Bengaluru  :

Within a radius of one kilometre in Basavanagudi are a string of old bungalows, each with a story to tell. One century-old house was built by former Mysore dewan MN Krishna Rao while another stately structure belonged to M Mahadevan of the Survey of India. Two homes nearby belonged to freedom fighter Nittoor Srinivasa Rau and HAL’s former financial director CV Srinivasa Rao.

Students of History Department at Government College and employees of Government Museum, Kalaburagi, and others took part in a function to celebrate International Museum Day, here on Friday.

“Museums collect, preserve, archive and display elements of our past and have a story to tell. The collection displayed at the museums could do with more attention,” observed Manjula Chincholli, Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in History, Gulbarga University.

Emphasising the need to involve students in museum and archaeology studies, Dr. Chincholli added that visiting museums should be a part of the curriculum for history students. The task to draw in more people is not managed by increasing the number of objects or artifacts, but by a regular communication between people and scholars and the museum, she added.

Sarvodaya Shivaputra, head of History Department, Government College Kalaburagi, said that museums must promote exhibitions that are topical and challenging.

“They must broaden their scope and not restrict themselves solely to objects and materials in their collections. Museums must show leadership in the promotion of the heritage of the nation.”

Later, S.S. Wani, convener for INTACH, took the students around the museum and explained the significance of the artefacts.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Kalaburagi – May 19th, 2018

Bengaluru :

A team of heritage enthusiasts has stumbled upon a 13th-century stone inscription in JP Nagar’s Sarakki in south Bengaluru. Strangely, a major portion of the relic is buried in the foundation of Anjaneya temple and talks are on with the temple trust to recover the same.

Rajeeva Nrupathunga, founder of Revival Heritage Hub (RHH), an NGO, said the inscription bears the name Veera Ballala, who was a king of the Hosyala empire. “The Hosyala dynasty ruled the present Karnataka region between the 10th and 14th centuries. A large portion of the stone, which measures 8×8 ft, is buried in the foundation. Going by the dimensions, it could be the second-biggest stone inscription for the city after the Hero Stone Inscription in Begur, which dates back to 900AD,” he added.

“After speaking to the temple trustee, we learnt that the stone inscription might have shifted to the foundation area during the temple’s renovation about 60 years ago or another makeover the temple went through 15 years ago. The temple has ahistory of over 350 years,” said Prashanth B, a heritage buff.

RHH is in talks with temple authorities to restore the stone inscription so that it can be studied. “There was more than one king by the name Veera Ballala under the Hoysalas. Only after analysing the entire inscription can we say which one it mentions,” said an RHH member.

According to historians, Bengaluru was home to over 175 recorded stone inscriptions in the early 21st century, with some dating back to the 5th century. But 70% of them have either been lost or are in bad shape due to negligence.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News / by Rohith BR / TNN/ May 29th, 2018

Vidyarthi Bhavan in Basavanagudi has stood the test of time

What started as a modest eatery for students has, over the years, become a landmark of sorts. Vidyarthi Bhavan in Basavanagudi has come a long way since it was established in 1943. This year, as it turns 75, the restaurant has managed to stand the test of time, the changing palates of Bengalureans, and the onslaught of newcomers in the food and beverages space offering everything from Mediterranean to Vietnamese cuisine, with its staple six offerings.

To this day, the benne masala dose is the top seller. In fact, the management keeps track of the number of customers each day through a dose lekka. The number is around 1,250 on a weekday, and up to 2,200 per day on a weekend. The other items are poori-saagu, khara bath and kesari bath, idli-sambar, uppittu and rave vade.

The menu has more or less remained the same over the years. One item that disappeared, said Arun Adiga, managing partner, Vidyarthi Bhavan, was the gulab jamun (not in the regular round shape) after the chef who made it from scratch passed away in the 1980s.

Changes over the years

The timings have been extended only slightly, closing at 8 p.m. now instead of 7.30 p.m., on popular demand. There are no plans to extend this further though, as the restaurant does not offer meals. The management pointed out that it will have implications on the shift timings of the 28 employees.

The rates, though, have seen a huge change: from ₹1 in the 1980s to ₹46 for a dosa now. This, Mr. Adiga said, was proportional to other overheads.

Their customer base has expanded. “Bengaluru has changed. In the 1940s, when Vidyarthi Bhavan was started, people were conservative about eating out. People who came here were students and people who came to Bengaluru. Now, it is the other way round. People barely cook at home and eating out is the norm. People will search for new restaurants. But, unless you maintain quality, there will not be repeat customers,” he said.

Flip side of popularity

From being an adda of intellectuals, writers and famous personalities, including the likes of Rajnikanth — who apparently comes in disguise, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, D.V. Gundappa, C. Ashwath and Nissar Ahmed, to becoming one of the must-go destinations for anyone who lives in or is exploring Bengaluru, publicity through media, particularly social media, has expanded its popularity beyond its regular circles and south Bengaluru. But, there is a flip side.

Mr. Adiga said some customers come in with high expectations, and end up disappointed with the way things are, be it the building (the management has brought in some changes, yet kept it like its old self), the fact that they may have to share a table with strangers, or if they are not blown away by the taste of the food.

“Some people ask for the menu. They are disappointed when we tell them that we have only six items to offer. In other cases, even before they have paid the bill, they have reviewed the food on social media and branded it good or bad. But we can’t satisfy everyone, though we try to satisfy at least 90% of the customers,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Staff Reporter / May 29th, 2018

Bengaluru :

A team of archaeologists recently discovered a 10-ft thick and100-ft deep masonry wall in Mysuru district, which dates back to the 5th century.

The wall, excavated in Talakadu, a desert-like town on the left bank of Cauvery river and located about 45km from Mysuru, was built to save the then settlement from floods, according to experts.

Archaeologist MS Krishna Murthy, who spearheaded the excavation work, said some portions of the wall still stand strong indicating the level of expertise of ancient engineers. “We have excavated the wall up to a length of 15ft. But evidence from the site shows the wall was once 1-km long. It is the largest masonry wall in South India. Historical and archaeological analysis shows it stood strong for at least 1,000 years from the 5th to 15th century,” he said

Murthy, who has conducted extensive excavation work in Talakadu since 1992, made this revelation as spoke on ‘New archaeological discoveries at Talakadu, Karnataka’, at an event organised by the southern regional centre of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
The expert said the outer side of the wall bears signs of corrosion, which can be attributed to the continuous presence of river water. “The wall is even more significant as it is mostly built of bricks, clay and mortar as stones were not available in large quantities in the region. It has three layers and an interesting design, which indicates how skilled the people were during that era.It may have been built during the regime of Kiriya Madhava, a ruler from the Ganga dynasty,” he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mysore New / TNN / My 23rd, 2018