Category Archives: Nri’s / Pio’s

Saudi Arabia: Roshan Rodrigues to lead Karnataka NRI Forum Jeddah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's

Jeddah/Saudi Arabia :

The seventh annual general body meeting of the Karnataka Non Resident Indian Forum (KNRI) Jeddah was held here recently.

Roshan Rodrigues of Mangalore was unanimously elected as the president of the Forum. KNRI is the only nonprofit social organization in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which represents entire Karnataka state and strives to help needy Kannadigas in the Saudi Arabia and India.

Speaking on the occasion, Roshan Rodrigues thanked all the members of the Forum for trusting him and accepting his leadership. He highlighted that KNRI is one family and othat has goal to take care of our all needy Kannadigas. He offered his congratulations on behalf of the Form to the first student from Dharwad district, adopted by the Forum for completing her studies for her selection in a campus interview by one of the leading software exporting companies.  He also reminded the aims and objectives of KNRI Forum and appealed to struggle for achieving those goals by providing financial and social support to needy Kannadigas. He urged Committee members to put in concerted efforts and appealed to the seniors to guide him to perform these tasks smoothly.

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A Committee of 29 members was formed:

Manzoor Ahmed (Hassan) and Sabu Chandran (Bangalore) – Vice Presidents; Syed Nasir Khursheed (Gubarga) –  General Secretary; Yashwanth Amin (Mangalore) – Joint Secretary; Aijaz Ahmed (Shimoga)- Meeting coordinator; Sri Harsha (Bangalore) – Treasurer; Habib Rahaman (Udupi) and Syed Haseebuddin (Bangalore) – Joint Treasurers; Niaz Ahmed (Mysore) – Press and Public Relation Secretary; Mohammed Saif (Mysore) –  Cultural Secretary; Mohammed Kaleem (Raychur), Mohsin Khan (Bidar) and Pravin Netekar (Sirsi-Kharwar) – Joint Cultural Secretaries; Peter Mascarenhans Udupi – Sports Secretary; Arif Shimoga  – Joint Sport Secretary; Shaikh Saoud (Udupi) – IT Coordinator; Mukarram Khan (Bangalore) – Membership Coordinator; Mohammed Mansoor,(Mangalore) Vasu Manchegowda (Mandya) and Krish Jangal (Hubli) – Advisory Council Members; and Mohammed Arif (Udupi), Alok Pattar( Hubli), Mohammed Saheb,(Karkala) Imtiaz Ahmed,(Shimoga) Syed Shakeel Ahmed,(Bangalore) Momin Mohammed Iylas (Bhatkal), Faizee Razak Sheik, (Mangalore) Mohammed Saleem Khaleefa (Gulbarga)  were elected as Executive Members.

S M Jafar conducted the proceedings and advised the new Committee to come up with ambitious plans for the welfare of Karnataka residents in particular and the Indian community in general. Mohammed Mansoor congratulated the newly elected body and advised them to work with positive spirit and elevate the forum to a higher level.
Vasu Manche Gowda outlined the KNRI Forum’s vision and urged Kannadigas to play a vital role to reach and help poor and needy people. Outgoing President Krish Jangal congratulated the new team and said social work demands time, energy and dedication. He said God will reward for serving the community, and it will also develop managerial skills.
The secretary Nasir Khursheed described this Forum as a group of family members and requested members to “keep the same spirit of unity which is our identity.
Yashwanth Amin appealed to Kannadigas residing here to feel free and join the forum. They can be reached us through email knriforumjeddah@gmail.com
The program was compered by Niaz Ahmed Mysore) and Sabu Chandran delivered the vote of thanks and specially thanked the Indian Consulate for their tremendous support towards the KNRI Forum in Jeddah.

source: http://www.bellevision.com / BelleVision.com / Home> News / by Arun Palimar, Bellevision Media Network / Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) – June 24th, 2014

UK Marks Centenary of Indian-Origin WW II Spy Noor Inayat Khan

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

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London: 

The birth centenary year of Noor Inayat Khan, the famous Indian-origin World War II spy, was observed in the UK this week.

Popular English novelist and political commentator Frederick Forsyth was among the key guests at a special memorial event in London to celebrate the life of Noor, the great-great-great-grand-daughter of Tipu Sultan, who became the first female radio operator to be sent from Britain into occupied France.

“What is so remarkable about Noor Inayat Khan is that she owed us nothing; she didn’t have to go,” said Forsyth, the well-known thriller writer behind books such as ‘The Day of the Jackal’ and ‘The Odessa File’ who compared her to the 18th century ruler, Tipu Sultan, known as the ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

“When it came to being recruited for the SOE (Special Operations Executive), she could have said ‘thank you but no’…but she volunteered. There must be something of the old tiger in her genes. It is recorded that she fought like a tigress…Noor absolutely did not die for nothing.

“She is an amazement, a remarkable and extraordinarily brave woman who did what she did for a country to which she owed nothing,” Forsyth said.

The memorial event was organised by the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust set up by Shrabani Basu – author of the World War II heroine’s biography ‘Spy Princess’.

It coincided with the dates of June 16-17, 1943, when Noor – under her codename Madeleine – was flown to the landing ground in Northern France.

“She combined the rational side of her personality with her hatred of injustice and became one of our greatest heroines. My hope is that she would have gone back to that inner life that sustained her,” said Christine Crawley, a Labour party politician who has campaigned for the contribution of women agents in the war to be commemorated.

The SOE was an underground force established in Britain in 1940 by war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill to “set Europe ablaze”.

It recruited men and women to launch a guerilla war against Hitler’s forces.

Noor, born in September 1914 to an Indian Muslim father and an American mother, grew up in Britain and France.

Despite her pacifist views, she decided to join the war effort to defeat the Nazis and was eventually captured.

In spite of being repeatedly tortured and interrogated, she revealed nothing and was executed by an SS officer on September 13, 1944, at Dachau concentration camp at the age of 30.

She was later awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian decoration in the UK, in recognition of her bravery.

A bust in Noor’s memory now stands at Gordon Square in central London, a stone’s throw from the home she briefly lived in.

source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Diaspora / Press Trust of India / June 19th, 2014

A Gandhi who studied in Mysore

Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion

by  M. S. Diwakar

A few days ago, I read with interest a news item in several newspapers about Dr. Shanti Gandhi, a descendent of Mahatma Gandhi, contesting and winning a seat in an Assembly district in the United States.

Dr. Shanti Gandhi, son of Kantilal Gandhi and Saraswathi Gandhi, had stood for election on a Republican ticket and he defeated his Democratic rival, Theodore Ensley in the elections held in Kansas’ State. Dr. Shanti Gandhi, a cardio vascular surgeon, had contested for the 52nd Assembly district. He arrived in the United States in 1967 as a medical graduate from Bombay.

This news item immediately triggered my memory and I soon realised that Shanti Gandhi’s father, Kantilal Gandhi, had studied medicine in Mysore.

Both Kantilal and his wife Saraswathi had spent several years in Mysore when Kantilal was studying medicine. They had stayed on in separate houses but would meet both during the day and in the evenings and spend time together and join their neighbours in participating in Gandhian activities, including singing Ram bhajans, debates and discussions.

Kantilal Gandhi’s father was Harilal Gandhi, the eldest son of Mahatma Gandhi. Harilal had always dreamt of making Kantilal a doctor. Kantilal passed matriculate when he was 20 years of age and despite disapproval from the Mahatma, his grandfather, he decided to study medicine in Mysore.

The credit for ensuring that Kantilal chose Mysore to study goes to Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Dewan of Mysore State. Mysore was under the Wadiyars and it was steadily making progress in all the fields. It was also one of the most progressive Princely States in India and Gandhi had a fairly good acquaintance with the then Maharaja and Dewan.

Kantilal settled down in Mysore with his wife. They spent several years in Mysore before Harilal came to see them. Harilal stayed with them for several weeks and enjoyed the company of his family. Mahatma Gandhi too was pleased that Harilal had settled down with his family and wrote to Saraswathi about it.

Mahatma Gandhi also addressed several letters to Kantilal, affectionately calling him Kanti. He affectionately called Saraswathi “Saru.” In one of his letters, he says Mysore is a good choice for him to study as it has produced some brilliant people.

Kanti called his wife Saru. By accounts, Kantilal and Saraswathi led a happy life in Mysore. While Harilal (born in 1888) died in 1948, Kantilal died in 1983. His wife Saraswathi died in Tiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on December 15, 2008.

Dr. Shanti Gandhi happens to be the son of this illustrious couple.

A book, Mahatma Versus Gandhi by Dinakara Joshi and letters by Gandhi to Harilal Gandhi and Kantilal Gandhi will give more details on these aspects.

[M.S.Diwakar of Bangalore can be contacted on Mob: 9880046397]

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / June 03rd, 2014

BR Shetty’s plans for Travelex after Dh6.15bn acquisition

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

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B R Shetty, the Indian businessman and philanthropist who recently bought Travelex for a reported £1 billion (Dh6.15bn), says he is likely to open new stores and may restart Travelex’s remittances business.

“We plan to be in 50 countries in two years’ time,” said Mr Shetty, who is also the chief executive of UAE Exchange. “We’re mainly expecting to expand to richer countries in Asia and Africa.”

Travelex currently has branches in 32 countries, as well as 1,500 outlets.

The two exchange organisations will “not immediately” merge and “will be run independently”, he said. Mr Shetty said he would “not remove anyone at Travelex management”. But he did say there would probably be “opportunities for both businesses to work more closely together”.

Travelex currently has branches in 32 countries, as well as 1,500 outlets.

The two exchange organisations will “not immediately” merge and “will be run independently”, he said. Mr Shetty said he would “not remove anyone at Travelex management”. But he did say there would probably be “opportunities for both businesses to work more closely together”.

He also said the two had different target markets. “UAE Exchange caters for lower and middle-class customers – Travelex is for middle-class and upper-class customers.

“I bought it to expand it, not to reap a short-term reward from it,” he adds. “I’m a long-term investor – I’m not a private equity company. I bought Travelex to expand and nurture the company.”

Travelex recorded an annual loss of £186.4 million, against revenues of £695m at the end of 2013. The company’s financial statements said that was largely due to the debt loaded on to the company when it was acquired by the private equity company Apax.

Mr Shetty’s acquisition was supported by Centurion Investments, the Abu Dhabi investment firm, which contributed funding. Mr Shetty said Centurion’s role was “mainly financial”, but that he would “take advantage of the advisory services that they have to offer”. Mr Shetty was advised in the transaction by Standard Chartered Bank, Evercore, Mena Financial Partners and Linklaters.

An independent public offering for UAE Exchange would be delayed for at least two years, Mr Shetty said.

“We’re still planning to operate the IPO … but we don’t need cash – we have enough cash to sustain the business. Whenever we want to expand further, we’ll go to an IPO,” he said.

Centurion is owned and controlled by Saeed bin Butti Al Qubaisi. The company owns a 40 per cent stake in NMC Healthcare, which Mr Shetty founded. NMC was floated in London in 2012 at a market valuation of £117m. It currently has a market capitalisation of £899m. Mr Shetty retains a 20.3 per cent stake in the business.

The remittances industry is expanding at a fast clip, with total remittances expected to grow at 9 per cent per year, rising from US$414bn in 2013 to $540bn in 2016, according to the World Bank.

New technologies are changing how remittances companies do business. Facebook recently acquired the British start-up Transferwise, started by two Estonian immigrants to the UK, which partners local senders and receivers of currency instead of transferring money abroad. With 100 million Facebook users in India, the company could draw on a large pool of customers for any new money transfer business.

But Mr Shetty is confident that technology will help his remittances business. He points to instant money transfer services as an example of how innovation has benefited his business.

“We have our own innovations,” he said. “New technologies can only benefit the transfer industry.”

abouyamourn@thenational.ae

source: http://www.thenational.ae / The National / Home> Business> Industry Insights> Finance / by Adam Bouyamourn / May 31st, 2014

Youngster from city walks the red carpet at the famed Cannes Film Festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

by S.N.Venkatnag Sobers

Every person dreams of walking the Red Carpet at premier film festivals or at least to be a part of the festival in some way or the other. This is a talented Mysorean has had that opportunity.

Vaishak Vasanth Kumar, son of Rajyotsava awardee Vasanth Kumar Thimkapura, city’s renowned Agricultural Scientist, has just fulfilled his dream of walking the Red Carpet at Cannes Film Festival held this year.

A student at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, Vaishak was one among the 30 students selected to be a part of the Cannes Film Festival from the University.

Vaishak has been pursuing his studies in Bachelor of Arts with Political Science and Economics as his major subjects in the University.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Vaishak said that every year his University gets 30 invitations from the organisers of Cannes Film Festival and the University conducts a selection process which includes writing essays and one-on-one interviews to select the team to represent the University at the Cannes Film Festival.

He added that he was the only student from India and the only non-American to be a part of the student delegation.

“The interview involves writing about the history of cinema and the Cannes Film Festival as well. Only after getting through the two rounds I got an opportunity to be a part the team which visited Cannes,” said Vaishak.

During his 13-day stay in Cannes, the student team was given the task of watching 25 films screened at the festival. But, Vaishak making good use of the given opportunity watched 30 movies one among them was the ‘Winter Sleep,’ a Turkish movie, which won the prestigious PALME D’OR (Golden Palm Award) this year.

He added that it was his first visit to the Cannes Film Festival and said that he got an opportunity to meet the representatives of Warner Brothers and Disney.

Vaishak also added that he also met actors James Mc Avoy of X-Men fame, Jassica Chastian of Zero Dark Thirty fame, Salma Hayek, Zoe Saldana and Indian actors Ranvir Shorey and Shashank Arora.

Speaking about movies, Vaishak said that when compared to Hollywood movies and films from other countries, Indian movies had very little international appeal as it is made only for the Indian audience and it was very hard for the producers to pitch in the Indian movie for international audience.

“There is much more to be done in Bollywood if Indian movies have to be showcased in International Film Festival like the Cannes. The only movie which was showcased was ‘Titli’ of Yash Raj Films. People in Hollywood and film makers around the world take risks while scripting a movie, but in India such risks are not taken. There is a need for film fraternity in India to also give importance for parallel movies compared to the mainstream commercial movies,” said Vaishak.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles /by S.N.Venkatnag Sobers /  May 29th, 2014

Growers happy as arecanut prices more than double in a year

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's
The price of rashi, idi, api and chali varieties of arecanut, which was around Rs. 130 a kg during the same period last year, is now Rs. 320 a kg. The price of saraku variety that was around Rs. 180 a kg last year is being traded at Rs. 370 now. / File photo / The Hindu
The price of rashi, idi, api and chali varieties of arecanut, which was around Rs. 130 a kg during the same period last year, is now Rs. 320 a kg. The price of saraku variety that was around Rs. 180 a kg last year is being traded at Rs. 370 now. / File photo / The Hindu

Prices of local varieties have gone up from Rs. 130 a kg to Rs. 320

Arecanut prices have more than doubled in a year bringing cheer to growers. Factors such as gutka ban and the rumours on a possible ban on arecanut itself have not affected the optimistic mood prevailing in the market.

D.B. Shankarappa, director, Shimoga Arecanut Merchants’ Association, told The Hindu that the decision taken by the Centre to hike the minimum import price of arecanut and the decline in production owing to climatic changes were the reasons for the sharp increase in the prices.

The price of rashi, idi, api and chali varieties of arecanut, which was around Rs. 130 a kg during the same period last year, is now Rs. 320 a kg. The price of saraku variety that was around Rs. 180 a kg last year is being traded at Rs. 370 now.

The Central government decided on May 13 last year to hike the minimum import price of arecanut from Rs. 75 to Rs. 110 a kg. This decision triggered an upward movement in the prices of locally grown arecanut. The prices of rashi, idi, api and chali varieties that was at Rs. 130 a kg in the first week of May last year reached Rs. 180 a kg by the end of the month.

The growers were under the apprehension that the prices might crash following the decision taken by the State government on May 31, 2013, to ban gutka. However, after the ban, gutka entered the market in a new avatar.

As mixing of arecanut with tobacco was banned, firms engaged in the production of gutka began selling arecanut and tobacco in separate pouches. Even after the ban, the prices continued to rise. The prices of rashi, idi, api and chali varieties reached Rs. 210 a kg by the first week of August and remained stable for six months after.

In September 2013, Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare wrote to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to examine the scientific evidences on the harmful effects of arecanut on human health, with a view to classify it as an injurious substance and prohibit its use as an ingredient in food products.

A section of growers saw this as a first step to ban arecanut. The protests and debates that happened in January this year over the issue again led to the concern that the prices may fall. Interestingly, the prices remained insulated from these developments. The prices of arecanut began to move northwards again from the first week of February this year.

Owing to heavy rain that lashed the Malnad region and coastal Karnataka in the 2013 monsoon, more than 50 per cent of arecanut plantations were infected with kole roga, also known as fruit rot disease. The yield declined by more than 30 per cent resulting in a mismatch between the demand and supply for arecanut, owing to which the prices increased since February. Arecanut merchants here anticipate a further increase of 10 per cent in the prices by the end of this month.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangalore / by Veerendra P.M. / Shimoga – May 02nd, 2014

Tindipotha gastronomic delight from a food truck

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Travel

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by Phalgunn Maharishi

The residents of Mysore, especially in the neighbourhoods of Bannimantap and Rajeev Nagar are now familiar with a big truck parked on the roadside near JSS Dental College with shining lights and people surrounding it eating costly food. But wait a minute! Costly food in a big truck? Well, it seems to be costly as the big truck sells fresh American-Mexican food but that’s not really costly. “A Mysorean can now fill his stomach with some classy food for just Rs. 80 on an average,” said Syed Manju while speaking about his big boy “Tindipotha.”

Syed Manju previously held the position of an Area Manager handling Public Relations and Marketing for 28 years in Costco, USA, the Number 3 retailer in the world which directly competes with Walmart, before heading towards Mysore to come up with his dream boy. “I had a passion towards cooking due to which I quit the job and came to Mysore with an interest in doing something unique, something which never existed here. That’s when Tindipotha was born,” commented Syed Manju while speaking about how it all started. The ecstatic and energetic Syed Manju keeps travelling back and forth between Mysore and Bellingham (90 miles north of Seattle in the United States) where his wife (Diane Houston), little girl Zara (16) and a little boy Iyan (14) lives.

Originally born in Channapatna and brought up in Mandya, Syed Manju is a self made man. He studied B.Sc and Diploma in Film Acting. He soon landed into Kannada Film Industry during his late 20s by directing films like Neenakkaga and Kanoonige Sawaal after which he travelled to USA for a trip to stay with his brothers and sisters for a while. Manju said, “Don’t ask me how, but I got my green card over there” with a wink and also added, “I never wanted to be there forever. Infact I had plans of directing more films in Kannada, but my fate made me stay there,” with a sweet smile. The last film produced by Manju was Appaji starring late Dr. Vishnuvardhan in the lead role released in 1996.

Coming back to Tindipotha, it all started roughly an year ago when Syed Manju and his brother Rafi Manju bought an old truck and got it rebuilt in Mandya to bring the new fancy boy to the streets of Mysore. “I was scared in the beginning. It was something new, something which the Mysoreans never experienced before. A new food to a new market. We had to prepare American-Mexican style foods with the ingredients available in Mysore and it didn’t seem easy for us in the beginning. But we did it and still doing it. It’s been an year and we are doing good,” said Syed Manju while speaking about Tindipotha.

Tindipotha has recently transformed itself from being just a food truck into a youth junction where we can find college going kids spending their cool evenings eating the sizzling new dishes like Nachos, Chicken Melt, Roti Lapat, Gilli Chicken, Turpi Chicken, Rollito, Apple Dream, Lava Pie, and many more summing up to over twenty different types of food.

“My brother Rafi Manju manages the front end and cash while my nephew Syed Umair Manju is our grill master. He even looks after the crew. Farhan, the cousin of Umair, assists the crew inside out and Tausif does all the deep fry and plating. Siddique and Atiq have been newly added to the crew and are learning ropes. Tausif, Siddique and Atiq are all family friends. We are all family and its a family business. The whole crew, except me and my brother, are college going kids,” said Syed Manju while introducing the team of Tindipotha.

People love the food. We had an interactive session with some regular customers of Tindipotha who expressed their hearts out. Bashar and Abdur Razzak, who stay in Bannimantap said, “This is really nice. It’s different than what we find elsewhere. We don’t find such tasty food at any other place, especially the Nachos! We come here for Nachos,” when asked to express how they feel about Tindipotha. Areb and his friends Mohammed Fahad and Rakshad, who come all the way from Bangalore just to eat at Tindipotha, said that they still haven’t yet got over the taste of Chicken Melt. The trio commented, “Its been a year and we still come here to eat the same thing,” with a laugh. Dental students Alley and Ahmad, who are from Iran visit Tindipotha atleast twice a week and mentioned that they love the tasty food and also the hospitality given to them by Syed Manju and his crew.

While speaking about the unpredictability of such food business in a city like Mysore, Syed Manju said, “Usually weekends are the busiest days for us, yet we can never predict. Sometimes customers ask me, which is the best dish prepared here! Well, I tell them to close their eyes and put their finger on the menu and we will serve it. If they don’t like the food, let them not pay us but if they like it, they need to pay us double.” He also added, “We are different from other eating places in the city saying that we smile at our customers which we can never find in any other hotels in Mysore. We also appreciate each and every customer, thank them and enquire in person whether they liked the dish. The food is also custom made for every single customer according to his likes and dislikes and we keep changing the taste one plate at a time.”

Tindipotha is for sure a place to be cherished and one of its kind in Mysore. It’s both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food truck with some tasty healthy and classy American-Mexican food at low prices. Do you want to try some different custom made food? Just head towards Tindipotha in Bannimantap near JSS Dental College between 7 pm and 11 pm any day! For more details, type in TINDIPOTHA in facebook and you will get the fan page.

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

Abu Dhabi : UAE Bunts to host ‘World Bunts day’ on Apr 25

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Abu Dhabi :

Bisu Parba, harvest festival is being celebrated in Tulunadu every year on April 14.  Bisu Parba – 2013 was celebrated at the aegis of Bantara Sangha Mumbai with mega event as per the heads of all Bantara Sangha.

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World Bunts Day – 2014, 40th annual get-together will be organized by UAE Bunts  at Armed Forces Officers Club auditorium, Abu Dhabi on Friday April 25.  The heads of worldwide Bunts Sangha will be the specially-invited guests present on the occasion.

UAE Bunts Patron Dr B R Shetty will preside the mega event, while Swami Vidyavachaspati Vishwa Santosh Bharati of Barkoor, Udupi district, will inaugurate the programme.

Swami Vidyavachaspati Vishwa Santosh Bharati of Barkoor, Vijayanat Vittal Shetty, and Sarvotham Shetty

Swami Vidyavachaspati Vishwa Santosh Bharati of Barkoor, Vijayanat Vittal Shetty, and Sarvotham Shetty

Banta Vibhushan Award to be conferred on Sri.Vijayanat Vittal Shetty

The annual prestigious Banta Vibhushan Award will be conferred on Vijayanat Vittal Shetty, in recognition of his entrepreneurship, contributions to social service, sports and religious spheres.

Special attraction – ‘Bale Telipule’ Tulu comedy Skits

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Bale Telipule Tulu comedy skits will be presented on World Bunts Day by the award winning Prashamsa theater troupe of Kaup, Udupi district.  Kusalda Birse famed artiste Sandeep Shetty Manibettu, Prasanna Shetty Bailoor, Mervin Shirva and Sharat Ucchila will be other casts enthrall the gathering.

The contemporary Tulunadu culture and splendor of Bunts hierarchy will be unveiled during the daylong mega event.  The stage has been set to exhibit the folk art talent of children, youth and veterans.

The preparations are underway at the leadership of UAE Bunts president Sarvotham Shetty, along with the executive Committee comprised of members from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain & Norther Emirates.

The executive Committee urges all Bunts brethrens to arrive in traditional attire at the venue, as UAE Bunts have been known to present the show with punctuality and disciple in unveiling the rich tradition and practice of Bunts community.

For more info, contact the executive Committee members:

DUBAI

Kiran Shetty / Soujanya Kiran Shetty 0097150-3847266 / 0097152-7988343
Praveen Shenava / Gayathri Praveen Shenava 0097150-3574833 / 0097150-1561247
Dinesh Shetty (Yakshamitraru) / Arathi Dinesh Shetty 00971050-7083537 / 0097150-7025690

ABU DHABI

Dhanpal Shetty / Bharathi Dhanpal Shetty, 0097150-2357970 / 0097150-8532476
Sandesh Shetty / Sunaina Sandesh Shetty 0097150-3220684 / 0097150-5802465
Dr. Kiran Kumar Rai / Supriya Kiran Rai 0097150-3280165 / 0097156-2392029

SHARJAH

Samarth Shetty / Thrapthi Samarth Shetty 0097155-8891309 / 0097155-3763850
Nishit Alva / Saritha Nishit Alva 0097150-1505102 / 0097155-8105358
Rajkiran Rai / Deepa Rajkiran Rai 0097150-6262899 / 0097155-4121681

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / Media Release / Friday – April 18th, 2014

Mavalli Tiffin Rooms now in Bur Dubai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion
The Mavalli Tiffin Room's masala dosa is a must-try . / Satish Kumar - The National
The Mavalli Tiffin Room’s masala dosa is a must-try . / Satish Kumar – The National

“Thick, crusty dosas, tangy bisibele bhaat and freshly ground ‘filter’ coffee are nearly impossible to find at one place in the city,” says the 39-year-old Vikram Maiya, who craved authentic Karnataka cuisine whenever he visited Dubai.

Maiya is the managing partner of Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR), a popular Bangalore-based chain of restaurants with a branch in Singapore.

Call it craving or conceit, but his desire to find bona fide Kannada food in the UAE has resulted in the expansion of MTR to Bur Dubai, where a new branch opened on Friday.

A question of quality

Set up for the first time in the Lalbagh area of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, in 1924, MTR is now an integral part of the city’s heritage. Step into any of the seven branches there any day of the week and you’ll find them doing brisk business.

In fact, the Dubai outlet will replicate the same model, and a band of veteran cooks has even been flown in to set up the kitchen here.

“Urad dal [black gram], a key ingredient in idli, dosas and vada [crêpes and deep-fried doughnuts made with fermented rice and lentil batter] will be sourced from Bangalore, along with the special masalas and coffee beans, which are all essential to good taste,” Maiya says.

And perhaps the best thing is that MTR focuses only on Karnataka cuisine, without the popular Indian favourites such as butter chicken or lamb biryani.

The lunch special

Try the lunch thali (platter), consisting of 16 items and unlimited servings, all for Dh25.

A freshly prepared fruit juice is served before the meal and paan (betel leaf) to end it. In between, there are curries, salad, veggies, sambar, rasam and raita served with puri (deep-fried dough discs) and several kinds of rice including pongal, bisibele bhaat, vangi bhaat and curd rice, in succession.

Three sumptuous desserts are also served; two with the main course and one at the end.

• Mavalli Tiffin Rooms opened at Al Tawhidi Building, opposite Apsara Super Market, Bank Street, Bur Dubai, on Friday. Open on all days except Mondays, from 7.30am to 10pm. Call 04 327 5909 or 056 206 7321 (prices are subject to change)

artslife@thenational.ae

source: http://www.thenational.ae / The National / Home> Lifestyle> Food / by Priti Salian / April 07th, 2014

Karnataka Sangh Qatar to organize Vasantotsav, Cultural Extravaganza at Al Ghazal Club on May 2

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Doha/Qatar ;

Karnataka Sangh Qatar (KSQ) will be staging Vasantotsav, cultural extravaganza at Al Ghazal Club, here on Friday May 2 at 4.30pm (gate opens at 4.00pm).

The cultural extravaganza includes comedy and live orchestra. The renowned Kannada comedian, sandalwood actor, dramatist and celebrity chef Sihi Kahi Chandru, RJ Mayur of 92.7 Big FM Unplugged with Mayur fame,   Ajay Warriar,   Sinchana Dixit and their orchestra team with well known musicians from Karnataka will be performing live in Qatar.

KarnatakaSangahDohaBF22apr2014

The entire programme is dedicated to visiting artistes.  A nominal entry fee of Qatari Riyals 50 per person for above the age of 5 years will be charged.  The dinner packet will also be served.  Limited seats are available on first-come-first-served basis.  The entry passes are available with Maaza Restaurant, Hotel Maharaja, Aryaas, Canara Jewellery, Royal Udupi Hotel and Akshaya Jewellery.

For entry passes contact:

Mahesh Gowda: 66013225
Subramanya Hebbagilu: 55641025
Nagesh Rao: 55812324
Deepak Shetty: 66262477

source: http://www.bellevision.com / Bellevision.com / Home> News> Media Release / Doha-Qatar,  April 07th 2014