Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

‘Cauvery’ squad to help women in Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

To curtail rise in atrocities against women and to provide security to women, the Kodagu district police have constituted ‘Cauvery’ squad on the model of Hoysala.

Superintendent of Police M N Anucheth said that the ream will patrol in Madikeri, Virajpet and Kushalnagar. It will start its operation in Gonikoppa and Somwarpet shortly.

The team will patrol in a jeep and will have one ASI rank officer and police constables. The team will patrol near women’s colleges, schools, hostels and remand homes.

Woman constable in every station should visit children’s home during night patrol.

Women help desk has been opened in every police station.
A woman police will be deployed to women help desk started in every college and high school, for one hour. The names of the complainant in sexual atrocity cases will be kept in secret. Those who want to complaint can dial toll free number 1091 or 100.

11 sexual assaults

A total of 11 sexual assault cases have been reported in Kodagu district in the last six months. Twenty seven cases have been registered last year, said the SP.

Barring one case, in other cases accused has been arrested and produced to the court.

Eight sexual assaults have been committed on minors. Most of the cases, it is the relatives and neighbours who have committed the crime.

“Goonda Act can be invoked on the accused in sexual assault cases. There is no question of hushing up the case through dialogue.”

Any citizen can walk in to the police station to register a FIR. If any police station refuse to register FIR, then they can contact me directly at 9480804901.

CCTV cameras will be installed at Kushalnagar to maintain law and order.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, July 23rd, 2014

Undivided we Stand!

About Kodagu / Coorg, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Udaka Mandala is Karnataka’s other place by the waters that became more famous as Ooty, or Ootacamund thanks to the Brits. Elsewhere, the denizens of John Bull’s Island changed Mumbai to Bombay and Beijing to Peking.

However, like the refreshing confluences of rivers, the close encounters of the cultural kind led to enriching mergers and acquisitions. A fine example is the Omkareshwara Temple at Madikeri, which is not far from the sacred confluence. King Lingarajendra built it in 1820 around a central pool using a mix of Islamic and Gothic styles.

The golden-domed shrine with its whitewashed walls and red borders is dedicated to Shiva in the form of a Linga brought from Benares. Both Lingarajendra and his predecessor Virarajendra are buried in a compound north of Madikeri.

Outwardly, these domed tombs with their short minarets look like Islamic monuments but they are richly embellished inside with Shaivite symbols and imagery. The syncretism that led to the creation of these memorials was definitely ahead of its times.

The revival of Indo-Saracenic style in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta and Delhi came later.

This required a spirit of amity and cultural convergence. This is best summed up in a quote from the Panchatantra engraved on the lintels of the Parliament building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker some 20 years before Independence: “That one is mine and the other a stranger is the concept of little minds . But to the large-hearted , the world itself is their family.”

source: http://www.articles.economictimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> Collections> Bombay / by Vithal C. Nadkarni, ET Bureau / May 31st, 2013

Shirin in a horror film

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Actress Shirin will be seen next in a lead role in a horror film titled Dhigil, directed by Santosh Kodenkeri, an ad filmmaker who is making his feature film debut. Ashok of Pidichirukku fame plays the male lead.

ShirinKF18jul2014

Says Santhosh, “The entire film happens in one night. Shirin plays a TV script writer who is travelling from Chennai to Coorg. She stays in a home stay in Coorg for the night as she wants to surprise her boyfriend, played by Ashok, on his birthday the next morning.
The mysterious happenings that occur during her stay and her ordeal through the night form the plot.” He adds that though there will be a few supernatural ele ments, the film is basically a psychological thriller.

Interestingly, Santhosh is making the film in Kannada as well. “Since the subject is universal, I decided to make this as a bilingual. While Ashok reprises his role, Sayali Bhagat plays the female lead in the Kannada version,” he reveals.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Tamil> Movies / M. Suganth, TNN / July 15th, 2014

World population day today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The district administration, Kodagu Zilla Panchayat, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government First Grade Women’s College, Government PU College, District Legal Services Authority, in association with various non government organisations, will observe World Population Day on July 11.

An awareness rally will be carried out from the Government P U College in the city at 10 am.

District and Sessions Judge Chandrashekhara B Hipparagi, Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari and others will participate.

The district level programme of World Population Day will be held in Kaveri Kalakshetra at 11 am. Home Minister K J George, MLAs M P Appacchu Ranjan, K G Bopaih, T John, Capt Ganesh Karnik, Kodagu – Mysore MP Prathap Simha, Zilla Panchayat President S N Raja Rao and others will take part.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District> Madikeri, DHNS – July 11th, 2014

CCTV cameras at Talacauvery, Bhagmandala

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari has said that CCTV cameras will be installed at religious centres of Talacauvery and Bhagmandala.

Chairing a meeting to discuss the second phase development works initiated in Sri Bhagandeshwara-Talacauvery temples, at Bhagamandala on Saturday, he said that there has been a rise in number of visitors visiting the temples. Hence, it was essential to install CCTV cameras for the security of the region.

The DC said that measures have been taken to construct a hall to serve meals for the devotees. He also directed the officials to identify land for the construction of Yatri Nivas.
He said that there was a need to ban use of plastics in and around the temple.

The use of leaves and taking bath in the river should also be banned. Measures should be taken to ensure that no waste water entered river Cauvery.

Temple committee and gram panchayat should identify space for parking vehicles at Bhagamandala Triveni Sangama and Talacauvery temple.

Temple development committee President Manu Muthappa said that there was need to improve basic facilities for the devotees and construct a hall to serve food for the devotees.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, July 06th, 2014

Gulshan Devaiah to play a character inspired by naval commander KV Nanavati

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Gulshan Devaiah to play a role loosely inspired by naval commander KV Nanavati and his infamous murder trial in Soni Razdan’s upcoming film

Gulshan Devaiah
Gulshan Devaiah

Mirror was the first one to tell you that Arjun Rampal will play a character inspired by the slain Prem Ahuja in Soni Razdan’s Love Affair-a fictionalised account of the infamous Nanavati Murder Case of 1959. Now, we’ve learnt that Gulshan Devaiah, who was last seen in Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela, has been finalised to play the naval officer modelled on Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati, who in a crime of passion, shot his wife’s lover Prem Ahuja, and became the fodder for multiple films and books over the decades.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / by Ankur Pathak, Mumbai Mirror / June 30th, 2014

Madikeri Palace is a ‘protected monument’

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

The Archeological Survey of India had declared Madikeri Palace as a ‘Protected Monument’ way back in 1920. The Palace was constructed by the Haleri rulers.

MadikeriKF30jun2014

With this, the row over ownership of the Palace has received a new twist.

H C N Odeyar, claiming to be the descendant of Haleri rulers had recently written to the Deputy Commissioner claiming the right over the ownership.

He had even questioned the ownership of the Palace. According to the available documents, the fort compound wall, and two huge artifacts of elephants belong to the ASI.

There is no reference to the ownership of the Palace. The land where the Palace is constructed is a paisari land (government land).

Hence, it had created confusion on the ownership of the Palace.

In the backdrop of Odeyar’s letter, Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tiwari had directed the Archeological Survey of India and Department of Archeology and Museum to produce the documents related to the Palace.

Accordingly, the ASI could get the notification of Coorg Chief Commissioner dated November 26, 1920. According to the notification, the Fort and two artifacts of elephants are protected monuments under Ancient Monuments Protection Act -1904.

To give a large space to the office of the Coorg Chief Commissioner, the palace was dropped from the notification of protected monument.

The notification on the Palace was denotified in 1924.

The DC has directed the ASI and Department of archeology and museum to procure documents on the handing over of the Palace and issue a fresh notification.

Heritage site

Deputy Commissioner said that the the Deputy Commissioner’s office and Zilla Panchayat office which are now functioning from the Palace building will be shifted shortly.

Once all the government offices are shifted, then the Palace building will be developed as a heritage site.
The ASI has been directed to prepare a blue print for the development of the Palace.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Srikanth Kallammanavar / Madikeri – DHNS, June 29th, 2014

Nidhi Subbaiah gets adventurous

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Nidhi Subbaiah made the transition that many actors dream of. The pretty Sandalwood actress made it big with the Kannada film Pancharangi in 2010, for which she even nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She debuted in Bollywood in 2012 with the film Ajab Gazabb Love, in which she was paired with rumoured boyfriend Jackky Bhagnani. And from her tweets, it looks like the pretty young thing is all set for a new movie.

Nidhi Subbaiah
Nidhi Subbaiah

“Off to a new place.. A new movie.. A new adventure.. Winds of change… Wonder what’s in store… Excited..” read a post that Nidhi posted online. Now where she is off to, which movie has she signed, and what the changes and adventures are, only Nidhi can reveal. But sources have told Bangalore Times that Nidhi has signed a Bollywood film under a big banner. We wish her all the best on her new adventure!

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / TNN / June 251st, 2014

Shubra’s gearing up for Bollywood

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Model-turned-actor Shubra Aiyappa’s on a high with her debut film, Prathinidhi (in Telugu), doing well. Already working on her second movie, this time opposite Arvind Krishna, Shubra’s now ensuring her career takes the right course.

“I have been taking some time to sign the right films, now that my first film has done well,” says Shubra. Meanwhile, she’s also brushing up her skills for Bollywood. “I don’t have anything concrete to comment on yet, but yes, I’ve been taking lessons in acting and Hindi diction whenever I have the time, like currently, since I’m on a break between schedules,” says Shubra.

The actress is clear that career is her priority right now. “With so much on my plate, I’d say I’ve no time for a relationship,” she laughs.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / by Sunaina Suresh, TNN / June 25th, 2014

Deepika Kamaiah roped in for Bigg Boss?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

DeepikaKF28jun2014

The glamour quotient for Kannada’s Bigg Boss season two seems to be going higher. After names like Harshika Poonacha and Neethu being tossed around as confirmed contestants, the latest one to join that list is dusky Coorg lass and model turned actress Deepika Kamaiah.

Deepika, who entered Sandalwood with Darshan’s film Chingaari that was directed by choreographer and filmmaker A Harsha, has been a part of some critically acclaimed films in both Tamil and Kannada. Her first tryst with tinsel town was a Tamil film titled Aanmai Thavarel.

The actress even had a breezy visit ton Bollywood when she had a blink and you miss it role in the initial minutes of Rajkumar Santoshi’s comic caper Phata Poster Nikhhla Hero, which had Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz in the lead roles.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> TV / TNN / June 27th, 2014