City girl to skate in World Skating Ch’ship

Records, All, Sports

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Mysore :

H.A. Nilasha. a V semester student (E & C) of SJCE College, has been selected to participate in the forthcoming World Speed Skating Championship, to be held at Ostende, Belgium from Aug. 22 to 31.

Nilasha also took part in the Flanders Grand Prix Championship conducted at the same venue, which was held from Aug. 16 to 18.

SJCE Principal Prof. B.G. Sangameshwara, management, staff and students of the college have wished her great success.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / August 22nd, 2013

Engineering a Roof-Top tent : Campers’ Style

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technology, Travel

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Mysore  :

A city-based mechanical engineer’s passion for outdoor adventures has led him to build a tent on the roof of his Chevrolet Tavera four-wheeler.

C.S. Ramaswamy, the owner of Sumuki Associates which designs, develops and manufactures machinery and equipment at Lakshmipuram in city, says he always wanted to build a mobile shelter that was practical and affordable.

When asked about what inspired him to build such an innovative equipment, he said that 25 years ago, a foreign magazine carried a photo of a jeep with camping equipments on the roof top and since then, it had become his dream to design a tent on the roof of his father’s Ambassador car. “Unfortunately my creation could not be mounted on it as the car was sold three months ago.” After this, it seems he decided to design the tent to be mounted on his Tavera.

Recalling his inspiration for the mobile shelter, Ramaswamy said that years ago when he and his friends who were into photography and adventure went out, sometimes they would get stuck in the rain and since then he wanted to invent a mobile shelter.

Ramaswamy began to work on a solution for this ‘rainy’ problem way back 1979 in his garage workshop set up at his residence by his encouraging father by tinkering with his father’s scooter, trying to change its body shape and improvise a shelter over the seats.

Now speaking of his mountable tent, Ramaswamy said the tent is made of imported waterproof fabric measuring 8ftx8ft and weighing approximately 80 kgs. The tent also houses many essential camping accessories such as rocket stoves, chemical toilets, change room and compact showers. “In fact, it is a star mobile hotel room,” he says in delight. But he is not far from truth; this is indeed a luxury when out camping in a forest and all this right on top of one’s vehicle.

Ramaswamy says this is a design he came up with after many tries and once he had the design in place, he single-handedly built the tent. “The work began in May and was completed in August of this year,” he said.

He said that the tent can be custom-built for any car ranging from a SUV to even the most compact cars like Nano, albeit the smaller the roof, the lesser number of people it can accommodate.

Ramaswamy feels his tent is a great solution especially for people who want to trek and travel in India where camp facilities do not exist. Also the fact that the tent can be set up in jiffy makes it even more practical. “The tent is easy to set up even in the dark, and can be easily folded back in the morning,” says Ramaswamy.

These, he says, are not meant only for campers and adventurers. “It can be useful during disaster management and can also be used by the army, forest per- sonnel & security forces, site managers in remote areas, field scientists, outdoor shooting crew, media etc.” When asked about the cost involved in making the rooftop tent, he said that it cost him Rs. 52,000. Ramaswamy says he doesn’t plan to mass manufacture it but if any one wants one, he would build it for them. Interestingly, he has good hands to support him from his wife Savithri, his eldest son Shravan also a mechanical engineer and younger son Pranav an IP student at NIE. Looks like many more innovations may come out of this innovative family. Ramaswamy can be contacted on email- sumukiassociates@gmail.com.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by S. Kenneth Shishir / August 22nd, 2013

Young at 85, this doctor’s heart beats for the poor

Leaders, Science & Technology
(I dont believe in tomorrows. Ive always wanted to do everything right now. My motto has always been to fulfill all my ambitions so that I dont have any regrets left. Dr Sita Bhateja | GYNAECOLOGIST)
(I dont believe in tomorrows. Ive always wanted to do everything right now. My motto has always been to fulfill all my ambitions so that I dont have any regrets left. Dr Sita Bhateja | GYNAECOLOGIST)

Bangalore :

At 85, Dr Sita Bhateja looks a sprightly 65 or so. Impeccably dressed, her bright eyes twinkle as she talks. In a career spanning over 60 years, she has helped deliver more than a lakh babies. And no, she’s not ready to remove those surgical gloves yet.

“I don’t believe in tomorrows. I’ve always wanted to do everything right now. I’m spiritual, but I don’t think I’m coming back, so my motto has always been to fulfill all my ambitions so that I don’t have any regrets left,” she says.

After a long career at Bangalore’s St Martha’s Hospital, where she started the obstetrics and gynecology department, she set up Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital 40 years ago. Today it’s a flourishing institution that believes in extending world-class healthcare to every citizen irrespective of their financial background. With a robust philanthropic wing that treats the underprivileged practically for free,

The hospital is run as a non-profit one with the for-profit arm sustaining it. Till a few years ago, Dr Bhateja used to give up 50% of her own income towards its upkeep, but a charitable trust takes care of it now.

“There is no difference in the care given to paying and non-paying patients. The same doctors see them and they are given access to the same beds and facilities,” says Bhateja. The ratio of privileged patients to poor ones is about 50:50, while the trust also runs the Sri Jetha Nand Hospital for the Poor, a 20-bed facility on the same premises. As part of its activities, the trust conducts free clinics in OBG, medicine, orthopedics and neurosurgery every week. Patients have to prove their eligibility for treatment under the charitable wing by providing a green card (BPL card) or a family income certificate issued by the local taluk office.

Dr Bhateja’s day starts at about 8am and ends at 7pm – doing surgeries in the morning, seeing at least 50 patients daily and doing hospital rounds. At 85, where does she get all the energy from? “I’ve always been high on energy,” she says, smiling. “I don’t let my age bother me. If I did, I’d have to sit down. I don’t believe in rest and holidays,” she says, admitting that she’s taken all of two real ‘holidays’ in her life – once to Kashmir many years ago with her husband and three sons, and more recently, a holiday in Greece with her elder son. “I feel restless when I’m on holiday. I’m happiest while working,” she adds.

That doesn’t mean she has no other interests. A passionate philatelist, Dr Bhateja’s enviable collection of rare stamps has been internationally recognized and won her won several awards in global philately contests. One of the rarest and most valuable stamps in her collection is an Indian stamp from 1854 with an inverted head of Queen Victoria. “There are only three square-cut stamps from this batch, of which only one is a used cover – which means it was actually used – and that belongs to my collection. Yes, it is the only one of its kind in the world,” she says with some pride.

A home for kids too

Dr Bhateja also started the Child Foundation, which runs a home for poor and abandoned children, where they have been fed and educated for free for the past 30 years. The foundation, started 30 years ago, runs a Kannada medium high school in Padmanabhanagar. The school is supported by the state government, which pays teachers’ salaries.

Her prescription

I don’t use cooking oil in my house. Food is cooked by sprinkling water on non-stick pans. The taste is just as good. I don’t eat anything made of maida and I rarely have rice. I have a lot of salads every day and eat one chappati at night. I also eat one carrot, one gooseberry and lots of spinach. No junk food, obviously – I’ve tasted pizza twice in my life. I don’t take any sugar in tea or coffee though I use honey to sweeten tea sometimes. Besides walking, I go to the gym four times a week and exercise for 45 minutes, making sure all the joints and muscles are active and supple.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bangalore> Charitable Trust / by Shrabonti Bagchi, TNN / August 12th, 2013

Rahul Dravid, Vishwanath in Syed Kirmani’s greatest ever Test team

Leaders, Sports
Syed Kirmani's Greatest Test XI hailing from Karnataka has Venkataraman Subramanya as captain while he picked himself as the wicket-keeper (Reuters)
Syed Kirmani’s Greatest Test XI hailing from Karnataka has Venkataraman Subramanya as captain while he picked himself as the wicket-keeper (Reuters)

Rahul Dravid and G R Vishwanath are among the 12 Karnataka players picked by former Indian wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani in his personal list of the state’s greatest ever in Test cricket.

In his team, fast bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad would not find themselves playing in tandem in a match, but both have been included in the 12-member list.

“I wouldn’t dream of not playing two legends Pras (EAS Prasanna) and Chandra (Bhagwat Chandrashekhar) in tandem in a match and hence will have no other option but to play either of the two fast bowlers (Sri or Venky) in a match,” he told PTI on the occasion of Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) here today.

Kirmani’s Greatest Test XI hailing from Karnataka has Venkataraman Subramanya as captain while he picked himself as the wicket-keeper.

On Subramanya, Kirmani who played 88 Tests and claimed 160 catches and 38 stumpings, said, “If he wouldn’t have migrated overseas, I have no doubts he would have captained the Indian Test side.”

Subramanya, a tall aggressive middle-order batsman and more than a useful legspin bowler, played Tests between 1965 and 1968.

Against West Indies at Madras in 1966-67, Subramanya hit a breezy 61, treating Wesly Hall and Charlie Griffith with disdain. In all, he played nine Tests and scored 263 runs in fifteen innings with 75 as his career highest.

On G R Vishwanath, Kirmani said he was a legend in the making right from his early days when he played for his state and the country.

“He has a rare distinction of scoring debut centuries in Test and Ranji. He was brilliant, a legend in the making,” he said.

In fact Vishwanath, who scored 14 Test centuries, considers his second innings knock of 137 on his Test debut at Kanpur in 1969-70 against Bill Lawry’s Australia as his best.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home / by PTI / Bangalore – Monday, August 12th, 2013

Selling Soda & Nostalgia

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

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Mysore :

It’s been 61 years now. When we started the shop, the rent was Rs.75 and I was 20,” says Nagaraja Rao, one of the three brothers who started the Soda Factory at Agrahara in city.

The drinks parlour once called ‘The Soda Factory’ has been now renamed ‘Sri Prasanna Cool Centre’ but the old-timers prefer to call it ‘Soda Factory.’ The shop is a throwback to the 1950s with its white textured walls, old tables, an array of colourful rainbow of syrups filled in glass bottles that sit behind the doors. The shop offers more than 10 different soda-based drinks but their popular ones are ‘Sogade Beru soda’ (a drink made of sogade plant root which is good for heart and cholesterol) and surprisingly, a non-soda drink- ‘Rose milk’ !

The Soda Factory opened its doors on February 2, 1954. It was headed by three brothers Nagaraja Rao, Achyutha Rao and Anantha Rao. Over the years, they have experimented with various flours and have set a simple menu that is refreshing and healthy. The homemade soda simply mixes the carbonated water from the soda fountain that’s poured into a glass filled with any combination of flavours. They are known for their homemade soda paired with their locally acquired Sogade Beru and Lemon-lime.

In fact, old Mysoreans still visit them and even the ones who are living outside when they visit Mysore make sure to drop in, says Nagaraja Rao. Also the brothers take turns running the shops.

One of the brothers, Achyutha Rao, who was on a break after preparing Lime Pepper Soda says, “We have seen Mysore changing over all these years. We want people to remember how things once were. There are people who bring their grandkids here and tell them how they remember it. We sell Soda and Nostalgia” and smiles.

Today this soda shop continues to exist, but leads a quiet existence thanks to locals and old times who want a trip down the nostalgia lane.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Sumukh Bharadwaj / August 21st, 2013

M’lore: The 3 Hungry Men’s – Mission: ImPIZZAble – The Pizza Eating Competition in city on Aug

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Mangalore :

This EID Mangalore is all set and geared up for a Pizza Eating Competition to be organized by The 3 Hungry Men – Mangalore’s first and only food reviewing body in association with City Center Mall and Pizza Hut – Mangalore as a EID Special.

This event is called The 3 Hungry Men’s – Mission ImPIZZAble, which is scheduled to be held on 9th August 2013 at Mangalore City Centre Mall from evening 4PM to 7PM.

On further updates from the organizers Nikhil Pai – (co-founder of The 3 Hungry Men) said, ‘this time we are not going to keep and entry fee but there will be a charity box kept for people who would like to donate to the victims of the Uttarakhand flood.’
Colin D’Souza, co-founder The 3 Hungry Men also said, ‘there is no age limit and everyone can participate for free.  The only condition he added was that the participant has to be hungry.’

He further said. ‘we are expecting a good turnout from all age groups as it is EID and everyone loves to come out.’
The 3 Hungry Men founded by Nikhil Pai and Colin D’souza are well known for their Reviews on Restaurants who never miss a chance to check out and try out what’s new in the menu. They have daily updates on food and recommendations on their facebook page with more than 4000 odd members following them daily.

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It doesn’t stop them just there apart from their regular food  updates from Mangalore and other places around they have been very well known and appreciated for their food eating events past 3 years since their existence.

In the past they have had similar events like Chicken Eating Competitions , Ice Creams, Biryanis and lots more.
This time they keep it open for all with no entry fee charged to participate and take the pizza challenge but apart from just eating they will also be having a charity box where they would be requesting people to Donate as much as possible for the Uttarakhand Flood Relief Fund which would be further handed over to the DC of Mangalore by the Mall Authorities to reach out to the proper sources.

source: http://www.bellevision.com / Bellevision.com / Home> News / by Media Release / Mangalore – August 09th, 2013

Club cricket has a great tradition in Bangalore, say Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath

Leaders, Sports

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Bangalore:

Long after Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman ceased to be Rahul Dravid’s team-mates, emerging cricketers like Sharath Srinivas, Nihal Ullal, Zeeshan Ali Saayed as well as Stuart Binny continue to match strides between the wickets and work in tandem with the legend on the field.

More than a year-and-half after walking off into the sunset, leaving behind an unmatched legacy in international cricket, Dravid continues to ‘pay respect’ to club cricket, having turned out for the Bangalore United Cricket Club this season.

In Karnataka, the various KSCA leagues is not merely about participation and competition, it’s also about upholding tradition and preserving a culture. With the oldest club like Dravid’s BUCC tracing its inception back to 1919, club cricket is an intrinsic part of the state’s cricketing history.

As part of their week-long Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, KSCA on Tuesday had a tete-a-tete session with stalwarts Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath, where both walked down memory lane.

Looking dapper in a bottle green shirt and white shirt teamed with beige trousers, Dravid held court as he spoke on the reasons behind his return to his roots, post retirement.

“It was a privilege to have got to play with players like Roger Binny, Sadanand Vishwanath, G.R Viswanath. I still remember playing on the mat wicket at the IISc grounds with Raghuram Bhat bowling. To play club cricket has been a great tradition of Karnataka.

“When I saw stalwarts play, long before I started to play for the country, I had decided that if I was healthy then I would go back and play. I missed playing for 20 years since I was representing India Cements. But after my retirement I told them that I wanted to go back and play at the club. I can’t say I’m giving back, because I can never give back to the game. I wanted to play because of respect.”

Recalling his days as a starryeyed youngster from Mysore, former pace ace Javagal Srinath, who is also the secretary of the KSCA said, “As youngsters we would watch great stars like GRV come and play in Mysore. That’s how cricket started to inspire me. Club was like a school and if I missed even a session then I would be very hard on myself.”

Speaking about the difference of club culture in India and abroad, the 40-year-old Dravid, who has had stints with clubs like Kent and Marylebone Cricket Club said, “I think club cricket works on a slightly different system in the UK. Here it thrives on passion and sacrifice, but there clubs run on the bar. It’s more of social gatherings and there the dynamics are different.” Dravid and Srinath, who exchanged friendly banter about their personalities and Srinath’s ability to procure rasam in any part of the world, advised the youngsters to look for mentors who need not necessarily be their coach.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Sports> Cricket / DC / by Manuja Veerappa / August 15th, 2013

Kundapur: Workshop held to promote Agarwood plantations

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Kundapur :

“Agarwood plantations is a profitable crop that can be grown without depending on workers.  It can be grown as a main crop or in between other crops.  Agarwood has huge demand in the international market and fetches more value than sandalwood,” said Vanadurgi Agarwood company’s technical advisor Dr V Bhaskar.

He was speaking during a meeting of Agarwood planters and a workshop on Agarwood, held at Kundapur Hangalur’s Anantapadmanabha Hall on August 13, 2013 under the joint aegis of the Vanadurgi Agarwood India and Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, Kundapur.

The Agarwood can be easily grown in between the crops of coffee, Betelnut, coconut, cardamom etc. as a mixed crop in malnad or aremalnad regions.  Many farmers are interested in the crop and have already started growing it, he said.

The president of Bharatiya Kisan Sangha, B V Poojary inaugurated the programme.  Vanadurgi agarwood industries chairman Surendrakumar Hegde, explained the importance of agarwood crop and said that with the participation of planters, the crop of agarwood has come out as a strong force in agriculture and business spheres.

Vanadurgi agarwood company’s technical advisor Srinivas, president of Kundapur land development bank and planter S Dinakar Shetty, agar planter Ramachandra Navada and organic agriculturist Ramachandra Alse were present.

Chief secretary of Bakisam, Venkatesh Hebbar welcomed the gathering.  Vanadurgi agarwood company’s Thrimurthi gave a key note address saying that 180 – 200 people have already started agarwood plantations in Udupi and the farmers have responded well.

T P Vijay, conducted the programme. Santosh welcomed the gathering. More information was given with the help of a video projector.  The technical officers of the company  explained certain details to the questions raised by the planters.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daiji World / Home> Karnataka / by Silvester D’Souza / Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP) / Wednesday, August 14th, 2013

He uses art to mould young patriots

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

Davanagere :

Inculcating the spirit of patriotism in young minds is his objective. Painting portraits of freedom fighters is his passion. GJMehandale who has been working for 30 years as drawing teacher at AdityaBirla Public School, Kumarapatnam, in Renebennurtaluk ofHaveri has been pursuing his passion with an objective.

He has made the portraits of over 100 Indian freedom fighters using water proof  ink on khadi cloth of 4×5 feet size. His works include the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi , Motilal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Lokamanya Balagangadhara Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Bipinchandra Pal, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Dadabai Naoroji, Mangal Pande, Rajaram Mohan Roy, Sangolli Rayanna, Jhansi Lakshmi Bai and Kittur Rani Channamma. Mehandale also enjoys collecting the biographies of freedom fighters and has published a handbook of over 100 freedom fighters in Kannada.

Mehandale has organized over 95 exhibitions in schools, colleges, as well as at literary events and other socio-cultural platforms. His paintings have drawn the attention of students and general public  across the state, besides other Indian cities. “I conduct exhibitions with the support of Rashtra Gourava Samrakshana Parishat, a Bangalore-based NGO. Thousands of students and others have so far come to see my paintings,” he says with pride.

Mehandale also displays paintings to commemorate the birth anniversaries of freedom fighters as well as days of historical importance like the Quit India movement day.

Harihar’s DRM school headmaster H Chandrappa said such exhibitions are helpful in developing the spirit of patriotism among youngsters. “They encourage the students to know more about the nation’s history as present school curriculum gives them very less information on the same,” said Bhuvaneshwari, an English teacher.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hubli / by S A Gangaraju, TNN / August 15th, 2013

Another trick in the wall!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

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Our city is known for its cosmopolitan crowd going all out to mix a wee bit of fun into their fitness. Reaching new heights are eager fitness enthusiasts who are making a beeline to Bengaluru’s first indoor wall climbing and bouldering arena Equilibrium. And that’s not all, there are more such new places in the city. Another adventure and sports destination spread across 4 acres is PLaY which offers unconventional sports like archery, laser tag and over 30 different activities that helps boost that adrenaline rush and keeps you smiling.

Model Arry Dabas who shuttles between Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities and is walking the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week this month, shares, “I get bored of the same fitness routines and like to keep changing them to make it exciting.

I went wall climbing with a group of model friends and all of us had a blast. Some of them got hooked to it and try to go whenever they get time. One has to have a strong core and needs good stamina to do wall climbing. We went up and down the walls with support and were very comfortable as the place is safe. Once you do it for a stretch of 45 minutes with a break in between you feel completely energised.”

Agrees Roshan, another model, who shares how it is a physically and mentally demanding sport. He says, “It improves flexibility, endurance, coordination, balance and also helps burns calories. When you do it with friends with music playing, it’s good fun.”

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Besides a fun spot, it’s also a training hotspot for national climbers from across India, who come here to train. Fitness enthusiast Keerthi Pais, the current wall climbing coach of the Indian national team says, “There are national level coaches who guide the trainees at various levels. So even if one falls, you land on specially-designed crash-pads. Also due to the fitness enthusiasts in the city scouting for new indoor locations to move their workouts from outdoor locations due to the monsoon, indoor climbing helps those who want to avoid roughing it out in the rains. But if you want the real thrill of feeling the raw edge of a rock you can try the outdoor climbing programmes once every month. But first, one needs to learn in an indoor environment and then go outdoors. I’m currently training a climbing national team in Badami.”

Another fitness simulator in our hip city is PLaY, where you can experience full swing golf simulators and a skating park with a zip line, climbing wall and segway track.

Thirty-year-old Sharath Reddy shares, “Besides fitness and fun, it’s also a great stress buster and weekend activity. One can even try gaming and flight simulators and shooting in a 10m shooting range. And if one wants to really live up the adventure, there’s dirt tracks and paintball.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Lifestyle> Health & Fitness / by Namita Gupta, DC / August 13th, 2013