Category Archives: Uncategorized

Big boys don’t want to spend

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Uncategorized

* Our local hottie has now become one helluva an international one too. Nicole Faria was in Perth to host an exclusive event at Mazzucchelli’s store. This Miss Earth has already been doing so much for the forgotten lakes of Bengaluru and is quite the activist.

Nicole Faria

Now Faria is travelling the world, as the global brand ambassador for Frederique Constant Geneve and was seen pretty busy rubbing shoulders with Perth’s celebrities and the who’s who of Ozzie land. And she looked beautiful, if we say so ourselves. Kudos to Nicole and should we see a Hollywood venture in the offing too? Let’s hope so.
* This popular coffee and quick snack hangout for youngsters on the busy Church Street, Java City allegedly shut shop a few days ago, owing to bad business. Singer and actor Sunil Raoh was often spotted at Java City most evenings with his gang of friends from the Sandalwood industry. Just next door to Java City is a small but always buzzing wine shop that is thronged by many after work every evening and that is doing brisk business. Just opposite is another eatery, Empire Restaurant that continues to rake in the moolah. Does that say something about our city’s changing preferences?

*February was one lucky month for Sandalwood actress Harshika Poonacha. She took part in two game shows and was crowned the winner in both. The people competing against her were Kavitha Lankesh, actor Suriya’s mother and another actress from their upcoming release Crazy Loka. At the other game show, her competitors were the same as the first, except Suriya’s mother was replaced by Nam Anna Don actress Sana. The tasks were simple but the prizes were extravagant. Harshika won lots of goodies, cash prizes and gift vouchers.
*The three city youngsters who were selected to play lead roles in Malayalam film Cinema Company are on cloud nine. The shooting is done and post-production is underway. But the actors Basil, Shruti and Sanjeev are aggressively promoting their film. They are not going big on promotions. Word of mouth publicity, SMSes and social networking sites are the latest promotion tools for this team of youngsters. The May release will be a first of its kind film in Mollywood where the lead actors were chosen through a reality show format.
Who, what,when, where, why
Who is slowly becoming the personal AD guy of the season? From the “Bold Look of Kohli” to the cartoon of a sad Malinga doing the rounds with a larger than life “Melan-KOHLI”, written across, the Royal Challengers Bangalore lad Virat Kohli is the one everyone relies on for excitement and admiration… on and off the field. These recent ads and cartoons doing the rounds on social networking sites are all about the Kohli quotient!
What can Arundhati Nag’s fans look forward to? Her much-awaited film Chaurahen — Crossroads is finally releasing on March 16. The movie which was shelved for nine years has since travelled to 11 film festivals before releasing in India.
When will we see a new nightclub in the sky? Soon… as the newest mall in the City MG Road One is touted to have one helluva party place on its terrace… but we’ll wait till it opens to decide on that!
Where was Nidhi Subbaiah spotted prancing with her boyfriend, actor Sudhanshu Pandey? In Mumbai, where she is shooting for an upcoming Kannada movie. She was seen spending all her free time with him there.
Why is danseause Madhu Natraj a happy lady? She will be receiving the ‘Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar’ from the Sangeet Natak Akademi? Madhu has been chosen for her contribution to the field of creative dance. The award will be conferred on March 7 in New Delhi.
source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / TABLOID / Home> Tabloid> Talk of the Town / DC, Bengaluru / March 02nd, 2012

Rare fragrant flowers to reappear in Bangalore

Green Initiatives / Environment, Uncategorized

Bangalore:

An urbanised Bangalore has claimed many victims, including several species of flora and fauna. A poignant reminder of the loss is the conspicuous absence of Jalari mara also known as Thalli mara. The Horticulture Department is planning to revive this species by planting Jalari mara in prominent lung spaces of the city, including Cubbon Park.
The botanical name of this species, whose mild but intoxicating fragrance spreads over two kms, is Shorea talura. This deciduous tree was once seen or rather smelt across the city. Now, the tree is almost but extinct here. It is on the red list issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Speaking to City Express, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Dr M Jagadish said, “The city does not have even a single tree of this species anymore. Even the major lung spaces in the city, Lalbagh and Cubbon Park, cannot boast of this tree.”
Environmentalist Yellappa Reddy has been working on conserving this species and has identified the existence of this tree in some pockets of human-settlements within Bannerghatta forest range. The Department has sought his help to revive and conserve this species. “We are procuring around 40 saplings of Shorea talura. We have identified suitable places to plant the saplings by this week. The tree produces pure white flowers in bunches for around six to seven months a year. The flower’s fragrance should provide a great ambience in the park for the visitors,” hoped Jagadish.
Other than Shorea talura, the department has also imported Phillipine Jade Vine Creeper through an agency from Phillipines. “The speciality of this very rare creeper is its scarlet red colour. We have started work on installing a stone arch, near the nursery of the park, for the creeper. It will be planted this week and the beauty of this creeper will be stupendous to the eyes of the visitors. But, it will bloom only after some years,” he said.
The department is also planning to introduce other species such as Tabebuia donnell-smithii in the city’s parks. This tree is currently found only on Raj Bhavan premises and near C V Raman Crematorium, IISC.
As a part of their plans to add colour to the green cover of the city, species such as Plumeria, which bears 190 colours of flowers, Fox Tail Palm, Mesuva Ferra, Pachira Insigne, and Rinchosperma Jasmine Noides will be planted.

source: http://www.ibnlive.in.com / The New Indian Express / by Aknisree Karthik / Bangalore, February 29th, 2012

3000 million years old Lalbagh rock facing human threat?

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

Morning walkers fear that it may be damaged by the use of heavy drilling machinery by personnel hired to rejuvenate the lake in the garden

The rock, termed Peninsular Gneiss, is a mixture of granitic rocks

The use of heavy drilling machinery by construction personnel hired to rejuvenate the lake in the renowned Lalbagh botanical gardens has several morning walkers and joggers worried. They fear that work would endanger the 3,000 million years old Peninsular Gneiss, the rock in the centre of the park. The personnel are cutting huge boulders using earth movers, near the Siddapura Gate. Dr Krishna, a morning visitor to the park, told Bangalore Mirror, “I saw these machines near the rock a few days ago. Vigilance officers informed them that they were drilling the earth to cut rocks. None of us had any clue where those rocks were transported.”

But horticulture officials clarified that the rock won’t be damaged. H M Krishnappa, deputy director of Lalbagh, said, “We are not drilling into the rock. 

Special white stone boulders have been brought from Pavagada to construct a bund along the recently rejuvenated Lalbagh lake. They are not only huge but irregular in shape as well. Hence, they have are being cut to fit our requirements. As there was no vast space available within the park to take up the drilling and chiseling work, we chose the empty space near Siddapur Gate, which was sometimes used as a parking lot.”  But when asked whether the drilling work with high level vibrations would damage the texture of the geologically significant rock, Krishnappa clarified, “They have just cleared the soil to keep the boulders intact while drilling and chiseling using heavy machines. We have been vigilant at every step.”

N Chandranna, a retired senior geologist from the mines and geology department, said, “The drilling would not harm the rock as the vibrations would be of negligible level. But using explosives would have a huge impact on the composition of the rock.”
history of the rock
The term Peninsular Gneiss means mixture of granitic rocks, which are largely spread around the southern plateu of India. The term was coined by Dr W F Smeeth of the Mysore Geological Department. It is considered to be one of the oldest rocks of earth. It was declared a national geological monument in 1916.
The antiquity of this rock has attracted geologists from all over the world and has given rise to erudite scientific papers on the evolution of earth by the pioneers of the Mysore Geological Depart-ment, Geological Survey of India and scholars. Stone quarry of this gneiss continues to be source material for research in the various branches of earth science.
source: http://www.BangaloreMirror.com / Bangalore> City / by Niranjan Kaggere / Friday, December 23rd, 2011

A tongue-in-cheek narrative of the Cantonment

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized

Paul Fernandes’s drawings are a light-hearted portrayal of his memories of Bangalore of the 1970s. Photo: Special Arrangement

Whether you have lived in the particularly endearing cantonment area for some time, or paid a visit to its charming environs, you will surely appreciate what you see at aPaulogy, ‘a gallery of curious illustration’ created by Paul Fernandes.

The 50 drawings on display near the entrance of Richard’s Park in east Bangalore will surely draw a few laughs.

“Around five years ago, I started a light-hearted portrayal of my reminiscences of Bangalore, especially of the 1970s. Most of the sketches are based on my experiences as well as those of my friends and family,” Fernandes shared.

The artist has made a careful yet satirical note of what he has been observing over the decades. Some pictures are of famous landmarks of the Cantonment such as Thoms Cafe and Bakery on Wheeler Road, Everest cinema on Madhavaraya Mudaliar Road (both in Fraser Town), and Ulsoor lake. His drawings depict how several communities despite their cultural, religious and linguistic diversity live in harmony.

There is a picture of a cycle rickshaw puller struggling with his heavily built customer on the now flattened St. John’s Hill. There are also small models of this vehicle at the exhibition. “This was the best mode of transport to negotiate the ups and downs of the terrain,” he said.

Some of his sketches are a humorous take on orchestra conductors, and he describes them as those whose “pride comes before their fall”. While most of the illustrations are watercolour prints, a few are in black and white.

Fernandes’s drawings also highlight the integrity and sincerity of yesteryear policemen. “They were tough with men who were caught in an inebriated condition and would ensure that people who rode bicycles at night had their lamps on,” he said.

A multi-faceted artist, the unassuming Fernandes’s work has been compared to that of the legendary Mario Miranda. Having completed his degree in commercial art from the renowned, M.S. University in Vadodara, he earlier worked in advertising. He has contributed illustrations to books such asMultiple City – Writings on Bangalore by Aditi De, Peter Colaco’s On a High Note, Hung by my Family Tree by Ajit Saldanha and a leading Indian travel magazine.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News> Cities> Bangalore / December 28th, 2011

The monk who makes cheese

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Uncategorized

Meet Father K L Michael, administrator of a KR Puram-based monastery. This priest from Kerala, now supplies cheese from Bangalore to various parts of the country

A  variety of Italian cheese. Pic: Theresa Varghese.

He’s the monk who makes the cheese and sells it too! Father K L Michael. Administrator of Gualbert Bhavan, a monastery in KR Puram, is a priest with an alter ego as a cheese maker.

How did a priest from Kerala end up supplying cheese from Bangalore to the best of Italian restaurants and star hotels in the country? As Father Michael himself puts it, with a characteristic little smile tugging at his mouth, “It was a long journey.”

A boy of 15, he was among 11 youngsters in the first batch to join the order when a Vallombrosan Benedictine Congregation was set up in Kottayam (in Kerala) in 1988. Five years later, he was sent to Rome where he learnt Italian and theology and prepared for a Masters in liturgy. As he studied and lived within the order, he began to develop a fondness for Italian food.

“We took turns cooking. At first I just threw ingredients together but soon I was able to make fairly good pasta,” he says with a laugh. He was also able to observe at close quarters the various communities that the order nurtured. The Benedictine order follows the motto of prayer and work. When not meditating, the monks and priests engage in income generating activities that will fund the welfare work they do and also help in sustaining each house. Some of these activities traditionally revolve around food and drink. So while there is a community that manages the sale of religious articles, there are also communities involved in the preparation of wine and liqueur. For those who do not know, Benedictine – the sweet liqueur that goes well with brandy – was created out of herbs and spices by a monk in 1510.

Watching these skilled communities, Father Michael pondered over what kind of work he could undertake when he came back to India. Given his partiality towards spaghetti and its ilk, it was not surprising that his mind veered towards cheese. Father Michael was fortunate on two counts – he belonged to the Benedictine order, and spoke fluent Italian. This translated into easy entry into spaces that would otherwise have been closed. With the encouragement of his superiors, he travelled to cheese-making units and learnt the trade. To Aversa, located in the south of Italy, famous for its Mozzarella cheese made of buffalo milk, and to Naples – the place where pizza is said to have originated.

By the time he got back to India and was ordained as a priest in 1998, Father Michael was a liturgical scholar who also knew how to make varieties of Italian cheese. Two years later, when he was sent to Bangalore to establish a house for young monks, he set up Gualbert Bhavan and began work as a novice master, looking after the needs of the approximately ten to 15 students who arrive here annually. But cheese was not far from his mind. Having obtained used machinery from donors in Italy, he began to look around for good quality buffalo milk. After much research, he decided on milk from a village in Hoskote.

Father K L Michael. Pic: Theresa Varghese.

As he recounts his initial selling experience, Fr Michael is candid about his lack of confidence in his abilities as a cheese maker. “In 2004, I made the first two kilos. Then I looked up the Yellow Pages for Continental restaurants and picked Herbs and Spices in Indiranagar as it was not too far away. I introduced myself to the owner, requested him to try out the cheese and, when he agreed, asked him to let me know what he thought. A week later, he called and told me to get some more.”

It was the beginning of a trajectory. Manjit Singh ofHerbs and Spices, who knew people in the hospitality industry, put out the word. And Father Michael had no reason to look up the Yellow Pages anymore. Within no time he, and his assistant Father Joby, were supplying fresh cheese to five star hotels and Italian restaurants in the city. From there it snowballed to hotels in other cities and from there to Singapore where, according to Father Michael, “For two years we supplied approximately 100 kilos each month to the Pasta Fresca da Salvatore chain of restaurants.”

Vallombrosa cheeses are available at Namdhari’s, Spar, MK Retail, More, Food Zone, Big Market and Tom’s Bakery.

For more information clickhere

Gualbert Bhavan now churns out 45 kilos of cheese each day. Despite the quantity produced, it remains a two-man show, with Father Jinse having replaced Father Joby. The Vallombrosa range, as the brand is known, includes smooth and creamy Mozzarella, small balls of milky Bocconcini, sweet flavoured grainy Ricotta, buttery Burrata, hard and salty Pecorino, tomato paste and olive oil infused Caciotta, rich creamy Mascarpone and, of course, soft stretchy pizza cheese. Except for Mascarpone that utilises fresh cream, all the cheeses are made from buffalo milk, which is creamier and richer than cow’s.

Father Michael recalls how, after his initial success with milk, he found that the supplier was watering down the product. So he cut out the supplier and bought 20 buffaloes, with the aim of ensuring that the source would remain pure. But maintaining the cattle became difficult and when he realised that they were spending more time managing the buffaloes than producing cheese, Father Michael sold off the animals. He then obtained the milk from various buffalo owners in Ramnagaram, an hour’s drive from the city. However, after an initial honeymoon period he found the sceptre of adulteration raising its head again. So it was back to legwork and surveys once again till he finally settled on a farm in Hosur. This is where he currently gets his 170 to 200 litres of milk every day.

Father Michael has recently produced Feta cheese (usually made out of goat milk) from buffalo milk. Though it has been well received, he intends to make Feta the traditional way; the idea being to start a cheese-making unit at the main house in Kottayam where they can also rear goats. The project will be launched by the end of this month.

Did he imagine a mammoth scenario like this when he started out? “Not at all,” replies Father Michael, going on to remark in his mild-mannered way, “It just grew.” ⊕

16 Feb 2010

Independent writer and ardent baker who loves all things to do with food.

source: http://www.bangalore.citizenmatters.com / Food> Consumer / by Theresa Varghese / February 16th, 2010

 

The monk who makes cheese

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Uncategorized

Father K L Michael laughs when you ask him if he is a foodie. It’s a rich, deep-throated laugh, it answers the question. The 38-year-old from Kottayam, the first Indian to get selected to the religious order of Vallombrosan Benedictine Confederation, has acquired another title, he’s the monk who makes cheese. Father Michael’s brand, Vallombrosa, popular with five-star hotels and fine-dining restaurants across Bangalore, also travels to cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Cochin.

The Benedictine order, which follows the motto of `prayer and work’, not only earns its keep, but also contributes to charitable causes with income generating activities. Father Michael, who lived within the order in Italy (Rome and Florence) for eight years, learning the local language before preparing for a masters degree in liturgy, spent a fair amount of time, racking his brains on what work he would do when he eventually returned to India. During the course of his travels, specifically during a holiday in the southern Italian city of  Naples, the idea of making cheese for a living dawned on him.

After he came back to India in the summer of 2000, the monk experimented with small quantities of cheese. “Even though I spent a lot of time studying the methods when I was in Italy, I hadn’t really experimented with the process. So, when I returned, I started working on it immediately. There are variables like temperature and milk and I tinkered with the process before arriving at a formula that worked for us.”

Father Michael leads a team of six people, who work six to eight hours a day, starting as early as 8 am and winding up past mid-night, with breaks for prayer and rest. They churn out a total 90 kilos of cheese a day. The rates for the Vallombrosa brand that includes Mozzarella, Bocconcini, Burrata, Ricotta, Mascarpone, Caciotta, Pecorino and Feta varies from Rs 500 to 1500 per kilo.

Gualbert Bhavan in Thambuchetty Palya (near K R Puram), where father Michael set up home for young monks, guiding ten to fifteen students who join the fold each year, have cheesy dinners twice a week. Every Tuesdays and Thursdays the house is treated to homemade cheese of their choice, which they have with parotas for dinner.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / City> Bangalore / Home> Collections> Italy / by Prajwal Hegde / December 24th, 2011

 

New garden for Mysore Palace

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Uncategorized

Rs. 43 lakh for four acres landscaping

Caption: Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subrahmanya and others taking a look at the work going on for the gardens at Palace premises.

Mysore, Feb. 18

The beauty of the world-famous Amba Vilas Palace is to be further enhanced with a garden on four acres of land, work on which has already commenced.

The total cost of the garden is Rs. 43 lakh. Tenders were called for laying the garden an year ago when Harsha Gupta was the DC. However, the work was stalled in view of Dasara.

The tender has been awarded to Uthaiah Mangalaraman Company and it has been asked to complete the work in the next three months, said Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subrahmanya.

As part of the project, the two fountains on either side of the Palace front region, that are more than six decades old, will be repaired and made to function on a daily basis.

Retaining walls of stones will be constructed along the borders of the garden to prevent flowing away of soil during rains.

The garden measuring 16,400 square metres will have lawns of a variety of grass, more than 50,000 varieties of plants, shrubs and vines of tropical regions.

The soil will be mixed with 25 per cent of chemical fertilisers, 50 per cent farmyard manure and horse dung. The entire garden will be barricaded with granite slabs and small pools of 10ftx10ft will be created as part of the landscaping, with a walkway.

During the tenure of former DC Harsha Gupta, the authorities talked about a garden on the lines of the Moghul Garden in Delhi. But now the plan has been changed and the garden will be laid out in Mysore style as was prevalent during the reign of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

Rain water harvesting

Plans are on the anvil to set up a rain harvesting unit with a storage capacity of one crore litres, said Subrahamnya and added that in the first phase, a rain water harvesting unit with a capacity of six lakh litres has already been established at the Palace premises.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / General News / February 18th, 2012

 

JSS Doctor bags Oration Award

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

Caption: Dr. Nataraja receiving Dr. R.K. Oza Oration award from the Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad University.

Mysore, Feb. 16:

Dr. N.P. Nataraja, Director, JSS Institute of Speech and Hearing in city, has been awarded Dr. R.K. Oza Oration National award, at the 44th annual conference of Indian Speech and Hearing Association, held recently at Hyderabad. The award was instituted to honour successful entrepreneur in the field of speech and hearing from India and consists of a citation and trophy.

Dr. Nataraja is a scientist, trainer and a pioneer in voice among the Indian Speech Language Pathologists. He has contributed tremendously in escalating the field of Voice Disorders, Speech Sciences and Forensic Speech Analyses. He was conferred with Bharat and Dr. Ratna Oration awards in 1999 at the 31st Indian Speech & Hearing Assn. Conference, Chandigarh. He was also awarded LVA Oration award at the 1st Annual Conference of Laryngology and Voice Association named as Laryngology Update 2012 in Mumbai on Feb. 4 and 5. The award has been instituted to felicitate leading Phono-surgeons and Speech Language Pathologists who have contributed in the field of Laryngeal Disorders, Voice Restoration.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / General News / February 16th, 2012

Rs.1 crore Jindal prize for Dr.Kalam, Santosh Hegde

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology, Uncategorized

Caption: Dr. Kalam, Justice Hegde

New Delhi, Feb.16:

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and former Lokayukta of Karnataka Justice N. Santosh Hegde have been selected by the Sitaram Jindal Foundation for S.R. Jindal Prize for their outstanding contributions in their respective fields.

The prize amount carries a cash of Rs. 1 crore. Sitaram Jindal Foundation will felicitate 25 other achievers also at the award ceremony to be held on Feb. 23.

S.R. Jindal Prizes will also be awarded for crusade against corruption, rural development and gallantry.

Patron of the Foundation Sitaram Jindal said, Dr. Abdul Kalam has been selected for the award for his contributions in science and technology while Justice Santosh Hegde will be honoured for his extraordinary service in social development.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / General News / February 16th, 2012

Christ College Wins Natl.Moot Court Contest

Education, Records, All, Uncategorized

Mysore: Feb. 13

Christ Law College from Bangalore won the two-day National-level moot court competition on ‘Corporate Taxation’ conducted by Surana and Surana International Attorneys and JSS Law College at JSS Law College’s Silver Jubilee auditorium here yesterday.

National Law School of India University is runner up

Caption: 1) Winning Smile:Ajay Kumar, Chahat Chawla and team researcher Roshil Nichani of Christ College, Bangalore, who won first prize in the national moot court competition held at JSS Law College in city. 2) High Court Judges D.V. Shailendra and Praveen Chandra and others seen during the valedictory function of National moot court contest yesterday.

The National Law School of India University (NLSUI) from Bangalore, who keenly contested for the title, had to settle with the runner up trophy. In all, teams from 44 law colleges from all over the country participated in the national level competition, the second in the series. Apart from the trophies, the winner got Rs. 25,000 as cash prize while the runner got Rs. 14,000.

The final rounds were judged by High Court Judges Justice Shailendra Kumar and Justice N. Anand, Padamchand Kincha and Director of Income Tax (International Taxation) Praveen Kishore Prasad of Bangalore.

Ajay Kumar of Christ College, later speaking on behalf of his team, said that such competitions help in honing the skills of students and improve knowledge in the subject. “Such things cannot be learnt in classrooms,” he said. Other members of Christ College team are Chahat Chawla and researcher Roshil Nichani. The National Law School of India University team consisted of Deekshitha, Shreya and Siddarth.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / General News / February 13th, 2012