Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Actor Varsha Bollamma Donates Eyes, Fans Can’t Stop Admiring her

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Actor Varsha Bollamma has decided to donate her eyes.
Actor Varsha Bollamma has decided to donate her eyes.

Actor Varsha Bollamma has decided to donate her eyes.

Actor Varsha Bollamma has decided to donate her eyes. Her kind gesture has left her fans extremely grateful to the actor. They couldn’t help admiring the Maane Number 13 actor. A user wrote that Varsha has beautiful eyes and by deciding to donate them, she proved her heart is also beautiful. Rest dropped clap and heart emojis in the comment section.

Besides this kind gesture, Varsha was also in news recently for her film Selfie. The film was appreciated by many for exploring the issue of college admission rackets. The movie explored how management quota seats are sold for exorbitant money.

Selfie was written and directed by Mathi Maran. Besides Varsha, Chandrasekhar, Amirtham Gunanidhi, G.V Prakash Kumar, Gautham Vasudev Menon and others were also part of the film. Sangili Murugan, Vidya Pradeep and Tiger Thangadurai also featured in important roles in the film. The song Imaikkariye, written by Arivu, was released on Tuesday and it garnered enormous praise. G.V. Prakash Kumar’s music and mellifluous vocals captivated the audience.


Varsha was also part of the film Stand Up Rahul, which was released this year. Stand Up Rahul narrated the story of an employee who doesn’t dare to stand up for anything in his life. Stand Up Rahul was written and directed by Santo.

Banking on her recent success, Varsha is also a part of two upcoming films titled Swathi Muthyam and Meet Cute. Swathi Muthyam is written and directed by Lakshman K Krishna. Rao Ramesh, Vennela Kishore, Surekha Vani and others will be seen in this film. Meet Cute is written and directed by Deepthi Ganta. Aakanksha Singh, Sathyaraj, Adah Sharma, Ruhani Sharma, Sunaina and others will be seen in this film.

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News> Movies> Entertainment Bureau / May 04th, 2022

Mysuru’s Guinness Record Holder For Tallest Cactus Kashi Kuttappa Passes Away

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Mysore/Mysuru:

Accapanda Kashi Kuttappa (76), former Assistant Director in the Agriculture Department and a Guinness Record holder for tallest home-grown cactus, passed away at his residence in Siddarthanagar this morning.

He leaves behind his wife Jyothi, daughters Smitha and Neetha, sons-in-law and a host of relatives and friends. Last rites were performed at the foot of Chamundi Hill this noon, according to family sources.

The cactus Kashi Kuttappa

and his family members had grown reached a record height of 45.8 feet and had fetched him the Guinness Record. Kashi himself had said that it took him and his family 22 years to grow the cactus that towered above his home. It is of Cactus-Cereus Grandflora that belongs to the family of ‘cactaceae’. This cactus is widely grown in the tropics of dry tracts and suits the desert climate.

Several tourists and nature lovers used to frequent Kashi’s house at Siddarthanagar to see the wonder plant. In fact, the road to Kashi’s house was arbitrarily named ‘Cactus Road’ and he was famous as ‘Cactus Kashi’.

The plant was grown and nourished since 1978 when it was 2.5 ft. tall. The Guinness Book of Records authorities accepted the cactus as the tallest and issued a certificate for the first time on Jan. 20, 1993 when the cactus was 35 feet 1 inch. The Guinness Records authorities awarded the longest cactus certificate for the second time in 1998, when the cactus had grown to the height of 44 feet and 9 inches.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 27th, 2021

Don’t wait to dye another day

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All
One of the pieces from Label Arati | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

An exhibition showcasing the intricacies of dyeing will be held at Bangalore International Centre this weekend

Vibrant colours, striking patterns and flowy fabrics — much goes into the final product that one wears without much thought. However, for those who would like to get into the nuances of dyes and textiles, Bangalore International Centre (BIC) will be hosting an exhibition, ‘Natural dye stories by Label Arati,’ and related workshops from April 30 to May 3.

Conceptualised and curated by Arati Monappa who established the label, the exhibition will showcase various dyeing and embroidery techniques in use by Indian artisans.

“The purpose of this exhibition is to showcase the beauty of natural dyes. It is an assemblage of pieces coloured with natural dye, which I started gathering; today we have over 100 Indian practitioners who use natural dye and over 300 pieces are going to be on display,” says Arati, who adds that the event was initially meant to mark the label’s 25th anniversary which got delayed due to the pandemic.

“I had a lot of leftover fabric from over the years, which were used for cushions and other furnishings. We also rewove some of those remnants into fabric — all these pieces will be installed at the exhibition,” she says.

Apart from the release of a book documenting the journey of Label Arati, five natural dye workshops will also be held. Workshops on Eco Printing, Natural Dyes and Natural Mordant Dyeing, Dyeing with Kitchen Waste and two on the traditional techniques of Mata ni Pachedi from Gujarat and Kalamkari, will be held. The fee for the courses range from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000.

A pomegranate peel dyed cotton sari by EcoFab Bharat | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A mordant is a substance used to affix dye to fabrics and are not usually plant-based. The use of natural dyes dates back to India’s Vedic period when the Indian Madder (Rubia cordifolia, commonly known as manjistha) was used to obtain red pigment, says Pushyamitra Joshi of EcoFab Bharat, Indore, who will be hosting one of the workshops at the exhibition. “The leaves and bark of the Lodh tree (Symplocos racemosa) can be used as a mordant in place of alum. This makes its use and subsequent disposal totally safe for the craftsman and the environment,” he says.

A demonstration of eco printing by Leafage | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Pushyamitra will demonstrate how to dye fabric using Lodh as a mordant and participants will be provided with kits containing Lodh and manjistha to replicate the process at leisure. “Apart from reviving an ancient practice, the use of plant-based mordants ensures brighter shades as it is more potent. That it is completely eco-friendly is a huge plus,” he adds.

Pune-based Shraddha Barde of Leafage will conduct a workshop on eco-printing, which she believes is both an art and science. “Every leaf, even if it is from the same tree is of a different shape and composition, so every piece is one of a kind. It is perhaps the purest method of printing as one transfers the colour present in leaves directly onto the fabric — it is a natural process, using natural methods,” says Shraddha. She will cover the basics of the technique following which participants will try their hand at eco-printing.

An eco printed piece from Leafage | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The exhibition will feature an embroidery collection by designer Asif Shaikh as well as rugs, masks in natural dyes, block print samples and recycled pieces. “Though there is no sale of the pieces on display, there will be a catalogue of the collection and one can write down if they are interested in a particular piece. If it doesn’t go into our permanent collection, it will be available at a price, later. There will also be a sale of the pieces that are not used at the exhibition,” says Arati.

‘Natural dye stories by Label Arati,’ will be on at Bangalore International Centre from April 30 to May 3. To register for the workshops, contact 080 41279127 or whatsapp 9448648576.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Ruth Dhanraj / April 28th, 2022

Kodagu youth travels penniless across Karnataka

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021), Videos

Travel videos uploaded on his YouTube channel are gaining appreciation and he dreams to travel the country penniless.

A video grab of Vinay Kumar hitching a ride on a strangers bike in one of his trips

Madikeri :

A hitchhiker from Kodagu has gained popularity for his unique travel approach.

An ambitious explorer, he brings to the fore the hospitality of Indian families and the welcoming nature of strangers. Travel videos uploaded on his YouTube channel are gaining appreciation and he dreams to travel the country penniless.

“The passion for travelling almost always comes with a baggage of huge monetary requirements. But I wanted to check if I can travel without money. My first hitchhiking trip was to Sringeri, where strangers dropped me to my destination without demanding money,” shared Vinay Kumar, a travel enthusiast who works as a HR recruiter. An M.Com graduate, Vinay recently completed his studies and is currently working from home in Madikeri. During the weekends, he explored a few places and that is when his unique travel story took shape. 

From his home in Madikeri, Vinay hitchhiked a ride on a Saturday morning and reached the highway. He requested for free rides from strangers on bikes, truck, car, taxi and electric bike and reached Sringeri while taking several pit stops.

“I left Madikeri on Saturday and returned home on Sunday. Even on my return, I hitchhiked rides,” he shared. Apart from free commute, Vinay also succeeded in getting free breakfast and lunch. The videos of his interactions with locals and families show the hospitality and welcoming nature of  citizens. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / April 29th, 2022
 

‘Bhame’ & ‘Sanna Kathegalu: Kannada Books To Be Released On May 1

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Mysore/Mysuru:

‘Bhame’ (a Kannada novel) and ‘Sanna Kathegalu’ (compilation of short stories), authored by P.M. Manoj (Dheviputhran), will be released at a programme organised at Institution of Engineers-India (IEI) on JLB Road in city on    May 1 at 11 am.

Bharadwaj K. Anandatheertha, writer from Kanive, Kodagu, will inaugurate the event and release the books.

Writer & Journalist Poorigali Maradeshamurthy and Shashidhar of Tara Printers, Mysuru, will be the chief guests. Voracious reader H.S. Tejas will compere the programme.

Manoj’s first novel ‘Casanova’ will be available for purchase at 25% discount during the book release event.

For details, contact Mob: 90080-73499.

About the author:

An alumnus of Maharaja’s College in Mysuru, P.M. Manoj, known by his pen name Dheviputhran, is a native of Thithimathi in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu. Son of P.C. Saroja (a retd. teacher) and late P.V. Mohan, Manoj has two other books — ‘Casanova’ (novel) and ‘Pathanga’ (compilation of short stories) — and many short stories to his credit.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 25th, 2022

Kabbachira Family’s Annual Meet

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

The annual general body meeting of Kabbachira family was held at its Ainmane recently.

Also, a family tree (ancestral lineage) book was released on the occasion.

Family’s Pattedara presided. Ajjinikanda Mahesh Nachaiah, Poomale Daily Editor, family members, daughters born in Kabbachira family and their families and Arji village heads were present.

The book is written by Kubbachira Jeya Uttappa and Banu Uttappa.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / April 24th, 2022

Culture and creativity – 31 artists showcase contributions of Kodagu at the Aadipaaya exhibition

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All
Hero image

In Part I of our photo essay on the Adipaaya art exhibition, we feature creative highlights along with curator insights. Read, enjoy, share!

Launched in 2014,PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 600 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon festival, cartoon gallery, world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali wildlife conference, startup festival, , Diwali rangoli and jazz festival.

While the region of Kodagu (Coorg) in South India is known for its rich natural resources as well as achievers in sports and defence, Kodava artists are not as well known.

The current exhibition at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, titled Adipaaya (‘foundation’ in the Kodava language), shines the spotlight on the regional art.

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Kodava art

“In December of 2021, I made an open call on the Kodava WhatsApp group about my interest to curate an All Kodava Visual Arts Exhibition,” explains award-winning artist-curator Smitha Cariappa, in a chat with YourStory.

She received an overwhelming response to her open call. “I had a one-on-one telephonic conversation to find out more from each artist. I got to know the majority are self-taught and skilled painters,” she recalls.

After the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, she reconnected with artists and art lovers in Kodagu, and conducted research into its artistic heritage.

The exhibited artworks span painting, drawing, portraits, sculpture, installation, illustration, caricature, photography, textiles, and mixed media. Elements of daily life in Kodagu and festivals of Kodava culture are some of the themes of the artworks.

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Art and creativity

“Art is the best language that I can apply to communicate my concerns, anxieties and inquiries. My concepts evolve around current socio-political concerns,” Smitha explains.

“Art is also an attitude towards life, and the inner self-reflection of the immediate environment and surroundings,” she adds. “With empathy to the concerns around, a certain kind of activism comes about,” she suggests.

As a curator, she sees success in completing a curatorial project and bridging the gap between artist and audience.

“Success would be to involve the audience in conversation with the artwork and the artist. If I have touched the people and they are able to get closer to better aesthetic ideas, that is success for me,” she affirms.

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Messages and impact

“I am trying to take the Kodava art project to Kodagu in the form of workshops, talks and exchanges. Reverse migration during the pandemic has taken us to our roots and our native places,” Smitha explains.

source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory.com / Home> Arts & Culture / by Madanmohan Rao / April 23rd, 2022

‘Unofficial’ Entry Fee Rule At Talacauvery Temple

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021)

Kushalnagar:

A new entry fee rule has come into force at Talacauvery Temple in Kodagu, the birthplace of River Cauvery where visitors are charged Rs. 20 and a receipt of ‘Vishesha Seve’ (Special Offering) is given after the payment.

Though the ticket is issued for ‘Vishesha Seve’, people who come there do not perform any rituals. They just enter the Temple to pray and leave. The Temple comes under the State Muzrai Department and is governed by its rules and regulations.

Interestingly, the entry fee is levied in a sly manner and whoever questions the new system are let inside without the ticket. Normally, local residents who know that there was no entry fee till now are not ready to pay and are bound to question the person who issues the  ‘Vishesha Seve’ tickets. But tourists and other people who come from outside the district meekly pay up.

Barricade for fee collection

Earlier, one could enter the Temple through the main arch gates and there was no such ticket counter and no one would stop entry. However, now all devotees who come to the Temple are made to enter through a barricaded entry point — to the right of the arch gates — and the security guards force each and everyone to take that particular line.

Moreover, there are no sign boards indicating that an entry fee has to be paid. Rs. 20 ticket is issued to one group. As there are no clear-cut guidelines and rules, many Temple goers are objecting to the practice.

The rule has been enforced recently as thousands of tourists are visiting Kodagu for the holiday season. As there are no signboards or any Government Order to indicate the Rs. 20 entry fee, it is an ‘unofficial’ arrangement to collect money.

As generally tourists will be in a hurry, no one questions the rule of entry tickets while no other major temples have  an entry fee. Only the special rituals and prasadam have tickets of various denominations. But if any devotee questions the entry ticket collection, they are told that tickets are not mandatory.

Not mandatory: Temple EO

Krishnappa, Executive Officer of Talacauvery-Bhagamandala Temple Committee said that the collected money is being used to maintain the Temple staff. “We get bare minimum funds from the Government for the maintenance of the staff. Anyway the tickets are not mandatory. Those who have the tickets will get three special mangalarathis at the Brahma Kundike, Agastheshwara and Mahaganapathi Temples,” he said.

On the barricades erected near the arch gate, he said that it is to ensure that the visitors are not skimpily clad. “75 percent of  the visitors who come here are tourists and many of them are scantily dressed. This is a holy place and body showing is unacceptable,” he added.

President of Talacauvery – Bhagamandala Temple Committee Kodi Motaiah said that there are 11 employees including priests at Talacauvery and 16 at Bhagamandala. “The Muzrai Department pays just Rs. 7,500 as salary and that too they are paid once in two or three months. We are paying them from whatever little money collected from the entry ticket,”  he added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.come / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / April 19th, 2022

They Were Talking About My Upbringing: Rashmika Mandanna Opens On When She Was Body-Shamed

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


Rashmika Mandanna opened up on how she dealt with body shaming, here read to know

The Pushpa actress Rashmika Mandanna, known as the nation’s crush has given us career goals with her back-to-back successful movies in the row. However, while the actress definitely rules our hearts, it’s been quite times when she got severely trolled by netizens on social media, for her body and career choices.

Talking to Bollywood Bubble, Rashmika Mandanna opened up on how she struggled over the years with body-shaming, and how she felt about it. She said, “It hit me like a bloody tsunami. I didn’t see it coming.” Adding further she said, “To one point, I was body shamed, they were talking about my personality, my character, my family, my school, my upbringing and all of that.”

The actress further added, “I started losing myself into all of these. I started shelving myself…it was bad.” The diva also said that how the constant trolls made her doubt herself and her career choices too.

On the work front, the actress recently earned pan-Indian recognition with her work in the film Pushpa along with Allu Arjun. She is also set to make her Bollywood debut with Sidharth Malhotra in the film Mission Majnu, followed by Goodbye and more.

source: http://www.iwmbuzzi.com / IMWBUZZ.com / Home> Movies> Snippets / by Team IWMbUZZ / April 16th, 2022

Bhavani G S’ Artworks That Connect Memories With The Present Opens At Hyderabad’s State Art Gallery On April 15

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All

The artist’s debut solo show opens at Hyderabad’s State Art Gallery on April 15.

The excitement is palpable in artist Bhavani G S’ voice. “This is my first solo show in Hyderabad and I have not been able to sleep for the past few days due to the thrill of coming to the city. I am glad I could come early,” she says ahead of her multi-disciplinary exhibition, Fragmented Memories, that opens at the State Art Gallery on April 15. The show consisting of paintings and video art brings memories to the fore connecting the past to the present and vice versa.

Besides a few short videos, around 35 works done in acrylics and watercolours promise to give artlovers an uncanny sense of being in the woods. The works done two years ago were to be displayed at Jehangir Art Gallery in March 2020 but got postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (she displayed at Jehangir Art Gallery two months ago). “Our lives changed in two years of the pandemic; My works also changed,” she shares.

Talakaveri by Bhavani G S

Bond with Cauvery

Hailing from the mountain ranges of Kodagu in Karnataka surrounded by coffee plantations, Bhavani’s works represent the deep connection she shares with her native land and the river Cauvery. In fact, the artist has been working on a decade-long sustained project on Cauvery and has shot a few videos on water issues. This is part of a research-based work on her journeys that started in 2012 when she travelled (around 65 kilometres) along the river from TalaCauvery (in Coorg district where Cauvery originates) reaching the Bay of Bengal in Poompuhar and observing the changing shores of the confluence of the river.

Poompuhar by Bhavani G S

Her journey started as a probe into water issues like pollution, ended up forging a bond with the river. “I fell in love with Cauvery and wanted to travel with it. Hence a bit of the river will always be there in my works.” Memories evolved as COVID-19 triggered uncertainties and took her back to her home town that was witness to unscientific man-made changes leading to disasters.

“Television and the internet kept us connected but our relationships had changed and we were disconnected from each other. The pandemic taught us the value of many things, especially freedom,” she points out. She connected images emanating from her childhood memories to her current stay in Bengaluru. The migration issue made her ponder her life when she migrated to Bengaluru. The elephant corridor has disappeared as people have moved in. I am responsible in a way for that disappearance.”

Milestone 3A Talakaveri by Bhavani GS

The anxieties also took her back to her childhood when she recollected the solace she got as a child by hearing the howling of Western Ghats fox and the jackal. “The Western Ghats fox is on the verge of extinction,” she says. The various images that touched her mind and soul have found a place on her canvas.


Fragmented Memories by Bhavani G S will be at the State Art Gallery till April 24

source: http://www.newsazi.com / News Azi / Home> Entertainment / by Anindita Das / April 15th, 2022