Category Archives: Historical Links, Pre-Independence

We are the biggest southern state now

About Bangalore(Bengaluru) / Karnataka, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All

by: S Shyam Prasad & Sridhar Vivan

Creation of Telangana and AP has restored geographical supremacy to the state 450 years after the Battle of Talikota. We track the journey of the region from kingdoms to modern-day Karnataka

​History was created on Monday with the creation of Telangana, the 29th state in the Indian Union. It marked another change in the contours and boundaries of southern India and although Karnataka had very little to do with the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the creation of Telangana changed the history of Karnataka — ever so slightly.

Karnataka officially became the biggest of the South Indian states in terms of geographical area (the seventh biggest in the country). With an area of 1,91,791 sq km, Karnataka leads the ‘pack’ in the South, followed by what now remains of Andhra Pradesh (popularly called the Seemandhra region) with 1,60,205 sq km of area.

Being the biggest state in terms of area would have been a great advantage in the age of kingdoms, but no longer. Karnataka may gain very little — indeed nothing — from being the ‘biggest’. Political representation in Parliament is based on the population which means Tamil Nadu will continue to have a bigger say with its 39 MPs. Andhra Pradesh will have a diminished voice as its 42 seats would now be whittled down to 25.

But the ‘biggest’ tag does reflect (historically at least) a sort of pre-eminence. From the beginning of the sixth century, empires founded in Karnataka ruled over much of present day Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. These included the Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara Empire.

According to eminent historian S Shettar, the most enduring (in terms of time) dynasties of Karnataka were the Gangas and the Kadambas. But they ruled small principalities. “The biggest imperial house was that of the Rashtrakutas,” said Shettar. “They were the most influential rulers in India of anytime. Samudra Gupta is just highlighted due to North Indian bias. The Kailasanatha temple, in Maharashtra, alone is testimony to their eminence. Their battles reached the Himalayas and Bengal.”

Karnataka-based empires stayed the biggest in the South until the collapse of the Vijayanagar Empire 450 years ago when the hegemony ended. “The Vijayanagara Empire was different in many ways,” said Shettar. “For the first time people speaking Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Oriya and Marathi were one empire.”

This year marks the 450th anniversary of the Battle of Talikota (also known as Battle of Rakkasa-Tangadi) which put an end to more than 1,000 years of Karnataka’s pre-eminence in politics of south India and the Deccan.

The political pre-eminence led to some of the most famous medieval cities, centres of trade and temples in India. The most famous of these was the Vijayanagara capital — now Hampi — which is said to have taken six months to destroy. Following the battle in 1565, the Vijayanagara Empire continued to exist nominally for nearly a century. Scores of Vijayanagara feudal lords began ruling over petty kingdoms. Kannada-speaking areas were never united again until 1956.

“The 1565 battle was a colossal loss,” said Shettar. “Like the French will never celebrate the Battle of Waterloo, similarly the Battle of Talikota cannot be celebrated. But there is much to learn from defeats. Now some intellectuals and politicians from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region are demanding a separate state. It is because of the belief that there is neglect and also to some extent jealousy. This is similar to the demand for Telangana. But we have to learn from that battle (1565) and stay united.”

Ironically, says Shettar, the fight for linguistic states began in Andhra Pradesh because they felt dominated by the Tamils of Madras Presidency. “In south India, the opposition to linguistic states was confined only to a small extent from the Tamils because they feared losing territory. But slowly there are feelings that linguistic identity is not giving the requisite economical benefits. People of Karnataka are more or less emotionally reconciled to a linguistic state now.”

MOST BORDERS IN SOUTH

With the creation of Telangana, Karnataka now shares its borders with six states —Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The state administration has to get in touch with the Telangana as well as the residual Andhra Pradesh for inter- state issues. Apart from river water sharing — for example, Karnataka needs to deal with Andhra Pradesh for Tungabhadra and Telangana for Krishna —and other border issues, the transport body also has to have new agreement on travel.

‘KARNATAKA’ IN HISTORY

* Sanskrit texts: Shudraka’s Mruchhakatika, Varaha Mihira’s Bruhat Samhite, Somadeva’s Katha Saritha Sagara refer to Karnata
* 455 CE: Kadamba king Shantivarma called, “The master of the entire Karnataka region”
* 7th Century CE: Feudatories Rashtrakutas refer to Chalukyan Army as ‘Karnataka Bala.’
* 850 CE: Amoghavarsha’s Kavirajamarga calls land between Kaveri and Godavari as ‘Karnata.’
* 10th Century CE: Rajashekara’s Kavyamimase: Karnataka
* 14-16 Centuries: Vijayanagara Empire referred to as Karnata Empire by its people.
* After Talikota battle the first of the Aravidu dynasty ruler Tirumala Deva Raya called ‘reviver of the Karnata Empire’ in the Telugu work Vasucharitamu.

THE BATTLE OF 1565

The first skirmishes of the Battle of Talikota started on December 29, 1564. It was on January 26, 1565 that a full-scale historic battle took place at Rakkasa- Tangadi villages — near what is Bijapur district today. The five Deccan sultanates of Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur and Golkonda defeated the Vijayanagara army, a defeat that resulted in the dramatic capitulation of the Vijayanagara Empire. For more than 1,000 years prior to that battle, Karnataka as we now know it was part of empires such as Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas and later the Hoysalas. These were the largest empires in South India. The loss in 1565 was so severe that Karnataka was to have a united rule again only in 1956. In between, large swathes of Karnataka were briefly united under Hyder Ali. By the time Karnataka was unified post-Independence, the region was under 20 different administrations ranging from the Wodeyars to the British and a host of small principalities.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story /  S Shyam Prasad & Sridhar Vivan / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / June 03rd, 2014

Karnataka sites make to Unesco world heritage tentative list

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

Mysore :

Architectural jewels in Belur and Halebid in Hassan, historical monuments in Srirangapatna and remnants of history from Deccan sultanate are in line to be declared as the world heritage site by the Unseco.

Put together, these sites represent the pluralistic spiritual beliefs that the state government is planning to preserve and promote.

The three sites have been included in the Unesco’s world heritage tentative list, thanks to the department of heritage, archaeology and museum which is now working with experts to prepare dossiers of each of them. Experts from across the world will evaluate the submission of the department and make recommendations. To be included on the world heritage list, the sites must be of outstanding universal value, according to the Unesco.

The chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the inclusion of the three sites in the tentative list of the Unesco indicating that the government is serious in protecting the monuments. He linked it to tourism promotion in the region where the government is planning to create a tourist circuit comprising Mysore, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajnagar to revive the local economy pointing out that many nations depend on tourist inflow to sustain their economies.

Heritage commissioner C G Betsurmath said he submitted the proposal to the Union ministry of culture in mid-February. “We consulted the experts and prepared the proposals focusing on the unique character of each of the sites identified,” he told The Times of India. The sites of Belur and Halibedu throws light on the pluralistic spiritual beliefs of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Jainism. Here the spiritual intersected with ordinary people while monuments at Srirangapatna we’ve projected different developmental stages of defence architecture in Hindu and Islamic traditions, he stated adding that the fort is a symbol of strength given that it was breached only four times. The Deccan sultanate properties indicate the convergence of different styles of Islamic architecture and their intersections with the prevalent Hindu architecture of the period, he stated.

A string of monuments in historical Srirangapatna, including the Fort, Bahmani monuments at Gulbarga, Bahmani and Barid Shahi monuments at Bidar and Adil Shashi monuments at Bijapur and properties of heritage value at Belur and Halebid have made it to the tentative list. He has received a communication from Shikha Jain, the member-secretary of the advisory committee on world heritage maters, in the Union ministry of culture asking him to work on presenting the dossiers. There are several parameters and we are keenly working them out, Betsurmath stated.

The world heritage site gets international attention for conservation and helps attract visitors from across the globe. The state’s prized possessions have passed the stage two among the five stage process. The next is be evaluation by two advisory bodies– the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union. They will provide the world heritage committee with evaluations allowing it to make a decision. According to Shikha Jain, the dossiers can be submitted after February, 2016.

Presently group of monuments at Hampi and at Pattadakal are recognized as the world heritage sites by the Unesco. This comes a decade after Srirangapatna, Bidar among other towns were declared as heritage cities.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India / by H M Aravind, TNN / May 22nd, 2014

Taluku – The Achievers’ Village

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

Pages from History

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by Prof. A.V.Narasimha Murthy

The Maharaja met Prof. Venkannaiah and requested him to give private tuition to the prince on a monthly remuneration of Rs. 250 per month, which was a luxury in those days. But Venkannaiah politely refused the offer, but made arrangements for the private tuition, through some other scholar. The family members of Venkannaiah were very unhappy for his refusal which they thought was a god-send opportunity. But Venkannaiah had a different logic — “I am a Professor at the College for which I receive salary and to take up private tuition is an offence and hence I rejected the offer.” While sending him back, the Maharaja had sent fruits in a huge silver plate. The Professor humbly kept the fruits and sent back the empty plate to the Palace. He was told that the silver plate was also a gift along with fruits. That was how the Maharaja treated him, with respect.

Some months ago, we were returning to Mysore from Hampi after finishing the South Indian Numismatic Conference. Our wives insisted on visiting Molakalmuru famous for the silk sarees. At this place every home has a weaving machine to produce silk sarees which have a good market. While returning from Molakalmuru, to our right, I saw the name board ‘Taluku’ which was the name of a village.

I was thrilled because this small village has given great scholars to Kannada literature. It became famous because of Talukina S. Venkannaiah, Professor of Kannada in Mysore Maharaja’s College. Practically, he was the pioneer in starting the Kannada Department here. Even educated persons also might not have heard about this man’s greatness. Such persons should refer to Kuvempu’s Sri Ramayana Darshanam. This book contains a dedication page, dedicated to Kuvempu’s Guru Prof. T.S. Venkannaiah whom the former has treated as an embodiment of divinity. One has to read it to believe it. Ta. Su. Shamarao has given a good glimpse into the life and works of Prof. Venkannaiah in his famous book Mooru Talemaru (Three generations).

Venkannaiah was a towering personality and commanded great respect as a Professor. Mysore Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi) had also heard of this great Professor and thought that this man was best suited to give private tuition to Prince Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. The Maharaja sent the Palace car to the residence of Venkannaiah and the Professor went to the Palace. The neighbours were pleasantly surprised that the Palace car had come to the residence of this Professor who had the good fortune of travelling in the Palace car. The neighbours’ respect for the Professor increased. The Maharaja met the Professor and requested him to give private tuition to the prince on a monthly remuneration of Rs. 250 per month, which was a luxury in those days. But Venkannaiah politely refused the offer, but made arrangements for the private tuition, through some other scholar. The family members of Venkannaiah were very unhappy for his refusal which they thought was a god-sent opportunity. But Venkannaiah had a differ

ent logic- “I am a Professor at the College for which I receive salary and to take up private tuition is an offence and hence I rejected the offer.” While sending him back, the Maharaja had sent fruits in a huge silver plate. The Professor humbly kept the fruits and sent back the empty plate to the Palace. He was told that the silver plate was also a gift along with fruits. That was how the Maharaja treated him, with respect.

Venkannaiah believed and lived according to the adage ‘Simple living, high thinking.’ Though not rich he was generous to a fault. Once a law college student wrote him a post card, asking money to pay his examination fee. Venkannaiah did not know that student but took pity on him. But he had no money at that time. Immediately he borrowed Rs.150 and sent it to that student. At another time a theft took place in his house. The thief could not get anything except a silver plate which he was using for eating. Everybody was cursing the thief but Venkannaiah said, ‘I am grateful to the thief who has stolen my silver plate so that I can eat along with others in an aluminium plate.’ Such anecdotes are available in plenty. That is how Venkannaiah lived. He died in 1939 and hence I did not have the good fortune of seeing or meeting that great personality.

But this is amply compensated by my close association with his brother Prof. T.S. Shamarao who was also a Professor of Kannada and a towering personality. One of his sons was my student and even today I feel guilty that I could not get him a job in Archaeology. But he on his own got a job in a bank and now is a retired happy person. Prof. Shama Rao did not mistake me for this lapse. In those days monthly meetings at the residences (Satsang) used to be held in which about 10 scholars took part. These meetings used to begin with breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea with a lecture by a scholar, and later, a discussion on the lecture. One day my turn came and I went to Prof. Shamarao’s residence where I saw H.M. Shankaranarayana Rao, Venkataramappa and others. I was asked to give a talk on ‘Ancient Indian education with special reference to Karnataka.’ It was my good fortune that the scholars present there admired my lecture.

Chief Minister Bangarappa was a student of Ta.Su. Shamarao. One day, he came to the residence of Shamarao and paid respects. He said, ‘Sir, the Government has come to your doorstep, please command.’ The condition at Professor’s house was not encouraging. Bangarappa promised to give jobs to his sons and daughter and give him a State award. Shamarao did not like it and addressing Bangarappa in singular, said, ‘Administer the State well and earn a good name, that is all I want.’ A similar thing happened to Minister Abdul Nazir Saab too.

With the passing away of Shamarao, everyone thought that Taluku publication would end. At that stage, a young and energetic son, T. S. Chayapati, came on to the scene with a determination to continue Talukina Venkannaiah Memorial publication started by his father. He has published more than one thousand books and continues to do so. He has earned the title ‘Savira Pustakagala Saradara.’ Almost all the great Kannada authors are included in his publications including K.B. Ganapathy whose four books he has published including Adarshavadi.

Almost all my Kannada books have been published by him. Not only is he a publisher, he is also an author and has 23 books to his credit.

On turning 70, Mysore District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, under its dynamic President Chandrashekar, jointly with Ranganath of Savigannada fame had organised a function, during which a felicitation volume titled ‘Chayabhinandana’ was released. Chayapati has made immense contribution to the society through his publications and the society salutes this achiever in public. Most people celebrate their birthdays at home but it is the privilege of some to get the distinction of celebrating birthday through public service. Persons like Chayapati have no retirements who is planning to publish more books.

I will be failing in my duty if I do not refer to with admiration the part played by his wife Pushpa Chayapati who has been his backbone and stood by him in all his activities including publications. She is a good PRO and Chayapati also accepts this truth without any hesitation. On this happy occasion of the release of the felicitation volume on attaining 70, I wish him good health, long life and all prosperity including more publications under the magic name Taluku. Hope all my readers will say ‘amen.’

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / May 17th, 2014

The story of the famous Mysore Silk … and the Italian connection

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

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by  N.K.A. Ballal, Retd. Sr. Vice-President, ITDC

Recently my wife was airing some of her sarees and I noticed a beautiful bottle green Mysore Silk saree, which was gifted by my father 36 years ago. I was surprised to see that this saree still looked so fresh, elegant and shimmering with the zari shining as if new. This wonderful fabric is magical, since it makes the fairer sex look slimmer than what they are. I then decided to find out more about this namma ooru silk and some interesting facts came out from my research which I wanted to share with my readers.

Year 1911, Sir M. Visvesvaraya (MV), the genius visionary of Mysore, decided to develop sericulture as an economic activity for Mysore. He was helped by one Mr. Appadurai Mudaliar, the first Inspector of Sericulture. They decided to get the help of an Italian expert named Signor Washington Mari to develop a strain of silk worm which would suit this climate. Before leaving for India, Mr. Mari despatched about 12 varieties of pure European and Chinese races of silk worm to breed them at Mysore. Mr. Mari was successful in cross-breeding a hybrid which was better than the original and also disease-resistant. The first factory was established at Channapatna and subsequently sericulture took its roots in other centres at Mysore and nearby places. I am not sure if Mr. Siddharamaiah, our CM, is aware of this Italian connection.

More or less at the same time, that is in 1912, the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, decided to open a factory for the manufacture of silk fabrics, exclusively meant for the family members and its armed forces. The looms as well as the yarn were imported from abroad. In 1980, Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) was formed to take over both the factories at Mysore and T. Narasipura. Ksic is probably the only organisation in the world taking care of all gamuts of silk production from reeling of cocoons to the weaving of the pure silk fabrics, all under one roof. Side by side ksic started modernising their equipment to ensure that the quality and the design of the fabrics improved with time.

What is unique about this material? What is the difference between Mysore Silk and other famous silks like Kancheevaram and Benaras? The basic difference is that in Mysore Silk the yarn is processed in grey, woven and then de-gummed and dyed, whereas in other fabrics it is other way round. The yarn itself is dyed and de-gummed before the manufacture of the material. Another basic difference is that Mysore Silk has always used pure zari [65% silver and 0.65% of gold] in their sarees, whereas 90 percent of the sarees manufactured at Benaras or Kancheevaram use tested zari. The unique grainy effect which is seen in the Mysore Silk fabric is as a result of using different twists in the weft yarn. Apart from this, except Mysore Silk, other manufacturers use Chinese yarn and polyester and that is the reason they are able to sell their materials at such a cheap price. The Kancheevaram and Benarasi sector is still unorganised and is distributed all across and the competition among the manufacturers is so fierce that each one tries to get the better of other by manufacturing newer designs and colours. Another major problem facing Mysore Silk is that since Mysore Silk is made in powerloom, intricate designs across the body and pallu is not possible whereas Benaras sarees are still manufactured in handloom and as such intricate designs is possible. But are you aware, Mysore Silk is washable at home, which is not possible in any other material.

Another unique feature of Mysore Silk is the “GI” registry [Geographical Indication], an international patent stamp for the product as well as the name. The factory has installed 139 looms and the manufacturing capacity is around 75,000 sarees a year. But sadly this famous local silk is out of reach for the middle class because of its cost. Ksic being a government body has its problems of over-staffing, a huge corporate overheads and an ageing staff. However, it is to its credit that it is running in profits unlike other government bodies. The last year’s turnover was supposed to be a record, that is Rs. 127 crores. A pittance compared to the turnover of hundreds of crores of Kancheevaram and Banarasi silks. This organisation needs a complete makeover in term of sales, marketing and designing. I would like to give the following suggestions to Mr. Jannu, IAS [MD of ksic], based on my experience of marketing and work at a Central PSU:

1. Revamp the existing showrooms. They are so dull and uninspiring, one hardly gets any walk-in customers.

2. The present sales staff have to be replaced gradually with bright young men and women, with fixed minimum salaries and commissions based on the sales. This will motivate the sales staff to try and sell the higher end sarees and also invite their friends and relatives to buy. The present staff who are so indifferent have to be sent for some motivational training. They have forgotten to even smile [personal experience].

3. Design a mobile showroom on wheels. An old bus can be remodelled. This can be taken to all the huge psus like bhel and bel for on-the-spot sales with credit offers on festival days.

4. Take legal action on all the other silk manufacturers who are present in the website selling spurious Mysore Silks. One has to just type Mysore Silk in the google search and tens of manufacturers appear in the site offering Mysore Silks from Rs. 500 to Rs. 7,000. Since you have the gi patent for name also, no other manufacturer can sell their product as Mysore Silk.

5. Start actively to export this material. There is a big market for manufacturers with “gi” tag. Money is no constraint; 50 dollars a metre is no big deal in the international market.

6. Buy the latest jacquard machines with 5,000 hooks for wider design capabilities.

7. Try to introduce hand painted sarees, exclusive block printed or embroidered sarees in select outlets. There is always a demand for exclusive materials.

8. Tie up with some national fashion designers to ensure presence in big events like Lakme Fashion Week or any other fashion event. This year I saw some designers promote Kota materials in a big way.

9. Introduce summer and winter collections/colours and have regular fashion shows in Golf Clubs across Karnataka using local fashion designers.

10. Regular mailers to all the Golf members across Karnataka, with an extra discount offers of Rs. 200 thrown in for the customers carrying the mailers to the showroom. This extra discount should be over and above any discount on offer. This kind of mailers is very popular abroad and it can be tried in Karnataka also.

11. Start another unit at Bangalore with tested zari or moga silk to reduce the cost. One can call these product as “Bangalore Silk”; the low income groups would be happy with these products.

12. Start a ‘Silk Tour’ at Mysore for international and domestic tourists using the services of a local travel agent on the lines of Wine Tour, very popular abroad.

13. Try new avenues of advertisements like radio jingles in the fm radios. Very effective.

14. The Ad Agency lacks creativity. The ads in the newspapers are just boring.

15. Please explore the possibility of manufacturing silk upholstery materials. Though it will be very expensive, there is a good export market demand for these materials.

16. Announce a design competition with a prize of one lakh for best original design, both for crepe silk and printed silks.

Sir, some of my out-of-the-box suggestions may sound absurd/outlandish but I am sure that even if some of them are implemented, the sale of your products can be doubled. Sir MV started this economic activity at Mysore more than 100 years back. Let us take it forward and increase it by leaps and bounds since we have an incomparable product, that is “The Mysore Silk.” This would enormously benefit the sericulture farmer and the modern youth in terms of increased employment opportunities. Next time I visit the US or Singapore, I will feel very proud to see namma ooru silk sold across the counter at some departmental store there (All the technical details, courtesy: Mr. Sadanandaswamy, General Manager, ksic, Mysore).

[Do write your comments to: ananthballal@yahoo.com]

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / May 15th, 2014

MELANGE : A mouthful of goodness

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel
Tradition rules at Albert Bakery./ Photo Murali Kumar K. / The Hindu
Tradition rules at Albert Bakery./ Photo Murali Kumar K. / The Hindu

Come one, come all to Albert Bakery and indulge in an array of nostalgic slices of confectionaries that are a rich part of Bangalore’s culinary heritage

Nestled in the heart of Frazer Town on the famous Mosque Road is a slice of the city’s history so unassumingly located that you would miss it entirely if you were walking or driving fast enough. And yet, Albert Bakery is one spot you would always want to stop by and taste their array of confectionaries. Bangalore is famous not only for its music and climate but also, over the years, for its food and Albert Bakery has been a major player in the city foodscape forever. The 112-year-old bakery is easily the city’s oldest and has been upholding a gastronomical tradition over the decades.

A thriving hotspot, the bakery is open only from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is sometimes so packed that there are traffic snarls on Mosque Road.

And for those who frequent the street during the festive season of Ramzan, if you haven’t stopped at Albert Bakery to grab a bite of their goodies, then everyone will tell you that you haven’t lived life to the fullest.

Mohammad Sabir Faizan, the son of the proprietor Nawab Jan, says they strive to uphold the traditional baking practises. “We have always opened from 3 to 9 p.m. because we make the confectionaries fresh in the morning. Other bakeries may belong to a chain of supplies so they add preservatives and improvers which we never do. We make batches that are sufficient for each day.”

Established in 1902 by Sabir’s great grandfather Mohammad Yacoob, the bakery was initially a godown in Sangam lane off Kamaraj Road. “We used to deliver only buns and bread. That used to be the usual catering back then. We cycled down the roads with baskets of bread and buns delivering it to people in the locality. We shifted to Mosque Road in 1921 and since then we have stayed here,” recalls Sabir.

When my grandfather Mohammad Ibrahim was around, they had bread, biscuits, rusks, tea biscuits and other regular items. “It was only after my father Nawab took over that he introduced the kova naans, coconut cherry cookies, mini cocktail samosas and other specialities.”

From delicious hot kova and keema naans and mini cocktail samosas to butter salt biscuits and coconut cherry cookies, Albert Bakery boasts of a variety of foodstuffs that make mouths water at the mention of the bakeries name.

The spread available at Albert Bakery./ Photo Murali Kumar K. / The Hindu
The spread available at Albert Bakery./ Photo Murali Kumar K. / The Hindu

On the name, Sabir says back in the early 1900s, “My great grandfather felt it would appeal to everyone if it had an English name. There is a common misconception that the shop was started by some foreigner called Albert. We had a lot of Britishers as customers so a common name like Albert would make it easy to relate to and the name stuck.”

Being the fourth generation in this line, Sabir hopes to carry this legacy forward. “We may launch an outlet elsewhere but all the production will always be here. We don’t want to expand much because of the freshness factor. We will never compromise on quality.”

A bakery like Albert in a city like Bangalore is a blessing, says Sabir. “There were no shops in this area when we started. Now there is a huge boom in development. The city has helped us come up. We also have a lot of competition so that helps us strive to be more creative and innovative. We are proud to be part of Bangalore’s rich cultural and culinary heritage.” The bakery’s other specialties are the hot cross buns on Good Friday, marzipan Easter eggs on Easter Sunday, non-alcoholic plum cakes for Christmas and brain puff for Ramzan.

They also have daily specialties like the chocolate lava cake, chicken Swiss and mayo rolls, tarts, quiches, banana and grape muffins, chocolate croissants and donuts and pizzas.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Food / by Allan Moses Rodricks / Bangalore – May 16th, 2014

Tipu Sultan remembered

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

Srirangapatna :

The 216th death anniversary of Tipu Sultan organised by Hazrath Tipu Wakf Estate Development Committee was held at Gumbaz in Srirangapatna this morning.

Hazrath Tipu Wakf Estate Development Committee Chairman and MLA Tanveer Sait offered floral tributes to the tomb of Tipu Sultan located inside the Gumbaz.

Hazrath Moulana Hafiz -o-Qari-Inayath Ur Rahman, Khateeb-o-Imam, Masjid-e-Aqsa, Gumbad-e-Shahi recited versus of Holy Quran and prayed for Hazrath Tipu.

Hazrath Moulana Mahmood Ul Hassan, Moulana Ayub Ansari, Moulana Akbar Shariff, Iqbal Pasha, Allah Bakash Bakshi, Jameel Ahmed Ashrafi, Mohammed Abdul Salam, Khaleel Ur Rahman, Abdul Khader, Ibrahim Shariff, Haseena Shariff, Syed Akram Pasha, Mohammed Rafiq, Pansari Mujeeb Ahmed, Estate Officer Mohamed Ayub and others were present.

In another programme organised by Mysore City (District) Congress Committee at its office on Sayyaji Rao Road, MLA Vasu regretted that Tipu Sultan’s history had been distorted and said that even today the idol given by him to the Nanjangud Temple was being offered puja which showed his affection towards all religions.

Vasu urged the Tipu’s critics to study about Tipu in detail before passing any comments.

MLA M.K. Somashekar, former MLA Mukhtarunnisa Begum, Mysore City Congress Committee President C. Dasegowda, former Mayors Arif Hussain and Ayub Khan and others were present. Members present offered floral tributes to the portrait of Tipu Sultan.

It was on this day Tipu Sultan died fighting against the British Army in the year 1799. His body was found among the dead near the Ranganatha Swamy Temple.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / May 04th, 2014

Mangala remembers Scarlett ‘Kempamma’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, World Opinion

 

T. Scarlett Epstein, also known as 'Kempamma'.
T. Scarlett Epstein, also known as ‘Kempamma’.

The people of Mangala, a village in Mandya district, chose to re-christen T. Scarlett Epstein “Kempamma” when she came to their village in the ’50s. They were unaware that the first name of the young woman roughly translated to the Kannada variant they had picked and that her study on their village was to bring her international renown.

Dr. Epstein (OBE), who passed away in U.K. at 91 on April 27, had a lasting connection with Mangala and Kalenahalli where she stayed in the ’50s during the course of her Ph.D on the socio-economy of Mysore villages, with renowned sociologist late M.N. Srinivas as her guide. She kept in touch with Mangala all her life, her last visit being in 2010. The villagers held a condolence meeting when they heard of her death.

From AustriaDr. Epstein’s journey to academia was nothing short of an adventure. The social anthropologist and economist was a Jewish refugee from Vienna who left Austria in 1938, as a high school girl, after Germany annexed it during World War II. She eventually made her home in the UK, working as a labourer in a clothes factory as she studied, slowly gaining a foothold in academia, she reveals in her autobiography, Swimming Upstream. Her visit to Mangala was the first leg of her long and illustrious journey.

Manjamma, an elderly resident of Mangala, recalls Dr. Epstein as someone who was always interested in studying the routine activities of rural women. “She learnt to put rangoli and got used to our ragi mudde and naati chicken curry,” she says.

Though she later worked in others parts of the globe and published over 15 academic works, her link to Mangala was special, recalls T. Thimme Gowda, a former bureaucrat who hails from Mangala and worked with Dr. Epstein on her field studies. “I was a boy of seven when she first visited our village,” he says.

In KannadaHer Ph.D work, as well as two of her important works rooted in Karnataka — ‘South India Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ and ‘Village Voices’ — have been translated into Kannada and brought out by the University of Agricultural Sciences, says Mr. Gowda.

“When she visited the village in 2010, she was worried about the large-scale migration because of agrarian distress and wanted to write about it and also do something to prevent it,” recalls Mr. Gowda.

source:http//www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Bageshree S. and M.T. ShivaKumar / Bangalore – Mandya, April 29th, 2014

In the company of two Governors

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

Pages from History

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by Prof. A.V.Narasimha Murthy

Dr. Channa Reddy was the Governor of Lucknow University and at the suggestion of Prof. B.N. Puri, we went to the Raj Bhavan and called on the Governor. When I was introduced by Prof. Puri to His Excellency, I told him, ‘Sir, I have met you twice in Hyderabad; once in the company of Mallampalli Somasekhara Sharma and on another occasion with Oruganti Ramachandariah, both my gurus.’ He was pleased and told me, ‘in that case why are you not talking to me in Telugu.’ The Governor continued, ‘you are fortunate that you were a student of Mallampalli. He is a great man. You know, he is not even a graduate but his book History of Reddi Kingdom is an authoritative book on the subject. Four doctorate degrees can be awarded to that research work. When I had recommended his name for professorship at the Andhra University, the authorities turned it down on the ground that he has no Master’s degree and a doctorate. Finally, I got him selected as a Visiting Professor…’

The other day I was reading my own book Chadurida Chitragalu in Kannada published on the occasion of my 75th birthday by Talukina Venkannaiah Smaraka Publications of T. S. Chayapati. It contains 75 anecdotes relating to me which incidentally throw light on the contemporary academic and social scene. Fortunately this book was welcomed by Kannada readers and it has become out-of-print and its next edition is due. I thought I should share with my readers two of the incidents which I considered interesting.

Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh has a renowned Department of Ancient Indian History and I used to visit that University for many official purposes. Prof. B.N. Puri was the Professor at Lucknow University and on his invitation I visited the University. At that time, Dr. Channa Reddy was the Governor and at the suggestion of Dr. Puri we went to Raj Bhavan and called on the Governor. I was introduced by Dr. Puri to His Excellency, the Governor. I told him, ‘Sir, I have met you twice in Hyderabad; once in the company of Mallampalli Somasekhara Sharma and on another occasion with Oruganti Ramachandariah, both my gurus.’ He was pleased and told me, ‘in that case why are you not talking to me in Telugu.’ He turned towards Dr. Puri and said, ‘hope you don’t mind if we talk in Telugu.’

The Governor continued, ‘you are fortunate that you were a student of Mallampalli. He is a great man. You know, he is not even a graduate. But his book History of Reddi Kingdom is an authoritative book on the subject. Four doctorate degrees can be awarded to that research work. What a pity! When I had recommended his name for professorship at the Andhra University, the authorities turned it down on the ground that he has no Master’s degree and a doctorate. Finally, I got him selected as a Visiting Professor. I felt the Andhra University should have considered itself proud to have such a great scholar on its faculty.’ Thus he expressed his unhappiness over the way in which the University behaved.

Subsequently, he remembered with respect many of his Professors working at the Andhra University. He continued, ‘you are from Karnataka. There was a great visionary by name R.R. Diwakar, a scholar and Statesman. He planned a work called Karnataka Through the Ages and it was published under his guidance. After seeing that wonderful volume, I told many Professors and Vice-Chancellors to take up the work Andhra Through the Ages. But nobody took any interest in it and such a book has not been published for Andhra so far and again he felt sad about it.

Finally, he turned towards Dr. Puri and said what is the purpose of your visit. Dr. Puri talked about some official matters and added that it will be good if Prof. Narasimha Murthy is nominated for Selection Committees of the Universities in UP. He smiled and said no problem. It was done and I was nominated as the Chancellor’s nominee which gave me opportunities of visiting Lucknow, Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad, Garhwal etc. We took leave of the Governor. Dr. Puri was highly pleased. After my retirement I have not visited Lucknow University nor Dr. Puri. Only memories remain.

Dr. T.N. Chaturvedi was the Governor of Karnataka and I knew him as a great scholar in Ancient Indian History prior to his becoming the Governor. I used to meet him at functions and talk to him. Infact he released my book on Sringeri at the Gokhale Institute, Bangalore, and had praised my book. As General Secretary of South Indian Numismatic (coin) Society, I wanted to arrange the annual conference at Dravidian University, Kuppam. Dr. Gangiraju Lakshminarayana was its Vice-Chancellor. As soon as I told him that I was a student of Mallampalli and Oruganti, he got up from his seat, hugged me and said, ‘You are a fortunate person.’ Immediately he agreed to my suggestion of holding the Numismatic Conference at Kuppam.

He added, ‘I have been trying to arrange the visit of His Excellency Dr. T.N. Chaturvedi to our University. But travelling by road is very tedious and hence it has not materialised. I will be grateful if you can request Dr. Chaturvedi to inaugurate this conference.’

I went to the Raj Bhavan and personally invited the Governor. His Private Secretary suggested the Governor not to accept the invitation because of the tedious and hazardous journey to Kuppam. Further it is outside the Karnataka State. I lost hopes. But His Excellency, the Governor, turned towards me and said, ‘but I cannot say no to Prof. Murthy; let us somehow manage.’ As I felt happy, the Secretary was disappointed. After a couple of days, I met the Governor and handed over the printed invitation. ‘I will definitely come,’ he assured me.

One day before the conference, I went to Kuppam to look into the arrangements and I was satisfied by the arrangements made by the Vice-Chancellor. The Governor arrived at 10 am on 21.1.2006 at the venue and he inaugurated the conference and made a good speech about our coins. He even traced the antiquity of our coinage during the Vedic period when a gold coin called Nishka was used. He referred to the coin reforms made by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. Finally he referred to the British coins and post-independent era coins. He called upon the coin collectors to collect as many coins as possible and save them for posterity as they have a heritage value.

I felt very happy as he mentioned my name three times during his speech and I also felt proud. That year I was awarded the P.L. Gupta Medal for my contribution to South Indian Numismatics. I received that medal from T.N. Chaturvedi.

The inauguration was over and it was lunch time. The Police and the Collector had arranged his lunch at the Vice-Chancellor’s Bungalow and the invitees were the Police and Revenue Officials. As soon as he saw them, he called the ADC and told him to invite me, Krishhnamurthy, Conference President and others so that he could talk to them over lunch. All of us had good lunch in the exalted company of the Governor with lot of academic discussions.

After some rest, he sent for me and said, ‘Prof. Murthy, I would like to meet the delegates for sometime over a cup of tea.’ It was arranged and he mixed freely with all the delegates and enquired about their collections. Some of the specialists showed some coins which he saw with the help of a lens and appreciated their efforts.

It was time for him to leave for Bangalore at 5 pm. His car came and I went upto him and thanked him profusely. He said, ‘special thanks to Prof. Murthy for having given me an opportunity to inaugurate this conference and thereby educating me regarding our ancient coinage which is a valuable heritage.’ The car left and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lakshminarayana was supremely happy and said, ‘my desire of getting the Governor Dr. Chaturvedi to our University was fulfilled by you, Prof. Murthy; I am grateful to you.’

We were in regular correspondence till Dr. Lakshminarayana retired from the Vice-Chancellorship of the Dravidian University. He had invited me to deliver special lectures at this University.

Almost after many years, the memories of these two events with two enlightened Governors are still green in my memory. That gives me the satisfaction of having accomplished a responsibility that was expected of me. Perhaps that is my strength.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / May 03rd, 2014

Prof. Indira felicitated on retirement

Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

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Mysore :

“The Post Graduate Department in Sociology at Manasagangotri has a long history extending over 6 decades and it is left to the students and the teaching faculty to carry forward the legacy of the department,” opined Prof. R. Indira, who is retiring from service today.

She was speaking at the function organised by the Sociology Department to felicitate her on attaining superannuation, at the department premises in Mansagangotri yesterday.

Citing the example of Dr. T. Scarlett Epstein, a women social anthropologist from England who had conducted studies in Mandya District in the 1950’s on ‘Rural Transformation in South India,’ Prof. Indira called upon the sociology students to read Scarlett’s works such as ‘Economic development and social change in South India,’ ‘Capitalism, Primitive and Modern’ and ‘Village Voices.’

Scarlett Epstein, popularly known as Mangala Kempamma, left an indelible footprint on Mangala and its surrounding village in Mandya, Prof. Indira said and added that Epstein’s books have been included in the curriculum of many Indian Universities.

Recalling her association with the University in various capacities which extended over four decades, Prof. Indira said she was delighted with the warmth in the University campus.

She also expressed thanks to everyone for extending their co-operation during her long association with the University.

Associate Professor Dr. S. Yashoda, Sociology Department students and others were present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General New / April 30th, 2014

Kuncha Bhramari : Talk on Floral World of Mukta Venkatesh at Ramsons tomorrow

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

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Mysore :

‘Kuncha Bhramari,’ a talk on the floral world of artist Mukta Venkatesh will be held at Pratima Gallery, Nazarbad Main road, tomorrow (April 27) at 5 pm under the auspices of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana. This is the fifth edition in the talk series, hosted every fortnight since March 2 as part of Kalaa Dhaaraa – the mega exhibition of contemporary art. This last talk will be in the form of a conversation between Girija Madhavan (artist), daughter of Mukta Venkatesh and R.G. Singh, Secretary, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, following a multimedia presentation.

K.B. Ganapathy, Editor-in-Chief, Star of Mysore, will be the chief guest. Smitha Ningraj, art teacher and research scholar will make a power-point presentation on the floral world of Mukta Venkatesh.

Mukta Venkatesh, a painter-poet, lived to be a 101 years old, painting to the last. She was born in 1902 in Tamil Nadu, one of the daughters of a Victorian liberal and a scholar with a taste of English literature and decidedly unorthodox views. Mukta married Venkatesh, son of Madhava Shastri of the Oriental Research Library, spent a long sojourn in London where she studied under Plein Aire master Xavier Willis. She came back to Mysore in 1922 and never left the sprawling gardens of her house in Mysore. Mukta’s paintings of flowers acquire a soft dreamscape of their own — the exquisite colours, every shade, every curl of the petals, the age, the bruise and smudge on the petals, the vividness of colours etc.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / April 26th, 2014