As he turned 80 on Sunday, Bharat Ratna C N R Rao expressed his concerns about the future of the country and asked the scientific community if it had “done enough for the younger generation”.
In his address, after being felicitated by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Science Research (JNCASR), Prof Rao said in the years to come, India will have the largest population of youth, with one billion people below 30 years of age.
“But have we been fair to the younger generation? Have we done enough for the country’s young people? That is something we need to introspect on,” he said.
Stating that this aspect has been worrying him, he said: “I have even been writing to the Prime Minister seeking additional investments to improve human resources in the country. The future, in my opinion, is bothersome for the country and we need to do something.”
Saying that science has given the society so much, Rao wondered if the scientific community had reciprocated similarly. “Have we lived the way scientists should live? Are we worried about humanism?” he asked.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India> Scientists / TNN / December 02nd, 2013
A S N Hebbar, the city’s veteran lawyer of 50 years was felicitated by his interns and social welfare organizations at Government Pre-University College, here on Saturday November 30 evening.
The former Rotary governor Dr H Shantaram presided the function.
The former MLA A G Kodgi delivered the felicitation address.
The additional district and sessions judge G S Revankar, Udupi district journalists’ Assocition president Kiran Manjabail and others were present.
The journalist Chakravarti Soolibele delivered lecture on professional ethics and India.
The prizes were distributed to the winners of inter-district badminton and tennis tourney on the same occasion.
An exhibition of rare birds was held on the occasion.
Sugam Sangeet musical extravaganza and Yakshagana play was staged as part of entertainment programme.
About Hebbar
Seventy-three-year-old Airody Shankaranarayana Hebbar, popularly known as A S N Hebbar is active lawyer who attends court proceedings in Bhatkal, Honnavar and Udupi by driving his own car even now. His father the late Airody Venkatanarayana Hebbar was also a lawyer who mentored his son Shankaranarayana in professional ethics, in-depth study, humorous advocacy etc. The budding interns practiced with Sankaranarayan who has a great number of followers.
Besides, being busy at legal practice, Shankaranarayana was engaged in contributing his articles, poetry, humorous columns etc. He was the chairman of Udupi district seventh Kannada Sahitya Sammelan. He was the founder chairman of Jaycees Club International – Kundapur. He served as chairman of local school governing council and also bagged several awards for his philanthropic contributions.
He had participated in Akka Sammelan held in Chicago, USA. He was the founder president of Kundapur taluk journalists’ Association and founder vice president of Udupi district journalists’ Association. He has married to Sudha, daughter of Kasargod’s popular lawyer B S Kakkillaya. They have three children and many grand children.
source: http://www.bellevison.com / Belle Vision.com / Home> News / by Bernard J D’Costa, Bellevision Media Network / Kundapur – December 01st, 2013
A file photo of Mysore Grahakara Parishat [MGP] holding its first meeting which was attended by (from left) Chiranjiv Singh, IAS, Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy (Working President), V.P. Baligar, IAS, Dr. H.A.B. Parpia (President) and A.K. Ranganathan (Secretary).It was a cold winter night. Dr. Bhamy Shenoy and his wife were returning from Vontikoppal after making some purchases to their house on Vivekananda Road in Yadavagiri at about 8 pm. As they were nearing the house, walking, Dr. Bhamy Shenoy got a bit curious to find a person standing at his gate with a bicycle. On enquiry, about the reason for his being there at that odd hour, the answer surprised Bhamy. The man was wanting to complain to the Mysore Grahakara Parishat [MGP] against the Principal of the Regional College of Education [RCE] where he himself was employed as a Group D employee. His name was K. Madhu.
Madhu had two children, M. Tara and M. Bhaskara. After they completed their CBSE X, he admitted them to vocational courses at DMS in 1989. He had seen an advertisement in Star of Mysore by Demonstration Multipurpose School (DMS) that these courses were recognised by the government of India.
However, when his children completed their studies and got their certificates, he found that because of the failure on the part of RCE to get them recognised by the State government, they could not get jobs. It was then that he decided to approach MGP seeking help.
Usually MGP does not help individual cases. Since Madhu was illiterate and did not have one to help, MGP took his cause. He used to come to office by bike from RCE campus in the night and wait patiently for MGP members, says Dr. Bhamy Shenoy. “Even today I remember how he used to wait when MGP was closed. Some times he might have returned without meeting anyone. I do not know how many times he must have travelled to MGP office,” says Dr. Bhamy Shenoy trying to recollect the past.
“We first wrote to RCE and DMS officials. When it did not produce any results, we complained to Consumer Court in Mysore in 1993. They gave a judgement in favour of Madhu’s children in 1997. They gave an award of Rs 10,000 in each case finding fault with RCE. RCE went on appeal to State Consumer Court which again ruled in favour of Madhu in 2001. They then went on appeal to the National Commission,” recalls Dr. Bhamy Shenoy.
As Dr. Shenoy could recall, Madhu won the case at the National level also and RCE appealed to the Supreme Court.
In the mean time, as the case was going through, Madhu died. His children contacted MGP and it continued to help them. However, MGP did not think they got any compensation despite all our efforts. Bhaskara, despite his qualification, ended up as a day labourer and Thara worked as a seamstress. This is our justice system.
Though this was not the biggest achievement of MGP, which over the past 25 years has fought many battles for the consumers and the citizens of Mysore City, the case is suggestive of the sincerity of purpose with which MGP takes up any common cause or a complaint that comes before it.
Mysoreans are familiar with the city’s renowned-NGO Mysore Grahakara Parishat which was set up on March 15, 1989. It will be celebrating its silver jubilee in March 2014 and plans are underway.
MGP, like all well-intentioned organisations for common cause, had its own birth pangs. The first impediment came from the Government itself. Instead of playing the role of a facilitator in a Democratic Welfare State like ours, the Sub-Registrar’s office where the founders of MGP went to register the organisation as a society, found the officer their first road block. Dr. Bhamy, Dr. Parpia and others of the first seven members of MGP registered their first protest, in their long 25 years journey, in the Sub- Registrar’s Office !
Dr. Bhamy called the District Registrar to complain with no result except the assurance that he would look into it. When this was mentioned to the then Congress MLA D. Jayadevaraja Urs, the politician, as if by habit, said he would get it done. Dr. Bhamy refused the offer saying no such influence should be used.
The Deputy Commissioner was approached. The DC was requested to tell the Sub-Registrar not to make them visit his office again and again to give one document or the other; instead, ask the Sub-Registrar to give a checklist of documents he required so that they would furnish the same to him in one visit. They also said no bribe would be paid as a matter of principle. This worked and then came into existence the MGP.
Interestingly, the same group of good Samaritans of MGP had also formed an organisation called Mysore Lokswaraj Andolan to fight for civic rights, environment etc. However, this was ruined when certain persons with vested interest came to occupy the office of President and Secretary. The organisation died a natural death; of course, not without a Court battle.
According to Dr. Bhamy Shenoy whom this writer met, there are 687 members in MGP. Out of this, 676 members are life members and there are 11 annual members as on March 31, 2013. The members meet regularly once in a month at Dr. Bhamy Shenoy’s residence. Though there are 687 members, about 25 members who are active attend the meeting.
Over the years, MGP has fought many battles. Some may be mentioned here: The greening of the barren land around the Lakshmikanth Temple in Hebbal Industrial Area; the court battle fought against City Corporation to prevent it from constructing buildings inside the Cheluvamba Park; preventing the unholy barter deal the City Corporation and the Government of Karnataka had entered into in the matter of constructing a Public Library in the People’s Park with a land developer in exchange for leasing out a huge area of the park by the side of the main road free of cost for constructing a shopping complex and helped to conserve Kukkarahalli, Lingambudi, Hebbal, Bogadi and Karanji lakes.
Similarly, MGP had taken up steps to control air pollution in certain industrial areas. It was primarily responsible for closing down a lead battery factory which was polluting the air causing health hazard to the people living in the surrounding areas. It was the time when the unscrupulous elements in the society were selling petrol by adding lead into it to improve the petrol octane rating which enables the vehicle to run faster. It is a worst pollutant of the atmosphere. Happily these days lead-free petrol is also available.
At present MGP is pre-occupied with the Mysore Master Plan 2031 and also the issues related to JNNURM and JUSCO.
Asked about the nature of calls MGP receives, Dr. Bhamy Shenoy says there is a variety ranging from a complaint against dry cleaners, telephone exchange, electricity, water supply, MRP issue to such major issues like garbage accumulation and disposal and the Master Plan.
To run an NGO of this kind, it is imperative to have advocates to take matters to Court where it is unavoidable and inevitable. When asked if MGP has a panel of advocates, Dr. Bhamy says yes. It has right now four advocates on their panel and their service is free because MGP is an NGO. However, MGP gives them out-of-pocket expenses.
The MGP has for all its 25 years in the service of the tax payers of Mysore city has about Rs. 15 lakh, raised from the membership fee, put in Fixed Deposit. The interest derived from this is used for filing PIL, buying stationeries, to meet travel expenses and more importantly to publish its monthly newspaper called ‘Grahaka Pathrike’ in Kannada.
At present MGP has an Executive Committee of nine members. The new Executive Committee of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) was installed at its 24th annual general body meeting held recently.
The nine-member Committee, which will serve for the period 2013-2016, consists of Prof. R. Chandra Prakash, President; Ashok Kacker, Working-President; Vishwas Krishna, Secretary; K.R. Seshadri, Treasurer; Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) S.G. Vombatkere, B.V. Shenoy, Uma Shenoi, Prof. S. Sobana and Prof. S. Sekhar, are Executive Committee Members.
When MGP was registered on March 15, 1989 the Founder-Members were Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, who recently passed away, President; Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy, Working-President, who has offered the cellar of his house free for running the office of MGP; D.K. Ranganathan, a retired Railway employee, Treasurer and A.K. Ranganathan, Secretary.
It may be interesting to mention here how politicians pursue their personal agenda, well reinforced with a big ego, that often affect the developmental works, discourage those who want to take up social service and sometimes even embarrass the lesser mortals.
It appears the Treasurer and Founder-Member of MGP D.K. Ranganathan was also a social activist at Metagalli, where he lived. The simple folks of the area with a sense of gratitude named a park in that area after Ranganathan. However, the politician changed the name of the park to his own name. No comments.
May the MGP, a torch-bearer for Mysore city as an NGO when there was none, grow from strength to strength.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / December 01st, 2013
Prof. C.N.R. Rao with wife Indumathi in Bengaluru —DC/R. Samuel
Bengaluru:
Professor C.N.R. Rao’s office at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru received a steady stream of visitors all through Sunday morning. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the first to arrive, at 8.30 am, followed by a brief interaction with the media.
A visibly exhausted Prof. Rao then retired to his study, where friends and well-wishers continued to drop by.
“I even got a phone call from someone at 1 am,” he told us, later. Why the rush? On Saturday afternoon, Prof. Rao, one of the foremost authority on solid states and materials chemistry, was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, felicitating decades of breakthrough research, 1,600 papers and 45 books.
In came Dr Roddam Narasimha, one of the country’s most prominent aerospace scientists and a dear friend to Prof. Rao. Dr Govindarajan Padmanabhan, Prof. Balram’s predecessor as the director of the Indian Institute of Science, the AGP and Prof. Kumar, and former director, Raman Research Institute, were also among the elite list of visitors.
Meanwhile, we were ushered into another room to speak with Prof. Rao’s wife, Indumathi, about the CNR Rao Educational Foundation.
The Foundation was formed back in 2005, the year Prof. Rao won the prestigious Dan David Prize for Science, a million-dollar grant. “We decided to use that money to give back to society,” said Mrs Rao.
The CNR Rao Hall of Science, Madan Mohan Malviya, was funded by the Ambani Trust. Each year, the Foundation honours two teachers, one from Karnataka, usually from a Kannada medium school and one from across the country.
“It’s not just what they do in class, but what they do outside of it, to enthuse their students,” Mrs Rao explained.
Prof. Rao celebrates his birthday each year (June 30) by organising a Teachers’ Day, of sorts, with lectures and a music concert. “Music is very important to us,” Mrs Rao added, with a smile. Why? “It’s so beautiful, don’t you think?” she replied.
The Foundation has remained, with intent, a tiny organisation, run on very low funding. “We don’t want to ask anybody for money and besides, I’m the one who has to manage it, which I really can’t do anymore,” Mrs Rao admitted. The couple is nearing eighty now and although they do seem full of beans, age has undoubtedly taken its toll.
The Foundation has worked with over 60,000 children since it was formed, with an average of about 2,000 students each year. “We work with rural children in particular, because they are so motivated and talented, but have no opportunities,” she said.
Prof. Rao, who was born into an educated middle-class family, attributes his success entirely to education. “We had no godfathers,” he remarked.
Nearly an hour later, we are allowed in to Prof Rao’s office. His little study is piled high with bouquets, hiding a most eclectic collection of books. Being of the firm belief that you are what you read, I rummaged only to find books on Persian poetry, music and art lying side by side with heavy volumes on Science.
I’d learned, through the grapevine at the Institute, that Prof. Rao had a green thumb.
“I’m the official tree planter,” he agreed, happily, saying he’s planted over 20,000 trees in his lifetime. Not too long ago, four trees on the border of the IISc campus were uprooted because the branches got in the way of a high-voltage wire.
“All they needed to do was trim the branches, but they cut down the trees. I was outraged and nobody said anything!” he said.
“I created a forest here, but they’ve gone and put a road there and done all kinds of foolish things,” he added crossly. “The JNCASR campus is beautiful. I don’t allow vehicles to drive through either. I like to stay in harmony with nature.”
We return to a question that first arose the evening before — should the government do more to bridge the gap between industry and research? “The industry isn’t interested in funding research,” said Prof. Rao. “In other parts of the world, nearly 60 per cent of the research being done is funded by private companies.” It is a little known fact that Prof.
Rao received a $5 million grant from Sheikh Saud of Saudi Arabia. “We met at a conference once and he really seemed to like me,” Prof. Rao explained. “Soon after, he flew down to JNCASR and gave me a grant, with no strings attached!” The Sheikh paid him another visit only last month.
“Wealthy Indians are more interested in funding universities abroad. Ratan Tata has done nothing for IISc yet, for instance. Give me three or four million dollars,” he said suddenly, “I’ll set up a university as good as Harvard.”
It doesn’t take him long to meander towards his second favourite thing in the world — music. “I listen to Hindustani classical music,” he said, delving into the small mountain of bouquets to locate his music collection —which includes cassettes, by the way! It has become customary for Prof. Rao to bring well-known musicians down to the institute, the most recent being Pt Amjad Ali Khan.
The conversation slowly veers back to science and the Bharat Ratna award. Will the award give careers in science and research a touch of glamour? Prof. Rao dismisses the idea. “Science doesn’t involve glamour for me,” he said at once. “All that matters is asking the right questions.” Prof. Rao is currently working on artificial photosynthesis, which he hopes to recreate in his lab. “I want to create material that is ordinarily useless, but which can be made to absorb sunlight.”
At the age of 80, Prof. Rao still manages to publish an astounding 30 papers each year, more than most scientists still in their prime. “I work all the time, I’m always writing something. I actually dream about how I’m going to phrase a particular sentence,” he said.
Back in 2007, Prof. Rao raised many eyebrows, by saying that IT employees are like coolies who work for wages without producing any significant intellectual material. Did Narayana Murthy call to congratulate him? “No,” he said. “I don’t call him; he doesn’t call me.” The Infosys Foundation has started giving out a Science Prize, we ventured helpfully.
“That’s not a very good prize,” Prof. Rao retorted. “There are far more deserving scientists. Besides, the Infosys Foundation tends to laud Indian scientists who are working abroad. They don’t need the help, while scientists in this country do,” he said angrily. “Narayana Murthy’s committees are full of nepotistic relationships.”
Prof. Rao then wades into an ocean of nostalgia for a little while, talking about Rajiv Gandhi, whom he served as Chairman of the PM’s Advisory Council from 1985 to 1989. “He was a wonderful man,” he said, staring glassily into the distance. “People would portray him as a party person, but he was a teetotaller.
He was also quite the moralist. The day he was assassinated was one of the saddest in my life,” he said, adding, quite succinctly, “I really admired Indira Gandhi too. She had class,” he said. Does that mean today’s politicians don’t have class? “Today’s politicians are a bunch of crazy guys,” he replied.
“Just look at the sort of language they use and the way they talk about women. The mindset in our political class today is that women are merely sex objects,” he said, a look of disdain marring his otherwise smiling face for a moment.
As the conversation drifted in and out of a plethora of issues, science, it seemed, was foremost on Prof. Rao’s mind. Funding science, he remarked, is last on the government’s priority list. “At best, we get about 20 per cent of the funding we require. I’ve never had political patronage and I’ve never sought it either. Politicians are here today and gone tomorrow.”
Prof. Rao’s Foundation does try to fill this void by promoting scientists from some of the least developed nations.
“We do offer grants of up to Rs 5 lakh each year,” he said. His family has been sending urgent messages to his study, beckoning him for lunch at once, so we take our leave too. What we did get, in the end, was a glimpse of the man behind the science – a remarkable man he is, too. All that’s left to say is this, “Professor Rao, you’ve done India proud.”
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / by Darshana Ramdev / November 18th, 2013
Major merchant bankers and MFs investing in oil firms likely to take part.
To push the next round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp) for the petroleum sector, minister M Veerappa Moily will conduct an investors’ meet in Mumbai on Monday.
He will have separate meetings with upstream companies, fund managers, rating agencies and media editors. Major merchant bankers and mutual funds investing in oil companies are also expected to take part in the conference.
The 10th round, set to begin in January, would be the second highest offering of blocks since the advent of Nelp in 1999, with 86 blocks up for bids. Of the blocks being considered for offer, 25 are deep-water ones, 20 in shallow water and 23 are on land. Another 18 would be put for offer by March. The petroleum ministry says it has got initial clearances for 58 of these blocks from the environment and defence ministries. It has set up an experts’ committee on blocks that could face hurdles from the latter two.
“The aim (of Monday’s meet) is to boost investor sentiment, especially in the upstream sector. It will also be a preparatory round for the next Nelp round,” Vivek Rae, petroleum secretary, told Business Standard.
A senior official said, “Moily wants to create a positive mood among the investors, highlighting the steps being taken by the ministry.”
During the previous nine rounds, the ministry awarded 254 blocks for exploration of oil and gas. However, the past few got minimal response from global majors. When asked about this, Debashish Mishra, senior director of Deloitte in India, said, “There seems to be disinterest among global investors. India was never known for having huge potential for oil and gas. Other than Bombay High and the recent discoveries in Barmer, there were no noteworthy discoveries. Promises of large gas finds have not met actual output.”
The major roadblock in attracting foreign investors was related to lower potential on reserves, policy issues and delay in getting clearances, he said.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Economy & Policy> News / by Shine Jacob / New Delhi – November 22nd, 2013
Eighty-year-old Prof. Chintamani Nagesha Ramachandra Rao has been chosen for India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. The world renowned chemist was named for the top civilian award along with Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
However, both Rao and Tendulkar share nothing in common. Sachin is a national sporting icon, India’s most famous Cricketer while Rao is an icon in the field of science, the most famous scientist of the country, a renowned Chemist in the World.
A press release from the government of India describes CNR Rao as an eminent scientist and Sachin as an eminent sportsperson. It is a very banal description of the two geniuses.
Unlike the Cricketers, scientists won’t retire. Sachin has got the highest honour, the day he has retired. Rao is still very much active. As they say “once a scientist, always a scientist”.
It is sad that the entire focus is only on Sachin and not on CNR Rao. Unlike Cricket, the science is not flamboyant. Scientists spend most of their life in unglamorous environments away from limelight and people.
The demand for Bharat Ratna for Sachin had been there for at least 6-7 years. It had polarized the public opinion. Cricket is a great entertainment. If the people from the field of entertainment can get Bharat Ratna, there is nothing wrong in Sachin also getting it. After all, he has entertained the Cricket lovers all over India for 24 years.
Rao, a Kannadiga and Sachin, a Maharashtrian have got India’s highest civilian award together. After engineering genius Sir M Vishweshwaraiah and the Hindustani music great Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, CNR Rao is the third Kannadiga to get Bharat Ratna. Sachin is the 6th Maharashtrian to get the same honour.
CNR Rao is undoubtedly a mega star among the scientists. His path breaking research in Nano science is a well known fact. His aversion to Information Technology (IT) is also a well known.
Rao is an admirer of his home town Bangalore’s science city environment and its science city tag. He feels that the undue importance given to IT has killed other forms of science, mainly the scientific research. A few years ago speaking to ‘Outlook’ magazine he famously said “‘If IT Is Going To Take Away Our Values, Burn Bangalore, Burn IT. I am a real Bangalorean. I was born in Basavangudi. The greatness of Bangalore was that it allowed simplicity and enjoyment-a cup of coffee and a masala dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan kept you happy. I don’t see that Bangalore anymore. It is now an awful city. There was more poetry and music here before the IT boom. The city we have created in recent years is rotten-highly polluted, garbage strewn everywhere, including the intellectual garbage dumped on this city by the IT industry”.
Attacking modern icons of Bangalore, CNR Rao had said “Our society has created a bunch of icons and role models who are distorting not just the future of this city but of all India, and of our sense of values. Our people have lost respect for scholarship. Money and commerce has taken over. If IT is going to take away our basic values, then you can burn Bangalore and burn IT.”
Rao is known for his outspokenness. He is not a typical scientist. He is a man of many interests. A lover of literature, music, Kannada language, history, cinema, pure science, Bangalore’s weather and of course research.
He has been advocating more money and importance for the scientific research in India. Even at the age of 80, CNR Rao attends several seminars and symposiums stressing on the need for a scientific temperament. According to the people close to him, he works for more than 16 hours a day.
Rao, who was born in Bangalore in 1934, has received more than 40 Honorary Doctorates from various prestigious Universities across the World. A world authority on structural Chemistry, Rao taught at the IIT Kanpur, Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bangalore, Oxford, Cambridge and University California in an illustrious career spanning over 50 years. He is also the foremost solid state and materials chemists in the World. Author of over 45 books on science, Rao has held various prestigious government posts. He has been the chairman of Indian scientific advisory council to the Prime Minister since 2005. He earlier held the same position between 1985-89, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister.
He has got almost all high honours within and outside the nation including Padma Vibhushan to Karnataka Ratna Awards. His name was nominated for the Nobel Award in Chemistry several times in the past. Circles and flyovers have been named after CNR Rao in Bangalore.
Undoubtedly, CNR Rao has been one of the greatest scientists of our times and a true national icon. Good luck and best wishes to both CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar. Country is grateful to you.
source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / IBN Live / Home> IBN Live> India / by DP Satish, CNN IBN / New Delhi – November 17th, 2013
The district administration led by Dakshina Kannada (DK) Deputy Commissioner (DC) N Prakash convened a meeting at Koti – Chennaya Garodi, Kankanady, here on Sunday November 10 morning, to develop Tulunadu heroic icons Koti – Chennaya’s birth place Padumale in Puttur taluk.
The state government had recently allotted Rs 5 crore to develop Padumale as fitting tribute to the heroic icons Koti – Chennaya.
The state forests and DK district-in-charge minister Bantwal Ramanath Rai inaugurated the meeting.
Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty presided the meeting
The state urban development minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, state health minister U T Khader, Koti – Chennaya Garodi, Kankanady managing trustee K Chittaranjan, Kannada and culture department assistant director Chandrahas Rai, Rukmaya Poojary, DC N Prakash and others were present at the dais.
It was proposed to form a watchdog Committee to oversee the development works.
The people championing for the cause exchanged their views to hike the financial assistance, depending on the needs during the ongoing work. Others also shared valuable suggestions in this regard.
M S Kotian welcomed the gathering. Dr Ganesh Sankamar proposed vote of thanks.
source: http://www.bellevision.com / Belle Vision.com / Home> News / by Ashritha DSouza / Bellevison Media Network / Mangalore – November 10th, 2013
Paintings will be cleaned using chemicals, and scribbles on the walls will be covered by patch plastering work
Years of dust and smoke that have masked the paintings on the walls and ceiling of Tipu Sultan’s summer palace in Bangalore may finally be cleaned up, while portions of the wall vandalised with graffiti could also receive much-needed attention.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which protects the 18th Century monument, will take up chemical cleaning of the paintings. The scribbles on the walls will be covered by patch plastering work.
Protected monument
Located in the busy Kalasipalya area, the wooden edifice built in Indo-Islamic style, is a protected monument along with the nearby fort and dungeon.
The chemical wash is expected to brighten the paintings at the palace, most of which are vivid floral designs in water and vegetable colour.
Conservation wing
The process will be done by the ASI’s Mysore-based chemical conservation wing.
“Chemical wash was conducted on a small test area about five years ago. The painting has not changed much since then,” a senior ASI official said. He explained that it was a slow process that was dependent on humidity and dust, among other factors.
Besides, structural conservation work has to be completed before chemical wash is taken up.
An eyesore
However, this will do little to address the damage to paintings from scribbles and scratches.
“If the graffiti has to be removed, restoration of paintings has to be taken up. This is nearly impossible. It is difficult to maintain the same quality of painting and sourcing raw materials is highly impossible,” the ASI source said.
Instead, patch plastering work could be taken up to remove the eyesore in some spots.
“We will attempt to fill the scribbled portions with the patch work.”
Public office
The official claimed: “The palace was a public office before it was handed over to us in the 1950s. Much of the graffiti is from that period.” It was this sort of vandalism that had led the ASI to hire private security guards at the palace.
“We do not encourage visitors to stay on the palace premises for long,” another official said.
Colour washing of pillars with a protective coating and replacing some wooded portions that have been damaged by the elements too are on the agenda.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Sharath S. Srivatsa / Bangalore – Novembr 19th, 2013
Karnataka – A Cultural Odyssey is a glossy 200-page coffee table book that gives you a quick and easy bird’s eye view of several aspects of the State
It’s a coffee table book specially meant for guests of the Raj Bhavan, the home of the Governor of Karnataka, and it fulfils its purpose of offering a visitor to the state glimpses of a bit of everything.
Karnataka – A Cultural Odyssey has 200-odd pages of glossy pictures, some really interesting profile pictures of the greats of the State, peppered with nuggets of text.
Hans Raj Bhardwaj, Governor of Karnataka, says in the foreword of the book: “This is the book that we have specially commissioned for the Raj Bhavan to bring out the cultural grandeur of the entire State. The purpose of this book is to enable visitors to Karnataka to embark on a cultural odyssey of this vast state, and to carry back memories of its rich heritage and vibrant society.” The book also takes readers on tour of the Raj Bhavan, allowing a peek into the hallowed grandeur of its interiors, its many abundant gardens and their winged occupants.
You can leisurely flip through pages of historic structures, the history of the State’s several ruling dynasties, spiritual sects and movements, centres of worship that are a treasure trove of myths and legends, festivals that bind the various communities, the thriving art scene, the disparate cuisine, traditional crafts and textiles of the state, cinema, music, English and Kannada theatre, historic monuments spread across the state.
To highlight a few chapters, the heritage and architecture section looks at rock-cut caves of the Chalukyas, British and Islamic architecture, the historic monuments of Srirangapatna, a peek into Chitradurga’s Obavvana Kindi, and talks of the splendour of Belur-Halebid and Hampi, delves into the Islamic architecture of Bidar, Gulbarga, skims over the Agastya-Tirtha lake of Badami. The Fount of Faith chapter takes you on a tour of the gurudwaras, dargahs, churches and cathedrals, the temples of the coastal belt, Jain monuments, and Buddhist monastries.
The chapter on The Arts divides itself into music, which travels into sugama sangeetha, janapada songs, Karnataka’s tradition of Hindustani music. The theatre section features the institution of company theatre in the state, the New Wave, and a brief look at English theatre. The section on Kannada cinema takes you in brief through its various periods. The section on dance looks at the history of court dancers, lists dance phenomenons from across the state and time. There are interesting looks at fold dances, the theatre-dance confluence — this section brings together a colourful collage of images. The book wraps up with a chapter called Memorable Moments that captures in pictures the high points of events at the Raj Bhavan between 2010 and 2013.
The limited-edition book contains over 200 stunning photographs from a battery of photographers including Dinesh Shukla, K.G. Somsekhar and Asha Thadani, and is designed by Mishta Roy. The 200-page book also has articles by architect Naresh Narasimhan, film scholar M.K. Raghavendra, theatre persons Prakash Belawadi and Sreenivas G. Kappanna, musician-author Vikram Sampath, danseuse Madhu Natraj, professor M.S. Asha Devi and artist Suresh Jayaram. The book is edited by Sandhya Mendonca, MD and Editor-in-Chief, Raintree Media.
On his first visit to Bangalore since taking office, President of India Pranab Mukherjee was presented the first copy of the book.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus / by B.K. / November 03rd, 2013
Marking the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan (Nov. 10), a Sadbhavana Yatra from Mysore to Bangalore began here this morning.
The yatra was launched from the Town Hall premises by MP A.H. Vishwanath in the presence of Sir Khazi of Mysore Moulana Mohammed Usman Shariff, Prof. Bhashyam Swamiji of Sri Yoganarasimha Swamy temple, Tipu Sultan Sadbhavana Yatra Committee President Mohammed Ali and others. The yatra will pass through the thoroughfares of city before proceeding to the tomb of Tipu Sultan at Gumbaz in Srirangapatna, where special prayers would be offered to the tomb.
Later the yatra would proceed through Mandya, Channapatna, Ramanagar to Bangalore and reach Ravindra Kalakshetra on J.C. Road where Chief Minister Siddharamaiah would receive the Yatra Jyothi.
MLAs Tanveer Sait and M.K. Somashekar, former Corporator M.Shivanna, Showkath Ali Khan and others took part in the yatra function.
![A file photo of Mysore Grahakara Parishat [MGP] holding its first meeting which was attended by (from left) Chiranjiv Singh, IAS, Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy (Working President), V.P. Baligar, IAS, Dr. H.A.B. Parpia (President) and A.K. Ranganathan (Secretary).](http://www.bangalorefirst.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/MGPbf07dec2013.jpg)
