Monthly Archives: February 2013

Kush Maini becomes first Indian to win a World Series Karting race

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

New Delhi :

Kush Maini  created history when he became the first Indian driver ever to win a WSK (World Series Karting ) race at the La Conca international Circuit in Muro Lecce in the southern Part of Italy on Sunday the 3rd Feb 2013.

Kush who drives for Team Baby Race was third overall in qualifying out of over 41 entries in the 60 Mini category. All the participants were divided into 4 groups for the elimination heats as once 34 would Race in the Finals.

Kush was in Group C and won two of the heats while coming second in one of them. This entitled him to the Pole Position for the Start of the prefinal Race which was once again the first time for an Indian to start on Pole Position.

The Prefinal which was run over 8 laps of the 1.25 km circuit was extremely well fought with the top 4 drivers. Kush struggled a bit on the pace and finished third in the Prefinal. The Finals started with Kush in the third Place and on the very first Corner Kush moved into second Place behind Martinez.

Martinez pulled off an early lead and Kush was maintaining a distance of about 6 kart lengths as both were lapping at the same Lap times. Meanwhile Pagano who was in third showed extremely fast pace and was catching up to Kush. Soon Pagano overtook Kush and was on his way to catch up with Martinez. Kush played the waiting game and followed Pagano as both of them started to close on Martinez.

On the Eight lap Pagano overtook Martinez and on the 9th lap, Martinex took the lead again except that all the three drivers were driving like a train with no gap in between.

The three of them had broken away from the Pack and it was a very close and exciting race. On the very last Corner Pagano tried to make a move on Martinez and they both touched slowing down Martinez momentarily and also forcing Pagano off the track. Kush who was right behind Seized the opportunity and made a brilliant Pass on martinez which went all the way to the chequered flag where Kush finished just a mere.019 seconds ahead of Martinez in the mostexciting nail biting finish of the weekend.

Kush was extremely happy with the win and was continuously punching the Air to celebrate his victory.

On the Podium Kush was looking up again and again to make sure that he saw the Indian Flag that was rising behind him at the Podium Ceremony.

Kush with the three other European Champions for the other 3 events were then invited for a Press Conference to share their experience for the day.

Kush was very happy and said “I have been driving Karts from the age of 5 and started racing at the age of 7. I spent last year racing in Italy which was a great learning experience for me as I also got several podium finishes in many of the races. However WSK is the biggest race for me and to win here is fulfilling the start of a Dream to become one of the best Drivers. I am now looking forward to the balance three races of the Master Series as well as the two races of the Euro Series.”

Kush was very happy to share the same platform as Max Verstappen, Bocallachi and Alesio Lorandi.

Kush’s Elder brother Arjun Maini  did not have a good start to the event as some Kart issues prevented him from Qualifying in the front. He had a bad crash on the first Heat and followed it with a top 10 position in the second. However he has to be content starting the prefinal A in 23rd Position.

Earlier in the day Arjun was 3rd fastest and this gave him some hope to fight his way from the back of the grid. He drove brilliantly to make 10 positions and finally finish 13th in the KFJ category. This meant that he would be starting in 25th position in the finals that was run over 16 laps. Once again he had an excellent drive and finished 14th.

Still in pain from the crash on Saturday Arjun said, “It was a very tough weekend as I had a very bad start on Friday and Saturday but was very happy with the way I drove on Sunday to finish 14th from over 60 of the world’s best drivers. I will work hard to come in the top 5 for the races to follow.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Sports> Racing / by Arani Basu, TNN / February 09th, 2013

AMMA Award for Jallejade Madamma

Leaders, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Caption: Naati Vaidye of BR Hills Jallejade Madamma honoured by Geetharaja Foundation in city recently.

Mysore, Feb.3 :

Popular native medicine practitioner (Naati Vaidye) of Biligirirangana Hills Jallejade Madamma was honoured with Amma award by Geetharaja Foundation at an event organised to mark its 10th anniversary at Nadabrahma Sangeetha Sabha on JLB Road here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, KEA Chairman E. Maruthi Rao Pawar pointed out that Amma or mother occupied the greatest position on the earth who could be equated to God. He added that nation and earth were symbolically referred to as mother but regretted that the youth today were aping the west ignoring the nation’s culture.

Prizes were distributed to students who had won various contests. Corporator R. Lingappa, Dist. Kannada Sahitya Parishat President M. Chandrashekar, photographer Pragathi Gopalakrishna and others were present.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com /Home> General News / February 03rd, 2013

The brand is an amoeba, not paramecium: Harish Bijoor

Business & Economy

Harish Bijoor, one of the key speakers at CIOL’s C-Change, talks about how brands can stay a step ahead of consumer aspirations

Bangalore ,  INDIA:

Wikipedia describes brand as the “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” We can’t disagree on that, but when one goes a step beyond that description, there is a whole new meaning attached to it.

For  Harish Bijoor , brand-expert & CEO,  Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.,  brand is a thought that lives in people’s minds.

“The brand is a powerful thought that drives passion. A powerful thought that stays and stays. A powerful thought that leverages its way into usage, habit, attitude and power,” he says.

Many companies have sustained change in maintaining their brand image. When asked to name name a few, Bijoor says, “In India, we have Vodafone that has gone through its many avatars of change. Worldwide, we have brands such as Starbucks, Google, and indeed Apple that have led the way with sustained change.” He didn’t leave out the telecom sector in India which, he feels, is a classic example of this dynamic change.

Undeniably, in the changing environ, every company needs to have a strong brand strategy to be successful in the long run. “The environment we live in today, and the environment ahead is one of constant flux. In such a situation, brands need to keep pace with the flux. Brands need to stay alive, and ahead of consumer movements. Consumers change fast, but brands don’t. That is not such a great thing to do today.”

He feels gone are the days when brand-thinkers would espouse the cause of the ‘constant and unchanging’ nature of brands. “I espouse a different cause today altogether. Brands need to be alive and kicking. As alive and kicking as the consumer is. In fact, brands need to stay one step ahead of consumer movements, wants, desires and aspirations.”

“I don’t look at the brand as a paramecium. The brand is an amoeba instead. Brands need to behave amoebically in the future,” he says.

Ask him how is social media changing brand strategy and pat comes the reply: “Social media and all the action you see on it is the true-blue barometer of all change in new and emerging society. Web activity today and everything we see on social media is the crucible of new society on the morph phase.”

The recent social media revolution hasn’t failed to impact the brand giants. Bijoor says: ” Social media is forcing brands to adopt the contemporary. Social media is waking up slumbering brand giants from their otherwise somnolent attitudes. Social media is a great window for brands to peep into consumer lives and attitudes and learn from.”

Despite knowing the reality, companies tend to make mistakes and fail in their digital brand strategy. The reasons range from lack of focus to understanding consumers’ pulse.

Bijoor attributes it to lack of emphasis on consumer research that is digital-space focused. “Most brands tend to use old and outdated consumer knowledge from the physical world and super-impose it on the digital consumer. This just never works. These are two different spaces and the consumer in these two spaces is a very different animal in each.”

So, what should the companies do? “It is important for the digital branding evangelist to believe in deep research in digital space. This is a patience-process. And most digital branding folk don’t display and have this patience. That is fault number one among maybe six other faults in this space,” says Bijoor.

source: http://www.ciol.com / Home>News / by Preeti . S / Tuesday, February 05th, 2013

Lost to the world of memories

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Jimpets Mohan became the hot favourite of music lovers all over Karnataka; for Dr. Rajkumar, a music show without Mohan was unthinkable. / Courtesy family album / The Hindu

Jimpets Mohan comes from the interesting world of orchestra music in Karnataka. The top-class musician, who could sing Kishore Kumar songs with striking brilliance, passed away recently

Not many know Sangamesh Hiremath is Jimpets Mohan. Even the name Jimpets Mohan is familiar to the orchestra lovers of the State, of the 70s and 80s. The recent passing away of Mohan brought back many memories of the days of live music and the musicians who spent an entire lifetime perfect and practising the immortal melodies.

The Devil of Kishore. .. so was he known in the music arena for his robust, and mature voice, similar to that of Kishore. Born as Sangamesh Hiremath in Bijapur, in a lower middle class family, he did his B.A. in Kannada, and was more inclined in achieving something in music, his foremost priority since childhood.

It was the early 70s when Bangalore practically did not have a night life, especially for music. Except for one or two night clubs in the Cantonment, where cabaret dance was in vogue — evening and night — with a half an hour film music slot. At this juncture, it was Hotel Swiss Cottage on the Race Course Road, Bangalore, owned by Prem Agnani, who first wanted to experiment and ventured to start an Indian musical band playing film music. This was in 1972, the same year that saw the arrival of Sangamesh Hiremath in pursuit of music. The venture being successful, slowly Bangalore opened its eyes for the night life. During his early days, a staunch follower and hardcore fan of Mohammed Rafi, he never believed in any other singer’s style. One evening during the early 70s, Bijapur witnessed a Musical Nite by Kishore Kumar. With not much of interest he happened to attend the show on the insistence of his friends. As usual, Kishore with his gimmicks and tantrums on the stage gave a call asking “is there anybody who can sing along with me?” Before anyone could think what was happening, Sangamesh’s friends literally pushed him on the stage saying “we have him!”. Sangamesh sang with Kishore on the dais, giving equal saath to him. Kishore was very impressed and appreciated his versatility and approach of singing on a stage. This left a lasting impression in the mind of Sangamesh. With a strong urge to go up the ladder, he was in a dilemma whether to go to Bombay or Bangalore, he eventually chose Bangalore. It was a sheer coincidence that he landed in Hotel Swiss Cottage, for an audition, where my colleague K. Sreenivasa Murthy (who is the music conductor for A.R. Rahman now) was playing violin in the band along with Kamini. With a handkerchief tied to his forehead, a body language and showmanship hitherto unknown to local customers, they were all stunned with his rendering of ‘Aye Sachchaayee Chup Nahin Sakthi’, ‘Main Intzaar karoon’from Rajesh Khanna’s hit film Dushman, Sangamesh was immediately absorbed in the band and singer Mohan was born. Further, he established himself as Jimpets Mohan till the end, from the time he launched his own orchestra, ‘Mohan’s Jimpets.’

Often in and out of the night club singing, he used to talk about starting an orchestra. The result was Mohan and Party, a four-piece orchestra with James on the keyboard, Aaron on guitar, I was on triple congo/dholak, and Bobby on the drums. As a musician of high calibre, he always wanted to be different.

He was never satisfied with simple and ordinary songs and always used to opt for a song that challenged his ego and capacity – for example, if others were choosing ‘O Mere Sona Re’ he used to make the orchestra work on ‘Aaja Aaja’ or ‘Tumne Mujhe Dekha’ from the film Teesri Manzll. If everyone was singing ‘Chura liya’ his was ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’ from Yaadon ki Barath; the title song of ‘Satyam Sivam Sundaram’ was others’ favourite, but he used to choose ‘Yashomati maiya se’. With his untiring zeal and drive for something unusual, he went on to be a terror in the orchestra field, singers and musicians were scared to share the stage with him as he never used to compromise in quality.

As he had learnt harmonium and tabla to an extent along with singing, his capacity to explore and exploit was much stronger compared to his contemporaries. He was a task master, he was also a large hearted pay master. He was a rare artiste, who never forgot his yesterdays.

In 1976-77 Mohan and Guru teamed up to form the Sound of Music orchestra, shaking up all of Karnataka as far as the orchestral music was concerned. With Mohan’s Kishore numbers, Guru with Rafi and other numbers, Mahesh on Mukesh and Manjula for the female vocals, the group was almost posing a threat to other orchestras with the quality of music they provided. All because of Mohan’s leadership and guidance in running the show. But they soon parted ways, and Mohan’s Jimpets was born in 1979.

Mohan was a challenge to other music troupes including the reigning Sound of Music. His sincerity and dedication caught the attention of Dr. Rajkumar. Their association started in the 80s and continued till Rajkumar’s last performance in 2004, coincidentally in Mohan’s native place of Bijapur. Rajkumar was dependent on Mohan completely and it only speaks volumes of Mohan’s involvement and dedication.

Once, when we were rehearsing here at Rajkumar’s residence for the Bijapur show, Mohan heard that his father was no more. Mohan never uttered a word about it to anyone and continued rehearsing with the orchestra.

Mohan was picked up by Salil Choudhry, and apart from that he also sang for the Vishnuvardhan starrer Onde Roopa Eradu Guna, Love Letter, and everyone remembers ‘Innoo guarantee, Nanjundi Kalyana’ and a few others.

And I can never forget the brilliance with which he sang Kishore’s ‘Chalte Chalte…Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’….

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Arts> Music /by Bali Iyer / Bangalore, February 07th, 2013

The music magician

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The passing away of Jimpets Mohan, has brought back memories of Kumar. This mandolin player from Mysore, was among those who made the 70s and 80s rich with diverse musical experiences for the listening public of Karnataka

In south, Mysore is the home for mandolins, and rightly so, Mandolin Kumar, came from this region. Intelligent, witty, and a near perfect musician, highly regarded in the orchestra circles, passed away recently.

Kumar who had learnt the basic of Carnatic music and was good at reading and writing musical notations. he was always a step ahead and above the rest of his team mates. Joining hands in the 70’s with keyboardist Mohan of Mysore, ‘Mysore Mohan-Kumar Orchestra’ was formed with totally a different approach to orchestral music. He was instrumental in making the group grow with a mentionable speed and popularity.

In those days, when musicians used to listen to a song and try to perform as they had conceived it, Kumar was one musician who could write down or dictate the whole musical score of a song to be rehearsed and played; the entire group was dependent on him for this. He used to teach even the singers, the nuances of the song, grammatical intricacies of the phrases to be rendered, etc. Ably led by Kumar, the group grew to such heights, that it caught the attention of the thespian Rajkumar, who was on the look out for a good orchestra to accompany him for his musical shows. Mysore Mohan-Kumar Orchestra was the first to accompany Dr. Rajkumar throughout Karnataka for several years. At their peak Mohan-Kumar became music directors for ‘Kilaadi Kittu’ a Vishnuvardhan-starrer. “Hoovanthe Hennu Naguthirabeku…” rendered by Yesudas, became a huge hit. In an orchestra team led by Kumar, there was the singer Veena, Eswar the tablist from Mysore, NGEF Rajkumar on the keyboards, Cleetus and Ravi Shenoy on the guitars, Babu on the drums, I was on the congas and dholak and a few other musicians, all from Bangalore, were part of this newborn group. Apart from independent shows, Mysore Kumar party was also accompanying Dr. P B Sreenivos and B.K. Sumitra for their concerts, travelling extensively even to the interiors of Karnataka.

Kumar’s elder brother Vittobha, at that time, was actor Vishnuvardhan’s secretary. Vishnuvardhan’s interest to sing and have musical performances periodically around the state also helped and Mysore Kumar party became his orchestra. Kumar playing a vital role with ‘The Magic Wand’ in his hands – he was the first to be known as ‘Mandolin Manthrika’ or ‘Mandolin Wizard’ in Karnataka.

Kumar was a disciplined and systematic person, always doing a thorough home work. The big team of musicians from Bangalore used to take the 7 a.m. train to Mysore, on reaching Mysore we would head to Cauvery Lodge, in Cheluvamba Agrahara, Mysore. Rehearsals from 11.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a short lunch break. The show would start at 7 p.m. and pick up vehicles came by 6. Kumar was very meticulous as an organiser.

Though the stage used to be filled with bright and well-known musicians, Kumar never used to take chances of entirely depending on them. Always alert, Kumar was many times found playing the full background and backing for a song when others were found wanting. He used to keep playing the mandolin, even though it was a bit played by other instruments. Irksome to co-musicians sometimes, it is undeniable, his alertness had definitely saved the face of the troupe many a time.

The ever-enthusiastic Kumar shifted to Chennai in pursuit of learning the violin in the Western Style and was moderately successful too. Coming back to Bangalore in the final leg, he was the most sought-after accompanying artiste. Be it for devotional, folk or film music performances, he always made a difference by his presence on the stage. The last time that Jimpets Mohan and I shared the dais with Mysore Kumar was in Bijapur, a programme presented by Rajkumar in 2004.

He was very passionate about music, and was constantly at it. He didn’t care much about his health and it did take a toll. He was less available even to his own close circle of friends. He was ever polite, unassuming and courteous. Always patient and dignified in his approach, he was indeed a true artiste.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Arts> Music / by Bali Iyer / Bangalore, February 07th, 2013

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan helps raise Rs 13.6 crore to fund schools at the NDTV SUPPORT MY SCHOOL INITIATIVE

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders

The Coca Cola – NDTV ‘Support My School’, campaign raised pledges worth Rs 13.6 crore towards the revitalisation of 272 schools across India via a telethon led by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Campaign Ambassador, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said, “Joining the Support My School Team on this platform today truly gives me great pleasure. I believe Education is immensely Invaluable, Essential and the most Empowering gift we can give the children of our Country.  Every child deserves the best of opportunities to grow and prosper… Every girl needs to recognise that she herself is a beacon of hope and has the potential to influence her future. And I understand and recognise, for this to be possible, these opportunities have to be made available to our children!!!  In a vast country like India, there are many and varied challenges one faces while working with diverse rural and semi-urban communities. Individually, we may not comprehend these challenges, but collectively we are much stronger! And the overwhelming response to this campaign this time has proven that! With 272 schools and counting, the second season of Coca-Cola NDTV Support My School is spreading the joy of learning amongst the children of our country… And this has only been possible All Thanks to Every support and encouragement from donors, viewers, campaign partners and all on board the collective effort today!!! God Bless everyone for their contribution and Thank you!!!”

The second edition of the ‘Support My School’ telethon, held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai was kicked off by Coca-Cola India & South West Asia president and CEO Atul Singh, NDTV India CEO Vikram Chandra, campaign ambassador Sachin Tendulkar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Besides being present at the telethon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan also pledged to adopt two schools through this initiative.

source: http://www.BollySpice.com / Bolly Spice / Home> News / by Stacey Yount / February 05th, 2013

Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw form BPAC to improve quality of life in Bangalore

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Uncategorized

Bangalore :

India’s only political action group formed by corporate heavyweights has begun its hunt for candidates to field in the assembly election due this year in Karnataka, an unprecedented effort by the business elite to influence politics.

Headed by the likes of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Mohandas Pai and backed by NR Narayana Murthy, the Bangalore Political Action Committee, or BPAC, was formed to improve governance and the quality of life of citizens in the technology capital of India by growing, and then, flexing some political muscle.

Headed by the likes of  Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw  and Mohandas Pai and backed by NR Narayana Murthy, the  Bangalore Political Action Committee , or BPAC, was formed to improve governance and the quality of life of citizens in the technology capital of India by growing, and then, flexing some political muscle.

BPAC, which launched its charter and agenda on Sunday at the hands of Murthy, said it has invited nominations from political parties and independent groups to identify suitable candidates for the election, due latest in May. Murthy, the chairman emeritus of  Infosys  , said he was hopeful that for the first time in his life he sees confidence that India can indeed solve its problems .

“I don’t see the same kind of helplessness that I saw when I was in my twenties. Therefore, I believe this is the right time to wake up, build an aspirational dream and an action plan,” he said. Murthy who has been an influential voice on economic and political developments in the country, urged political parties to publish their lists of candidates at least 60 days ahead of elections so that there is enough time to verify their backgrounds.

A Lobby for Urban Dwellers

The beginnings of the group can be traced last year when Biocon  founder Shaw, Pai, and other eminent citizens of Bangalore came together to form a pressure group as mounds of garbage started piling up on Bangalore’s streets when the municipal body could not collect trash from the city.

“Sixty six years after independence , the educated class in India seems to have distanced itself from politics due to corruption and bad governance . We needed to create a lobby for educated, urban dwellers and our fight for a better Bangalore starts from here,” said Pai, vice-president of BPAC and a former director of Infosys.

Pai, who headed finance and human resources at Infosys, said BPAC would spend between Rs 1 crore and 2 crore on the upcoming elections and its yearly running expenses are estimated to be in the range of Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. He said the expenses will be borne by the members and contributions from the public. The group, which also has other prominent Bangaloreans like retired IAS officer  K Jairaj, athlete Ashwini Nachappa , civil society activist Ashwin Mahesh and entrepreneur RK Mishra among others, said its first phase of work will begin by encouraging voter registration efforts to maximise people’s participation in the elections.

“A lot of the problems happen because we as citizens are apathetic. Starting from Bangalore , we want to hold a candle for the rest  of the country,” said Shaw, chairman and managing director of biotechnology firm Biocon and an active commentator on civic issues. She said BPAC has already received queries from groups in Patna and  Kolkat  to set up similar networks.

Bangalore contributes over 60% of the state’s gross domestic product  but of the 224 seats in the Karnataka assembly, only 28 are allotted to the city. BPAC members said they do not have candidates in mind as of now. “We will first find a candidate for the assembly elections , and later for the Parliament as well as municipal body elections,” said Jairaj.

Shaw said BPAC aims to be an apolitical group, meaning its individual members have no interest in joining politics, but the group wants to be political in the governance it offers. The primary aim of the group is to curb corruption by financially supporting qualified candidates, irrespective of their party allegiance.

By targeting corrupt politicians and bad governance, Jairaj said the group is aware that its agenda may rub the political class in the wrong way. “We have a clear agenda that could change the face of urban governance. Let the political class react,” he said.

source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com /Home> News> News by Company> Corporate Trends /by Indu NandaKumar, ET Bureau / February 04th, 2013

 

Bangalore all set to host largest air show in Asia

Business & Economy, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Aero India, the largest air show in Asia and one of the world’s most important military aviation exhibitions, is all set to kick-start at Yelahanka Air Force Station here, from February 6 to 11.

This biennial air show and aviation exhibition organised by the Defence Ministry along with Indian Air Force, DRDO, Department of Space and Union Civil Aviation Ministry, aims at showcasing the range of products and services offered by the Indian Defence Industry in the international market, a press release said.

Aero India also provides an exposure to the Indian Armed Forces, R&D personnel and young engineers to latest technologies and advancements in the aviation and aerospace industries, release said.

The ninth edition of Aero India would be inaugurated by Defence Minister A K Antony on February 6.

The participation in Aero India has grown exponentially by both Indian and international industry since the first edition in Dec 1996.

“This growth has immensely contributed towards modernisation of the aviation and aerospace sector of the three wings of the Armed Forces of India”, the release added.

While Aero India 2011 saw the participation from 29 countries with more than 600 companies and gross exhibition area of 75,000 Sqm, the ninth edition is expected to see participation of over 700 companies and 78 overseas delegations, covering an approximate gross exhibition area of 1,25,000 Sqm.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> National> Bangalore / by PTI  / February 04th, 2013

Bangalore’s Vir Menon wins Malaysian regatta

Sports

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS)

Vir Menon, a class IX student from Bangalore, won the gold Sunday in the Laser 4.7 class at the 10th KFC International Regatta in Langkawi, Malaysia. The Malaysian sailing competition is among the prestigious and challenging regattas in the world.

Vir Menon graduated to the Laser 4.7 in October 2011. In January 2012, when not yet 14 years, he won the gold in the NSSR in Mumbai and later represented India at the Laser 4.7 Worlds in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he qualified in the Gold Fleet, the first Indian to do so.

In May last year, he won the silver at the KFC Open Selangor, Malaysia, just a few points behind the current Asian champion.

Most recently, Vir won gold at the 20121 Laser Nationals in all three categories – Overall Boys, Under 18 and Under 16.

source: http://www.FirstPost.com / Home> FirstPost> FWire / January 27th, 2013

Mysore to host its first organic fair next week

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Mysore :

This weekend,  organic farmers  and consumers of the Mysore region will converge at Curzon Park , adjoining Mysore Palace , in large numbers.

After its success in Bangalore, the department of horticulture is organizing a two-day Organic fair  in Mysore from February 9-10.

Such an Organic fair is being organized for the first time in Mysore, with a view to encourage organic farmers.

The fair aims to provide a platform to producers to exhibit their unique produces and sell them directly to the consumers, to facilitate farmer groups to establish linkages with other organic market functionaries including retail outlets processors and wholesale dealers and also help consumers.

Different types of organically grown vegetables and fruits like Nanjangud Rasabale, grapes, sapota, guava, papaya and yellaki banana, will be exhibited at the two-day event.

Apart from this, variety of rice like Gandhasale, jeerige sanna, rajmudi, redrice and jaya rice and millets like Ragi navane, sajje, arka, same and jowar will be available in the fair besides processed organic food items like jams, jellies, chutneys, juices, cold pressed oil and cosmetics.

Horticulture additional director K Ramakrishnappa on Sunday told reporters we are on a mission to promote organic farming in Karnataka as food safety is considered as an important issue in developing national. People are increasingly concerned over food quality these because of intensive agricultural practices and pollution.

As organic farming aims at production of quality and safe agricultural products by following eco-friendly farming system and restores soil health, we are aiming to encourage farmers in the region. We will promote our activities under banner Jaivik Krishik society, which is a consortium of 121 organic farmers and 30 organic farming groups.

As per our study, a farmer willing to shift from convention farming system to organic farming have to wait for atleast two years for better yield. Though the yield is less compared to other methods, the produce will be rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber besides retaining nutrient levels for longer days unlike conventional produce grown by using chemicals, the additional director claimed.

The two-day fair will be inaugurated on February 9 at 10.30am and will be open to the public between 10.30am and 6pm. Nearly 20,000 people are expected at the fair along with a sale of over 50 tonnes of organic products.

Horticulture deputy director H M Nagaraj said that an organic food court will be opened at the venue to popularize organic produces and products.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Mysore / by Lawrence Milton, TNN / February 03rd, 2013