Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

A passionate journey!

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

Bhavani GS, a Bangalore-based artist, is thrilled to be presenting her latest project, ‘Journey With The River Cauvery’, in Chennai.

This show includes a video documentary, paintings and photographs. After exhibiting her work in Bangalore and Mysore, the next leg of her project flows on to Tamil Nadu.

“This is a narrative video of the journey taken by Cauvery to reach the Bay of Bengal,” says Bhavani. The project began in 2009 when she journeyed till Mysore and it took her almost 12 days to finish shooting. She adds, “In November 2011, I travelled to several other places, tracing the river’s journey. This took me around 15 days.”

Bhavani has captured the traditional spaces of worship and the rituals that go along with it, and various other human activity connected with the river.

Her passion for the river Cauvery is the sole reason why she chose to document her journey. “I belong to Kodagu (Coorg), the place where the river originates, and she is worshiped as ‘kuladevatha’ there. Since I moved away from my native place, I started missing Cauvery and seeing her flow in all her glory. So, I decided to translate my memory into photographs, paintings and a docu film,” she smiles.

Check out Bhavani’s Journey With The River Cauvery, at Art & Soul, 204-A, East Coast Road, Akkarai, between 11 am and 9 pm, till March 21 (except Mondays).

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Art & Culture / by Isha Sharma, TNN / March 15th, 2013

Nidhi Subbaiah, on being voted No. 6 on Bangalore Times Most Desirable list

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

Former Sandalwood actress Nidhi Subbaiah, who has acted in Kannada films Pancharangi and Krishnan Marriage Story among others, seemed a little flustered yesterday when she saw what she had scored on the Bangalore Times Most Desirable list. The actress, who was rated number 42 in the national list, appeared at number 6 on the regional list.

(Nidhi Subbaiah )
(Nidhi Subbaiah )

Her comment on the list on Twitter began with, “These individual city polls are funny! I believe only in the national poll.. God bless small minded people! .. Tch.” The actress, who was last seen in the Bollywood film Ajab Gazabb Love opposite Jackky Bhagnani, went on to further add, “Also, nice to read em sometimes.. Get to know a lot about myself that I didn’t know!Like who’s dating who!No time to confirm? Double tch.”

The comments, however, has not gone down too well with fans, colleagues and friends. While one of her fans posted a snapshot of hers from the list congratulating the actress, Nidhi, reacted with a “hmmm no I don’t believe in this! False news.”

Actress Ramya, who topped the regional list, too could not help but react to Nidhi’s comments. “We may be small minded but we have a big heart. We mean good to others and of course we don’t forget our roots as much as we branch out,” Ramya tweeted.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Parinatha Sampath, TNN / Monday – May 21st, 2013

Harshika might fly to Hyderabad soon

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

Sandalwood actress Harshika Poonacha, who was last seen Kavita Lankesh’s Crazy Loka, featuring Ravichandran and Daisy Bopanna, seems to be flooded with offers now.

The actress, who is working on eight Kannada films this year, is also doing her debut in Kollywood with the film Anandha Thollai. Harshika, who has been in the news lately for her upcoming special number in the film Case No 18/9, is excited about her first dance number. “On my way for the dance rehearsals:)My first dance number has to be outstanding!wish me good luck tweeps, I need lot ,” tweeted the actress recently.

(Harshika Poonacha )
(Harshika Poonacha )

The Jackie heroine, in a recent voice update also says, “There’s some good news. I’m getting lots of song offers. I’ve even been offered two Telugu films. So, I might be flying to Hyderabad very soon. Your blessings should always be with me.” Though Harshika has a string of films lined this year, her first dance number sure has brought with it a lot more projects.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada / by Parinatha Sampath, TNN / March 25th, 2013

Sandalwood runs for a cause

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

The 10K marathon that took place in Bangalore today saw several celebrities from the Kannada film industry participating in it. Every year we see actors from Sandalwood participating in it. But this year several actors from the industry took part.

We had actors like Pooja Gandhi, Sharmiela Mandre, Aindrita Ray, Vinayak Joshi, dancer Madhuri Upadhya and model Shubra Aiyappa, among others participating in it. Actor Puneeth Rajkumar flagged the event.

(Vinayak Joshi )
(Vinayak Joshi )

The popular RJ-turned-actor Vinayak Joshi, who once weighed as much as 121 kgs lost about 42 kgs once he took up to running. And with the actor out of Bigg Boss home, Vinayak began his new diet by giving up salt and sugar. With the TCS 10 k marathon scheduled for today morning, the actor energetically signed for the marathon today and participated in it. He tweeted, “It was an awesome run. #tcs10k was a good come back run for the running season waiting in the second half of the year. Thank u all.”

Dancer Madhuri also tweeted saying, “Ran #TCS10K ,very surreal experience!!! Thanks to @rjvinayakjoshi for introducing me to the world of running.”

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Sharanya CR, TNN / May 19th, 2013

Komal in ‘Pyaar GE Agbutaithe’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

The top most popular song of last year Pyaar Ge Agbuttaithe….Namdhuke Jaan ge Hogbuttaithe….is widely heard and this particular song is also one of the significant factors for Pawan Wadeyar ‘Govindayanamaha’ getting good collections in the theatres for producer KA Suresh.

The song beginning words ‘Pyaar Ge Agbuttaithe’ is the title for popular comedy hero Komal Kumar next film that commenced song recording on Friday morning at Rajesh Ramanath ‘Sthyaayi Studio’.

Komal Kumar
Komal Kumar

Tamil film director Kavin Bala makes debut in Kannada with story, screenplay and direction. Dharma Teja is music composer, Bala Barani is cameraman for this Rakshit Films. Shoba Prakash is the producer of this film that will be shot in Bangalore, Mysore, Madikeri, Sakleshpur, Udupi and others locations. Suresh Urs is editing this film.

The selection of heroine and supporting cast is in progress.

source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / India Glitz / Home / Saturday – May 04th, 2013

A new international fashion platform rolls out

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

The event saw actors and celebrities like Prajna, Surabhi, Harshika Poonacha, Bhuvan Ponannaa Ramesh, Aravind and Ajai Rao in attendance
The event saw actors and celebrities like Prajna, Surabhi, Harshika Poonacha, Bhuvan Ponannaa Ramesh, Aravind and Ajai Rao in attendance

Taking fashion and glamour into a whole new level, actress Harshika Poonacha and actor Bhuvaan Ponannaa launched their dream company — GlamGod Fashions and Events, which specialises in every aspect of fashion, modelling, films and glamour.

A huge bunch of actors and celebrities including actors Ramesh Aravind, Ajai Rao, Prajna, Surabhi, Indian idol winner Sriram, director AMR Ramesh were present during the launch.

Harshika was on top of the world, attired in a red dress along with celebrity director Bhuvaan Ponannaa, as both welcomed everyone with open arms and posed for the shutterbugs.

“While acting is still a part of me, I wanted to branch out and try out new things. The opportunity came my way when Bhuvaan told me about his plans of starting an international fashion agency,” says Harshika.

She added, “Through our company, we plan to promote young talent in fashion industry and films and give them a platform to showcase their art on an international platform using our tie-ups with agencies overseas. I remember when we entered the industry, both of us had no background in films and we took every day as it came. So I want to give something back. With this launch, I hope to do just that.”

The guests and her team surprised Harshika by getting a cake on her birthday. The actress played along when they smeared the cake on her face.

“It was the best birthday I ever had, not only because I could celebrate it with people whom I love, but also because I have entered a new phase of my life,” she said.

The evening also had an exclusive fashion show choreographed by Braveem Thamaya where international designer Reshma Kunhi showcased her spring summer collection.

The show saw models dressed in ethnic clothes like long kurtas, sherwanis and dhotis in bright summer colours along with Indo-western attires like kurtis, smart jackets and pants.

With only ten unique creations on the ramp, the audience were left craving for more. “Our main motto is to simplify fashion and provide opportunity to all the budding talents in the city and subsequently all over India.

The focus will not only be on clothes, but on hairstyle, make up, choreography and also on the quality of models. There is a huge demand for Indian models overseas and our company will bridge that gap.

All newcomers and freshers can sign up with our agency at no cost and the deserving will be selected and groomed for free and subsequently be used for commercial events and films all over the world,” said Bhuvaan Ponannaa, the director of the company.

The evening saw the celebrities let their hair down at Tango Calypso as they wished the best to both the directors and their team.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Express Features – Bangalore / May 13th, 2013

National award for Kodava stage artiste , Litterateur

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy President Addanda C. Cariappa is seen receiving the National Bhasha Samman award from Sahitya Academy President at a function held in Shillong yesterday.
Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy President Addanda C. Cariappa is seen receiving the National Bhasha Samman award from Sahitya Academy President at a function held in Shillong yesterday.

Shillong (Meghalaya):

The Kodava language, despite not having a script of its own, has grown over the past few decades and deserves to be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, opined Addanda C. Cariappa, President of Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy.

He was speaking after receiving the Bhasha Samman national award instituted by the Sahitya Academy at U Soso Tham Auditorium here yesterday. The award was presented to him in recognition of his services towards Kodava language through drama, literature and journalism over the past few decades.

The awards were presented by Academy President Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. Meghalaya State Urban Development Minister M. Ampareen Lyngdoh was present.

The five others honoured by the Academy are — Narayan Chandra Goswami of Assam, Hasu Yajnik of Gujarat, Tabu Ram Taid of Assam, Sondar Singh Majaw of Meghalaya and late Mandira Jaya Appanna (posthumously).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / May 14th, 2013

Bengaluru tracks its winged visitors

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Bar-headed geese seen in a lake on the outskirts of the city —Clement Francis
Bar-headed geese seen in a lake on the outskirts of the city —Clement Francis

Bengaluru:

Bengaluru counted its birds on Sunday as part of International Bird Day and also to create a national data base on avi-fauna. Bird enthusiasts flocked to lakes, hills and grasslands to count the number and species of birds.

The concept of creating a national data base on avi-fauna was mooted by the Delhi Bird Watching Society (DBWS) which invited the bird watching community across the county to conduct a bird count in their areas on Sunday and submit the number of species they sighted till evening. The event was named Big Bird Day and about 200 teams and individual bird watchers took part in the counting.

“We had tremendous response from all over the country. The bird watching groups submitted their numbers till evening. We were flooded with 100 plus messages at 6 pm on Sunday from all over the country. We have team sightings of 100-120 birds on an average and we are still waiting for the counts from out-station. The report on the count will be ready in a week,” said writer and birdwatcher from New Delhi, Bikram Grewal.

In Karnataka, bird-watching enthusiasts took an early morning walk to count the birds in different parts of the state. A bird watching team in Kodagu, led by bird expert Dr Narasimhan, counted 120 species of birds in one single day.

Manjunath Prabhakar, a wildlife photographer who took part in the count, said the bird counting was a great opportunity to record research on bird diversity as many species that were not thought to exist in urban areas are being sighted. “We sighted close to 60 bird species atop Nadi Hill during the count and we managed to sight two birds from the Western Ghats,” Mr Prabhakar said.

Harish R Bhat, a bird expert and researcher from the Indian Institute of Science said that he was able to sight 110 bird species in Bijapur. “I happened to be in Bijapur for a lecture and I decided to count the birds here. Due to the presence of the Alamatti backwaters, the presence of birds is large around Bijapur city,” Mr Bhat said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Amit S. Upadhye, DC / February 25th, 2013

Coorg – A Hidden Gem in Southern India

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

If you are planning on traveling to southern India and want to get a different perspective on Indian culture, consider traveling to Coorg. This area is unlike any other area in south India and you will find that it is a land of surprises and mystique. The locals of Coorg have their own distinct culture and customs, so a visit is sure to produce some enriching experiences.

The people of Coorg are known as Coorgs, but locally they are called Kodavas. While they are Hindu, they practice ancestor worship known as “Karana” which takes priority over traditional worship of Hindu gods. Coorgs usually keep images or idols of ancestors that have passed. These items are traditionally made out of wood or clay and are offered prayer and obedience. Along with the worship of ancestors, the Coorgs also worship nature and consider the Cauvery River to be holy.

As you might guess, Coorg culture also has different values when compared to other areas in India. Coorgs are the only race in India that are free from the Indian Arms Act and are allowed to possess guns without a license. The locals have become very close to their weapons and they even have a festival called Keil Podh which is dedicated to weapons. Even some family traditions have weapons involved. When a family has a newborn son, a gun is shot into the sky as a welcoming to the little one. When a Coorg passes away, two gunshots are fired into the sky to notify others of the passing. While the Coorg people are fond of their weapons, there is no need to be nervous as they are renowned for their hospitality.

Coorg is definitely a place that honors tradition yet finds a way to make its own way. A visit is sure to open your eyes to a different way of life in India.

source: http://www.bigfive.com / Big Five Tours & Expeditions / Home> Travel Blog / March 18th, 2013

Pride of Coorg Bicycle race

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

Some nice Coorg climbs
Some nice Coorg climbs

Date: 11th May, 2013
Distance: 80 km (including climbs)
Route: Somwarpet to Virajpet (via Madikeri and Murnad)
Location: Coorg, Karnataka

Prizes
1st prize: Rs 50,000
2nd prize: Rs 30,000
3rd prize: Rs 20,000
Malay Raja (King of the Ghat): Rs 11,000
4th prize: Rs 10,000
5th prize: Rs 7,000
6th prize: Rs 5,000
7th, 8th, 9th, 10th position: Rs 2000 each

Riders are expected to report on 10th May. Briefing will be done on the evening of 10 May.

Accommodation will be provided for the entire day and night of 10th May.
Lunch and dinner on 10th May and breakfast and lunch on 11th May too will be provided.
Those who wish to stay on after the race, can do so, on their own expense.

source: http://www.blog.bumsonthesaddle.com / by Rohan Kini / May 09th, 2013