Monthly Archives: February 2017

Perfect wavelength

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

DrVageeshBF24feb2017

Dr. Vageesh, musician-musicologist, traces his career with Akashvani

It was good to see Dr. K. Vageesh receive the Ganakala Bhushana Award at the 47th Karnataka Ganakala Parishath proceedings recently in Bengaluru. The 62-year-old musician-musicologist-composer committed to his task at the helm of Akashvani for 36 years came up with an informative lec-dem as he explained the nuances of the much-debated Abheri and Karnataka Devagandari.

“Only a musician, who is also a musicologist can demonstrate such finenuances,” said Dr. R.K. Padmanabha, president of the Ganakala Parishath after honouring Dr. Vageesh with the Ganakala Bhushana Award. “Vageesh, who is integral to the much-appreciated AIR auditions, has studied, sung, reflected and worked with the grammar of music for more than four decades. The Parishath is happy to recognise his lifetime achievements,” announced Mr. Padmanabha.

Dr. Krishna Vageesh, top-grade artist of AIR, now on an extension as the Deputy Director General (Music) Prasar Bharati, New Delhi, was born in 1954 in Mysore. Belonging to a family obsessed with classical melody for generations, he also boasts a lineage of love for Sanskrit, the Vedas and divinity attached to temple histories.

Music was deep-rooted with grandfather Srirangachar rubbing shoulders with M.D. Ramanathan as his classmate. Vageesh also took guidance from Tiger Varadachari. “M.D. Ramanathan visited us at Kathwadipura Agrahara in Mysore, a traditionally erudite neighbourhood where we were brought up. He once heard me sing the Kamalamba Navavarana kriti and had prophesied that I would make it big,” reminisces Vageesh.

Mysore has always been a vibrant cultural hub. “The echoes of naada and Veda in the Agrahara where I grew up still linger in my ears,” says Vageesh.

Three awards

Vageesh’s entry into Akashvani was just by chance. “I was a senior chemist with SKF and was frequently recording for Akashvani. Y.S.K. Rao, then Director, who listened to me on one such occasion, said, ‘Why don’t you apply for a job in Akashvani?’ Soon I was selected through UPSC as Programme Executive at New Delhi Akashvani in 1980. I was put in charge of Yuvavani,” recalls Dr. Vageesh. “I am grateful to stalwarts such as veena Doreswamy Iyengar and R.K. Srikantan, who encouraged me to be part of radio broadcasting. I bagged three annual awards for my musical productions, Navras, Silence in Music and Haathon Ka Tharaana,” he says.

Although his aunt H.S. Mahalakshmi of the Tiger Varadachari school was his formal guru, this gold medallist in M.A. (Music) expanded his horizon with guidance from faculty stalwarts such as Prof. Ramarathnam, Gowrie Kuppuswamy and R. Vishweshwaran. “They helped me reach where I am today,” says Vageesh. “I used to observe all the old-time greats too and that included their mannerisms. I loved imitating them and even adopted some of their techniques in my presentations,” he says. This analytical mind helped me pursue a doctorate in Dikshitar compositions.”

Vageesh was a winner all along, from music competitions in school and college, to State and reputed music organisations such as the Bangalore Gayana Samaja, Karnataka Ganakala Parishath and the Music Academy in Chennai. Winning the AIR competition earned him a B-grade status as a youth artist.

Vageesh considers his stint as the Assistant Station Director in charge of the music section at the Directorate a precious opportunity as he watched stalwarts such as M.S. Gopalakrishnan, Emani Sankara Sastry, Madirimangalam Ramachandran and T.K. Govinda Rao conduct their orchestral productions. The years as the Deputy Director, National Programmes and Sangeeth Sammelan later, was a huge learning curve as he discussed the orchestrated pieces with sitar maestro Ravishankar, Vijaya Raghava Rao and Anil Biswas.

Vageesh’s phase as a composer began 15 years ago, with a kriti in raga Ranjani. He has to his credit 100 compositions as varnams, kritis and tillanas. “I have a few CDs of my compositions too,” says Vageesh, who conducts Tyagaraja aradhana at his residence in Bengaluru every year.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / Ranjani Govind / February 23rd, 2017

National Exhibition of Art in city after 16 years

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

A visual treat returns to Bengaluru after 16 years. Art aficionados will be able to relish 111 select works of artists at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

The 58th National Exhibition of Art, organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi, opens on Friday and will be on till March 19. The exhibition will comprise painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, installations, collage works, and printmaking in mixed media. The Akademi had earlier said it would shift the carnival out of Bengaluru because of NGMA’s reluctance to host it in the absence of approval from the Union Ministry of Culture. But the efforts of many artists, especially of Chi. Su. Krishna Setty, Administrator, Lalit Kala Akademi, who vociferously pitched to have the exhibition here, have finally paid off. “We will get to see the cream of talent. We had a special jury of 10 members who chose 111 works out of 6,000 applicants. Among them, 15 were further filtered for the prestigious National Academy Award that would be given away by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala on Friday. The awardees would be conferred ₹1 lakh cash and a citation,” Mr. Setty said.

“The award is a much-coveted one among artists as it earmarks the future potential of individual artists. We can trace the path of pioneers such as M.F. Husain and S.H. Raza, who were amongst the earlier Akademi awardees, who became icons of Indian art,” said Mr. Setty. While the Lalit Kala Akademi is spending nearly ₹1 crore for holding the event, the 111 artists would also take part in a special Art Conclave at the Chitrakala Parishath for nine days from February 25 to March 5.

“We have earmarked ₹80 lakh for the conclave where artists would create a new body of works where public is allowed to see and interact,” said Mr. Setty.

The art works selected for the exhibition reflect innovative use of mediums, diversity and relevance to subject matter in contemporary art, according to Mr. Setty. “Emerging trends and their influences are seen as paramount in the selected art works. Their style of rendition, creativity and new mode of expression in mixed media are a treat that people can get to see,” he said.

The awardees

Amongst the 111 chosen works, five are from Karnataka. “V.G. Venugopal’s painting in mixed media, painting of Suresh K. from Mysuru and the drawing work of Satish Multhalli from Haveri are a few ,” said Mr. Setty.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – February 24th, 2017

‘Promote solution, rather than technology’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Bengaluru :

Staqu is a brainchild of all tech-oriented co-founders. Since the beginning, we had all been super excited about Artificial Intelligence and the unique capabilities it possesses to solve the present-day conundrums. We had believed that the ground-breaking technology would be able to sell itself. Six months into the business, when we had hardly closed any sale, we realised it was time for some introspection and policy overhauls.

Instead of trying to sell the technology now, we disrupted that tunnelled vision of our own and started creating products instead, which explored the different facets of AI. The same led to the creation of our VGREP API, an AI empowered solution OEMs and e-commerce players could utilise to deliver a more intuitive and smart search experience to their users. Our first key collaboration with an OEM brand followed right after and that alone was the sign we needed to know we were on the right path.

These days, while unveiling the new features of this potent technology, we try to wrap it around a product and promote that solution, instead of the technology.

Atul Rai
Atul Rai

(The author is the CEO and co-founder of  Staqu, an Artificial Intelligence startup that allows users to search something by uploading its images)

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Atul Rai / Express News Service / February 23rd, 2017

History of princely states do not feature in the larger Indian narrative, says Cambridge professor

Education, Records, All, World Opinion
David Wash-brook: History of princely states do not feature in the larger Indian narrative, says Cambridge professor
David Wash-brook: History of princely states do not feature in the larger Indian narrative, says Cambridge professor

Mysuru :

Professor of world history at the prestigious Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, David Washbrook said that the history of princely states – territories that entered into Lord Wellesley’s treaty of subsidiary alliance – had been relegated to the marginalia in the larger narrative of India’s modern nationhood.

Prof Washbrook on Friday delivered the keynote address during the Prof Achuta Rao memorial international conference at the Rani Bahaddur auditorium within the University of Mysore (UoM) premises on ‘Power, resistance and sovereignty in princely South India’. Organised by UoM, and the Prod DS Achuta Rao Centenary Programme, the conference saw discussion on the past and present of the princely states.

DS Achuta Rao was a professor of history at UoM, whose research into Mysuru’s past earned him accolades aplenty. Prof Achuta Rao passed away in 1965, aged 47. The conference was organised as part of a series of events to commemorate his centenary this year.

Washbrook opined that the Indian National Congress was so focused on fighting the British that it ignored the princely states till 1930. “They were then subsumed into a programme designed to obliterate their difference. Also, given the circumstances that prevailed in the early years of independence – partition and accession of states – also made post-independent India instinctively hostile to the traces of princely privilege and power. Perceived as feudal relics, India’s maharajas were meant to fade into history, while the societies they held dominion over were meant to blend into a single, homogenous and continuous national modernity,” he added.

Although the princely states, and their rulers, did not essay prominent roles in the political struggle against colonialism, particularly after 1857, they led the country in terms of social development, Washbrook said. “The strides these territories made in education, public health and other sectors put the backwardness of British India to shame. It’s scarcely a coincidence that cities such as Bengaluru and Vadodara, which were part of erstwhile princely states, should be leading centres of science and industry today. The history of the princely states may be more relevant to understanding India in the 21st century than it ever was in the 20th,” Washbrook said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Janaki Nair delivered a talk on ‘The making of the modern Mysore Matha’, while associate professor at the University of Tokyo Aya Ikegame lectured on ‘Was power transferred to whom? Princes and gurus in modern Mysore’, at the conference.

UOM registrar Prof R Rajanna also inaugurated an exhibition on the life and works of DS Achuta Rao.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Mysore News / TNN / February 18th, 2017

29-ft terracotta tree to adorn UAS-B campus

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion
Masterpiece Students working on artist John Devaraj’s artwork at the Indian Agricultural Science Congress in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain
Masterpiece Students working on artist John Devaraj’s artwork at the Indian Agricultural Science Congress in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: Sudhakara Jain

Titled tree of life, artist attempts to enter Guinness Book of World Records

The sprawling campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru is set to have a 29-ft-tall terracotta tree, which is claimed to be the world’s tallest terracotta structure.

Bengaluru-based artist John Devaraj is trying to create the tree, titled ‘tree of life’, with the involvement of scientists and students of the university. Mr. Devaraj plans to seek entry for this structure into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The process of creating the tree of life has begun at the Indian Agricultural Science Congress, where nearly 2,000 scientists are deliberating on the theme ‘climate smart agriculture’. The creators of the tree are not only getting mud impressions of leaves from different species of trees on the university campus, but also the signatures of scientists on it. “It is like an endorsement from scientists and dignitaries that they would commit themselves to protecting farmers,” says B.N. Sathyanarayana, university Head of Horticulture Division, who is co-ordinating the artwork.

Mr. Devaraj said: “Our tree of life tries to send a message that the society will stand by farmers when the agriculture sector is going through crisis,” he says.

The artist has also come out with two paintings on either side of the entrance to the venue. While one depicts the bountifulness of nature, which was extracted by humans, the other represents a sorry state of affairs in which a farmer is being crucified to his plough.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by B S Satish Kumar / February 23rd, 2017

Guinness record for SDMIT’s Rubik’s Cube mosaic builders

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion
The team of students from SDM Institute of Technology, Ujire, receiving the Guinness certificate at Dharmasthala recently.
The team of students from SDM Institute of Technology, Ujire, receiving the Guinness certificate at Dharmasthala recently.

SDMIT Cubers, a team of students from SDM Institute of Technology, Ujire, recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the ‘Largest Dual-sided Rubik’s Cube Mosaic’, measuring 14,981 sq m and involving 4,500 Rubik’s Cubes.

Led by Prithveesh K., a final-year engineering student, the team attempted the record on October 2 last year at the Indraprastha Indoor Stadium, Ujire. Mr. Prithveesh said the mosaic was constructed vertically, depicting images — of Charlie Chaplin and Mr. Bean — on both the sides using 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cubes. The team began working at 7.30 a.m. and completed the 15-foot mosaic around 2.30 p.m.

Mr. Prithveesh said Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade had offered financial support for their effort, which was also backed by SDM Society secretary B. Yashovarma and SDMIT principal K. Suresh. The certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records was received on February 15 and handed over to the team members by Mr. Heggade recently.

The team also included Sharathkrishna K., Viresh Baragi, Shantinath Bharatesh Khurd, Shivakumar T., Prajwal Patil, Vinay T., Swapnil A. Arali, Prahlad M.M., Harikrishna V., Shayeel S. Naik, Sathwik S. Paranjape, Stephen K.A., Madhur G., Karthik M., Mallanagouda Meti, Sujay Suresh, Sanjaya Holla, Rohan R. Gumathanavar and Shiva H..

Mr. Prithveesh said he has been promoting ‘cubing’ through various workshops and he entered the India Book of Records for training 500 students in solving different kinds of Rubik’s Cubes in 2015. He hails from Cherkady village in Udupi district and is the son of agriculturist Shyam Prasad.

He said, “I want to make Rubik’s Cube more popular in India and hope to create another Guinness record at my home town Udupi.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correpondent / Mangaluru – February 23rd, 2017

‘Ladder man’, star attraction at farm science congress

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Science & Technology
Rural entrepreneur Keshava A. runs a factory in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada that employs 50 people.
Rural entrepreneur Keshava A. runs a factory in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada that employs 50 people.

Keshava, who is visually challenged, has sold one lakh ladders

Keshava A., 41, is popular as ‘ladder man’ in rural areas of Dakshina Kannada district. Lightweight foldable aluminium ladders designed by him help even women and children climb the tall areca palms or harvest pepper from climbers on tall trees. Not many know that he is visually challenged.

Mr. Keshava was the star attraction for scientists from different parts of the country at the ongoing Agricultural Science Congress here, where he has set up a stall.

“I dropped out of college while doing PU as my vision was affected owing to glaucoma. Now, 90 per cent of my vision is affected and I cannot see anything clearly even if it is very near to me,” said Mr. Keshava.

Pursuing his dream

The vision problem, however, did not come in his way of pursuing his dream of helping farmers climb tall areca palms. “As a person from the farming family, I was witness to the problems of farmers because of lack of skilled labourers who can climb areca trees. Hence I designed a lightweight ladder which can not only stretch for 40 to 50 feet, but also have a firm grip on the ground,” he said. He has so far sold over one lakh ladders.

About his vision problem, he said, “When I started my enterprise, I was able to see the objects if they were very close to me, but my vision deteriorated in the course of time. It is not an obstacle as I have continued to innovate and also improvised the ladder models.”

He has a full-fledged factory in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada which manufactures a range of farm equipment, including ladders, mango/coconut harvesters, sprayer extensions, and arecanut huskers. He has employed 50 people and registers a turnover of about ₹3 crore a year. “According to me, disability is actually a psychological issue and not a physical barrier,” said Mr. Keshava. He is now trying to motivate his 10-year-old son who too is affected by vision problem.

The head of the Agricultural Engineering Department of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, said, “He is the real hero as he has been successfully operating his enterprise despite being visually challenged.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by B S Satish Kumar / February 23rd, 2017

Women folk artistes dance their way into a male bastion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

As many as 600 women artistes will present all major folk forms of the State for three days starting Tuesday. What makes the event special is that many of them are forms traditionally performed only by men.

Marali Janapadakke (back to folklore) on the premises of Ravindra Kalakshetra on Tuesday will have women performing not only Sobane (sung during auspicious occasions like weddings), but also performing Veeragaase and Karadi Majalu rarely performed by women.

According to Pichalli Srinivas, chairperson, Karnataka Janapada Academy, it is an attempt to attract young women to the rich folk art traditions, some of which are on the verge of extinction. All performers are trained by the academy and this will also empower women economically, he said, considering the demand for folk artistes in even events like IPL.

He said that ₹ 1.30 crore has been spent on this project. Folk experts, including Padma Shri award recipient Sukri Bomma Gowda have trained them. Workshops were conducted in five revenue divisions. “All artists will be given folk instruments and costumes to help them perform on their own in future,” Mr. Pichalli said.

“Young girls are now beating Tasharam Dolu, a drum women traditionally were not allowed to touch,” said Mr. Pichalli. Other forms to be displayed include Puravantike, Halakki Suggi, Veeramakkala Kunita, Koragara Dolu, Mulluhejje Kunita, Nandi Dhwaja Kunita, and others.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the three-day programme of the academy to re-invent dying folk art forms on the premises of Ravindra Kalakshetra on Tuesday. Apart from performances, experts in nine traditional folk arts will make a presentation on the richness of various traditions, including Manteswamy, Male Madeshwara, Mylaralinga, Biligiriranga, Halakki and so on.

Transgenders too perform

In what can be described as first attempt of the kind, transgenders have also been trained in folk forms. Over 40 selected transgender artistes in four groups have undergone rigorous training in Goravara Kunita, Veeragaase, and Dollu Kunita. “We hope that this will help the community earn through folk arts,” said Pichalli Srinivas, chairperson, Karnataka Janapada Academy.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Muralidhara Khajane / Bengaluru – February 21st, 2017

Bengaluru had its first date with air show a century ago

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

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Bengaluru had its first date with an air show 106 years ago
  • In 1911, Jules Wyck and Belgian adventurer Baron Pierre De Caters were the two pilots who brought their aircraft to Bengaluru

__________________________________

Bengaluru :

As the curtains were drawn on the 11th edition of Aero India on Saturday, thousands who thronged the Yelahanka Air Force Station need to know that they are not the first patrons of such a show. In fact, they are not even the first generation.

Bengaluru, India’s aviation capital, had its first date with an air show106 years ago. February 3, 1911. Cricket hadn’t become the religion it is today in India. The Chinnaswamy Stadium was a barren land, and parts of Bengaluru were still a functional cantonment.

While people from districts neighbouring Bengaluru had made their way back then to catch what the organizers had called a “miracle in the skies,” Bengaluru’s quest for the flying machines remained intact in 2017 with at least three lakh people reported to have visited the aero show.

In 1911, Jules Wyck and Belgian adventurer Baron Pierre De Caters were the two pilots who brought their aircraft to Bengaluru, for a show that garnered a huge response. “But police had been prepared to handle the crowd here, after things had gotten slightly out of hand in Kolkata,” historian Vemagal Somashekar said.

If the elaborate preparations of the organizers a century ago are any indication then it only shows that a lacklustre event, like the 2017 edition of Aero India — just 53 aircraft on display and four aerobatic display teams — may fail to garner similar response in the coming years.

 

(The poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area. Photo Credit: fly.historicwings.com)
(The poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area. Photo Credit: fly.historicwings.com)

The fact that organizers did not reveal the right number of aircraft at Aero India 2017 is an indication that even they know it. When TOI enquired about the details of the show and the preparations in the run-up to the show, Mayaskar Deo Singh, director, Defence Exhibition Organisation, the nodal government agency organizing the show said: “An official release with final numbers on participation and other details will be issued so that there is no confusion.”

The official release days before the show had claimed that the number of aircraft participating would be 72, as many as the 2015 show, rated much better, had seen. Answering a specific question, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, however, had said on February 14: “There are 53 aircraft participating…”

Also, there are ways to watch the show for free, hundreds of citizens who stood with their cameras on terraces, the highway, some even got hospitality at villages around the air base.

But organizers in 1911 had figured out a plan for such free viewers. A poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area, reveals that the organizers, who had learnt that people would not buy tickets as they thought planes could be spotted even otherwise, had organized the show in such a way that only those with tickets (worth 25 paise each) had a one-hour exclusive.

“…Between 3.30pm and 4.30pm the planes will fly at a height of just 30 metre which only the ticket holders can see. For a few minutes after 4.30pm, the planes will fly a little higher,” reads a translation of the poster documented by the state archives department.

Mustafa Khan (mandi merchants, Ibrahim Sahib Street); Abdul Razak (businessman, Modi Road); Ibrahim Sahib (Meenakshi Kovil Street), Abdul Razak Sahib (steel merchant, Narayan Pillai Street) and Mastan Khan from Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) were the men who had signed off on the poster —they are an indication of how Bengaluru had a good trade set-up.
While TOI got a look at the poster, permission to take a photograph was denied. The poster, which has been sourced from fly.historicwings.com, further reveals as Somashekar had pointed out.

Police had been ordered to patrol major roads leading to the venue such as South Parade Road (now MG Road), Brigade Road and Church Street and even in Cubbon Park.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Bangalore News / Chethan Kumar, TNN / February 20th, 2017

Dharwad hosts international environment film festival

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

The Sustainable Development Forum and the Pune-based Kirloskar Vasundara Institution are jointly organizing a two-day international environment film festival — Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival — that begins today at the Srujana Rangamandira in Dharwad .

The aim of the film festival, which is being held in Dharwad for the first time, is to create awareness and concern for the environment. A film show, lectures and debate by the scholars will all be held at the film festival.

Social and environmental worker, Shivaji Kaganikar, from Belagavi, will inaugurate the film festival, at which he will be presented the Vasundhara Award. The Vasundara Mitra will be presented to the Pampayya Malesamath of Hampi.

In the run-up to the fest, several competition, with the environment as a theme, were held in the schools and colleges of Hubballi and Dharwad.
FILMS TO BE SCREENED AT THE FILM FEST

February 18

  • India’s Western Ghats
  • Nagarhole
  • Varasa
  • Miracle Water Village
  • Orange Pennant
  • Dholera Sir
  • Don’t Buy Trouble
  • Story of Bottled Water
  • Not in my Backyard
  • All is Well
  • Umed
  • North Eastern Diaries
  • Vedavati Rejuvenation

February 19 

  • Kali River
  • Guppies Journey
  • Future Starts Today
  • Climate Solver Boond
  • Blocks of Green
  • Towards Sustainable Living
  • Tiger Queen
  • A Plea form Himalaya
  • I Matter
  • Together Possible
  • Crazy on the Rocks
  • Living with Change
  • The Bitter Truth
  • Crabs of Karwar
  • Pakke Paga
  • Khet Chhorab Nahi
  • Path to Resilience
  • Hamburg

— Manjunath Somaraddi

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hubli News / TNN / February 18th, 2017