Chess is a traditional sport and has a very good following in the Indian scene. Our city’s and state’s highest ranked chess player IM M.S. Thejkumar, has been consistently doing well in the International and National-level. He recently took part in the 51st Challengers Chess Tournament (National ‘B’) held at Bhopal and won the coveted title with 10.5 points from 13 rounds. He is the first Karnataka player to win the National ‘B’ Championships. He is our ‘Star This Week.’
Triple Grand Master norm holder Thejkumar presently has a ELO rating of 2452 and he needs 48 more points to get his Grand Master title. Ranked 35th in the country and 1573 in the World this South Western railway employee, has been a consistent performer.
In the 26th Inter Railway Chess Championships held at Hubli, representing South Western Railways was instrumental in his team finishing runner-up in the team event. He also fared well in the individual event and secured the fifth place.
He is sponsored by M/s.Saanvi Technologies, USA and www.mysoresport.com. Being 20th seed in the National ‘B’ tournament, Thejkumar drew his last round with GM Deepan Chakravarthy and that was enough to give him his maiden National ‘B’ title. He gained 30.5 points from this tournament and also qualified for the National ‘A’ Championships scheduled to be held at Jalgaon, Maharashtra, in December 2013.
His superior tie-break score earned this hard working International Master from Mysore to win the title after Ashwin Jayaram matched his winning tally. Significantly, the top four seeds, Deep Sengupta, B. Adhiban, M.R. Lalith Babu and S.P. Sethuraman failed to make the top 9 bracket. It was the strongest field ever in a National ‘B’ Chess Championship with 8 GM’s and 38 IM’s taking part.
Thejkumar intends to do well in the days to come and support forthcoming from of the Government of Karnataka and his sponsors he aims to work hard and reach his goal of becoming a Grand Master in the days to come.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / November 03rd, 2013
(Top) Vani Yadunanadan and Majula Surendra, accompanied by A. Radhesh (mridanga) and S. Manjunath (ghata), is seen presenting a Veena duet concert at the Vainika Vaibhava programme (Bottom) D. Balakrishna, accompanied by T.A.S. Mani (mridanga) and Ranganath Chakravarthi (ghata), presenting Veena recital at Vainika Sambhrama programme recently. (Middle)/Vainika D. Balakrishna is seen being felicitated at the Vainika Sambhrama programme in city.
by S.R. Krishna Murthy
Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Padma Bhushan V. Doreswamy Iyengar (1920-1997) was a well-known Vainika, who nurtured Mysore School of Veena Playing, known as Mysore Bani. He was initiated to music by his father Asthana Vidwan Venkatesha Iyengar. He later became a disciple of Mysore Venkata Giriyappa, who is believed to be the originator of Mysore Bani.
Doreswamy Iyengar was known for his chaste style of presentation. He had extensively travelled throughout the country and performed in most of the prestigious platforms. He had also participated in the International Music Festival at Shiraz, Iran (1969).
Many accolades have come to him in his musical journey. To cite only a few are — The Sangeeth Nataka Academy Award (1970), Padma Bhushana (1983), Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1984) etc. He was very simple in appearance, gentle in his behavior, but carried the great treasure of Music in his head.
With all the popularity, name and fame Doreswamy Iyengar had acquired, he had almost faded into obscurity from the memory of the public, but for the efforts of Nadabrahma Sangeetha Sabha. The Sabha under the leadership of Sangeetha Seva Ratna K.V. Murthy initiated a commemorative Veena concerts annually, on the doyen’s birthday. S. Rama Prasad, (former Editor of Encyclopedia, published by Prasaranga of UoM), donated substantially, with a sizable amount as a corpus fund.
The commemorative programme aptly named as ‘Vainika Vaibhava,’ started as an evening programme, has now become a day-long one. The morning session consists of the inaugural function and a veena concert, followed by lunch to all who attend the programme. There will be another Veena concert in the evening session, and bestowing a Title ‘Vainika Brahma’ to one of the prominent Vainika, who has made a significant contribution in the field of Music.
The fifth in the series of ’Vainika Vaibhava’ programmes, was held at Vasudevacharya Bhavana of Nadabrahma Sangeetha Sabha on Oct. 27. During the morning session, Sangeetha Vidya Nidhi Dr. Sampathkumaracharya was felicitated, as he has been honoured with ‘State Sangeetha Vidwan’ award, during the just concluded Dasara celebrations.
Vani Yadunanadan and Majula Surendra presented a Veena duet concert. Their concert consisted of an incredible selection of Mysore composers (except one of Purandara Dasa), some in very rare Ragas and some rare krutis. The duo was accompanied by A. Radhesh (mridanga) & S. Manjunath (ghata).
Synchronised rendering
The concert began with a Kedara Varna Sarasijakshi Vinave of Veene Sheshanna, in Atta Tala. A brief alapane by Manjula in Chakravaka led to Palinchina of Mysore Karigiri Rao. A very rare Raga Bhuvana Gandhari was the next with the Kruti Lalitambe Shri of Venkata Giriyappa. After a brief alapane by Manjula, Sri Jalandhara of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was taken up. Incidentally, this Audhava Audhava Raga is a Janya of 36 Gambhira Nata. The same Swaras can be obtained from 29 Shankarabharana also. It is interesting to note that, Venkata Giriyappa (one Varna and one Kruti) and Karigiri Rao (one Kruti) have composed in this Raga and called it as Vedanda Gamana and attributed it to Shankarabharana.
The ever pleasing Raga Simhendra Madhyama was the next with alapane by Vani. Ninne Nammitinayya of Tyagaraja in Mishra Chapu was the Kruti. The Swara at Pannagendra Shayana was imaginative. Another rare raga Sharada Priya, a creation of Venkata Giriyappa was taken up before the main Raga and the Kruti was Sharade Shubha Shubhrahaare of Venkatagiriyappa.
The main raga was Saveri and the delineation in alapane was shared between the two efficiently. The Tana was a Raga Malika affair with the Ghana Panchaka Ragas, Nata, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali and Shree. Shri Kamakoti Peetha Sthite of Mysore Sadashiva Rao was rendered without any flaw, doing justice to both the Raga and the kruti. The duo concluded the concert with another three Kruthis, Bhuvaneshwariya (Mohana Kalyani-Adi-Muthaiah Bhagavathar), Jagadoddhaarana (Hindustani Kaapi-Adi-Purandara Dasa) and Salaga Bhairavi Tillana by Doreswamy Iyengar.
The duo have done good home work, right from selection of rare Kruthis to the fine tuned and synchronised practice.
Carrying on the torch further
D. Balakrishna, son and disciple of Veena Doreswamy Iyengar, an accomplished Vainika, gave a scintillating Veena recital in the evening session of Vainika Sambhrama programme. With his deft fingers and fingering techniques, he is one of the few Vainikas, carrying on the torch of Mysore Bani. His veena playing has an austere approach to ragas and Kruthis, which are rendered in Gayaki style. Balakrishna was accompanied by a formidable team consisting of Guru T.A.S. Mani, a mrudangist par excellece from Bangalore & Ranganath Chakravarthi on ghata.
Balakrishna laid a firm foundation to his concert with the Verna Era Napai (Thodi-Adi-Patnam Subramanya Iyer). He built up further with Marubalka (Sriranjini-Adi-Tyagaraja), prefixing it with a short alapane and suffixing with a Neraval at Daari Nerugi Santasilli, and a brief Swara. Though Veene Sheshanna was a great Vainika of his time and also a composer, his Kruthis are seldom used in concerts. Balakrishna took up one of his Kruthis Emani Delapudura Ee Mahilo in the melodious Raga Vachaspati (64), with a brief alapane and Swara. A slow and serene rendering of Nannu Brovu Lalitha (Lalitha-Mishra Chapu-Shama Shastri), bringing out the Bhakti Bhava of the composition. Whenever a musician opts to take up an alapane in Khamach, the first rection of a listener would that thekruti would be either Brochevarevarura (Mysore Vasudevacharya) or Seetapathe (Tyagaraja). But Balakrishna played a rare Kruti Upendram Ashrayami (Mysore Vasudevacharya-Adi).
The concert was interrupted here to felicitate Balakrishna and to bestow the title of Vainika Brahma. Balakrishna became very emotional after receiving the title.
Continuing the concert, Balakrishna, took up a very rare Kruti Samukhana Nilva Galguna (Kokila Varali-Adi-Tyagaraja), made famous in the yesteryears by Musuri. With a not so brief Alapane, Bhajare Manasa of Mysore Vasudevacharya in Abheri was a good choice.
The main raga of the evening ws Shankarabharana, the alapane of which was delineated with all the delicate, but ‘Bhava’ laden Swara contours. The fingers of Balakrishna appeared to be dancing on the frets of Veena, when executing some Gamakas. Tana, is an integral part of a Veena concert and this was no different. The Tana was so rhythmic, I tried to call the attention of Mani, the mrudangist to request him to join in. But, I could not draw his attention, as he too was enjoying the rhythmic beauty of the Tana. After a wonderful Tana, one of the beautiful compositions of Tyagaraja, Swara Raga Sudha was rendered with all its grace. It was noticeable both by the lucidity and uniform tonal quality. The sensitivity contained in the structure of the Kirtane could be felt. The Swara was interpreted with scholarship. The Guru Shishya duo, presented an excellent Tani Avartana after the Swara.
The concert ended with another three tail pieces, Kaliyugadali Hari Naamava Nenedare (Janjhuti-Adi-Purandara Dasa), Gayati Vanamala (Piloo-Adi-Sadashiva Bramhendra) and Krishna Nee Begane (Yaman-Khanda Chapu-Vyasa Rayaru).
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / November 03rd, 2013
In conversation with artist Anand who makes the city proudR.G. Singh (RGS): First, congratulations. The fact that Mysore Style paintings will adorn the Bangalore International Airport is itself a signal honour for the School of Mysore style and for the city… but how did all this come about?
M.S. Anand (MSA): The two paintings which measure 13 feet by 8 feet may be two of the largest of Mysore style of paintings. But how it came about is quite ordinary. The team that had been tasked for executing art installations at several airports in the country wanted to encourage local artists first and I was part of some 20 odd artists from Karnataka and other States to show our portfolio of works. Quite unprepared, I had taken only one sample and that was of a traditional Mysore style painting. This seems to have made an impression and I was given the commission to execute the work.
At this point I was asked to come to Delhi where the Design firm, which had landed the contract, was located and I spent a month there and showed more than 50 sketches and rough cuts before two were chosen.
RGS: It is generally understood that the classical Mysore or Tanjore style centre around religious motifs. That’s the classical form. But you seem to have taken artistic licence a step further… Is there a symbolism here?
MSA: No! There is no intention of showing religious sentiments in this artwork as the art installation at the airport is secular in nature. The central form of the male figure in my artwork is not meant to be religious in character. It should not be seen as a deity but as a celestial being. Similar is the form of winged beings; the viewer is not expected to read religious insights into it. I have used this iconography only as an aid to creativity. For instance the influence of Ajanta and Ellora murals can be seen in my paintings… Besides even techniques used are different… Both paintings are oil and acrylic paint based since they should last for at least a few decades with proper maintenance.
RGS: The classical Mysore or Tanjore style uses figures of deities like Rama, Krishna and others. What made you choose the ones who look like, for me, Vishnu and the Garuda, to serve as the creative launch pad as it were?
MSA: The original association of the deities is with wind and flying just as aeroplanes and we wanted the paintings at the airport to be associated with that theme. Again, I must emphasise that religious leanings were avoided since an airport per se is a secular place…
RGS: Creating and executing paintings of this size… was it a one-man-effort? Did you paint both of them by yourself ?
MSA: No. I had a team of 10 assistants to help me. Not all of them were experienced in executing Mysore style of paintings and they had to be taught. Look, the figures in both the Mysore and the Tanjore style are done in different styles. My assistants had to unlearn their academic style technique and learn the technique of Mysore style.
RGS: And are your assistants local artists?
MSA: Yes, I had hand-picked them from last year’s Dasara Chitra Santhe. I looked for signs of originality and technique in them. I was lucky and the ten of them worked very well.
RGS: How long did it take for you and your team to execute these paintings?
MSA: Six months and at regular intervals the team of Delhi supervised what we were doing, made suggestions and more importantly listened to our suggestions. In the end it gave us a lot of satisfaction…
RGS: Anand, you do not hail from a traditional artist’s (Chitragar) family and hence many conservatives may consider you not to be cut in the classical mould of an artist. But then times have changed, or better still, they are instrumental in changing the time! How did this fascination for traditional Mysore Style of Paintings come about in you?
MSA: Well, yes! I do not come from a traditional artist’s family. My first encounter with traditional classical paintings, as a young boy, was with Tanjore paintings at Salem in Tamil Nadu. I was drawn towards it like iron to magnet and made up my mind to learn to paint that way. My father was in the Railway Postal service or RMS as it was called and we moved from place to place; he was often transferred to various stations of Tamil Nadu before we came to Mysore. Here, I discovered Mysore School of Painting and was equally fascinated. I joined Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA) at Mysore and at that time Prof. V.M. Sholapurkar was the head of the institution. He and my teachers encouraged me a lot.
RGS: Was it after your studies at CAVA that you established your own studio?
MSA: After my studies at CAVA, I made several Mysore style paintings which I sold for Rs. 1,000 each to buyers in Chennai. At this point I joined Chettinad Vidhyashram in Chennai where I learnt the traditional skills involved in painting Tanjore and Mysore style. I made it a point to attend various artist-camps where I learnt further and displayed my works. The going was often difficult. The earnings were meagre and periodic. Of course, I must not forget to mention late artist C. Kuppachar of the Archaeology Department here in Mysore who constantly encouraged me!
RGS: Anand, what is it being an artist in Mysore?
MSA (smiles wryly): Very difficult… I have to admit… local artists live in their own world and there is no fraternal bonding, discussions or… or… it is a strange life. An artist in Mysore does not relate to other artists… Each to himself… Maybe I am being too cynical (his voice trails off…)
RGS: What do you mean by that?
MSA: Look at Cholamandalam established by Panicker in Chennai. That is an artists’ collective, a meeting place for artists… Mysore in spite of having a rich tradition of art that was patronised by the Mysore Maharajas, today does not have a meeting place for artists to gather, debate and discus each other’s work…
RGS: Let us have another cup of this exquisite tea, an Indianised version of Zen and the tea ceremony. May be there will soon be a silver lining on the horizon… Anand, one last question and it is the tea that is responsible… What next?
MSA: Well, I will be creating another pair of paintings for the Mumbai International Airport and hope to start work soon. This will be double the size of the paintings that I have done for the Bangalore International Airport. Yes, they too will be in the Mysore style… Then let’s see…
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Feature Articles / November 03rd, 2013
Hosted by PES Institute of Technology (south campus), Mayaa 2013, the fifth edition of the technical and cultural fest here saw participation from colleges across the city.
Taking off on a light note with Mad Ads for which PESIT (west campus) bagged the first place, the two-day-long fest offered students an opportunity to participate in individual and group competitions. Other events included group singing and contemporary dance, all of which culminated with a fashion show.
The second day saw Battle of Bands where professional as well as amateur bands vied for the top spot. Participants included popular student bands like 1Fret Away, Djentle Symphony, Fantom, Traces and Broken Membrane, the last bagging the prize.
Mock Rock, where participants told stories through musicals, followed next, after which came the Western and Bollywood dance rounds.
The highlight of the day was the Crossroads Concert featuring progressive-rock band Slain performing live with The Choral Riff, a professional choir group.
Apart from the culturals, for the more outdoor-friendly, the fest also had street basketball, football and cricket to offer.
In keeping with this year’s theme of Mayaa, Cinema and Eentertainment, there were screenings of movies throughout, while the decor simulated movie sets.
A treasure hunt and Sudoku had participants racking their brains, others like paper toss, Limbo and Beg-Borrow-Steal tested their capacity to convince strangers.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Express Features – Bangalore / October 30th, 2013
Outgoing Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath is greeted by his successor Kaushik Mukherjee at a farewell programme in Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday —DC
Bengaluru:
His juniors and contemporaries are in awe of his astounding memory, smooth administration, technical expertise and his apolitical stand in a state that has seen many political ups and downs. What makes his achievement more commendable is the fact that this man has the rare distinction of serving eight chief ministers.
On Tuesday, when the Karnataka Secretariat Employees’ Association hosted a farewell for outgoing chief secretary S.V. Ranganath, a 1975 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, he in all humility attributed his success to his colleagues and their unflinching support.
“The day I took charge as chief secretary, the North Karnataka region received 40 cm rainfall causing heavy floods. Over the last 38 years, I have faced several challenges – from natural calamities like floods and drought, elections, the mining row to implementation of Sakaala. I could succeed only because of the love and support of my colleagues, who always went beyond the call of duty,” said Ranganath, who is due to retire on October 31.
The outgoing chief secretary made an appeal to his colleagues too. “A government earns a good name only when everyone in the system is on the same page. I am sure at least 90 per cent of government servants work hard and with honesty. But only 50 per cent taste success and this comes when the person has the co-operation of his colleagues,” said Ranganath, who also shared his secret mantra to success.
“When senior officers come to me asking how to become successful and get recognition, I tell them the story of a little boy in New York (narrated in a book, ‘36 tips for Management’ by Swanson) who walked into a icecream parlour with some change and asks the waiter how much a triple ice candy would cost. When the waiter impatiently tells him it would cost one dollar and 50 cents, the boy, after much thought, settles for a single candy costing one dollar and leaves behind a tip of 50 cents for the waiter.
This leaves the waiter in tears. It shows how important it is to worry about the other person. People come to government servants with problems, we are here to serve them,” said Ranganath, who urged his colleagues to extend the same support to his successor, Kaushik Mukherjee.
Earlier, Mukherjee who addressed Ranganath as a “good friend” and an “able administrator” admired his impeccable memory, commitment to work and his decision-making abilities.
“We will miss him even more when we start realizing how well he managed the administrative equilibrium,”said Mukherjee.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / October 30th, 2013
After successfully completing two years of the ‘Inter-Parish Wilfy Rebimbus Konkani Singing Competition’ in memory of Konkani legend Wilfy Rebimbus, Jeppu parishioners are once again back this year with the third edition of the competition.
The competition is organised by Jeppu parishioners every year in memory of Konkani singing legend Wilfy Rebimbus who was born and brought up in Jeppu and also contributed his services in a significant way to the parish and the entire Konkani speaking community spread across the globe.
This competition has two-fold purposes, says Fr Nelson D’Almedia, parish priest of Jeppu. First, to pay homage and revere the memory of the late Wilfy Rebimbus, and secondly to raise funds to meet the educational and medical needs of the less fortunate parishioners. ‘Jeppu Parish Welfare Fund’ started in 2011 has reached out to many needy people till date. “We have given Rs 1,89,000 as charity from this fund for various needs of our people,” Fr Nelson said.
For the last two years Cordel parish has been taking home the prestigious Wilfy Rebimbus Memorial trophy. Approximately around 1,000 Wilfy fans have been witnessing this unique competition. This year the qualifying round for this inter-parish contest will be held on November 3 at 3 pm in Maria Jayanthi Mandir, Jeppu and the grand finale will be held on November 17 at 5.30 pm at St Joseph’s Church grounds, Jeppu.
Speaking to daijiworld, parish priest Fr Nelson D’Almedia has appealed to all Wilfy fans to come forward and be a part of this celebration as an honour to the great singing legend, who throughout his life contributed his talent to the good causes in society.
Daijiworld is the official media partner for this event.
For any further queries, contact Laveena D’Dias on 9901189195 or Pamela Santos on 9880332911.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / Media Release / Mangalore – October 30th, 2013
A common pavilion for two of the three grounds at the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s facility in Alur, on the outskirts of Bangalore, was inaugurated by KM Ramprasad, the former KSCA president, on Tuesday (October 29).
Anil Kumble, the current KSCA president, and Javagal Srinath, the secretary, were present on the occasion in which a host of luminaries from Karnataka cricket, including Syed Kirmani, BS Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and Vijay Bharadwaj, were also invited.
KM Ramprasad (centre) inaugurated the pavilion in the presence of Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath./ Photo: Wisden India
The grounds, named Three Ovals – “London has just The Oval, but we have three,” said Kumble – are located a short drive away from Bangalore. The land – 30 acres – was purchased during Ramprasad’s tenure in 2000 and, following a massive transformation, now boasts of two lush-green playing fields and third one close to completion. Apart from that, a practice area with an incredible 22 pitches and nets has also been prepared.
“When we bought this land, it was steep and was full of stones,” remembered Ramprasad. “Now it’s a dream I’ll never forget. Srinath, Kumble and their team have done a great job. We bought the site, but they’ve built a beautiful house on it. But this is just the beginning, it has to be looked after.”
“We have the facility here to play three first-class matches at the same time,” pointed out Kumble. “There’s also a wonderful practice area. I’ve had the fortune of travelling with the Indian team for close to 18 years and as an international cricketer, I haven’t come across any practice facility which has 22 nets of this stature.”
The pavilion, called the KSCA Platinum Jubilee Pavilion, was meant for the Golden Oval and the Silver Oval – the two secondary fields. The designs for the main pavilion for the Platinum Oval – the primary venue – are ready and construction was expected to start soon. An indoor cricket facility has also been included in the plan.
“The building and the indoor facility here will be done by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) on behalf of the KSCA,” said Kumble. “This is something which we’ve proposed. In terms of the funds, I’m pretty sure the BCCI will be able to fund. That’s the proposal we’ve placed to them, but the entire facility will be available for Karnataka.”
Under the supervision of the incumbent KSCA administration – headed by Kumble – top-drawer first-class cricket has been taken to smaller cricketing centres across the state like Mysore, Shimoga and Hubli, where India A played West Indies A in September and October. Facilities have also been developed in places like Mangalore, Chikmagalur, Raichur and Belgaum.
Despite all that, Kumble and Srinath revealed earlier this month that they wouldn’t seek re-election to the KSCA, saying that they were happy to have worked for a single, three-year term. The decision had clearly disappointed Ramprasad, who remarked, “I don’t know why you stopped at this level, you should have continued.”
Srinath, however, hoped their successors would continue the good work. “Our development largely depends on what kind of infrastructure we give to all the zones under KSCA,” he said. “Today, I think this committee can stand tall, while appreciating the efforts of Mr Ramprasad and previous committees. We’ve made sure everything has now fallen in place for the kids to play in an international-class facility. This is what we want future committees to take forward.”
source: http://www.wisdenindia.com / Wisden India / Home> News Flash / by Manoj Narayan, Bangalore / October 29th, 2013
Whyoffashion, based in Bangalore, introduces India’s first open fashion project. The project is aimed to provide consumers with information on fashion, which will allow them to make informed choices while purchasing fashion. Grape5, the digital marketing partner of Whyoffashion, conducted a study, in which it found that only 7.3% of Indian fashion consumers purchase branded fashion. In a market perspective, out of 200,000 Cr per annum revenue of fashion in India, only about 15,000 Cr is branded.
Since the majority of the population of India has no access to information regarding the latest fashion, the average consumers go to non-organized retailers for their fashion needs. Whyoffashion is an open fashion project that brings consumers the latest fashion information. This helps consumers in making informed choices for their fashion needs from retailers across India.
Poulomi Banerjee, the Brand Manager at Grape5, the digital agency of Whyoffashion says, “We studied a lot of the existing fashion content available for consumers. What we found was good information, but lacking simple expression. This sparked the origin of Whyoffashion, to provide users with a portal to fashion in simple expression.” Whyoffashion, keeping the consumer in mind, created this open project, with principles of transparency, simplicity, and diversity.
The inclusiveness approach creates a community where people participate and share their view on style and fashion. Ever since its inception, the Whyoffashion project has gained good appreciation. The team believes that soon the project will be accepted globally.
About Whyoffashion:
Whyoffashion, based in Bangalore, India, is an open fashion project. It brings information on fashion inspirations to consumers, so that they make informed decisions while purchasing their fashion from retailers across India.
Come November, and your city starts gearing up to celebrate the vibrant festival of lights — Deepavali. While innumerable cracker stalls start mushrooming, several interesting exhibitions to purchase knick-knacks for the fest also start showing up all around. However, a few of the many fairs that come up are unique. One such is this expo and sale of the diwali diyas and candles made by the differently abled.
Starting tomorrow, city’s Mythri School, a school for specially abled kids run by the Mythri Charitable Trust will host a two-day exhibtion of Deepavali diyas and candles, made by the school’s children. This is the second edition of the expo where the items will be available for appreciation and sale.
Speaking about the fair, School’s Managing Trustee, Pruthvi explains, “we are hosting the Deepavali Diyas and candles sale made by our students for the second consecutive year. We conduct various fairs such as painting, candle and jewellery exhibitions, to ensure that the children of Mythri are self sufficient and also improve their skills in various areas.”
When asked if the sales did good last year, Pruthvi says, “yes, it did, for we use quality products in making the crafts and all items are made by the students under our supervision. However, unlike last year, we have several young volunteers from institutions such as Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), National Institute of Engineering (NIE) and several other colleges, infusing that enthusiasm in kids and helping us organise this year’s fair in a much better way.”
The exhibition will include an array of crafted diyas, candles and decorative rangolis made on transparent plastic sheets which are prepared by those in the age group of five and forty, who are all eager and are looking forward to the event. “We are all very excited about the fair. We are doing the best of work we can with complete dedication. We can’t wait to see who will buy our creations,” say the artists Rakshita, Tabu and Srinivas.
Apart from the Diwali diyas and candles fair, the school also organises exhibitions of artificial jewellery, pottery and paintings made by the children every year.
The Diwali fair will be held at the school premises in Krishnamurthypuram opposite Ambedkar Park for two days starting Oct. 31 from 10 am to 5 pm.— AN
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / October 30th, 2013
The sixth Pustaka Parishe is here, bringing with it the promise of free books and a mission to ensure the reading habit stays in fashion
I first met GP Rajarathnam, one of Kannada literature’s eminent writers, when I was in pre-university. He was the chief guest at a function. After a brief but interesting speech he said all of us should buy one book each from him and opened a box. Several years later, I came to know that he followed this practice everywhere.
Rajarathnam wrote extensively for children, but had no intention of writing poems for them. It was when he saw a Kannada textbook for kids while standing in for his ill father, a teacher at a school, that he decided to start. That evening, he wrote the poem, Bannada tagadina tutturi, which is now considered a classic. Naayi Mari, Taata butti tumba rotti, Putaani Krishna, Haavu bantu haavu bantu, Kuri mari byaa and Namma maneyalondu sanna paapa are some other well-loved poems. Often, children start to learn Kannada with them.
They say even Galaganatha, the father of modern Kannada novels, carried books in a bundle on his head from door to door and sold them. With visual media having taken over, how tricky is it to market books today?
The weekly “Top Ten” list published in popular newspapers makes it tough to identify a type of bestselling book — seems like anything from gardening to creative writing sells. Yet, publishers complain that apart from sex and humour, nothing sells — not poetry, not plays.
Bucking that idea is the sixth edition of Pustaka Parishe (Book Fair), which has been organised by NGO Srushti Ventures for the past three years. Twenty lakh Kannada books will be on display at Basavanagudi National College grounds on October 27. The best part? Every visitor gets to leave with a book of his or her choice free.
“We came together in 2005 to organise awareness programmes for children and have done more than 2,000 programmes so far. In 2010, some of our members said we should donate books that we have read and do not want to dispose off as junk,” says Vedesh Gangoor, treasurer, Srushti Ventures. “We collected and displayed 7,000 books and got a great response. Six months later, we displayed 12,000 books. By the third Parishe, we had collected 28,000 books and organised it on a bigger scale at N R Colony circle. We decided to make it an annual feature. Last year at National College grounds, we displayed 10 lakh books. This year there will be 20 lakh books.”
Organising a book exhibition of this scale requires manpower and planning. “Volunteers work round the year collecting books and categorising them. Visitors to Pustaka Parishe can take any book of their choice, free. We call it ‘Reinvigorating the Book Culture’. Last year we had one and half lakh visitors,” Gangoor says.
The team also organised a special two-day Parishe for students in 2011 called Vidhyarthi Pustaka Parishe, displaying only academic books, of which students were allowed take a maximum of five free. They now plan to take the event statewide, and also organise cultural events and discussions. This year, they have already gotten over 2,000 enquiries, enthuses Gangoor.
Who are his favourite writers? “DV Gundappa,” comes the answer promptly. What about contemporary writers? “I hardly have time to read!” he exclaims. “All my time is taken up in organising programmes!”
With the response the fair is getting every year, it’s very clear that neither reading nor writing will go out of fashion any time soon.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Entertainment> Lounge / by Prathibha Nandkumar, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / October 25th, 2013
