Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Travel: To Explore, Experience and Have A New Way of Seeing Things – Part 2

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

www.yaatrika.com
www.yaatrika.com

“We must not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we began and to know the place for the first time.”
~ T. S. Eliot

Exploring to enrich ourselves and experiencing something new like you never have before. The next few places are known best for their greenery.

Kumarakom

Kumarakom is a tourist village situated in Kerala. It is a cluster of small islands on the Vembanad backwaters. What I did like most when I visited was the lush greenery that the place had. It was pleasant and not overwhelming. I would say that one drives down to the place so as to enjoy the best of nature.

Kumarakom enjoys a well-balanced tropical climate with temperatures ranging from 16 and 37.7 Celsius. These temperatures would mean having a cool, quiet vacation. The Monsoon season is from early June to early August and I say that it is a lovely time to visit. However slight drizzles do persist until early November.

You can get to this place by air, road or train. By air, you would have to take a flight to Cochin and from there travel either by car, bus, or train (75 Kms). By car from Cochin International Airport is around 2 hours. Buses are easily available from Kottayam and Cochin as well. By train it is around 16 Kms from Kottayam. When in Kumarakom, you could visit the Bird Sanctuary and the Bay Isalnd Driftwood Museum. Or you could always take a backwater boat ride or even hire a Boathouse to stay in. While there, I advise you to take a stroll around when not drizzling or raining to enjoy Kumarakom at its best.

Coorg

Also known as Kodagu, Coorg is known for its hospitality and the beautiful scenery. Tourists often visit Coorg for its picturesque natue and the mountain ranges that attract a lot of tourists every year.

When you are at Coorg, visit the Raja’s Seat (it is said that the kings of the yore used seat here and it also offeres fantastic views of the valley), Bagamandala (a temple is situated here; this is where Cauvery River confluences), Talakaveri / Talacauvery, Madikeri Fort, Mandalpatti- View point, Iruppu Falls and Dubare Elephant Camp. While there, you could also trek and walk around to catch a glimpse of local life as well the nature.

If you travelling by plane, you will have to fly in to Bangalore or Mangalore and then rent a cab or take a bus ride to Coorg. When you arrive at Coorg, you can hire a cab or retain the one that you travelled in to travel in to visit all the tourist hotspots.

Manali

Manali is a beautiful, quaint Hill Station located at the Northern end of Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh. It is a beautiful place to visit during the summer as well as in the winter (although it will be very cold). Manali is a popular tourist spot for Indians during Summer and in winter it becomes a beautiful snow-capped hill-station.

When in Manali, you could visit the Rohtang Pass which is at an altitude of 13,050 feet above sea level, Bes Kund – an igloo shaped temple, Hot water springs, Monasteries and temples of Tibetan Buddhist lineages which is located between old and new Manali. You could also walk into the town to experience life there and also try out some of the local food there.

One can reach Manali by Bus or car on the road from the Delhi or Bhuntar (Kullu) if you are coming in by plane; by train, Ambala Cantonment (200 km) or Chandigarh (250 km) from Indian Capital New Delhi.

While you are at these places, it is best that everyone sticks with their group or family – safety in numbers after all. Ensure that you are equipped with appropriate clothes according to the weather and time of visit to the place and more importantly dress according to the place that you would be visiting (for example – although it may seem conservative, you can’t visit a temple while wearing shorts and sleeveless). Pack just enough clothes and ensure that you keep your money and cards safe.

Like Francis Bacon said, “Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.” So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and travel to these places!

source: http://www.coolage.in / Cool Age / Home> Lifestyle / by Pooja Svathi Mahesh, Jyoti Nivas College – Bangalore / May 07th, 2013

Bangalore girls who promise to rock the Kannada screens this year

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

If 2012 saw more of Ramya, Radhika Pandit, Ragini Dwivedi and Sindhu Lokanth, the year 2013 will see a host of ‘relatively’ new stars who will make a splash with a lineup of films. BT first put together a list of Bangalore-based actresses who have debuted over the last year or so, and shortlisted that to the top five (based on their hits, projects that they have signed up for, their popularity and of course, their looks). We then got filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh, fashion guru Prasad Bidapa and photographer Waseem Khan to comment and rate the top five on a scale of five. Here’s a look at the results…

Deepika Kamaiah
After a five-year-stint as a model, Deepika Kamaiah won several beauty contests before taking the plunge into Sandalwood. She made her debut opposite Darshan in Chingari. After a six month break, the actress signed her second film Neene Bari Neene, and also replaced actress Chaitra in Auto Raja. This year, will mark Deepika’s Bollywood debut, as she’s done a cameo as a village belle in the Shahid Kapur-Ileana D’cruz-starrer Phata Poster Nikla Hero.
Indrajit: I’ve seen some of her clippings and I am surprised by the confidence the actress portrays. She’s one south actress, who has the potential to make it big in Bollywood. 4/5
Prasad: She’s got a pan Indian look, which will work for south as well as north. If she works more on her Hindi, she can make a cut in Bollywood too. 4/5
Waseem: Suave, sophisticated, articulate and not a cliche’d dumb starlet. Deepika has a lot of potential and I believe she will be the girl who will outlast most of the film stars of the south film industry. 4.5/5
Total: 83.3%


Shwetha Srivatsav
Shwetha Srivatsav comes from a theatre background and getting into films was a natural progress. After working for a television serial, the actress made her Kannada debut with Cyber Yugadol Nava Yuva Madhura Prema Kavyam. Even before her debut hit the screens, Shwetha signed her second project Simplag Ond Love Story opposite Rakshit Shetty. The film that saw a release recently is doing well at the BO.
Indrajit: I’ve seen some of the promos from her recent release and I must admit that she is a good actress. In fact, she’s a better actress than the rest. She’s very expressive and has a lively face. 3.5/5
Prasad: Shwetha has got lovely features and it will work well for south Indian films. Her expressive face also makes her a good actress. 3/5
Waseem: I haven’t seen much of her work. I am waiting to see her take up more projects. 3/5
Total: 63.3%

Kavya Shetty
The former Femina Miss India contestant made her entry into Sandalwood with a small budget film I Am in Love. But the actress has got lucky with a Tamil-Telugu thriller Shivani. She also plays one of the lead roles in Preetham Gubbi’s youth flick, Nam Duniya Nam Style.
Indrajit: Though I’ve not seen much of her work, as a model she looks stunning. Kavya’s got great height and good body and we need such actresses in our industry. 3.5/5
Prasad: Kavya has worked with me on a couple of shows and I’ve trained her for the pageant as well. She’s well-groomed and her westernized looks will work well in the south film industry. 4/5
Waseem: Sweet personality, but probably a bit too sweet for the big bad world of filmdom. She will make it big if she plays her cards right. Nevertheless, she works the camera superbly and shoots like a dream. 4/5
Total: 76.6%

Kriti Kharbanda
Bangalore girl Kriti Kharbanda made her debut in a Telugu film Boni, opposite Sumanth. She took up her next project in Kannada with Chirru, which marked the Sandalwood debut for both Chiranjeevi Sarja and herself. He next break was Prem Adda opposite Prem, which got her more yet-to-be-released films like Googly opposite Yash and Sakhatagawne opposite newbie Karthik. She’s also worked on Telugu films like Ongole Githa with Ram Pothineni and Theenmaar with Pawan Kalyan.
Indrajit: I find Kriti pretty, off the camera. She’s got a face like Bhavana Ramanna, where she’s more lively off screen than on screen. Nevertheless, choosing the right scripts will help her get to a better place. 4/5
Prasad: She’s got a very sweet and innocent face. She has the girl-next-door looks that will work wonders for her at the BO. 4/5
Waseem: She’s another smart girl who surprised many, including me, when she joined the south film brigade. She has the potential to score some mega hits. 3.75/5
Total: 78%

Soundarya Jayamala
Daughter of former actress Jayamala, Soundarya’s entry into films was predictable. While there were many speculated debuts, the actress made entered showbiz with Godfather, opposite Upendra. After several months of her debut, the actress took time to zero in on her second film, Paru w/o Devdas opposite Srinagara Kitty.
Indrajit: Being a famous actress’s daughter, Soundarya has got everything it takes to make a mark. However, her debut saw mixed responses. She needs to prepare herself better for upcoming films. 2.5/5
Prasad: She comes from a good lineage and has a lot of potential to make it big in the film industry. In fact, she’s promising as an actress when compared to the rest. 4.5/5
Waseem: She’s got tremendous oomph, sex appeal, charisma and has that X factor. In my opinion, Soundarya is the next superstar in the south. 5/5
Total: 80%

Debutants to look forward to this year
Here’s a list of promising Bangalore-based actresses who’ll be making their debuts this year
Milana Nagaraj: Brindavana and Nam Duniya Nam Style (Kannada)
Rajshri Ponnappa: Paru w/o Devdas (Kannada), Pithavinum, Puthranum, Parishuddhathmavinum (Malayalam), Aram (Tamil-Malayalam)
Nikki Galrani: Ajith (Kannada), Yagavarayinum Naa Kakka (Tamil)
Rachita Ram: Bul Bul (Kannada)
Jahanvi Kamath: Parari (Kannada)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada / by Sharanya CR, TNN / March 14th, 2013

And Hearth and Home shall meet

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

KodavathiKF08may2013
Preserving ones’ customs and traditions in the tangle of cross-cultural globalisation

It takes little to spark an inferno when it comes to community, beliefs and opinions. A seemingly innocent query into the relevance of old culture in our fast evolving modern day, turned foul when the enquirer stated his own sentiment. While he was happy to be associated with the community on its dedicated social networking forum, his views strongly suggested abandoning all traditional customs. Naturally, all hell broke loose and while the moderates tempered the situation, a question loomed: “Who are we, without our traditions?”

Far from our land of origin, far from the security of the familiar and most things we can call our own, this question becomes paramount to our sense of identity. At work, on campus and in cosmopolitan company, we don the culture of our residence to the best of our ability. But behind our private doors, we centre on preserving that identity — that single thing which is us, that which is unchallenged and that which no document can list otherwise.

For some, it is effortless. Others must adapt for the sake of survival. It is this duality that makes us versatile. And it is in a foreign land that the sweet smell of boiling rice becomes sweeter and that piece of ancestry, locked away unseen for years, becomes the most prized possession.

Because, it is when we are away that we realise just how close we are to our roots. How much they make us who we are. And how much we really love where we come from. When I relocated to London, I was young and brought up to be a well-rounded Indian. We celebrated all festivals and ate anything. Revelries were taken for granted. Time was an entity to be acutely aware of, not counted. Very quickly, the clinical regimentation of western routine made every little breath, matter. Birthday celebrations were postponed to the next official holiday. Festivals became organised events to be collectively enjoyed. Traditional practices had to be consciously performed, lest they be forgotten, in the rush to beat time.

I appreciated, more and more, all the things that I had taken-for-granted all my life. I was very happy. But something else mattered more. In a multinational gathering, being Indian, was great. But in the midst of other Indians, I needed my own, even more distinct identity. I had one. And proud as I was of it, I, now, felt the need to urgently learn the threads of preserving this heritage.

And so I observed all the rituals that I, until then, had only merrily enjoyed. I started speaking more in our language so that my child would gain fair exposure to it. I cooked traditional food in the house, often. We attended every community get-together. I made sure that I made the community ‘familiar’ to my child, to ensure that he was as natural in being who he was, as his roots were natural to his being. Traditions define us. Customs identify us. Beliefs set us apart. But in a foreign land, these very things bring us together and keep us so. That’s why, consciously or sub-consciously, we find every means to protect them. To make the future so secure, that no generation yet to come, will ever lose its way in the tangle of cross cultural globalisation. And so, we survive. Microcosmically. Wholesomely.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Tejaswi Uthappa / May 06th, 2013

State forest department awaits MP nod to transfer jumbos

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

he Karnataka Forest Department is awaiting a response from its Madhya Pradesh counterpart on transfer of 11 tamed elephants from three state camps for ‘forest-related activities’.

Recently, while hearing a PIL filed by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) the High Court had refused to interfere in State government’s decision on transfer of pachyderms.

The CUPA in its petition had contended that the elephants might not to able to sustain the extreme weather in Madhya Pradesh.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Ajay Mishra told Express that three elephants from Dubare, two from Mattigodu and six from Bandipur elephant camps, are listed for translocation to MP. He said they are basically second line elephants and doing similar jobs here. Karnataka has 95 tamed elephants in its many camps.

Allaying fears that elephants will be used for non-forest activities in MP, he said they would be used only for patrolling and not for display or safaris.

There have been instances when elephants from one state have been translocated to another and the pachyderms have had no problem in adjusting to the new environment.

“It may take some time for them to acclimatise but it will not create any problems. The beauty of elephants is that they develop a bond with their caretakers very soon,” he said.

The Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh has to look out for arranging mahouts and kavadis since Karnataka cannot spare their services. As per the Forest Department manual, there should be a mahout and a kavadi for each, and Karnataka has enough staff to take care of all the 95 jumbos. Elephants are known for co-existence and the question of feeling alien does not arise, argued Mishra.

There is a standard food chart for tamed elephants in camps and the forest department of every state has to follow it strictly.

“The tamed jumbos are just like our employees and separate registers are maintained to record its health, food habits, behaviour and service. Once they attain superannuation, they are given rest in camps,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Shyam Sundar Vattam / ENS – Bangalore / March 16th, 2013

Nidhi gets nostalgic

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg
(Nidhi Subbaiah More Pics )
(Nidhi Subbaiah More Pics )

Sandalwood actress Nidhi Subbaiah, who is making her mark in Bollywood, seems excited to watch Bombay Talkies. “Waiiiting to watch bombay talkies!Never been this excited for a film for a long long time!What was the last film you were excited to watch?” tweeted the actress.

Nidhi, who has acted in Kannada movies such as Pancharangi, Krishnan Marriage Story and Anna Bond, after talking bout Bombay Talkies, could not resist sharing some of her Bangalore memories. “I remember Sarfarosh, with dad-for someone who hated standing in long queue’s in d theatre,he actually bought tickets in black!Lido theatre!” she tweeted.

The actress, who featured in the 2012 Hindi film Ajab Gazabb Love opposite Jackky Bhagnani, is likely to return to the Sandalwood screen with the film Vara that’s likely to release sometime this year.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Parinatha Sampath, TNN / May 04th, 2013

Kodagu all set for V-day, security stepped up

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Uncategorized

There are 4.02 lakh voters in the district,

Kodagu district administration has made preparations for webcasting facilities in five selected booths in each of the two Assembly constituencies during the May 5 elections, Deputy Commissioner, N.V. Prasad has said.

Addressing presspersons at the Old Assembly Hall in Madikeri on Friday, Mr. Prasad said webcasting would be done on the day of mustering and de-mustering — at the St. Joseph High School in Madikeri and Government Junior College in Virajpet — as also the day of counting at the St. Joseph’s High School. Steps had been taken to deploy police, paramilitary forces, videographers and micro-election observes to the sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths in the two constituencies, Dr. Prasad, said.

Vehicles

As many as 71 buses, four mini-buses, 34 maxi-cabs, 80 jeeps, have been hired for election duty in the district. There are 87 vehicles in Madikeri constituency and 102 in Virajpet taluk.

There are 4.02 lakh voters in the district. In Madikeri there are 2.02 lakh voters —1, 00,235 men and 1, 01,839 women — and in Virajpet there are 2, 00,259 voters —1, 00,290 men and 99,969 women, Dr. Prasad said.

Steps have been taken to distribute voter slips to the voters through the booth-level officials. Those who had not received the slips could call the helpline located at the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Besides, voter facilitation centres would be opened on May 5 to distribute voter slips to those who have not received it, Dr. Prasad said.

Only two candidates of each political party would be allowed to set up booths at a distance of 200 meters from the polling booth on production of permission letters issued by the panchayat development officers and officers from the urban local bodies.

Sale of liquor has been banned in the district from 5 p.m. on May 3 to midnight of May 5 in all bars and restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs as a precautionary measure, Dr. Prasad said.

Officials deputed for election duty could cast votes at the centre opened at the office of the Assembly Election Officer. If not, they could send the votes through post before 8 a.m. on May 8, the day of counting, to the counting centre at the St. Joseph’s High School, he said.

Counting

Dr. Prasad said that as many as 14 counting tables had been allocated to each of the Assembly segment. A supervisor, group ‘C’ employee, one Central government employee as the micro-observer and a counting agent representing the contesting candidates would be present. A media centre had been opened near the counting centre.

He appealed to the owners of the plantations, industrial units, shops and commercial establishments to give e a one-day leave to workers and employees on May 5 to facilitate voting. Police have made elaborate bandobast to maintain law and order during the elections by deploying more than 1,000 personnel and officers drawn from the paramilitary, district armed reserve, police. There will be special vigil at the booths identified as naxal-affected, he said.

Slips distributed to voters through the booth-level officials

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysore – May 04th, 2013

Harshika celebrates her big day

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

(Harshika Poonacha )
(Harshika Poonacha )

Harshika Poonacha turned a year older on May 1. And the actress was in great spirits, starting her big day at midnight and having cut three cakes already by the morning, when we at Times of India called the actress to wish her.

Her plan of action for the day, she told us, was to spend time at home with family and friends, and then head out in the evening for the launch of a fashion event company that she will be a part of, which will culminate in her birthday celebrations. Her involvement in a fashion event firm does not come as a surprise, given that Harshika has, in the recent past, been a judge on a talent hunt show exclusively for the Kodava fraternity.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Prathibha Joy, TNN / May 01st, 2013

Brewed on this

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

The Kapi Trail, a joint effort by the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), Thomas Cook, Karnataka Ministry of Tourism and Coffee Board of India, is a unique tourism experience that allows travellers to experience coffee plantations of the South, in a different way.

Caffeine kick

“Our idea was to use the flavours of coffee and the whole coffee tourism experience as a trigger point to encourage people to explore South India,” says Rene Baumann, vice president, BIAL. “And since the airport brings in people from all over the world. This initiative would spotlight south India in a different way,” Baumann explains.

The big picture

The trail offers packages that cover Bangalore, Mysore, Coorg and Chickamagalur. One can learn about the history of coffee and the processing of the bean; engage with the local culture, traditions and cuisine or stay in ancestral homes and plantations. For the sporty holiday maker, there are scenic mountain treks and cycling tours.

Culture vultures can opt for heritage walks with visits to ancient temples and palaces – the 18 m tall Gomateswara statue, the largest monolithic in Asia at Sravanbelgola, to the only Hoysala temple still active at Belur. Wild life buffs are definitely spoiled for choice. They can get a taste of the wilderness via jeep safaris or visit The Tholpetty and Bhadra sanctuaries in the region. The Tholpetty forest, part of the Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary, is also a tiger reserve. One can go on a guided forest trek or understand where your bean really comes from, with a visit to a plantation pulp house and drying yard.

The Namdroling monastery in Bylakuppe, Coorg and the coffee museum in Chickmangalur are also worth a visit.

Packages start at `26,400 upwards.

Details: bangaloreairport.com; kaapi.trail@in.thomascook.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express Features – Hyderabad / May 02nd, 2013

Decoding California

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

The Silicon Valley, a rough triangle that stretches from San Francisco and Oakland in the north to San Jose in the south, could be mistaken for an extension of an Indian city.

From streets with names such as Gurudwara Road to Indian restaurants and even a store named The Love Of Ganesha, the area is home to thousands of Indians, many of them techies. And first-time filmmaker Rucha Humnabadkar, who has assisted Nagesh Kukunoor on his films Hyderabad Blues (1998), Rockford (1999) and Bollywood Calling (2003), is looking to capture the journey of these people in her new film, For Here Or To Go?
“It’s the story of every Indian who comes to the Bay Area with dreams of making it big,” says Rucha. The script is written by Rishi Bhilawadikar, who is actor Atul Kulkarni’s nephew, and is based on posts from his blog, Stuff Desis Like. “I met Rishi about a year ago and we got talking about this script that he’d written. I was interested in making the film right off the bat,” she says.

Actor Gulshan Devaiah, who was last seen in Hate Story (2012), is playing the lead character, a first-generation immigrant from Mumbai. “He is a loner who likes western culture. He wants success and goes to America in search of it,” says Gulshan. “However, he soon finds that he’s facing the age-old dilemma of migrants, where do I belong?” he adds. Although the actor hasn’t had a similar experience himself, he will be meeting techies in the States and hopes to draw inspiration from their lives.

The film, which goes on the floors by July, will be shot in the Bay Area and Mumbai. “It’ll be nice to have a wide release,” says Gulshan. “This is a story that needs to be told, especially with the spotlight on immigration reform right now,” says Rucha, referring to the Mark Zuckerberg-led initiative FWD.us (pronounced forward US).

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Movies> Entertainment> bollywood / by Sumedha Deo, Hindustan Times / Mumbai, April 30th, 2013

For these migratory tribals, livelihood, not voting, counts

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

Thousands of tribals in HD Kote and Hunsur haadis are likely to ignore the May 5 Assembly election as they have temporarily migrated to Kodagu and Wayanad to work in coffee estates. It is unlikely that they will come back to vote as there is a strong feeling that their exercising franchise has helped little in bettering their lives.

There are 115 haadis in H D Kote and about 30 in Hunsur with a total population of about 30,000.

The tribals here are predominantly agricultural labourers and with the region facing severe drought and agricultural activities still to resume, there is hardly any job on offer for them. Even forests are almost shut for them and they are hardly able to lay their hands on minor forest produce.

With no other choice, a majority of young and middle-aged men and women have left in search of greener pastures, leaving elderly parents at home to take care of their children. The tribals say that despite them casting their votes in successive elections, not much has changed in their lives. “Moreover, it’s a matter of bread and butter. We cannot give up a day’s wages and come just for the sake of voting,” said Raja from D B Kuppe haadi.

While many tribals have shifted their base to coffee estates as early as December and will return on May, those located on the borders of Kerala and Kodagu travel to their work places daily. Tribals are preferred for weeding and tree pruning as they are experts in it and get wages ranging from `150 to 300 daily.

Srikanth of the Tribal Joint Action Forum said that the tribals’ long-pending demands like title deeds for their cultivating lands, places of worship and graveyards, better health facilities and quality teachers who can bridge language barriers of their children among others are still to be met.

Most importantly, the poor tribes are upset over a series of attacks on fellow tribes by forest staff while collecting minor forest produce and over the problems they face in burying dead bodies. Graveyards of tribal clans are located inside forests and they have to brave deep trenches to carry dead bodies for burial. However, he feels that most tribals may not stay away from voting as they are conscious about voting rights and will find their way to polling booths if they have encouraging employers. Sources in the district administration said they are trying their level best to convince tribals to vote by holding talks with community leaders.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Vincent D’Souza – Mysore / April 30th, 2013