Monthly Archives: January 2014

“ The bravest are the most tender; The loving are the daring ”

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All

Natl. Bravery Award 2013 for 13-yr-old S.S. Manoj

ManojBF15jan2014

Mysore :

The above stated quote is so very true in the case of the story below:

It was a casual pilgrimage to Srirangapatna on Sept. 2, 2012, taken out by a family of three — the father, the mother and their 13-year-old son. Anybody visiting the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangapatna make it a point to visit the Cauvery river either before or after going to the temple. So was the case with this family too.

After paying their obeisance to the Lord at the temple, the family went towards the river to rest for a while. Seen there were children enjoying a dip in the water, women washing their clothes, utensils, etc., etc. The son of the family was also taking a dip in waters. At around 10.30 am, suddenly, one of the woman who was washing her clothes, while trying to pick up the clothes, slipped and fell into the river. The woman was physically handicapped and didn’t know how to swim.

The 40-year-old woman named Manchamma, unable to get out of the water, started crying out for help. The woman’s daughter and niece were there at the river bank, not knowing what to do as none of them knew how to swim either. Seeing this, the son, 13-year-old Manoj, swam towards the woman, pulled her by her hair and dragged her till the river bank. Manoj had learnt swimming when he was just 8 years old, swimming in the canal at his village. This proved to be of great help in saving the woman. The woman couldn’t believe what had just happened. She thanked the boy profusely and told him that he was God who gave her life.

This courageous act of Manoj deserves true appreciation and rewards. Accordingly, the State Department of Women & Child Development honoured Manoj with ‘Hoysala Shourya’ award, which was presented to him by the Governor H.R. Bhardwaj on Nov. 16, 2012. Now, this brave act has been identified by the Indian Council for Child Welfare, New Delhi and Manoj will be presented the ‘National Bravery Award 2013’ by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Delhi Governor Lt. Najeeb Jung and other dignitaries on January 26 and he will also be given a chance to take part in the Republic Day Parade at New Delhi.

The award carries a certificate, a gold medal and a cash prize of Rs. One lakh awarded by the Government of India. Apart from these, the Govt. will also provide the gallant children with Indira Gandhi scholarships to pursue either technical or medical courses.

About the boy: S.S. Manoj, a VII std. student of Navodaya School, DMG Village, Gaddige, is the son of S.T. Rajshekar, a tailor at Saligrama and S.K. Aarthi, a teacher at Govt. Primary School in Bangalore. Manoj is presently staying with his uncle Ramesh, residing at KHB Colony, Hootagalli.

Star of Mysore caught up with Manoj recently and congratulated him on his feat. When asked as to how he is feeling on being conferred the Bravery award, Manoj, in a humble way, said that he is really happy and that he would use the scholarship amount to pursue a degree in Engineering. He said that he would donate a part of the amount for the welfare of the disabled persons.

Speaking about his parents, Manoj said that his father, an ordinary tailor, would probably not be able to fund his education, so the scholarship amount has brought in great joy to his parents and his uncle.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 09th, 2014

Musical lineage lives on

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
Sreekantham Nagendra Sastry. / Photo: Bhagya Prakash K. / The Hindu
Sreekantham Nagendra Sastry. / Photo: Bhagya Prakash K. / The Hindu

In focus: Sreekantham Nagendra Sastry is keeping an 800-year-old tradition alive through Chintalapalli Parampara Trust.

To the old-timers of Mysore, music and musicians were household names and are cherished memories today . One such legacy is the Chintalapalli parampara, a musical heritage that traces its lineage to nearly 800 years. Today, a grandson is not only carrying on the mantle but has single-handedly developed and established a trust in the name of his illustrious maternal ancestry under whose umbrella thrive nearly 40 music institutions in and around Karnataka , where the academics of music are taught and conducted on the scales of a university. One has to meet Sreekantham Nagendra Sastry to perceive the commitment and missionary zeal.

Music is his birthright while teaching Kannada literature at Maharani College is his profession. A purist in Carnatic vocal music, he has authored many a book on music and musicians of Karnataka even as he trains pupils in its chaste form. With a hectic schedule, he manages to keep the fire of Chintalapalli heritage burning. “My ancestral home in Chintalapalli is on the Andhra-Karnataka border, around 7 km from Hindupur. In the post-Independence reorganisation of States, it came under Rayalaseema. Ironically, my great grandfather Chintalapalli Venkat Rao was awarded a fellowship by the Andhra Sangeet Natak Academy after the State formation as a matter of honour to Andhra Pradesh since he was recognised as a Telugu musician of excellence; this was followed by Mysore felicitating him as their heir since he was ‘asthana vidwan’ of the then Mysore royalty.”

Musical bloodline

The 800-year-old lineage is evident, as Nagendra has possessions that proclaim the veracity of the musical bloodline like the written proclamation (shashana) of Hoyasala King Veera Bhalla’s grant of land and later under the Bahamani sultans, another grant of 13 villages and a conferred title to the Chintalapalli maestro.

“My ancestors were vaggeyakaras (music composers) who moved to Vidyanagara and served in the ‘Lokapavana Vishwavidyalaya’ under the Vijayanagara kings. This apart, my great grandfather belongs to the Thyagaraja parampara having been the sishya of Pallavi Seshaiah who was himself pupil of Nemani Subbayya, Thyagaraja’s direct disciple. Later, the family migrated to various samsthanas like Gadwal and Wanaparthy in lieu of patronage. Finally, they settled down as asthana vidwans of Mysore court — that is my grandfather Chintalapalli Ramachandra Rao and great grandfather too,” he narrates the family history in a nutshell.

Since Bangalore was home to the Chintalapalli musicians, the ancestral fort-like home at the village was a sort of holiday sojourn. The Chintalapalli Parampara Trust that was formed now houses a library of ancient books on music and musicology, memoirs, pictures, research facilities in music and runs a school with a regular teacher, supervised by Nagendra himself. A couple housed in the Gurukul take care of those students who wish to stay back. Everything from first aid kits to general medicines to accompanying instruments like tanpura, mridangam, harmonium are all in place there.

Apart from regular examination, special classes in practical and theory are conducted annually by the trust. Nagendra has a vision to develop the ongoing trust institution into a university. “I have the infrastructure ready and the project proposal has been submitted to the Centre. Already the curriculum on which we are running our 40 institutions is geared to the semester system with our syllabi and exams. Recently we opened a centre at Chikmagalur. We have centres run by my students abroad also. We were affiliated to Lokapavana University. The music courses offered by our Vyshveeka Vidyalayam run by our trust are: Sangeeta Paramapara Pallava (initial course); Parampara Kusuma; Paramapara Saurabha; Parampara Shri and the highest Parampara Nidhi which has a regular and honorary conferring of degree,” he informs.

Place of learning

The convocation replicates the Vijayanagara style where the ancestors’ ‘baton’ (a silver danda with lion head at the top) arrives ceremoniously followed by Guru paadukas; a hamsa-headed brass lamp which symbolises the end of music (spiritual upliftment). A ritualistic Guru puja invoking the ancestors is conducted which marks the ‘Gatikotsavam’. A pledge is undertaken by the recipients of the certificates and awards.

“The examination pattern is modelled on the current trend only as far as hall-tickets issuance goes; the rest is done through drawing lots where the head of one institute invariably ends up at another exam centre thereby arresting malpractices to a large extent,” the teacher in him takes over as he explains. His services to the music community are well-known yet he prefers to maintain a low profile, allowing his work to speak for him.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review> Music / by Ranee Kumar / January 02nd, 2014

Gowris of Mysore : A happy family of five brothers and five sisters meet and celebrate …

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's
All in the family: Seen in the picture are (front row from left) Sumukh (kneeling), Padma G. Murthy, Mythili Ramakrishna, G. Ramakrishna, G. Satyanarayana, Nirmala Satya, G. Soumi, Shashank Gowri; (standing from left) G. Ananth, Shruthi Ananth, Spurthi Vinay, G.Vinay, G. Subbanarasimha, Srilakshmi Subbanarasimha, Swamini Varadachaitanya, Deepa, Dr. Asha Shekar, Jayanthi B.G Nath, Suvarna Laxman, M.S. Laxman Rao, Dr. G. L. Shekar, Shamsundar and Vijay Simha.
All in the family: Seen in the picture are (front row from left) Sumukh (kneeling), Padma G. Murthy, Mythili Ramakrishna, G. Ramakrishna, G. Satyanarayana, Nirmala Satya, G. Soumi, Shashank Gowri; (standing from left) G. Ananth, Shruthi Ananth, Spurthi Vinay, G.Vinay, G. Subbanarasimha, Srilakshmi Subbanarasimha, Swamini Varadachaitanya, Deepa, Dr. Asha Shekar, Jayanthi B.G Nath, Suvarna Laxman, M.S. Laxman Rao, Dr. G. L. Shekar, Shamsundar and Vijay Simha.

Mysore :

When families split over trivial issues, here is a family of five brothers and five sisters and their children and grandchildren, living with love and affection.

Gowris of Mysore city, known more through the evening English newspaper ‘Samachar’, edited by one of the brothers, G. Satyanarayana, who have a rich past, assembled last Sunday at Hotel Dasaprakash Paradise in Yadavagiri to felicitate two brothers and a sister, who have crossed 70.

The get-together of over 20 members of the Gowri family was marked with homely and happy atmosphere throughout. The extended family of all the five brothers and five sisters are spread over Mysore, Bangalore, Chennai, US, New Zealand and Australia.

The get-together was arranged chiefly to felicitate G. Ramakrishna, former Director of Tourism, Government of India, now settled in Los Angeles (US), who is on a month-long visit to India, on his 80th birthday. Along with him his next brother G. Satyanarayana (Gowri Satya), former Editor of ‘Samachar’, and his immediate sister, G. Padmavathi, wife of late Gurumurthy, Librarian, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi, were also felicitated. A host of their relatives and close common friends were present.

Candle was lit, cake was cut, the couples exchanged garlands and offered a piece of cake to each other and they were felicitated with Petas (turbans), shawls, fruits and flowers, as per Mysore tradition while their friends recalled their association with them during their felicitation speeches.

Popular All India Radio (AIR) Kannada news reader of yesteryears M. Ranga Rao felicitated Ramakrishna with a Mysore Peta and shawl, while Star of Mysore and Mysooru Mithra Editor-in-Chief K.B. Ganapathy honoured Satya with shawl and educationist Sreepada Rao with turban. R.V. Lalithamba honoured Padma with a shawl, flowers and fruits.

Speaking on the occasion, Ganapathy recalled his close association with the brothers and their journalistic career and expressed happiness over the camaraderie at the get-together. He recalled the cordial relations they had in their journalistic career.

During the brief and informal speeches, Ranga Rao recalled his association with Ramakrishna, when both were working in New Delhi.

Andolana Editor Rajashekara Koti was nostalgic of his friendship with Satya and recalled the contribution of the brothers, and in particular their father late G.L. Swamy, for development of tourism and journalism in Mysore. Though Mysore had several attractions to offer, he deplored that the Government was doing very little for development of tourism, despite repeated demands.

NIE-IT Vice-President M. Sreepada Rao, Consumer activist Dr. S.P. Thirumala Rao and Col. (retd.) Dr. Anand also spoke felicitating the Gowri family members.

Ramakrishna recalled his days in the Department of Tourism in India and thanked all for the felicitations.

NIE Principal Dr. G.L. Shekar, who was chiefly responsible for organising the function, said how the Gowri family, whose strength had grown to about 100 members, is well-knit and maintained cordial relations.

The other first generation Gowri family members are G. Subbanarasimha, Gowri Sunder, Swamini Varadachaitanya (formerly G.L. Gayathri), Rama, Suvarna and Jayanthi.

The Gowri clan of G.L. Swamy and G. Meenakshamma has 10 children, 18 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Former MLC M. Sathyanarayana Rao, NIE Secretary S.L.Ramachandra, Writer E.R. Ramachandran, Journalists K.V. Sreenivasan and Prabhurajan were among those present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 08th, 2014

Karnataka lads shine at world chess meet

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Bangalore :

Girish A Koushik showed why he’s one of Karnataka’s most promising chess players after clinching the silver medal for the second year running in the Under-16 (open) category at the 13th FIDE World Youth Chess Championships that concluded in Al-Ain, UAE, on Saturday.

Sharing the limelight with the Mysore chess prodigy was Bangalore boy Raghunandan K Srihari, who bagged the silver medal in the U-12 category. Indians trumped players from 123 countries to top the heap with eight medals (three gold, two silver and three bronze). India also secured top honours in the blitz format with 13 medals (five gold, four silver and four bronze).

Girish’s dominance in world chess has been well chronicled ever since he won the World Youth Under-10 Championship in Batumi, Georgia, seven years ago. Last year in Maribor, Slovenia, the 16-year-old was met with stiff opposition, but still finished second with eight wins, two defeats and a draw.

This time around, Girish was expecting the worst after heading to the Gulf nation underprepared for the tournament. “I had tests and was busy with my studies so I could not find time to prepare for the Worlds. I caught up with whatever I could at the airport lounges and in flight. Thankfully, everything went my way,” said the first year student of Sadvidya Composite PU College, Mysore.

With seven wins and four draws, the seventh-seeded Girish finished with nine points and was tied for gold with Tamil Nadu’s Murali Karthikeyan. But with no joint awards in store, Murali pipped Girish for gold with a slim tie-break margin (total points against other opponents) of 0.5.

Girish, however, was ecstatic. “If you look at it, both of us finished joint first, so I am happy with my performance. I finished with 50.0 (tie-break points) while Murali got 50.5. So it was a bit disappointing that I missed out on gold with such a small margin. But, I’m happy that I remained unbeaten in the 11 rounds. This is my best performance yet,” explained the International Master (IM) and Grandmaster (GM) norm holder.

Girish, whose biggest win came against higher-ranked Russian Kirill Alekseenko, will see his 2413 ELO rating rise by 17 points.

SILVER ON DEBUT

For Raghunandan, the U-12 silver will be one of his most cherished ever. Making his debut appearance at the Worlds this year, the soft-spoken tenth seeded youngster picked up eight wins, two defeats and a draw to finish with 8.5 points behind Armenia’s Aram Hakobyan.

“It feels great to win a medal in your first World championship,” Raghunandan said. “It was a very competitive field but I was ready for them. My match against American Marcus Miyasaka was one of my toughest wins. He had a middlegame error, which I immediately capitalized on and turned the contest in my favour,” said the seventh standard student of VVS Gandhi Centenary School, who trains under Ukrainian coach Alexander Vaysman.

United Karnataka Chess Association officials received the winners in Bangalore. The boys would be felicitated soon, it is learnt.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports> Chess> Silver Medal / by Maxin Mathew, TNN / December 31st, 2013

A temple where the Bible is worshipped

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Authorities at Ajata Nagalingaswami temple in Navalgund town of Dharwad district say the hole in the Bible has been shrinking over a period of time./ Photo: Kiran Bakale / The Hindu
Authorities at Ajata Nagalingaswami temple in Navalgund town of Dharwad district say the hole in the Bible has been shrinking over a period of time./ Photo: Kiran Bakale / The Hindu

Ajata Nagalingaswami temple in Navalgund town of Dharwad district has a unique practice of offering flowers and ‘arti’ and lighting oil lamps before a copy of the Bible. Nagalingaswamy, a yogi who lived in the 19th century, is the presiding deity here.

Temple head Veerendra Swami told The Hindu that the copy of the Bible in Kannada was published by a Committee of the Missionaries of Germans, London, and Wesleyan Missionary Societies, and printed at Mangalore in 1865.

Mr. Swami has an interesting story to relate about the origin of the temple.

Kallappa, from Mushtigeri village of Bagalkot district, was a devotee of the mother goddess. A group of Christian missionaries gave him a copy of the Bible.

Once when Nagalingaswami came to meet Kallappa, he hid the book from the yogi for some reason. However, in the course of their conversation, Nagalingaswami told him about his next birth and asked Kallappa to show him the Bible. The yogi pulled out a hook and drilled a hole in the book. He then dropped a Victorian silver coin into the hole, which came out from the other end. Nagalingaswami told Kallappa that he would take the rebirth when the hole filled on its own over a period of time. The story is part of the biography of the yogi published by the temple. Mr. Swami claimed that the hole had been shrinking over a period of time and the missing words on the perforated part had reappeared. The temple authorities have been recording the radius of this hole regularly.

One can see circular lines around the hole, which the temple authorities drew at different point in time. Anyone can access the Bible with prior permission before the morning puja. Even a ‘panja’ and a ‘sidgi’ brought here by the mystic have been preserved here.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by N. Dinesh Nayak / Dharwad – December 31st, 2013

Star this week : Chess champ: Girish Koushik

Education, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
Girish A. Koushik
Girish A. Koushik

Chess is a traditional game and India has been doing well in this sport since the expoits of Vishwanathan Anand in the world chess scene. Many youngsters have taken up to chess and Mysore city has seen many chess players who have gone on to represent the country in different levels and perform well. One such chess player who has been consistently doing well in the International-level is International Master Girish A. Koushik.

Girish, representing India in the World Youth Classic U-16 Chess Championships held at Al-Ain (UAE) from Dec. 18 to 29, 2013, did everyone proud with his performance when he won the second place in the boys U-16 category. He secured 9 points from 11 rounds and tied with Karthikeyan Murali of India, but the latter’s better tie-break score of 50.5 helped Karthikeyan Murali to clinch the title. Girish Koushik finished a creditable second. He is our ‘Star This week.’

The 16 year old, Girish, is a 1st PU student of Sadvidya Composite PU College in city. Encouraged by his parents, Arun Koushik and Lakshmi Arun, his family members, State Govt., the UCKA and MDCA,this lad has been a consistent performer for our country in the junior level.

Girish, a former World Champion (U-10) in 2006, the first Karnataka chess player to win a World chess title, has grown from strength to strength and has been our Nation’s flag bearer with some spectacular performances in the tournaments whenever he has represented the country.

Girish had wins over Lekic Lazar, Bora Safal (USA), Saloman Johan (Norway), Wang Richard (Canada), Sibasvili Giorgi (Georgia), Wang Yiye (China) and Alekseenko Kirill of Russia. He had draws with Brown Michael William (USA), Asgarizadeh Ahmad (Iri), Petrosyan Manuel (Armenia) and Vorontsov Pavlo of Ukraine.

Girish got his final International Master Norm in this tournament. Presently he has a ELO rating of 2430 and has added 17.1 points with his performance in this tournament.

He also finished fifth in the World Under-16 Blitz Tournament held at Al-Ain. Ranked No. 40 in the country, Girish won gold in the Asian Youth Chess Championships U-16 Open at Sri Lanka in July 2012. He also won gold in the Asian Youth U-16 Open held at Savi- Isreal in June 2013. He had won the gold in the World U-10 Championships held at Georgia in 2006.

Encouraged and helped by the Karnataka State Government, he got the Ekalavya Award in 2012, the SWAB Best Sports person award in 2012-13. He needs to be encouraged and promoted as he has the talent in him to become a Grand Master in the days to come.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News /  January 05th, 2014

Sri Shivarathreeshwara award presented

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
University Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa and Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji are seen presenting the award to writer-couple Dr. Jayashree Dande and Dr. Veeranna Dande at a function in city on Jan. 3 as Prof. K.C. Shivappa look on.
University Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa and Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji are seen presenting the award to writer-couple Dr. Jayashree Dande and Dr. Veeranna Dande at a function in city on Jan. 3 as Prof. K.C. Shivappa look on.

Mysore :

JSS Mahavidyapeetha, under its Sri Shivarathreeshwara Cultural Endowment, presented ‘Sri Shivarathreeshwara award’ to Retd. Kannada Professor Dr. Veeranna Dande and Kannada Professor Dr. Jayashree Dande of Gulbarga University for their book ‘12th century Sharana memorials’ and their contributions to Kannada literature at a function held on Jan. 3 at Rajendra Bhavan in JSS Hospital premises here.

Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, who graced the occasion, presented the award which carries a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and a plaque to the couple.

Dr. Veeranna Dande, who spoke on the occasion, said ‘Since I had the experience of having worked in folk field, collection of information on Sharana memorials was easy. Myself and my wife Jayashree have toured 91 villages in North Karnataka, collected information on 190 memorials in three years and compiled the book. This is not only an information book but also serves as a research work.’

Writer Prof. Morabada Mallikarjuna said the book has been written concentrating on Basavakalyana. The 12th century Sharana memorials have been depicted in their original form. The special feature of the book is that in addition to real aspects of life, it contains aspects on communal harmony of Hindu and Muslim communities, he said.

Mysore University Vice-Chancellor Prof. K.S. Rangappa presided. JSS Mahavidyapeetha Publication Department Director Prof. K.C. Shivappa welcomed.

About the authors: Dr. Jayashree Dande, Faculty, Dept. of Kannada Studies, Gulbarga University, has to her credit, more than 45 novels. Her special field of interest is ‘Vachana studies.’

Dr. Veeranna Dande, Retd. Kannada Professor, Gulbarga University, has about three decades of experience in teaching, research and administration. He is an expert in Vachana Sahitya, Folk culture and also a columnist. He has authored more than 50 books.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / January 05th, 2014

Get set for Bangalore’s first New Year Metal gig

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

With New Year just a few days away, the city is getting prepped to host parties, the themes of most of which revolve around Bollywood , EDM, hip-hop and a mix of all to cater to a wider audience. But so far one breed has always been left out — the longhaired, goatee-sporting and head banging citizens of the metal world. Finally, their call has been heard and Bangalore is hosting its first New Year Metal gig, thanks to CounterCulture’s initiative Metal Factory.

Metal Factory has been a monthly affair since September this year, hosting a range of artists.”In November,when we were brainstorming about New Year, Abijith Rao,who manages our programming and is also the front man of Escher’s Knot, broached the subject of trying metal. That’s when we decided to go ahead,” says Vishwaraj Mohan, founder, Counter Culture.

The gig will see five bands belting out the best of metal — Inner Sanctum ( Thrash/Melodic Death Metal), Escher’s Knot ( Progressive Metal), Theorized (Progressive Death/Thrash), Bevar Sea ( Stoner Rock/Doom Metal) and The Down Troddence (Experimental Metal). “People just want to have a good time on New Year’s Eve, and we are really lucky to have a metal gig for the occasion for the first time in Bangalore. The show production will be one of its kind and this event is going to open up a new dimension for bands and the Indian metal fraternity,” believes Rao.

The gig is being supported with special lighting and a backdrop to make it memorable for audiences. Bevar Sea will have Namit Chauhan from Shepherd as guest guitarist playing in place of their guitarist Rahul Chacko and will add classics too. They will also put up merchandise for sale, which according to the vocalist Ganesh  “is a fabulous way to begin the New Year.”

Naturally, the city’s metal heads are excited. Says technical writer Amritha Chandrashekhar, “I grew up in Bangalore when it was called Rock city. I love that genre of music and it is sad to see the declining support for rock and metal. I would love to start my year head banging. Of course I’ll go.” Beat boxer Abhishek Bhaskar is excited about listening to Inner Sanctum and Bevar Sea, which he calls “the catchiest name till date.” Adds music enthusiast Purvika Anand, “Since the line-up has familiar Bangalore-based bands, it’s going to feel like home to the guys who share similar passions and haven’t celebrated New Year’s eve together before.”

The last word comes from media professional Vilasini Muralidhar, who acknowledges that metal heads are usually left out when it comes to New Year’s parties. “We aren’t the sort to go to a club and enjoy monotonous music (if I can call it that). This gives us an opportunity to bring in the New Year with our kind of music, our kind of crowd. It’s a great line-up at a good venue—nobody should miss it!”

So if metal is what gives you a high, then this is going to be a temple of sorts. For a different start to 2014, this is the gig to be at.
Metal Factory, Dec 31, 8 pm, at Counter Culture

—R Prashanth Vidyasagar

www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Gig / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / December 23rd, 2013

Celebrity speak…: Sneha Kapoor, The Indian Salsa Princess in city

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

snehakapoorBF10jan2014

Sneha Kapoor, the award-winning Salsa connoisseur has a career resume that any dance-lover would love to possess at an age as young as 27. While she is fondly called the ‘Indian Salsa Princess,’ this damsel who also is an expert dance choreographer and instructor well-versed in varied dance forms, enjoys the privilege of being the first woman in the country to have won some of the world’s most prestigious international Salsa championships.

Born and brought up in Bangalore and currently based at Mumbai, Sneha has awards from the Australian Salsa Classic, Sydney, the European Salsa Masters, UK and the Asian Open Salsa Championships, Hong Kong, in her kitty, apart from having surfaced as one among the top 20 finalists in the famous Indian television dance reality show Dance India Dance in the year 2011. The young and talented danseuse, who also is an exponent in other dance forms such as Bachata, merengue, Jive, hip-hop, adagio and Bollywood, was in Mysore to perform at a New Year’s eve event when Star of Mysore caught up with her for an interview. Excerpts…

Star of Mysore (SOM): You are called the Indian Salsa Princess. How does it feel to be called so?

Sneha: I feel humbled. I got the title after I won a series of International Salsa dance championships held at various places across the globe during the year 2007 such as the Australian Salsa Classic in Sydney, the European Salsa Masters at the UK and the Asian Open Salsa Championship held at Hong Kong, apart from being a semi-finalist at the ESPN World Salsa Championship held at Orlando, Florida, the same year. It feels wonderful to be called so. It’s quite touching.

SOM: How was your stint with the reality show Dance India Dance? How did the show really help you?

Sneha: The first reality show I took part in was India has Got Talent. I participated in Dance India Dance (DID) later which was a great learning experience. I not just got recognised through this show but also got to learn several more dance styles as a participant. And getting trained and groomed under the best of judges was yet another advantage of DID. I had the best of judges in Geeta Kapoor, Terence Lewis and Remo D’ Souza. It was a great experience altogether.

SOM: You were an athlete and wanted to make it big in the field of sports. Then what made you take to dance?

Sneha: I never knew I would become a dancer or choreographer one day. It happened by default. I was initially an athletics enthusiast who aimed to make it big and represent India in athletics. However, I unfortunately suffered an injury in my knee because of which I had to give up athletics. During the time, my friends at college forced me to take part in a dance competition which I reluctantly did. I must admit I made no great dancer in the beginning. However, I gradually picked up the skills, joining the Lourd Vijay’s dance studio in Bangalore. In all, becoming a dancer has been a roller-coaster ride.

SOM: You also hold a Guinness World Record for having done the most number of swing dance flips in a minute. Tell us about it.

Sneha: Yes. We were a team of four who broke the record set in the UK and it fills me with a sense of pride. I and my team broke the record of 33 flips in a minute that was set four years ago. Our new record stands at 39 swing dance flips in a minute.

SOM: What are the plans in pipeline?

Sneha: I would love to see myself going a few more steps further as a choreographer and making it big in the field. I have choreographed for a South Indian movie and reality shows Just Dance and Perfect Bride. My current interest is acting and I have been working towards it. Acting isn’t my forte so I have more to learn.—AN

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / January 04th, 2014

PR Ashokanand named new KSCA president

Sports

Former first-class cricketer PR Ashokanand has taken over as president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, filling the vacancy created by the death of Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the former KSCA president.

Wadiyar had died on December 10, a few days after reclaiming the post of the association’s president. Ashokanand, one of KSCA’s elected vice-presidents, was unanimously nominated to take over as president at a managing committee meeting.

Ashokanand played first-class cricket between 1957 and 1972, representing Hyderabad, Madras and Mysore. He scored 2410 runs in 62 matches at an average of 26.77 and took 14 wickets with his medium pace, at 30.78.

source: http://www.espccricinfo.com / ESPN CricInfo / Home> India> News / by ESPNcricinfo Staff / December 28th, 2013