Monthly Archives: August 2013

Selling Soda & Nostalgia

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

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Mysore :

It’s been 61 years now. When we started the shop, the rent was Rs.75 and I was 20,” says Nagaraja Rao, one of the three brothers who started the Soda Factory at Agrahara in city.

The drinks parlour once called ‘The Soda Factory’ has been now renamed ‘Sri Prasanna Cool Centre’ but the old-timers prefer to call it ‘Soda Factory.’ The shop is a throwback to the 1950s with its white textured walls, old tables, an array of colourful rainbow of syrups filled in glass bottles that sit behind the doors. The shop offers more than 10 different soda-based drinks but their popular ones are ‘Sogade Beru soda’ (a drink made of sogade plant root which is good for heart and cholesterol) and surprisingly, a non-soda drink- ‘Rose milk’ !

The Soda Factory opened its doors on February 2, 1954. It was headed by three brothers Nagaraja Rao, Achyutha Rao and Anantha Rao. Over the years, they have experimented with various flours and have set a simple menu that is refreshing and healthy. The homemade soda simply mixes the carbonated water from the soda fountain that’s poured into a glass filled with any combination of flavours. They are known for their homemade soda paired with their locally acquired Sogade Beru and Lemon-lime.

In fact, old Mysoreans still visit them and even the ones who are living outside when they visit Mysore make sure to drop in, says Nagaraja Rao. Also the brothers take turns running the shops.

One of the brothers, Achyutha Rao, who was on a break after preparing Lime Pepper Soda says, “We have seen Mysore changing over all these years. We want people to remember how things once were. There are people who bring their grandkids here and tell them how they remember it. We sell Soda and Nostalgia” and smiles.

Today this soda shop continues to exist, but leads a quiet existence thanks to locals and old times who want a trip down the nostalgia lane.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Sumukh Bharadwaj / August 21st, 2013

M’lore: The 3 Hungry Men’s – Mission: ImPIZZAble – The Pizza Eating Competition in city on Aug

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Mangalore :

This EID Mangalore is all set and geared up for a Pizza Eating Competition to be organized by The 3 Hungry Men – Mangalore’s first and only food reviewing body in association with City Center Mall and Pizza Hut – Mangalore as a EID Special.

This event is called The 3 Hungry Men’s – Mission ImPIZZAble, which is scheduled to be held on 9th August 2013 at Mangalore City Centre Mall from evening 4PM to 7PM.

On further updates from the organizers Nikhil Pai – (co-founder of The 3 Hungry Men) said, ‘this time we are not going to keep and entry fee but there will be a charity box kept for people who would like to donate to the victims of the Uttarakhand flood.’
Colin D’Souza, co-founder The 3 Hungry Men also said, ‘there is no age limit and everyone can participate for free.  The only condition he added was that the participant has to be hungry.’

He further said. ‘we are expecting a good turnout from all age groups as it is EID and everyone loves to come out.’
The 3 Hungry Men founded by Nikhil Pai and Colin D’souza are well known for their Reviews on Restaurants who never miss a chance to check out and try out what’s new in the menu. They have daily updates on food and recommendations on their facebook page with more than 4000 odd members following them daily.

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It doesn’t stop them just there apart from their regular food  updates from Mangalore and other places around they have been very well known and appreciated for their food eating events past 3 years since their existence.

In the past they have had similar events like Chicken Eating Competitions , Ice Creams, Biryanis and lots more.
This time they keep it open for all with no entry fee charged to participate and take the pizza challenge but apart from just eating they will also be having a charity box where they would be requesting people to Donate as much as possible for the Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fund which would be further handed over to the DC of Mangalore by the Mall Authorities to reach out to the proper sources.

source: http://www.bellevision.com / Bellevision.com / Home> News / by Media Release / Mangalore – August 09th, 2013

Club cricket has a great tradition in Bangalore, say Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath

Leaders, Sports

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Bangalore:

Long after Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman ceased to be Rahul Dravid’s team-mates, emerging cricketers like Sharath Srinivas, Nihal Ullal, Zeeshan Ali Saayed as well as Stuart Binny continue to match strides between the wickets and work in tandem with the legend on the field.

More than a year-and-half after walking off into the sunset, leaving behind an unmatched legacy in international cricket, Dravid continues to ‘pay respect’ to club cricket, having turned out for the Bangalore United Cricket Club this season.

In Karnataka, the various KSCA leagues is not merely about participation and competition, it’s also about upholding tradition and preserving a culture. With the oldest club like Dravid’s BUCC tracing its inception back to 1919, club cricket is an intrinsic part of the state’s cricketing history.

As part of their week-long Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, KSCA on Tuesday had a tete-a-tete session with stalwarts Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath, where both walked down memory lane.

Looking dapper in a bottle green shirt and white shirt teamed with beige trousers, Dravid held court as he spoke on the reasons behind his return to his roots, post retirement.

“It was a privilege to have got to play with players like Roger Binny, Sadanand Vishwanath, G.R Viswanath. I still remember playing on the mat wicket at the IISc grounds with Raghuram Bhat bowling. To play club cricket has been a great tradition of Karnataka.

“When I saw stalwarts play, long before I started to play for the country, I had decided that if I was healthy then I would go back and play. I missed playing for 20 years since I was representing India Cements. But after my retirement I told them that I wanted to go back and play at the club. I can’t say I’m giving back, because I can never give back to the game. I wanted to play because of respect.”

Recalling his days as a starryeyed youngster from Mysore, former pace ace Javagal Srinath, who is also the secretary of the KSCA said, “As youngsters we would watch great stars like GRV come and play in Mysore. That’s how cricket started to inspire me. Club was like a school and if I missed even a session then I would be very hard on myself.”

Speaking about the difference of club culture in India and abroad, the 40-year-old Dravid, who has had stints with clubs like Kent and Marylebone Cricket Club said, “I think club cricket works on a slightly different system in the UK. Here it thrives on passion and sacrifice, but there clubs run on the bar. It’s more of social gatherings and there the dynamics are different.” Dravid and Srinath, who exchanged friendly banter about their personalities and Srinath’s ability to procure rasam in any part of the world, advised the youngsters to look for mentors who need not necessarily be their coach.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports> Cricket / DC / by Manuja Veerappa / August 15th, 2013

Kundapur: Workshop held to promote Agarwood plantations

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Kundapur :

“Agarwood plantations is a profitable crop that can be grown without depending on workers.  It can be grown as a main crop or in between other crops.  Agarwood has huge demand in the international market and fetches more value than sandalwood,” said Vanadurgi Agarwood company’s technical advisor Dr V Bhaskar.

He was speaking during a meeting of Agarwood planters and a workshop on Agarwood, held at Kundapur Hangalur’s Anantapadmanabha Hall on August 13, 2013 under the joint aegis of the Vanadurgi Agarwood India and Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, Kundapur.

The Agarwood can be easily grown in between the crops of coffee, Betelnut, coconut, cardamom etc. as a mixed crop in malnad or aremalnad regions.  Many farmers are interested in the crop and have already started growing it, he said.

The president of Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, B V Poojary inaugurated the programme.  Vanadurgi agarwood industries chairman Surendrakumar Hegde, explained the importance of agarwood crop and said that with the participation of planters, the crop of agarwood has come out as a strong force in agriculture and business spheres.

Vanadurgi agarwood company’s technical advisor Srinivas, president of Kundapur land development bank and planter S Dinakar Shetty, agar planter Ramachandra Navada and organic agriculturist Ramachandra Alse were present.

Chief secretary of Bakisam, Venkatesh Hebbar welcomed the gathering.  Vanadurgi agarwood company’s Thrimurthi gave a key note address saying that 180 – 200 people have already started agarwood plantations in Udupi and the farmers have responded well.

T P Vijay, conducted the programme. Santosh welcomed the gathering. More information was given with the help of a video projector.  The technical officers of the company  explained certain details to the questions raised by the planters.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daiji World / Home> Karnataka / by Silvester D’Souza / Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP) / Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

He uses art to mould young patriots

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders

Davanagere :

Inculcating the spirit of patriotism in young minds is his objective. Painting portraits of freedom fighters is his passion. GJMehandale who has been working for 30 years as drawing teacher at AdityaBirla Public School, Kumarapatnam, in Renebennurtaluk ofHaveri has been pursuing his passion with an objective.

He has made the portraits of over 100 Indian freedom fighters using water proof  ink on khadi cloth of 4×5 feet size. His works include the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi , Motilal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Lokamanya Balagangadhara Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Bipinchandra Pal, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Dadabai Naoroji, Mangal Pande, Rajaram Mohan Roy, Sangolli Rayanna, Jhansi Lakshmi Bai and Kittur Rani Channamma. Mehandale also enjoys collecting the biographies of freedom fighters and has published a handbook of over 100 freedom fighters in Kannada.

Mehandale has organized over 95 exhibitions in schools, colleges, as well as at literary events and other socio-cultural platforms. His paintings have drawn the attention of students and general public  across the state, besides other Indian cities. “I conduct exhibitions with the support of Rashtra Gourava Samrakshana Parishat, a Bangalore-based NGO. Thousands of students and others have so far come to see my paintings,” he says with pride.

Mehandale also displays paintings to commemorate the birth anniversaries of freedom fighters as well as days of historical importance like the Quit India movement day.

Harihar’s DRM school headmaster H Chandrappa said such exhibitions are helpful in developing the spirit of patriotism among youngsters. “They encourage the students to know more about the nation’s history as present school curriculum gives them very less information on the same,” said Bhuvaneshwari, an English teacher.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hubli / by S A Gangaraju, TNN / August 15th, 2013

Another trick in the wall!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

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Our city is known for its cosmopolitan crowd going all out to mix a wee bit of fun into their fitness. Reaching new heights are eager fitness enthusiasts who are making a beeline to Bengaluru’s first indoor wall climbing and bouldering arena Equilibrium. And that’s not all, there are more such new places in the city. Another adventure and sports destination spread across 4 acres is PLaY which offers unconventional sports like archery, laser tag and over 30 different activities that helps boost that adrenaline rush and keeps you smiling.

Model Arry Dabas who shuttles between Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities and is walking the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week this month, shares, “I get bored of the same fitness routines and like to keep changing them to make it exciting.

I went wall climbing with a group of model friends and all of us had a blast. Some of them got hooked to it and try to go whenever they get time. One has to have a strong core and needs good stamina to do wall climbing. We went up and down the walls with support and were very comfortable as the place is safe. Once you do it for a stretch of 45 minutes with a break in between you feel completely energised.”

Agrees Roshan, another model, who shares how it is a physically and mentally demanding sport. He says, “It improves flexibility, endurance, coordination, balance and also helps burns calories. When you do it with friends with music playing, it’s good fun.”

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Besides a fun spot, it’s also a training hotspot for national climbers from across India, who come here to train. Fitness enthusiast Keerthi Pais, the current wall climbing coach of the Indian national team says, “There are national level coaches who guide the trainees at various levels. So even if one falls, you land on specially-designed crash-pads. Also due to the fitness enthusiasts in the city scouting for new indoor locations to move their workouts from outdoor locations due to the monsoon, indoor climbing helps those who want to avoid roughing it out in the rains. But if you want the real thrill of feeling the raw edge of a rock you can try the outdoor climbing programmes once every month. But first, one needs to learn in an indoor environment and then go outdoors. I’m currently training a climbing national team in Badami.”

Another fitness simulator in our hip city is PLaY, where you can experience full swing golf simulators and a skating park with a zip line, climbing wall and segway track.

Thirty-year-old Sharath Reddy shares, “Besides fitness and fun, it’s also a great stress buster and weekend activity. One can even try gaming and flight simulators and shooting in a 10m shooting range. And if one wants to really live up the adventure, there’s dirt tracks and paintball.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Health & Fitness / by Namita Gupta, DC / August 13th, 2013

Musical extrtavaganza by school kids

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Bangalore :

For the first time ever, 982 students from Sophia High School in the city will come together to stage a musical production, titled “The Alternative Snow White” on August 17 and 18.

The school’s endeavour has been to involve each and every student in the musical, giving them responsibilities, ownership and above all a sense of collective belonging.

Directed by a former teacher of the school, Dr Ashley William Joseph, the musical “The Alternative Snow White” is written by David Barrett and choreographed by V.Ganesh.

The school principal sister M Priscilla said, “The students are highly enthused about the show and we are moved by their camaraderie. It is really heartwarming to see 982 students joining hands to make the programme a success and they are eagerly awaiting audience appreciation.”

Little Snow White, as it was first published in the 1812 Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and later popularized as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Broadway and by Hollywood, is a ubiquitous part of childhood storytelling.

The evil queen consumed by vanity and greed, the pure as snow stepdaughter whose beauty incurs her wrath, the valiant little men who save her from the fangs of death and the ultimate triumph of the young, beautiful princess are the stuff that nightmares and fairytales are made of. This musical is a humorous adaptation of this classic tale.

The victory of virtue over vice sounds ‘grim’ indeed, but here the moral has been brought home with large doses of humour. This phenomenal musical production offers haunting melodies, unforgettable songs, action packed sequences, magical creatures, suspense, teary eyed moments and much more.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore / by M K Madhusoodan, TNN / August 13th, 2013

Alva’s Moodbidre hog limelight

Sports

Alva’s Moodbidre dominated the State Junior Athletics Championships that concluded here on Monday, winning five of the eight team titles on offer.

Alva’s won the boys’ under-20, under-18 and under-16 team titles besides titles in the girls’ under-20 and under-18 categories.

Results (first place only): Boys: Under-20: 100M: Vaishak N (Alva’s) 10.8 seconds.
200M: Vaishak N (Alva’s) 22.3 seconds.
400M: Jagadish Chandra (Fusion) 50.6 seconds.
800M: Vinay N (Yuva) 1:57.00.
1500M: Vinay N (Yuva, Bangalore) 4:10.8.
5000M: Parasappa M Holijol (SAI, Dharwad) 15:55.36.
10000M: Parasappa (SAI, Dharwad) 34:12.6.
110M hurdles: Ashish Singh (Fusion) 14.8 seconds.
400M hurdles: Jagadeesh Chandra (Fusion) 55.3 seconds.
3000M steeplechase: Sikandar H Pathan (Chalukya, Badami) 10:59.9.
High jump: S Harshith (Bangalore Sports Club) 2.08 metres.
Pole vault: Nagaraj Kamble (Alva’s) 2.80 metres.
Long jump: Samsheer S E (Alva’s) 7.15 metres.
Triple jump: Samsheer S E (Alva’s) 14.15 metres.
Shot put: Sairaj (Alva’s) 15.77 metres.
Discus: Sairaj (Alva’s) 40.24 metres.
Hammer throw: Mohd Sufiyan (YS, Bangalore) 42.50 metres.
Javelin: Girish K M (Shimoga) 53.45 metres.
4x100M relay: Alva’s 44.1 seconds.
4x400M relay: Alva’s 3:25.1.
10000M walk: Akshay B Talvar (SDM, Ujjire) 53:26.9.
Under-18: 100M: Saleem S (SAI, Bangalore) 10.9 seconds.
200M: Saleem S (SAI, Bangalore) 22.5 seconds.
400M: Akshay Tarale (STS, Belgaum) 50.1 seconds.
800M: Ashwin M J (DYSS) 2:02.06.
1500M: Trishul H N (Alva’s) 4:21.2.
3000M: Trishal (Alva’s) 9:28.9.
110M hurdles: Santhosh (Alva’s) 14.7 seconds.
2000M steeplechase: Ahrith Nanjappa (Ashwin Sports) 6:51.1.
400M hurdles: Shrishail P S (SS, Kudige) 57.7 seconds.
Long jump: Sandesh (Alva’s) 6.65 metres.
High jump: Jessee Sandesh (Gaonkar School of Jumpers) 1.95 metres.
Pole vault: Sharath (Udupi) 3.10 metres.
Shot put: Gowtham G (Alva’s) 14.46 metres.
Discus throw: Gowtham G (Alva’s) 48.56 metres (NMR).
Hammer throw: Gaviswami Manohar (Alva’s) 61.00 metres.
Javelin: Karthik (Alva’s) 49.22 metres.
10000M walk: Rahul N Asthagi (SAI, Dharwad) 46:39.9.
Octathlon: Krishna Chavan (Chalukya, Badami) 3955 points.
Medley relay: Dakshina Kannada 2:02.5.
Under-16: 100M: Nishal Kunder (Dakshina Kannada) 11.5 seconds.
200M: Nishal Kunder (Dakshina Kannada) 23.7 seconds.
400M: Akshay D (Gulbarga) 51.9 seconds.
1000M: Prakash (Alva’s) 2:44.06.
3000M: Ganesh Gowda N (DYSS, Vidyanagar) 9:48.6.
100M hurdles: Aman Arun (Alva’s) 16.0 seconds.
High jump: Preran M (Bangalore Sports Club) 1.71 metres.
Long jump: Nishanth S S (DYSS, Vidyanagar) 6.40 metres.
Shot put: Keshavan (Alva’s) 13.20 metres.
Discus throw: Sharath Babu R P (Alva’s) 37.50 metres.
Hammer throw: Keshavan R (Alva’s) 51.28 metres (NMR).
Javelin: Vinod Kumar (Kolan) 38.50 metres.
5000M walk: B D Hemanth Ponnanna (Ashwini Sports Foundation) 26:07.1.
Pentathlon: Marian P (Shimoga) 2885 points.
Medley relay: Dakshina Kannada 2:08.7.
Under-14: 100M: Ovin D’Souza (Dakshina Kannada) 11.4 seconds.
600M: Ovin D’Souza (Dakshina Kannada) 1:29.6.
Long jump: Lokesh S (IAA, Bangalore) 5.90 metres.
Triathlon: Sachin M Nayak (Udupi) 1246 points.
Girls: Under-20: 100M: Bhuvi B Shankar (Alva’s) 12.5 seconds.
200M: Reena George (DYSS, Mysore) 24.9 seconds.
400M: Reena George (DYSS) 56.5 seconds.
800M: Meghana K R (Mysore) 2:26.06.
1500M: Shradda Rani S (DYSS, Mysore) 5:08.0.
3000M: Shradda Rani (DYSS, Mysore) 11:21.3.
5000M: Archana K M (Alva’s) 19:47.55.
100M hurdles: Meghana Shetty (SAI, Bangalore) 15.0 seconds.
400M hurdles: Apsana Banu (DYSS, Mysore) 1:06.7.
High jump: Deepali D Gayakwad (Dakshina Kannada) 1.34 metres.
Pole vault: Preethi (Alva’s) 2.70 metres.
Long jump: Chandini B V (Alva’s) 5.36 metres.
Triple jump: Chandini B V (Alva’s) 11.53 metres.
Javelin: Deeksha (Alva’s) 30.14 metres.
High jump: Shilparani K H (SDM, Ujjire) 1.49 metres.
Discus: Navya Shetty (Dakshina Kannada) 32.95 metres.
Hammer throw: Pushpa S Gadadi (DYSS, Mysore) 40.14 metres.
Shot put: Nisha (Alva’s) 10.89 metres.
4x100M relay: Alva’s 50.3 seconds.
4x400M relay: DYSS, Mysore (4:01.6).
10000M walk: Rani (SDM, Ujjire) 1:03:24.0.1
Heptathlon: Roja H S (SDM) 3227 points.
Under-18: 100M: Varsha R (Dakshina Kannada) 12.5 seconds.
200M: Varsha R (Dakshina Kannada) 26.7 seconds.
400M: Megha (Alva’s) 1:00.3
800M: Uma Bhagya Lakshmi (Dakshina Kannada) 2:26.05.
1500M: Poornima C (DYSS, Mysore) 4:57.4.
3000M: Poornima (DYSS, Mysore) 11:26.3.
100M hurdles: Priyanka S G (DYSS, Mysore) 14.6 seconds.
400M hurdles: Simona Mascarenhas (Alva’s) 1:05.3.
Long jump: Praneetha P (Indo-German) 5.76 metres.
Triple jump: Anusha G Poojary (Alva’s) 11.68 metres.
High jump: Jismi Thomas (Moodabidre) 1.45 metres.
Pole vault: Pavithra (Alva’s) 2.55 metres.
Shot put: Namitha G K (Alva’s) 13.13 metres.
Discus: Priyanka J S (Dakshina Kannada) 33.79 metres.
Hammer throw: Hashitha W R (DYSS, Mysore) 35.08 metres.
Javelin: Chethana A D (Alva’s) 30.73 metres.
Medley relay: DYSS, Mysore 2:21.5.
5000M walk: Prathiksha (SAI, Bangalore) 28:45.2 (NMR).
Heptathlon: Abhimathi S Nathan (Indo-German) 3474 points.
Under-16: 100M: Manisha A (Dakshina Kannada) 12.7 seconds.
200M: Simi N S (Alva’s) 27.0 seconds.
400M: Sarah Joseph D’Souza (Dakshina Kannada) 1:01.2.
1000M: Megha K S (Mysore) 3:08.01.
3000M: Megha (Mysore) 11:01.5.
100M hurdles: Sushma Ram (SAI, Bangalore) 16.5 seconds.
High jump: Deeksha (Dakshina Kannada) 1.48 metres.
Long jump: Deekshna (Dakshina Kannada) 5.02 metres.
Shot put: Nivedita P S (Uttara Kannada) 11.25 metres.
Discus throw: Niveditha P Savanth (Karwar) 33.69 metres.
Javelin: Kannika M (Alva’s) 21.47 metres.
Medley relay: Dakshina Kannada 2:26.2.
3000M walk: Chandana K M (DYSS, Kudige) 18:37.54.
Pentathlon: Viha Atri (Indo-German) 2181 points.
Under-14: 100M: Kaveri L Patil (SS, Vidyanagar) 13.6 seconds. 600M: Veena M (Mysore) 1:45.7. Long jump: Toomy Vaishnavi (Indo-German) 4.94 metres. Triathlon: Toomy Vaishnavi (Indo-German) 1503 points. Team championships: Boys: Under-20: Alva’s Moodbidri; U-18: Alva’s Moodbidri; U-16: Alva’s Moodbidri; U-14: Dakshina Kannada.
Girls: U-20: Alva’s Moodbidri; U-18: Alva’s Moodbidri; U-16: Dakshina Kannada; U-14: Indo-German.
Best athletes: Boys U-14: Ovin D’Souza (Dakshina Kannada); U-16: Nishanth S S (Sports School, Vidyanagar); U-18: Santhosh (Alva’s); U-20: Harshith S (Bangalore Sports Club).
Girls U-14: Toommy Vaishnavi (Indo-German); U-16: Manisha A (Dakshina Kannada); U-18: Priyanka S G (DYSS, Mysore); U-20: Reena George (DYSS, Mysore).

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports / DHNS / Shimoga – August 06th, 2013

Now traffic lights to run on solar power

Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology

Hubli :

With the Hubli-Dharwad police commissionerate contemplating upgrading traffic signals in the twin cities with the latest technology, the crossroads in the twin cities will soon wear a brand new look.

If everything goes as planned, by next month the city roads will have solar-run traffic signalling system for which the government has already sanctioned Rs 50 lakh. The commissionerate has invited tenders for the work.

In Hubli-Dharwad, there are around 30 signals. Of them, 24 are equipped with solar and power while the remaining are functioning with electrical power which is expensive. Now the authorities are planning to add four more signals.

The decision was taken to reduce power usage for traffic signals Lighting will be produced by an array of energy efficient LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) that are brighter than bulbs.

B A Padmanayan, the commissioner of police, said that the solar-equipped traffic poles will help reduce consumption of electricity and maintenance expenditure.

According to sources, the spurt in number of private vehicles and also NWKRTC buses in the twin cities has increased the traffic problem. As Hubli-Dharwad is growing rapidly, streamlining of the traffic system is also becoming a big challenge for the police department.

Most traffic signals in the twin cities were installed years ago and are not visible to all road users. Considering this, moves are afoot to increase the size of the poles.

N S Patil, ACP for Traffic, said that unlike earlier when HDMC used to install traffic signals, now the department is installing traffic signals to avoid power related issues. In case the solar signals develop any hiccups, there will be an alternative arrangement using electricity connection.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Traffic Signals / by J Abbas Mulla, TNN / August 05th, 2013

Wind chimes, gurgling streams and more

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

More than a hundred wind chimes, hand picked by a Feng Shui proponent and flown in from Indonesia, on display.

Feng Shui proponent Veena Nanda admires wind chimes at Sunshine Garden Boutique in Indiranagar. - Anantha Subramanyam K/DNA
Feng Shui proponent Veena Nanda admires wind chimes at Sunshine Garden Boutique in Indiranagar. – Anantha Subramanyam K/DNA

The ancient Roman and Asian civilisations believed that the melodious tinkling of wind chimes hung in gardens and porticos was auspicious. The Romans trusted wind chimes to ward off evil spirits, while in India, China and Japan, they were hung in every corner of temples, palaces, pagodas and homes as a charm against evil and also to frighten away birds.

“Today, wind chimes are used to maximise the flow of chi, or life’s energy,” says Veena Nanda, a Feng Shui expert who is holding a festival of more than hundred wind chimes flown in from Indonesia.

According to her, wind chimes are one of Feng Shui’s “remedies that cure and energise simultaneously”.

She says: “Wind chime tones have a healing effect on our body. They calm the mind and awaken the spirit. They bring a sense of peace and well being as they subdue the negative energy and activate the positive energy most effectively.”

The best places to hang these chimes, she says, are gardens, house entrances, balconies and meditation or prayer rooms. Besides a bamboo hollow, her chimes have intricate patterns, designs and shapes at the base.

“These days, people don’t want anything that doesn’t add to their home decor. So I took care to pick these ones,” she says.

An enthusiastic gardener, Veena has also been practising the art of bonsai for 30 years. She has been conducting regular workshops on bonsai for 18 years, and has bagged several awards for this. Her fascination with Feng Shui, particularly wind chimes, came from her interest in bonsai, which, she says, is an addiction now.

“I conduct about two workshops every month, and 20- to 65-year-olds come to learn it. Earlier, I hardly had any male students. But now, as gardening is no longer perceived as just a woman’s hobby, every batch have an equal number of men and women,” she says.

This exhibition of wind chimes is being held at her garden boutique in Indiranagar. She has many kinds of garden accessories like sculptures, garden gnomes, bird baths, terracotta toadstools, planters and water features for sale.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Bangalore> Report / by DNA Correspondent / Place: Bangalo