Monthly Archives: August 2014

Expo of awesome sculptures at Lankesh Art Gallery

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

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Mysore :

A three-day exhibition of sculptures organised jointly by Karnataka Shilpakala Academy and Mysore Art Gallery began at Lankesh Art Gallery in Rangayana premises here yesterday. The expo is open for public from 11 am to 6 pm till tomorrow.

The expo features unique and innovative sculptures like Goddess Saraswati holding a Veena, an elephant in a lying position and so on. The awesome exhibits are a boy walking on a tight rope and five of a family travelling on a scooter.

The sculpture material include iron, wood, wax and fibre glass.

Inaugurating the expo, CAVA Dean V.A. Deshpande said that sculpture could be traditional or contemporary but each had its own merit and should not be graded. He advised young sculptors to get inspiration from such exhibitions.

The expo has also put up a sale of books on sculpture brought out by Shilpakala Academy.

Interaction: An interaction on ‘Traditional and Contemporary Sculpture’ was also organised at Sriranga auditorium in Rangayana premises yesterday.

Sculptor Madwesh N. Pandurangi provided information on art of sculpting through a slide show.

Researcher M.N. Prabhakar, speaking on the occasion, said that temples in South India were a treasure of sculptures which should be reckoned and appreciated by people.

Academy Chairman Shambulingappa presided.

Mysore Art Gallery President L. Shivalingappa, Academy Registrar H.V. Indramma and others were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 11th, 2014

Celebrating Independence Day the ‘ARTISTIC’ way

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

‘Head-Lines of Karnataka’ caricature show in city from tomorrow

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Mysore :

To commemorate the 68th Independence Day celebrations, ‘Head-Lines of Karnataka,’ a Caricature Show by Naveen Kumar, Caricature Artist, has been organised at Sri Kalaniketan Art Gallery in Vijayanagar 2nd Stage in Mysore from Aug. 12 to 17 between 10 am and 7.30 pm.

The show will be inaugurated by MLC G. Madhusudhan tomorrow at 11.30 am. Indian Institute of Anthropology Association Mysore Vice-President Dr. Subrahmanya Bharathi Konale, Journalist Amshi Prasannakumar and Hampi Kannada University Anthropology Asst. Professor Dr. L. Sreenivas will be the chief guests on the occasion.

About the artist: Born to Ananda Acharya and Parvathy couple with a traditional art background in 1979 at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada, Naveen took up Caricature as a hobby, which developed into a more prominent passion and interest.

“It all started by posting a friend’s caricature in Facebook and later went onto specialise as a Spot Event Caricature artist,” says Naveen, who has participated in many cartoon workshops and events and is a Member of Karnataka Cartoon Association.

The artist has done several spot caricature of well-known writers, poets and other personalities including former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa.

He has conducted caricature and water colour painting workshop at Manjeshwara, Kerala for school kids with Vishwaniketana Academy and has the credit of doing on-spot 36 caricature characters (full size) in 35 minutes on a A0 size paper at the workshop.

Naveen is interested in Photography and his 18 photos have been selected in National and International level competitions in a period of one year. He has also won many accolades and awards in company level competitions.

Naveen, who has completed his BFA (Fine Art) from CAVA, Mysore and worked as a Graphic Artist for leading newspapers, is currently working at HP, Bangalore and pursuing his MFA in painting at Sri Kalaniketana School of Art, Mysore. The artist can be contacted on Mob: 90083-91674 or e-mail: naveee@gmail.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 11th, 2014

State IAS topper interacts with students

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

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Mysore :

“Grasp what you read as reading should be qualitative and not just quantitative,” suggested Gurudath Hegde, State IAS topper with a national ranking of 25.

He was interacting with students at a programme organised jointly by Maharaja’s College, Yuvaraja’s College and Centre for Proficiency Development and Placement Services (CPDPS) of Mysore University at Maharaja’s College Centenary Hall here this morning.

About 1,500 students of various colleges participated in the programme and interacted with Hegde after listening to the valuable tips given by him.

Speaking on preparations for the competitive exams, the 2013 State IAS topper from Dharwad advised the students to cultivate the basic behaviour of reading books and newspapers and develop a passion for knowledge.

He asked the students to change their mindset first as nothing was impossible and inferiority complex should be shunned. He suggested them to be confident in their work as perseverance and hard work always ensured success.

When students asked whether coaching was essential for competitive examinations like IAS, Hegde answered in the affirmative saying that coaching at a right centre would put the students in the right groove to reach the goal.

He said that during coaching, a student could meet people, interact and exchange ideas and knowledge. However, he contended that a good coaching would involve a lot of money and time but should be utilised properly.

Maharaja’s College Principal Prof. B. Nagarajmurthy, Administrative Officer Vasanth, Yuvaraja’s College Placement Officer Swarnamala, CPDPS Director Dr. Niranjan Vanalli and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 11th, 2014

In memory of freedom martyrs no one remembers

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel

Bangalore :

It’s one thing to recall sacrifices of freedom fighters on the Independence Day, but another thing to remember martyrs on other days and maintain their memorials.

Standing testimony to such neglect is a martyrs’ memorial in the heart of the city. Worse, not much is known about the four martyrs named on the plaque.

The 10-foot-tall stone plaque has been relegated to the backyard of the Shani temple at Mysore Bank Circle – the area which witnessed several flashpoints between freedom fighters and police at the height of the Quit India Movement in August 1942.

Scores of people are suspected to have died in confrontations in the area where the Mysore Bank Circle stands now. The martyrs included Shamanna Bete Rangappa, G V Thirumalaiah, Prahlad Shetty and Gundappa, all said to be students of Central College.

Their memory remained buried till 1972, the silver jubilee of Independence, when the central government decided to build a memorial at the Mysore Bank Circle where the quartet breathed their last. A plaque with their names inscribed on it was installed.

As years went by, the memorial was neglected. Road and other infrastructure development in the area shrunk the space for the memorial. Slowly, it got lost in the backyard of the temple.

On the recent Martyrs’ Day, August 9, members of Rashtra Gaurava Samrakshana Parishat, a social service NGO which stumbled upon the memorial recently, cleared the weed and other waste materials from there.

On Friday, a few local youngsters washed the memorial, decorated the place with tricolour and celebrated the Independence Day there.

“It is said these four youths were students of nearby Central college and fell to police bullets within meters of where the memorial is now located,” said T N Ramakrishna, president of the Parishat.

“There is no effort whatsoever, either from the Central government or BBMP, to protect what they call is a national monument. We want the authorities to restore the memorial to its original status. The authorities should make the memorial visible from all sides and also make suitable lighting arrangements,” he added.

Another Parishat member alleged that the space around the memorial has shrunk by about 15 feet due to encroachment. “It was in good shape till 2006-07 with a compound wall around. Later, due to encroachment and weeds, the plaque virtually invisible,” he added.

The Parishat said it would wait till October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) to see if any effort is made to restore the memorial. “If nothing comes out, we will approach the mayor and the Kannada and culture department. If nothing positive happens, we will have to approach the court,” said Ramakrishna.

Forgotten heroes

Not much is known about the four martyrs: who they were and when exactly they fell to British bullets.

SK Aruni, deputy director, Indian Council of Historical Research, said there were many points of conflagration in the Mysore Bank Circle area during the freedom struggle. Police action against freedom fighters was severe on August 16, 17 and 18 of 1942, he added.

On August 16, a youth named Thimmanna Dasa was killed. The next day, the situation worsened. A huge crowd of 2,000 people set on fire a post office at Aralipete, near Kengeri Gate. Nine people were killed in police firing, but only six were identified: Thippaiah, Appaiah, AR Srinivasan, Narasimhachar, Subash Singh Ram Singh and Ponnaswamy.

On August 18, two of the youths mentioned in the plaque – Shamanna Bete Rangappa and G V Thirumalaiah – were killed in police action, Aruni said.

“British rulers always gave lower numbers than the actual toll to downplay the scale of the struggle,” he pointed out.

Freedom fighter HS Doreswamy said the memorial, which is inside the compound of a temple, should be made an independent structure. “Of the four people mentioned in the plaque, Gundappa was gunned down by an IG called Hamilton during a demonstration. Prahlad Shetty had been incarcerated and died in Central Jail,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore / TNN / August 16th, 2014

The tale of two Palaces

About Bangalore(Bengaluru) / Karnataka, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

Pages from History

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by Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy

Mysore is famous for Palaces. In fact it is famous all over the world as a city of palaces because it was ruled by the Maharajas for the past five hundred years, until it was merged with the Indian Republic. The institution of the Maharajas has practically become extinct and those that survived could not maintain themselves in royal splendour for lack of resources. Even during the days of the British rule in India, the Maharajas of Mysore were recognised as such and British gave them special respect. Even Mahatma Gandhiji had openly praised the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and called him ‘Rajarshi’ (saintly King). All these were responsible for the construction of palaces in Mysore. In fact, the tourists flock our city and their main agenda is to visit Mysore Palace. Two years ago there was a news item according to which the number of visitors to Mysore Palace outnumbered the visitors to the Taj Mahal. In this connection we should congratulate the Mysore Palace Board authorities in general and

its Deputy Director T.S. Subrahmanya who have been keeping the palace in an immaculate manner and providing good amenities to the tourists. These comments apply to smaller palaces like Jaganmohan Palace and Lalitha Mahal Palace.

Jaganmohan Palace as its name itself signifies is an elegant and majestic building in Mysore. It was originally built during the rule of Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, sometime in 1860. When there was an accidental fire at Mysore Palace, this was used as a Palace by the Maharaja, and all important functions took place here. It also served as a Durbar hall till the completion of the Palace in 1910. Installation of His Highness the Maharaja took place here and it was graced by Lord Curzon, the Governor General and Viceroy of India.

Later in 1900, a spacious and ornamental Pavilion was added to the then existing Jaganmohan Palace. It was specially designed for the invitees to witness the marriages and birthdays. Basically, it has a long hall and an elevated platform. The long hall has two balconies on both sides so that the royal ladies could watch the functions. Thus, most important family functions of the Maharaja took place here. Mysore Representative Assembly also met here. Mysore University Convocations also took place here for some years. I remember my uncle going to the Jaganmohan Palace for taking his degree at the convocation, almost 70 years ago. Maharaja who was the Chancellor of the University used to go to the Jaganmohan Palace in a ceremonial procession and people used to watch the procession, standing on both sides of the road.

In course of time, when the Mysore Palace became the place of residence of royalty, Jaganmohan Palace lost its royal touch. It was converted into an art gallery. The three-storeyed structure behind the main hall is a fine repository of paintings, sculptures, musical instruments and other artefacts connected with the Mysore Royal family. The real attraction is the painting section. These excellent and rare paintings include those of Raja Ravivarma, Ramavarma and also some European artists. The painting of great artist Roerich is also available here. Particularly, interesting paintings are those giving the genealogy of the Mysore Maharajas. Thus, Jaganmohan Palace is a must for all visitors to Mysore.

The greatest attraction of the Jaganmohan Palace is its frontal façade, which is majestic befitting a royal structure. Its stucco ornamentation is excellent specimen of stucco art of the period, which has practically become extinct. The broad doors in keeping with the tall façade adds majesty to the frontal portion. The stucco domes and the minarets at the four corners are highly pleasing. The central part has a vimana-like tower with minarets culminating in a broad Kalasha. The chaitya-like niches at the minarets are very elegant. In keeping with the beauty of a huge building, a vast enclosure with a garden and shady trees add gorgeousness to the Palace. In recent years this has become a great tourist attraction. Now-a-days, most of the important functions, music, drama and even religious discourses take place here. I vividly remember that Mysore Kendra of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan had arranged discourses on Ramayana and Mahabharata by Mathoor Krishnamurthy at this Palace for months together. T

hus, the excellent ambience of this palace makes it suitable for conducting important cultural events here. The Maharajas are gone but their creations remain forever.

Lalitha Mahal Palace is one of the most beautiful and magnificent heritage buildings not only in Mysore but in entire Karnataka. Mysore being a princely State under the British, many distinguished foreign dignitaries used to visit Mysore and stay in Mysore Palace itself. Though it was a palace, it was not suitable for the stay of foreign visitors because of the entirely ancient Indian atmosphere and conveniences such as toilet, bathrooms, etc. This defect was realised by the Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and he thought of building a Palace exclusively for foreign guests where they would be more comfortable and at home. Naturally, he thought of an European classical building model rather than a Hindu Palace of traditional type.

Immediately, the Maharaja commissioned a famous foreign architect by name E.W. Fritchley. He selected a spacious site near the foot of the Chamundi hill and the building was completed in 1931, under the close supervision of Maharaja himself, at a cost of Rs. 13 lakh.

This building is a majestic two-storeyed magnificent structure built in European style with elements of Roman, Greek, Gothic, Renaissance, Italian, Hindu and Sarcenic styles. Both floors have twin ionic columns, eight on either side of the main entrance which give the advantage of height. The upper portion is specially noteworthy. It has two-tier, four domes on all the four corners and one at the middle. However, the most beautiful is the central one which has three tiers and is above the entrance of the building. Actually, it is at a great height and dominates the entire area including the elevation. The smaller minaret-like domes at the peripheries add special elegance to the top of the building. The portico in the centre of the building which is surrounded by pillars gives a unique experience to a visitor when he is received there.

Though planned by a foreigner, the craftsmen were all local people who were experts in stone, stucco, marble and wood work. This is evident from the richly laid decorative motifs on walls and ceilings. The imported tiles and fixtures specially brought from England add a foreign touch. As a tourist exclaimed, the fixtures themselves could cost a fortune.

As soon as one enters into the interior of the building, Italian marble balustraded staircase welcomes the visitor. It branches off to right and left to reach the first floor. Thus, from top to bottom and from one end to another, it is an epitome of royalty. Even foreign guests are amazed at this dream-like beauty. Before closing this, I should share with my readers, the joy I had when I had the good fortune of staying here. It was some years ago when a seminar took place in Mysore and I was one of the speakers on epigraphy in that seminar. All the participants were accommodated at Lalitha Mahal and I was also given a suite. I stayed in the hotel for three days. More than the items of food, one would be enchanted by the silver plates, cups and saucers, spoons and the royal furniture and above all the royal ambience. That is the charm of Lalitha Mahal. Whenever, I delivered a lecture to foreign tourists, I used to mention that it was the creation of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and the tourists would admire him for his forethought.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / August 10th, 2014

City’s NGO receives award at AIDS conference

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Seen in the picture (from left) are: Michael N. Joyner- Director of Positive Action, VIIV Healthcare, Karl Krupp- Programme Director of PHRII and Dominic Kemps- Director of VIIV Healthcare’s Positive Action Programme during the conference held at Melbourne in Australia recently.
Seen in the picture (from left) are: Michael N. Joyner- Director of Positive Action, VIIV Healthcare, Karl Krupp- Programme Director of PHRII and Dominic Kemps- Director of VIIV Healthcare’s Positive Action Programme during the conference held at Melbourne in Australia recently.

Mysore :

City based NGO Public Health Research Institute of India (PHRII) of India at Yadavagiri in city has bagged an award at the AIDS 2014 conference held at Melbourne in Australia recently.

The award was announced at the conference organised by The Positive Action for Children Fund in association with the International AIDS Society and MTV Staying Alive Foundation.

PHRII had participated in the ‘Every Footstep Counts’ competition in which more than 40 organisations working in the field of HIV/AIDS across the globe had participated.

NGOs and community groups were invited to produce a film, documenting their works on the prevention of transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 10th, 2014

Leaving home on the last train from Pak

Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Wg Cdr (retd) Dinesh Kumar was 10 when he and his family left Pakistan on August 14 and reached India on her first Independence Day. He reminisces about his childhood in Pakistan, events that led to the exodus and the journey on the last train to India.

Ramzan and Diwali My memories of childhood in Pakistan were of communal harmony.I was born to Punjabi parents in Multan, Pakistan, on February 17, 1937. My three siblings and I went to a madrasa, my older brother was at a missionary school in Dehradun. Childhood was fun times in school, sitting next to my best friend Rehman.

I would carry a chair for my teacher to watch the Ram Lila play. During Ramzan, my mother never cooked because our neighbours would send us biryani. On Diwali, we gave them sweets and savouries.

The first sign It was Holi in March 1947. The elders spoke about how Jinnah had asked for a separate Pakistan. Usually, everybody would play with coloured water.

But that March, a few unruly elements started attacking Hindu families on the streets and in their homes. They said our property was now theirs. My father’s friend wired the doorway so anybody trying to break in would be electrocuted. We’d splash them with hot water mixed with chilli powder from our terraces.

My father worked for the Railways and was given a `curfew pass’ so we could go out and buy groceries whenever curfew was relaxed. Things were bad on the oth er side of the border too, and Muslim fam ilies began leaving India. We were asked whether we wanted to leave or stay. It was a very hard decision for my parents to leave Multan.

Across the border at midnight The exodus had started, and trains from either side of the border were overloaded with `refugees’. Since my father was in the Railways, our family got a compartment.

We shared it with a Muslim family mov, ing to India. Nobody spoke. Fear and un certainty was palpable.

We boarded the train around 11am on August 14 and reached Karachi at 8pm. As the train started moving, many tried to get in but were either pushed off or fell off. A boulder crashed into our bogie, we saw houses razed to the ground and thick plumes of smoke. An entire train was in flames, probably bombed by an aircraft.

We huddled together.

Sometime in the middle of the night, my father whispered, “I think we’ve crossed the border.” The Muslim family now cowered in fear. Why did we have to divide?

I was too young, so it didn’t affect me the way it did my parents. Fortunately, my father had a job. I joined the National Defence Academy at 15, and later the Indian Air Force. My broth er joined the Indian Army. At 77, I’m a counsellor and marathoner. I’ve made Bangalore home for more than 40 years.

As neighbours, we will continue to fight.

But why did we have to divide? This will be the regret of all those who’ve gone through Partition. NO TIME FOR GOODBYE I t’s still vivid in my mind. My father came home one day and said many Hindu families were leaving and we should too. The last train was leaving from Lahore to Ludhiana in Indian Punjab on August 14, when Pakistan would be declared an independent country.

We had to board the train to Lahore, and had time to pack just a small bag with a few clothes and essentials. My mother took some jewellery. We took the tonga to the railway station, leaving behind our house, property, family photographs, heirlooms, legal documents, birth certificates… to start a new life in a new country.

(Wg Cdr (rtd) Dinesh Kumar lives with his wife in Rajajinagar. His two sons and grandkids live in Bangalore too)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore / by Leena Mudbidri, TNN / August 14th, 2014

Devaraja market : A Royal Legacy

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

The must visit tourist destination cries for restoration

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by S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

Following the list of the heritage sites in Mysore city is the Majestic Devaraja Market, a product of visionary Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Devaraja Market popularly known ‘Dodda Market’ in Mysore was constructed in the year 1900. Though, the construction was started in the year 1900, it was developed stage by stage over the years.

The market was named after the late Devaraja, one among the 25 Kings of Mysore, who was instrumental in constructing steps to the Chamundi Hills and also installation of Nandi Statue atop the hill. Devaraja Market has been built using Wattle (a composite building material used for making walls with wood and mud) and each of the walls at the market is of 13 inches. There are around 700 to 800 shops in the market which have been a major source of income to vendors. It has four entrance points two on the Sayyaji Rao Road, one each from Dhanvanthri Road and opposite to Dufferin Clock Tower.

It is also said that a small market was functioning at place during the rule of Tippu Sultan which was later developed into a market. Devaraja Market, which is now around 114 years old, is a place where all kinds of items are sold.

The vision of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was such that the market was divided into various divisions with separate sections for selling flowers, vegetables, fruits, coconut, puja materials, Onion and Potato, Jaggery, Puffed Rice and others. This was one of the unique markets in the then Mysore State.

According to historians, the first class of 1st batch of Mysore Medical College (MMC) was held at Devaraja Market premises. The building also housed Devaraja Police Station and Railway Office of Mysore State. At the time when Sir Mirza Ismail was the Dewan of Mysore, Devaraja Market hosted annual fair which was held continuously for 30 years.

Unfortunately, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has failed to maintain the heritage structure which has contributed for the dilapidation of the building. There was a major fire accident in 2005 which ravaged 18 shops. The vendors have been requesting the authorities to take up repair works as they fear that the ancient structure might collapse like it happened with Lansdowne Building.

Though the authorities have been informing about the plan to restore Devaraja Market, nothing has been executed so far. There have been several inspections made by officials but no solid solution yet.

Now, after several agitations and discussions, Rs. 10 cr has been allotted for restoration of Devaraja Market in CM’s special grant of Rs. 100 cr to Mysore, said former Deputy Mayor and Area Corporator M.J. Ravikumar, speaking to Star of Mysore.

He said that the market will have all modern facilities and would be restored keeping the heritage structure in mind. “Heritage Street Lamps will be installed at various places in the market to give it a heritage look. This apart, the vendors at the market will be re-allotted their shops after the renovation works are completed,” he said.

According to sources, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has sent a detailed project report on the restoration of the Devaraja Market to the State Government which has been cleared.

Sources added that the works would be taken up only after Dasara festivities and would be completed as soon as possible. With the Devaraja Market crying to be restored, the officials need to speed up the process to retain the heritage structure.

Boti Bazaar: There have been constant complaints about garbage being dumped near the Devaraja Market by the meat vendors of ‘Boti Bazaar,’ which is located adjacent to the main Devaraja Market. Tonnes of meat is sold every day in the market, but steps have not been taken to dispose the waste scientifically.

For people commuting on the road, it has become difficult as the waste is dumped on the roadside. Though, the MCC has been clearing the waste on a daily basis, much more has to be done to provide healthy and hygienic environment around the market.

There are around 100 meat stalls in the newly constructed meat market, but the authorities have not taken measures to prevent the meat being exposed to street dogs. It is also a favourite place for the rodents which are seen moving around freely inside the market.

The market is a source of daily bread to around 150 people who work in the meat market. Earlier, these shops were functioning outside the newly-constructed market, as the MCC has vacated them after having promised to construct a new market area. Few of the vendors had also filed a case against the Mysore City Corporation against allotment of shops through tender process.

The new meat market is constructed at a cost of Rs. 1 crore and was inaugurated on April, 2012. With meat vendors not agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Mysore City Corporation, the newly-constructed building had been laying vacant since one year.

It was only recently that the problems related to the allotment of the shops had been settled and vendors decided to shift inside the new meat market. But, still there are a few vendors who continue to operate outside the market.

Market needs to be upgraded and most importantly there is a need for the City Corporation to initiate measures for maintaining hygienic environment in and around the market

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

Karnataka badminton championships

Sports, Uncategorized

Shikha shocks Mahima to clinch title

State Championship Badminton 2014 Under 17 Boys doubles winners Raghu of Mysore and Mithun Manjunath of Bangalore are seen receiving their prize from Karnataka Badmintion Association Vice President S.G. Prabhu as MLA Vasu, City Police Commisioner Dr. M.A. Saleem and Mysore Hotel Owners Association President Rajendra look on.
State Championship Badminton 2014 Under 17 Boys doubles winners Raghu of Mysore and Mithun Manjunath of Bangalore are seen receiving their prize from Karnataka Badmintion Association Vice President S.G. Prabhu as MLA Vasu, City Police Commisioner Dr. M.A. Saleem and Mysore Hotel Owners Association President Rajendra look on.

 Mysore :

Tenth seeded Shikha Gautham of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, Bangalore, hogged the limelight by registering a upset 21-18, 21-14 win over her team-mate and second seeded Mahima Agarwal and clinched the coveted girls Under-17 singles title in a keenly contested final which lasted for 40 minutes, in the Li Ning Karnataka State badminton championships 2014, conducted by MDBA under the aegis of KBA at the Chamundivihar indoor stadium here on Thursday.

Second seeded Mithun Manjuanth (PPBA), won the boys Under-17 singles title after staving off the challenge put up by fourth seeded team-mate Rahul Bharadwaj 14-21, 21-16, 21-18, in a keenly contested final which lasted for 50 minutes. He completed a fine double by clinching the Under-17 doubles title also.

Ashwini Bhat of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), impressed by clinching a grand double by winning the girls Under-15 singles and doubles titles. Top-seed Ashwini beat ninth seeded team-mate Deepthi Ramesh 21-15, 21-18 in the Under-15 girls singles final which lasted for 30 minutes. In the doubles, Ashwini teamed up with U.K. Mithula and beat Deepthi Ramesh and Y. Drithi 21-12, 21-19 and completed a fine double.

Ajinkya G. Joshi of B.A. Rajan, hogged the limelight in the boys Under-13 section, when he won a grand double by clinching the singles and doubles titles. In the singles, fifth seeded Ajinkya Joshi beat fourth seeded C.S. Saket (NGV) 21-17, 21-17 in a 25 minute battle and won the coveted title. In the doubles, he teamed up with C.S. Saket and completed a fine double by beating second seeds V.Chinmaya and Shashank Reddy 23-21, 21-11 in the final.

The results: Final:Boys: Under-17 singles:Final: Mithun Manjunath (PPBA) bt Rahul Bharadwaj (PPBA) 14-21, 21-16, 21-18.

Doubles: Mithun Manjunath/M Raghu bt Nikhilshyam Sriram/Saif Ali 21-19, 21-14.

Under-15 singles: Rahul Bharadwaj (PPBA) bt Amogh R Gupta (PPBA) 21-6,21-9.

Doubles: Anirudh Rajeev/Mayureesh Janpandit (BBA) bt Abhay Pai/Chirag B (M’lore) 19-21, 21-11, 21-18.

Under-13: Ajinkya G. Joshi (Rajan BA) bt C.S. Saket (NGV) 21-17, 21-17.

Doubles: Ajinkya G. Joshi/ C.S.Saket bt Chinmaya V/Shashank Reddy 23-21, 21-11.

Girls: Under-17 singles: Shika Gautham (PPBA) bt Mahima Agarwal (PPBA) 21-18, 21-14.

Under-17: Doubles: Final: Apeksha Nayak/Drithi Yatheesh bt Malaaika B/Prarthana Vasudevan 21-6,21-13.

Under-15: Ashwini Bhat (PPBA) bt Deepthi Ramesh (PPBA) 21-15, 21-8.

Doubles: Ashwini Bhat/Mithula U K (PPBA) bt Deepthi Ramesh/Drithi Y (PPBA) 21-12, 21-19.

Under-13: Richa Mukibodh bt Keertha P Shroff (I Sports) 21-7, 21-11.

Doubles: Advika Ganesh/N.S. Gagana bt Keerthana P. Shroff/Tanya H 25-23, 16-21, 21-12.

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

A person for whom every piece of wood is an inspiration

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Intro: Imagine we are driving our car from Coorg to Mysore and on the way we find a bark or a branch of a tree on the road, and what do we do? We just keep moving our car! But that’s not the case with Venkataramana, who works as a technician at BEML, Mysore. He brings such naturally available barks and branches of trees and transforms them into show-pieces or even furniture. Venkataramana, who has stepped into his 50th year recently, is from Kodagu district but settled in Mysore from past 24 years. After completing his Bachelors in Arts and ITI, he joined BEML as an apprentice and later got his permanent job there itself. He has developed a keen interest in his art of creating something productive using the waste wooden pieces found here and there since his early teenage.

“I bring home stems, prop roots, branches or even barks which I come across at any place and dip them inside a tank of water or in a lake nearby my native town for two to three months. Then I remove the outer skin using a screw driver and wash the wooden piece with brush to get rid of dust and unwanted materials to smoothen it. Later, I dry the moisture out and prepare the design completely using a hacksaw blade and even an electric wooden cutter when needed. Once the design is done, I apply varnish to it and it is all set to be displayed majestically.”

VenkatramanaKF14aug2014

 

 by Phalgunn Maharishi

When I was in PUC, I frequently saw my grand-father indulging himself in such works and learnt a lot by merely observing him. It always thrilled me to lay my hands on such naturally available wooden pieces and mould them into future antiques and decorative modern art,” says Venkataramana while talking about his early teenage interest in the art. His first work was a small wooden showpiece which resembled a crane for which he had won the first prize in a local exhibition held 25 years ago in Madikeri.

In his home, one can find a number of modern artistic items like TV stand, centre table, helmet stands, dried vegetables hung on the wall in a decorative manner and a lot more. But never get confused and ask where and for how much were they bought ! Each and every piece of such marvelous work has been created by Venkataramana himself after returning home from his work everyday.

While speaking about how he gets the idea for every particular piece of work, Venkataramana says, “Every piece of wood in itself is an inspiration for me. Once I had found a natural wooden piece at my aunt’s place in South Canara which looked a lot more like an elephant head with one side bigger and the other side smaller like a trunk. The moment I saw it, the first thing that struck my mind was that the wooden piece was perfect for an abstract looking showpiece of Lord Ganesha and hence I carried it with me.”

Venkataramana has sold hundreds of wooden showpieces at various exhibitions including JSS Urban Haat, Swadeshi Mela and Dasara Exhibition. He also has sold his showpieces to many wooden furniture dealers from Kerala who have bought from him with the purpose of reselling them in Kerala. His one such modern work can be seen at the city’s Infant Jesus Church on Hunsur Road. A huge wooden candle stand was made by Venkataramana when a devotee approached him in 2006 with the order. He has also been an active member among a group of BEML employees who have worked on the tableau cars every year during Kannada Rajyotsava procession by BEML.

“I bring home the stems, prop roots, branches or even barks which I come across at any place and dip them inside a tank of water or in a lake nearby my native town for two to three months. Then I remove the outer skin using a screw driver and wash the wooden piece with brush to get rid of dust and unwanted materials to smoothen it. Later, I dry the moisture out and prepare the design completely using a hacksaw blade and even an electric wooden cutter when needed.

Once the design is done, I apply varnish to it and it is all set to be displayed majestically”, says Venkataramana while talking about the procedure he follows.

He says that he always completes a showpiece with minimum possible investment and adds “Varnish and time are the main investments for me,” with a mystical smile!

Venkataramana also has his interest in growing herbal plants like Baje, Hippili, Nimbehullu, Madhunashini and Nerugala to name a few. “We never go to doctor or take any other medicine, but we use the herbal juices from our plants and use them as first aid in our family,” Venkataramana proudly says while speaking about his roof top herbal garden. He adds, “My friend B.A. Suresh inspired me in growing plants many years ago when I had visited his home and seen varieties of Bonsai plants. He gave me a few plants to look after and today the number of Bonsai plants in our home has grown to 150.” He says his wife Devaki too helps him a lot and is a moral support for all his hobbies.

He is also a specialist in cross-breeding flowers and fruits. He takes two different types of flower plants, intersects and cross breeds them. He also has received a few awards from various organisations like Dasara Fower Show, BEML Karmikara Samithi, Sthree Shakthi Mahila Prathishtana and more for his vivid interest in his artistic hobbies. Such unique talents and people are to be supported by the citizens more and more.

[Venkataramana can be reached at: 93418-20306]

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles  / August 08th, 2014