Tipu Sultan’s notebook. Photo: Shiv Sahay Singh / The Hindu
The lovers of history and connoisseurs of artefacts are up for a treat as the Victoria Memorial Hall is going to display for the first time a notebook belonging to Tipu Sultan, the legendary ruler of Mysore.
The notebook written in Persian (Shikasta) touches on a variety of subjects but is mainly a treatise on the art of artillery. It is divided into eight chapters with introduction dealing with certain tenets of Islam and chapters dedicated to rules for horsemen and piyada (foot soldiers) of his army.
Each page of the notebook consists of nine lines of script. Some pages bear the stamp of the three royal seals while ten sketches explain the use of muskets with details on how to load and hold them.
Sahebzada Ghulam Mohammad, one of Tipu Sultan descendants, had donated the notebook to the trustees of Victoria Memorial in 1904.
“The notebook reflects his keen interest and the first hand information on the use of arms and artillery along with the fact that he was introducing modern equipment in his armoury. In fact Tipu Sultan was one of the few great kings who died fighting,” Gholam Nabi, head of VMH documentation and photography unit told The Hindu.
Mr. Nabi said the King of Mysore who wrote in Kannada, had dictated the contents of the note book to his calligrapher who wrote it in Persian. Historians believe that Tipu Sultan was one of the first kings to have made use of rockets in war as early as 1790s.
“The artefact is going to be part of an exhibition on ‘Life and Times of Tipu Sultan’ which we have been planning for quite some time. The exhibition is likely to be held at the end of this year,” Jayanta Sengupta, the secretary and curator of VMH told The Hindu.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / by Shiv Sahay Singh / Kolkata – July 05th, 2015
Bengaluru girl Rebecca Taylor has sealed her place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Rebecca has made the largest tealight candle, which is 5’5″ in diameter.
The previous record-holding candle measured 3’3″ in diameter.
“I had applied for the record on June 1, 2014, but got the confirmation only on June 27 this year,” said the 27-year-old cartoonist.
Rebecca took five hours to make the candle through a unique process called hand moulding, in which semi-hot wax is sculpted into different shapes.Each petal of the pink rose-shaped candle is unique in shape and size, and measures one-and-half to two feet.
“This is an amalgamation of my love for nature and passion for the arts. However, it turned out to be a Herculean task to work on a candle of this magnitude.
It took me a lot of time to understand the behaviour of the wax and work in various temperatures,” she added.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> People / by Stuti Agarwal, TNN / July 02nd, 2015
Their poor economic background proved to be no deterrent for two students who carved a niche for themselves through sheer hard work.
This translated into three gold medals and a cash award for Karunya Shetty, a botany student of Mangalore University, and two gold medals for Shwetha Bhandary P of SVS College, Bantwal. Shwetha completed her MCom from Bantwal College.
Overjoyed after receiving these gold medals and cash award at the 33rd convocation of Mangalore University on Wednesday, both Karunya and Shwetha exemplified their thirst to overcome their economic status and excel academically. Karunya’s father Shekar Shetty is a shopkeeper and her mother Shoba is a housewife. Venkatesh Bhandary, Shwetha’s father, too is a shopkeeper and her mother Vrinda rolls beedi for a living.
Eligible for Inspire scholarship awarded by the department of science and technology, Karunya said she wants to do research in plant bio-technology.
Incidentally, she is the first postgraduate in her family. She is presently working as a guest faculty in the same department.
Shwetha repaid her parents by winning two gold medals. Having already landed a job as a clerk in Indian Overseas Bank at Padubidri, Shwetha said it was marks that she scored in first semester that motivated her to do well in the remaining semesters. She is keen to pursue a course in ICWA.
The convocation also saw history student Preethi R Udupa of Dr G Shankar Government First Grade College of Women, Ajjarkad walk away with the loudest applause for her two gold medals and five cash awards. Sangeetha Karanth, chemistry department; Logeshwari K, department of human consciousness and yogic science; and Shalini Shetty, chemistry department, Mangalore University, walked away with two gold medals each.
source:http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangaluru / TNN / June 18th, 2015
Policemen deserve better salary and housing facility: MP
Eight Police Constables of the District were presented the ‘Knights in Khaki’ Shield for their commendable service at a function held at Darbar Hall, Hotel Regaalis, in city last evening under the joint auspices of Mysore Round Table – 21 and Mysore Ladies Circle – 9. Seen in the picture are (standing from left) Mysore Round Table – 21 Chairman Tharun Giri, International Round Table Treasurer Harish Shenoy, MP Pratap Simha, Mysuru SP Abhinav Ashok Khare, City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, National Ladies Circle President Masuma Vagh and Mysore Ladies Circle – 9 Chairperson Preethi Agarwal Ranjan.
Mysuru :
The 43rd annual ‘Knights in Khaki’ Police Shield, instituted by Mysore Round Table-21 and Mysore Ladies Circle-9, was presented to eight Police Constables of the District at a function held at Darbar Hall of Hotel Regaalis, in city last evening, for their exemplary service.
The recipients of the ‘Knights in Khaki’ Shield are M. J. Shankar (Mandi Police Station); H. V. Madhukesh (Nazarbad Police Station); M. Pushpa (City Crime Branch); K. C. Basavaraju (K. R. Traffic Police Station); Ravi (K. R. Nagar Police Station); T. H. Manchigaiah (Talakad Police Station); Umesh (Periyapatna Police Station) and M. J. Raghu (District Armed Reserve Police).
Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest for the event, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, said that the society always criticises the Police Department but conveniently fails to appreciate them when they do a good job. He added saying that the Police do a very good job considering that they are heavily understaffed.
Pratap Simha pointed out that while many army-men are rightly hailed as martyrs as they succumb to the bullets of terrorists, we forget the numerous Police personnel who have died in the hands of naxalites and are never called martyrs. He then recalled the heroics of Constable Tukaram Kamble who helped in apprehending Kasab during the 26/11 attack on Taj Hotel in Mumbai.
Later, he said that Police need the society’s support to do their job well and can’t always be criticised by citing a corrupt few.
He also suggested that the salaries of Policemen be increased, their children be given free education and proper housing be provided to them close to their stations as their’s is a 24×7 job.
Simha lauds SP Khare
Pratap Simha praised SP Abhinav Khare for the way the officer handled the recent case involving the death of four-year-old boy in Periyapatna.
He also said that Mysore is lucky to have an officer like Dayananda as Police Commissioner and that he was an upright officer. Simha recalled how the officer had helped him when he had a death-threat a few years ago.
Our duty is to deliver justice: Police Commissioner
City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda, who was the guest of honour, said that the Police Department is always at the forefront to maintain peace and harmony in the society, adding that the honour to the eight Police constables is a recognition given to the entire Police force in the district.
He said that social media had helped in recognising the services rendered by the men in khaki and it has given the Police a positive image in the minds of the public. He cited the example of Bengaluru Police constable Bhaskar, popularly known as ‘Singham’ Bhaskar, who has a fan following for his sincere service.
Speaking of pleasing the public, he said, “We can never make everyone happy, after all, there is always an accused and a complainant, and one of them is bound to be upset with us. It is not our job to make everyone happy, and our duty is to deliver justice.”
Absorbing negativity in society
SP Abhinav Ashok Khare, who was also the guest of honour, said that he was glad that his men had won awards and added that people do not realise that the Police not only stop the evil, but also absorb the negativity in society by taking most of the blame. He then added saying that the Police must not be judged by an inefficient few.
Round Table International Treasurer Harish Shenoy, National Ladies Circle President Masuma Vagh, Mysore Round Table-21 Chairman Tharun Giri, Mysore Ladies Circle – 9 Chairperson Preethi Agarwal Ranjan and families of the Police personnel were present at the event.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore/ Home> General News / Thursday – June 18th, 2015
Archana Acharya and her mum Viraja. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Meet the mother-daughter duo who create and sell crocheted products
Gone are the days when most of the women you saw doing crochet or knitting were grandmas in their rocking chairs. Crocheting has now become an obsession with the younger generation too and chances are you would never find a crotchetier, who says she has enough yarn!
This is pretty much the tale of how Viraja and her daughter Archana Acharya took their passion to the next level and set up Knotty Nest, a haven for all things crocheted.
This mother-daughter venture is a hand-made lifestyle and accessories brand . Viraja started crocheting at the tender age of six and has perfected her craft over the years, while Archana is an IT professional. They bring in the element of modernity by creating products that appeal to the younger crowd and those that draw from themes best loved by them. They also take on customised orders for which you can log on to (www.facebook.com/ KnottyNest).
Vijara, who used to crochet “till Archana was born” says bringing up two children took up her time and she stopped this craft.
“In the meanwhile, I learned baking, stuffed-toy making, and fabric painting. So I never really stopped learning. However, it was only when my daughter moved to Bangalore for her higher studies that she motivated me to start my crochet and embroidery work again. She inspired me to create more products. I received support from my family and that helped me turn my passion into a lucrative business. That’s how Knotty Nest was started in May 2012. It has been the best thing my daughter has gifted me with.”
At Knotty Nest, one can order a wide range of lifestyle accessories. “Through our products, we illustrate various cartoon characters. We sell everything from hand-crafted magnets, key chains and bookmarks to hair clips, sling bags, brooches, baby dresses, and earrings. We also make home décor products like canning jar lids and coasters, among other items,” the entrepreneur informs.
The duo enjoy what they do. “It has been a great learning experience so far. We participate in flea markets held in the city and have a good customer base here and in Mangalore. On the flipside, we still need to build a strong and viable market for our products. One of the turning points for us has been that we are now online on Junglee and Indibazaar where we get to showcase our work,” beams Archana.
In the coming days, Viraja informs: “We will be working on creating new and unique products and expanding our product line. We are looking at tying up with retail brands and are also interested in teaching this art to the younger generation.”
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Neeti Sarkar / June 23rd, 2015
B Jayant Baliga, a US-based Indian-origin scientist, is being awarded Russia’s top technology award in recognition of his work as a major development in energy management which brought about huge increase in efficiency and major savings.
B Jayant Baliga, a US-based Indian-origin scientist, is being awarded Russia’s top technology award. (Representative image)
The award will presented to Professor Baliga and Shuji Nakamura on Friday by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony here.
Nakamura, a Nobel Laureate, is being recognised for his work on blue light emitting diodes (LEDs). In Russia, the Global Energy Prize is known as the electronics equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Professor Baliga invented the digital switch or the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) while working at General Electrical research & development centre in New York state in the US in 1983. The IGBT switches energy hundreds of thousands of times a second, raising the efficiency of any equipment manifold.
“Every equipment from your refrigerator to lights to motor vehicles has the need to use energy efficiently. If you take away the IGBT today, almost everything will come to a standstill,” Baliga told a visiting IANS correspondent on the eve of receiving the award.
Scientific American magazine called him among the ‘eight heroes of the semiconductor revolution’, and President Barack Obama awarded him the highest American technology prize last year and he is the 2014 recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honour, a rare distinction.
Professor Baliga, who now teaches to the North Carolina university as ‘distinguished university professor’, said that the IGBT that his invention combines two streams of electronics and electrical engineering and has possibly saved the world around $24 trillion dollars by raising efficiency, according to one detailed calculation.
“I got zero out of it. But then I did it all for humanity.”
Of course, says Prof Baliga, that he did make some money when he started three companies, but these were financed by venture capitalists who exited with enormous profits at the right time.
He says every motor today is at least 40 percent more efficient, the light bulb like the CFL better by almost 75 percent and a motor vehicle saves over 10 percent fuel because of his invention. He has written 19 books and over 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Baliga passed out of IIT Madras before going to the US for his MS and PhD after electrical engineering after which he joined GE where he spent over 15 years.
After his ‘switch’ was invented, several of his colleagues told him that it would not work, and many scientists said he would fall “flat on his face”. But he said it stood the test of time.
The chairman of GE at that time, Jack Welch flew down especially to meet him when he heard what it could do. GE used the switch in the several of the equipments it sold, including medical devices.
A US citizen since 2000, he now has very little connection with India and does not travel to his home country much, especially after his parents and parents of his wife passed away. But, says Prof Baliga, an invention like his is unlikely in India, because it needs huge research infrastructure to be in place from universities to industries.
He feels, that India has a potential which has not been fully used, although in software “it has made great strides”.
Could a Nobel be on its way in the future? “I used to say no way,” but with so many recognitions and this “global prize where I am being feted with a Nobel Laureate, who knows”, he says. His regret though is that India does not know much about him.
“Top scientists that I meet always ask me, why has India not recognised your achievement?” And with characteristic modesty, Baliga told IANS, “I tell them that perhaps my country does not know about what I did.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> NRI / IANS / June 18th, 2015
Seagram’s 100 Pipers Music CDs in association with Pride of Karnataka, an initiative of Round Table India and Ladies Circle India felicitated 12 ‘true legends’ from the state.
Ashwini Nachappa and Pramoda Devi
Among those felicitated were Priya Mani, Ricky Kej, RK Misra, Prasad Bidpa, Manoviraj Khosla, Shukla Bose, Ashwini Nachappa and Robin Uthappa. Kartik Mohindra, Business Head, International Brands, Pernod Ricard India, said, “True legends are successful people who lead a positive change on society. The True Legends awards recognizes and felicitates successful personalities who have risen above the material pursuits of success, and believe in giving back to humanity. Each True Legend story is very inspiring and will forever be remembered for good.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / TNN / June 19th, 2015
A group of passionate foodies have come together to launch a website (www.homemadeonline.in) that brings women entrepreneurs and cottage industries into one domain to manufacture and distribute food products to consumers.
Through the platform, one can buy and sell homemade food products, which will be delivered fresh at the customer’s doorstep.
Ajanta Chandan, managing partner of Homemadeonline, says, “There are a lot of talented entrepreneurs amongst us who don’t know how to reach the masses. Our website gives them an opportunity to meet the demands of the people who are looking for non-commercial and organic food products online.”
Started two months ago, the website aims at bringing back the forgotten local food items and encouraging vendors to sell good quality products. Health-oriented people who could be working professionals, young students and diabetic patients are the company’s target group.
“We currently have around 1,000 regional food products on offer being supplied by over 200 registered vendors. Besides food, we are also promoting many entrepreneurs who are into handicrafts,” she adds.
Homemadeonline has on display a wide range of products including organic spices, masala powders, pickles, papad, homemade chocolate, herbal products, millet products, health and nutritional products, regional delicacies and healthy breakfast options.
Chandan says, “Within six months, we plan to expand our business in South India and in the years to come, we hope to spread all over India.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / June 17th, 2015
BV Narayana was in his early twenties when he lost a leg after being hit by a group of motorcyclists. After three decades, he decided to tour across the globe to make people aware of traffic norms so that they could be saved from the pain that he had to undergo.
A sports and adventure enthusiast, Narayan had earlier gone around the world, covering 59 countries on bicycle in 1979 when he was 19 years old. Narayana started his journey from his birthplace Bangalore on February 5. He passed through the city on way to Delhi on Monday for onward journey that covers around 90,000 kms. He has designed a vehicle in which his bags, medical kits and other items have been kept.
He said, “I want to sensitise people about physically and mentally disabled persons and above all, I want to ensure that people especially children learn traffic rules and strictly abide by them.”
Narayana, who is employed as a marketing executive at a transport company, opts to call himself a ‘Fabricator’. He designs special vehicles for physically disabled by modifying the ordinary vehicles.
Narayana has put a banner on his bike in which he has make an appeal to parents not to give vehicles to minors, use helmet while driving two-wheelers and not to talk on cell phones while driving. He has also make an appeal to get the blood group of bridegroom checked before marriage.
“Scientists says that same blood group of bride and groom may results in deformity of future generation so I have displayed this prominently,” he said. He intends to tour 25 countries across in West Asia, Africa and Europe. “After receiving visa from Delhi, I would to Mumbai from where I have planned to catch the flight to UAE,” Narayana said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / June 02nd, 2015
Seen in the picture are (standing) The Maharaja of Mysore Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and H.H.Thakur Saheb of Sanand; (sitting from left): Rajkumari Maya Devi, Rajkumari Usha Devi, Thakur Rani Sujaya Devi of Sanand, Tripura Sundarammanni, Rani Vijaya Devi of Kotada, Maharajkumari Gayatri Devi, Rajakumari Geetha Devi and Rajkumari Urmila Devi; (squatting from left): Maharajkumari Kamakshi Devi, Maharajkumari Meenakshi Devi, Yuvaraja Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, Rajkumari Shakuntala Devi and Rajakumari Indrakshi Devi. (File photo)
by Dr. M.R. Bharathi
She was a lifetime connoisseur of classical music, an entrepreneur, a photographer and a philanthropist. Meenakshi Devi, the second daughter of late Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, and late Tripura Sundarammanni, was an apostle of a brave and independent woman. Though shy, Meenakshi Devi was straight forward, refined and a lovable person.
Meenakshi was called “Miniput” by her father, which meant, ‘my beloved little one.’ She was strongly attached to her father. The death of her parents and her husband — Sirdar M.R. Lakshmikantha Raj Urs, an advocate at High Court of Karnataka — transformed the playful and mischievous Meenakshi into a strong and matured woman.
An ardent aficionado of both Indian and Western Classical music, Meenakshi was a piano player and saw to it that she never missed the “Beating Retreat” of Republic Day celebration. She was a student of history and tried to update herself about Mysuru history in general and about the Wadiyars of Mysuru in particular.
Meenakshi’s travel across Europe, Japan, Africa, USA, Canada and India, encouraged the hidden entrepreneur in her that made her open a boutique called “Duckling” and a travel agency called “Regal Voyages” at Bengaluru. Her love for horse-riding made her start the “Princess Academy,” a horse riding club. She was instrumental in organising the South Indian Equestrian Championship and Horse Safari to promote tourism in Mysuru.
Her interest in photography and wildlife made her visit Kabini, Bandipur and Ranathambore National Parks and learn photography under the guidance of her father.
As a philanthropist she helped a number of Institutions and was the President of ‘Altrusa Club’ and was on the committee of Philomena Hospital, Bengaluru. She was a member of the Karnataka Social Welfare Board. She offered her grounds in the Bangalore Palace, free of cost to ‘Awake,’ a women’s organisation for a programme to educate its members on global marketing.
Despite her failing health, Meenakshi tried to be cheerful and benevolent, inspiring the young and the old alike. She passed away on May 7, 2015. May her soul rest in peace.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / Sunday – May 24th, 2015
