apart from Government Museum, we want to include Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace and the historical Someshwara Temple in our audio tours. Even the botanical gardens of Lalbagh will provide lots of interesting stories for visitors,” says Srikanth Iyer, CEO, Aseuro Technologies.

“In other cities, museums are celebrated. But here, they are not being curated properly. We are trying to change this. To begin with, we are starting with museums of the State Archaeology Department,” says Priyank Kharge, Tourism Minister.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Mohit M. Rao / December 13th, 2016

Amasebailu to become first solar GP in Udupi district

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology

The process of installing solar lamps at all houses of Amasebailu Gram Panchayat is nearing completion and with this, Amasebailu Gram Panchayat is all set to become the first ‘Solar Gram Panchayat’ in Udupi district.

Amasebailu Charitable Trust President A G Kodgi told reporters that Amasebailu has two villages, Rattadi and Machattu, with 1,872 houses. The trust had chalked out programmes to instal solar lamps at all households in 2012 itself. But owing to various reasons, the project was delayed. The installation of solar lamps was started in May this year and India Pvt. Ltd was entrusted with the responsibility of installing lamps. According to the conditions agreed upon in the tender, the company gave a five-year guarantee for solar lamps with a half-yearly maintenance and a provision to replace faulty lamps.

In the first phase, 397 houses were illuminated and 548 houses were covered in the second phase. The third phase of lighting 73 houses is currently under way. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2.13 crore and about 20% of the cost has been shared by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd, 30% by the ministry of energy and Rs 25 lakh from district administration.

Amasebailu PDO Bhaskar Shetty said some families have already installed solar lamps before the commencement of the project. About 20 streetlights light up with solar power, Shetty said.

“There are 30 temples and a mosque in the Gram Panchayat jurisdiction and efforts are on to promote solar lamps in places of worship as well,” he said. Vishwesha Theertha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt has agreed to sponsor the installation of solar lamps in these places of worship, Kodgi said.

The cost for installing two solar lamps was Rs 9,900, while it was Rs 16,000 for four lamps. The beneficiaries had to pay Rs 3,000 for two lamps, while it cost Rs 6,000 for four solar lamps.

In the case of Koraga community beneficiaries, the Gram Panchayat has borne the amount of Rs 3,000 per beneficiary while in the case of other Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes beneficiaries, it had spent Rs 2,000 per beneficiary for installation of lamps, he said.

With the accomplishment of the project the efforts of the district administration, Gram Panchayat, Amasebailu Charitable Trust, Karnataka Bank and Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project have borne fruit, he said.

source:  http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Udupi, December 10th, 2016

Kannada Lekhakiyara Sangha makes documentaries on its eight presidents

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All
T. Sunandamma, popular humour writer, was the first president of the Karnataka Lekhakiyara Sangha | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail
T. Sunandamma, popular humour writer, was the first president of the Karnataka Lekhakiyara Sangha | Photo Credit: Handout E Mail

The KLS was formed by women writers, who felt they were being excluded from the mainstream

Bengaluru :

Karnataka Lekhakiyara Sangha (KLS), a collective of women writers started in 1979, has released documentaries on eight remarkable women who have steered the organisation since its inception.

The documentaries have been made by D.S. Suresh. He had earlier made films on 15 Kannada women writers who have received the prestigious Anupama Award. KLS made use of grants given by the Department of Kannada and Culture for this project.

The documentaries cover T. Sunandamma, H.S. Parvathy, Hemalatha Mahishi, Nagamani S. Rao, Shashikala Veeraiahswamy, Usha P. Rai, Sandhya Reddy and Vasundhara Bhoopathi. It was released by S.G. Siddaramaiah, chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority, on Monday.

Mr. Suresh worked on this ambitious project for more than 18 months. He had interviewed over 125 people, including writers. “These documentaries can reach out to people who have little knowledge about literature. It will help them to know about women writers and their contribution to literature and the Sangha,” he added.

Women writers in Kannada, who felt they were being excluded from the mainstream, decided to join hands to form KLS. “Initially, it was an informal group. It grew slowly and T. Sunandamma, popular humour writer, became the first president of the Sangha, which had only 20 members in 1979.

Dr. Vasundhara Bhoopathi, president of the Sangha, said they are now planning to record the contribution of women Kannada writers in and outside Karnataka under the title ‘Nanna Kavithe Nanna Haadu’ (my poetry, my songs).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / December 12th, 2016

Toronto: Manohar Pais elected MAC president

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

Toronto :

Manohar Pais, one of the dynamic and highly talented Konkani personalities outside India, has been unanimously elected as the president of ‘The Mangalorean Association of Canada (MAC)’ for the term 2017-2018 during its Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) held on Sunday, November 20 at Sts Martha and Mary Parish, Mississauga, Canada.

Radio Mango Award winner Manohar Pais is gifted with enormous talents and was groomed as an artiste at the St Francis Xavier Parish of Bejai, Mangaluru. Before moving to Dubai in search of greener pastures, he was actively involved on Konkani stage in Mangaluru, from the year 1977 for over 15 years. During this period, he acted in over 30 plays in various parishes in Mangaluru such as Passion Play during Lent, Inter Parish drama competitions, Fund raising programs, and other commemorating events.

As an eloquent and highly popular Master of Ceremonies, he has conducted over 500 functions and wedding receptions in various parts of South Kanara. As a teenager when he was just 17, he compered a full musical show at Town Hall Mangaluru for Paradela Bejai. Not only in various parts of India, he also performed as MC in the Middle East for the great Konkani musical shows of renowned Konkani music personalities like the late Wilfy Rebimbus, Melwyn Peris, Claud D’Souza, Rang Tarang Geet Mala, Patrao Bros, Henry D’Souza, Lawrence Saldanha during the musical nites organized by Mangalore Konkans Dubai and KCO in Abu Dhabi.

Manohar, who is gifted with a silken voice, has won many accolades in inter-parish competitions as a singer organized by the Konkani Natak Sabha in Mangaluru. As an actor and director par-excellence, Manohar has won several prizes in drama and fancy dress competitions including the best actor prize in All India level Konkani drama competition organized by Rangabhumi, Udupi in 1990. He directed, acted and staged the most successful ‘classic Konkani play ‘Tho Maka Naka’ in 2006 in Dubai. The DVDs of this stage play are still in great demand. After moving to Canada he has written, directed and staged four religious plays namely Fatima Saibhin, Ankwar Moriyechin Ajapan, Sontasache Mister and Anandache Mister staged during Monthi Fest festivities in Mississauga. He also directed and played a lead role in the recently staged play Kazarachi Dotorn. By profession Manohar is a banker and during the helm of his career he served Citibank NA in the Middle East reaching Senior Executive Level Positions (VP & CFO).

The MAC had very fruitful years during 2015-2016, a real drive towards unity among Mangalureans in the GTA and within Canada and a keen passion to keep the flame of culture and traditions burning brightly especially through the most cherished Nativity Feast (Monthi Fest). The members owe a huge debt of gratitude to the outgoing President, Maxim D’Mello and EC, who have served the Mangalurean community tirelessly by promoting MAC in the GTA and within Canada.

The MAC AGM started with a Prayer led by the Spiritual Director Fr. Edwin D’Souza followed by the welcome address by the incumbent president Maxim D’Mello. He extended a warm welcome to the members who attended in large numbers. He expressed his joy on the completion of the successful tenure and applauded exiting members of the Executive Committee for their dedication and hard-work. He thanked all the sponsors who have generously supported the Association. The former MAC President Ronald Fernandes, Pamela Soans and Prescilla D’Mello ably handled the rest of the proceedings of AGM.

General Secretary Reynold Sequeira presented the Annual Report for the year ended 2016. The Report rewound the memories of the audience to the happy times they spent together both indoors and outdoors during the past year.

Joel Lewis, the Treasurer, one of the most committed and dedicated members of MAC, presented the Financial Report of the association. This was followed by the Auditor’s report. Certified Financial Report by the Auditor Reginald Fernandes presented by Ivan Lobo. Prescilla D’Souza presented the details on the membership drive.

And so, the formation of the new Executive Committee for the upcoming year was the main highlight of the day. The members of the new Executive Committee for the year 2017–2018 are the following:

Spiritual Director : Fr. Edwin D’Souza
President : Manohar Pais
Vice president : Melwyn Menezes
General Secretary : Cynthie Fernandes
Joint Secretary : Olivia Moras
Treasurer : Louis Pereira
Assistant Treasurer : Prescilla D’Souza
Cultural Coordinator : Ronald Monteiro
Sports Coordinator : Olwin Pereira
Public Relations Coordinator : Manoj D’Cunha
Liturgical Facilitator : Nina Crasta
Web Master : Leonard Crasta
Auditor : Ivan Lobo

The AGM concluded by leaving the members to look forward for exhilarating events organized by the energetic, talented and vibrant EC team under the dynamic leadership of Manohar Pais.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Gerry D’Mello / Daijiworld Media Network / December 08th, 2016

14 to receive ‘Avva Award’ this Sunday

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
The Avva Awards ceremony will mark the seventh death anniversary of Guravva Shivalingappa Horatti.
The Avva Awards ceremony will mark the seventh death anniversary of Guravva Shivalingappa Horatti.

 

As many as fourteen achievers from different fields will be honoured with ‘Avva Awards’ by the Avva Seva Trust in Hubballi this Sunday.

The ‘Avva Awards ceremony’ will also mark the seventh death anniversary of Guravva Shivalingappa Horatti, in whose memory the Trust has been set up. Writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa will confer the awards, while High Court Judge Justice Koratageri Narasimhamurthy Phaneendra will inaugurate the award ceremony to be held on Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi.

Addressing the media along with vice-president and MLA N.H. Konaraddi, secretary Shashi Sali and others chairman of Avva Seva Trust, former minister Basavaraj Horatti said that most of the awardees had been chosen based on reports in newspapers and electronic media and a few through nominations. The selection committee finalised awardees after due discussion, he said.

Mr. Horatti clarified that they had not considered nominations that had come with recommendations. “At a time when awards are losing their credibility because of recommendations, we preferred to cross check through our own network before finalising the list,” he said.

He said the list included a 76-year-old newspaper hawker, visually-impaired person who planted 1,000 saplings, a ‘full time’ teacher, the woman from the region who climbed Mount Everest, artistes, musicians and journalists.

Special honour

Mr. Horatti said the Trust would accord special honour to the residents of Talakawada village in Badami taluk of Bagalkot district, where upper caste people have taken it on themselves to conduct funerals of the dalits in a bid to alleviate untouchability. Freedom fighter, former MLA and centenarian Mahadevappa Pattan and his wife Sharada would also be felicitated on the occasion.

The awardees

The awardees include: vocalists Pt. Venkatesh Kumar and Nanda Patil, theatre artistes Chindodi Shrikanthesh and Yashwanth Sardeshpande, writer Bhuvaneshwari Hegde, journalist Markandeya Doddamani, environmentalists Appaji Wadeyar and Parashuraam N. Habib, Gamaka artiste Khaseem, mountaineer Nandita Naganagoudar, child prodigies Shivappa Kodli and Pooja Milke, teacher Rajkumar M. Mali, newspaper hawker Veeraiah V. Shirahattimath.

Mr. Horatti also said that Avva Trust would adopt a government school and develop it into a model school.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / Hubballi – December 07th, 2016

Bengaluru boy, Mr India World 2016, gets a joyous homecoming

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

vishnurajbf08dec2016

 

Sporting a crisp blue coat, cream trousers and a champion’s smile, Peter England Mr India World 2016 Vishnuraj S Menon looked the part for his homecoming to Bengaluru after having won the pageant.

Sporting a crisp blue coat, cream trousers and a champion’s smile, Peter England Mr India World  2016  Vishnuraj S Menon looked the part for his homecoming to Bengaluru after having won the pageant. Awaiting his arrival outside the airport were his parents and elder brother, who had travelled from his hometown of Thrissur just to welcome and congratulate him, his close set of college friends and the media. Upon seeing his inner circle on arrival, the reigning Peter England Mr India  World 2016 let out a victory scream. He then let his emotional side get the better of him, tearing up after he embraced his parents warmly. His friends expressed their joy for his victory by hoisting him on to their shoulders and carrying him out of the airport.

Following this, Vishnuraj and team left for his residence in Whitefield, where an even grander welcome awaited him. His house was decorated colourfully, and delicious chocolate cake was presented for him to cut. Once they were rested, they headed to his college MVJ College of Engineering , where he was welcomed by loud cheers from his juniors. He then took a trip down memory lane, visiting his classes and favourite hangout spots in the college. The college then felicitated Vishnuraj, following which he shared some interesting snippets from his college life and his journey from a college student to a pageant winner.

The day could not be complete without the hunk visiting one of his most favourite place in the city — his gym. Vishnuraj and his friends, who are also his workout buddies, visited two gyms — one that he regularly works outs at, and the other a new one run by his trainer. At both the places, he showed off his grueling routine and ripped muscles. “I spend a lot of time at the gym, and especially love working out my chest and biceps. It’s rare that I miss my gym days, and that’s something I’m proud of,” he says.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bengaluru / by Mohammed Waseem / TNN / December 03rd, 2016

K.G. Somashekar, portrait photographer, dead

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
K.G. Somashekar with his portraits in an exhibition recently held in Mysore. — Photo: M. A. Sriram | Photo Credit: M_A_SRIRAM
K.G. Somashekar with his portraits in an exhibition recently held in Mysore. — Photo: M. A. Sriram | Photo Credit: M_A_SRIRAM

K.G. Somashekar (79), renowned portrait photographer, died of pneumonia here on Sunday evening. He is survived by his wife, Pushpa Kampli, son Trilochan and daughter Kanchanamala.

Mr. Somashekar, who never believed in digital photography, had a vast collection of portraits to his credit. “His dream was to build the largest digital library with his black and white portraits, and he was in the process of documenting his mammoth 1,300 portraits of personalities, which included artists, authors, musicians, and scientists,” Mr. Trilochan said.

Mr. Somashekar had 130 photographs of Hindustani vocalist Mallikarjun Mansur and had also shot literary greats such as Kuvempu, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar and D.V. Gundappa.

Born in 1937 in Davangere and brought up in Hirekerur in Dharwad district, Mr. Somashekar came to Bengaluru when he was nine. He worked in Mumbai in the late 1960s along with artist K.K. Hebbar. He did not believe in taking photos of politicians, sportspersons and film stars, although Indira Gandhi, Prakash Padukone and D. Devaraj Urs were exceptions in his collection.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – December 05th, 2016

City teen builds audio-based debating website

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bengaluru :

A 12th grader from the city has developed what is possibly the world’s only online audio-based debating platform. The website ‘Debate for Change’, developed by Siddharth Pandiya (16), a student of Greenwood High International School, allows members world-wide to engage in debates on either any of the given topic or a topic of their choice.

The website is functioning since mid-October, currently has 150 members and took Siddharth, a month-and-a-half to build. Members can choose a topic and their stand on it, upon which the website pairs that member with another member who has an opposite stand, and then the debate is conducted by a moderator.

A ranking system has been incorporated in the website, wherein the winner of a debate, decided by the moderator, gets 100 points and the loser 25 points for participation. Until now, Siddharth himself would moderate the debates but now has a team to assist him.

Speaking about what led him to the idea, Siddharth, himself an avid debater since middle school, said, “When I went for debates I only learnt by watching other debaters, I didn’t have any platform to learn. I also feel the overall quality of debating, on TV for example, has deteriorated a lot.

People don’t even care so much anymore, they go to debates because it’s cool, not because they actually like talking about issues. Hence I created this.”
The teen has plans to incorporate many other features into the website, including an option to have video debates .

“I wanted this to be accessible to people with a 2G connection and hence began with only audio input,” he says, and adds, “You can also watch debates that are currently going on with the ‘spectate’ option and you can join tournaments.” He also plans to combine the service with Facebook by next week. He himself has represented India at 14 UN conferences until now and has won awards at every single one, including being awarded the best delegate at Harvard.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Servic e / December 06th, 2016