In a move to draw more tourists to the Scotland of Karnataka, the Forest Department and local administration have created a walk-in exotic bird aviary in Kodagu
The walk-in aviary created at Cauvery Nisargadhama, Kodagu district | EXPRESS
Bengaluru :
In a move to draw more tourists to the Scotland of Karnataka, the Forest Department and local administration have created a walk-in exotic bird aviary in Kodagu. Though it was inaugurated by Housing Minister V Sommanna on Friday, it will be opened to the public only after a month.
The aviary has been created in Cauvery Nisargadhama, where a dedicated area of around 2,000 sqft for an enclosure has been created. Visitors can walk in and feed the birds. Shivaram Babu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kodagu told The New Sunday Express that a metal structure has been erected with mesh so that peopl e and birds are not inconvenienced.
The list of birds being procured to be housed include, budgies, African lovebirds, cockatiel, Conure varieties, African grey parrot, macaw, pheasant, turkeys, geese and ducks.
A Koi fish pond and fish spa, housing Gurra rufa (doctor fish), is also being created, he said.
The concept is very popular in foreign countries, especially the island nations. Some conservationists and activists have questioned the need for such a project in Kodagu. “The area is known for its lush green forest patches, vegetation, biodiversity and wildlife. There is no need to bring in exotic birds and have such an aviary. Instead, a bird-watching site can be created,” an activist said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / June 13th, 2021
Most of the 19.88-acre land encroached Survey ordered by High Court
Madikeri:
Following a directive from the Karnataka High Court to Madikeri Tahsildar to conduct a survey of 19.88 acres of the area where Raja’s Tomb (Rajara Gaddige) is situated at Mahadevpet near Madikeri, the officer began the survey yesterday along with his team and amidst tight Police security.
The survey was carried out under the leadership of Tahsildar Mahesh. In March this year, a Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by J.S. Virupakshaiah, a former State Information Commissioner, had ordered the Tahsildar to conduct a detailed survey for the Government to reclaim the encroached land.
Virupakshaiah had alleged that there are several encroachments in the historical tomb area. Initially, the Gaddige had 19.88 acres of land. However, most of the land has been encroached and some have even built houses on the encroached land. Even a Government building has come up on the Gaddige land.
The PIL brought to the notice of the Court about 31 families residing in the encroached land. In spite of having no land documents, the Panchayat has provided water, electricity, road and other basic facilities, Virupakshaiah had said in the PIL.
Now the survey has begun with tight Police security. The Court will hear the PIL again on June 17 and the District Administration has to submit a report on the original land, encroached part and other details.
Before the survey team began work, Town Panchayat members Amin Mohisin, Basheer and Mansoor urged the Tahsildar to first demarcate the borders of the Gaddige as they said it is not possible to determine encroachment unless the borders are marked.
Speaking to reporters, Tahsildar Mahesh said that during the last hearing, the Bench had given six weeks for the submission of the report. “Due to COVID and Town Panchayat polls, the survey could not be taken up so far. Now the survey is being carried out as per the Court directions. The exact border of the Gaddige will be identified and demarcated. The land has been listed under the Archaeological Survey of India Survey Number 30/1 and there is 19.88 acres. The Bench has also directed us to prepare a sketch of the entire land and pin-point encroachments. We are trying to bring out the truth regarding encroachments,” Mahesh said.
There are three tombs built for the royal dynasty. The central tomb which is the largest among the three is of Kodava king Doddaveerarajendra and his wife Mahadeviamma. The right tomb is built by Chikkaveerarajendra for his father Lingarajendra in 1820.
The left tomb belongs to Veerarajendra’s guru Rudrappa built in 1834. Closer to the tombs is the burial place of the two brave royal officials Biddanda Bopu — Bopu Dandanayaka — and his son Biddanda Somaiah, who sacrificed their life fighting with Tipu Sultan. In fact, Doddaveerarajendra had erected a plaque in the memory his soldiers in 1779.
Encroachers have political clout
Rajara Gaddige is one of the tourist attractions in Kodagu and tourists who visit Abbey Falls will pass Rajara Gaddige en route. However, it is in deplorable condition owing to the negligence of the Government and encroachment of land by local residents and vested interests.
The Gaddige land became is controversial as the people who have encroached have the blessings of certain politicians who have consistently opposed any move of eviction and also development. Last year too, the Kodagu District Administration had attempted to conduct a survey of the land to determine the encroachment but the survey was withdrawn after protests from encroachers.
Years back Madikeri Urban Development Authority had tried to develop the Gaddige into a tourist attraction. But it could only reclaim 3.5 acres and the rest of the land remained with the encroachers who opposed any move to evict them. Surprisingly, with their clout, the encroachers have managed to obtain all municipal facilities including water, power and roads.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 06th, 2021
There is an impression that actresses generally hide their age or lie about their actual date of birth. In the case of Varsha Bollama, it is the other way around. She stated her real age. Also, she tried correcting Google.
Varsha Bollama is shot to fame with ‘Middle Class Melodies’. She also appeared in two other Telugu movies.
In a recent live interactive session with her fans on Instagram, a fan mentioned that Google is showing her age as 25. To this, she replied that she is just 24. Varsha Bollamma wrote, “I’m a 1996 born. So, I am 24! But Google knows it better than my mom, I guess!”
source: http://www.telugucinema.com / Telugu Cinema / Home> News / by Telugu Cinema / June 04th, 2021
Director falls for Rashmika Mandanna innocence and beauty
It is known news that Kannada lady Rashmika Mandanna who has already won the hearts of the Telugu movie lovers, is expanding her market in Bollywood.
She is playing the female lead in Hindi Film Mission Majnu, in which she is sharing the screen space with Sidharth Malhotra.
The action thriller drama is backed by RSVP Movies and Guilty by Association. Rashmika and Sidharth starrer Mission Majnu is inspired by the real events set in the 1970s. And it will reveal the story of India’s most courageous mission. Sidharth Malhotra is playing the role of a RAW agent who leads the mission.
Recently during the media interaction the director Shantanu Baagchi, who was seeking a female lead in the Sidharth Malhotra starrer, revealed that he was impressed by Rashmika Mandanna’ nuanced performance in Dear Comrade which was released in 2019. Rashmika has the right mixture of innocence and beauty.
The producer Amar Butala revealed that Rashmika picked up every nuance of the character despite being on a video call. Bheeshma girl has the sincere energy of a newcomer.
In Tollywood, Rashmika Mandanna is working with Icon Star Allu Arjun in an action thriller drama Pushpa, which is being directed by Sukumar and is bankrolled by Mythri Movie Makers.
source: http://www.tollywood.net / Tollywood.net / Home> News> Top Stories / by Murali Ravi /May 09th, 2021
Producer and live sound engineer Anish Ponnanna has so far invited Swarathma’s Varun Murali, Parvaaz’s Khalid Ahamed and more.
Producer and sound engineer Anish Ponnanna. Photo: Courtesy of The Engineer’s Pick
In the crowded sphere of video content, Bengaluru-based Anish Ponnanna’s channel The Engineer’s Pick didn’t start out for the sake of gaining subscribers or views, but more as a “pure-play passion project” driven by the seasoned sound engineer and producer’s satisfaction. As it turned out, that focus still worked wonders for The Engineer’s Pick, which has over 67,000 subscribers and over 13.6 million cumulative views on YouTube.
Ponnanna began working in live sound engineering in 2010 and has since become the go-to man behind the console for composer-singer Clinton Cerejo , singer Vijay Prakash, plus fusion acts like Indian Ocean and Swarathma . Along the way, he often noticed “inefficiencies of live shows” when it came to delivering quality sound. In 2018, he launched The Engineer’s Pick from his own funds. “The live character was the focus. Musicians were informed in advance that there would be no overdubs or pitch corrections post production; and that they had to perform as if they were performing for a live audience,” Ponnanna says.
What has worked so far, as numbers show, are traditional Kannada songs revived with pristine production, like vocalist Ananya Bhat’s rendition of “Sojugada Sooju Mallige ,” which went viral and currently stands at nearly 13 million views. Other artists featured on two seasons of The Engineer’s Pick include folk artist Bindhumalini and vocalist M.D. Pallavi, folk-fusion band Swarathma’s guitarist Varun Murali rendering a quiet flip of “Bolo Kya Hai,” multilingual fusion act Shubham Roy Collective, vocalist Varijashree Venugopal and more. Most recently, they uploaded a performance of Kashmiri folk song “Aies Bayo” by Parvaaz’s Khalid Ahamed, violinist Apoorva Krishna and percussionist Rahul Shivakumar.
A behind-the-scenes shot of Ponnanna (center) with artists M.D. Pallavi (left) and Bindhumalini (right). Photo: Courtesy of The Engineer’s Pick
Ponnanna says, “I like to blur the boundaries of genres and languages, although I would like artistes to perform in their own mother tongues. It is the timbre (characteristics of a voice or an instrument) that I’m after.” So far, they’ve had performances in Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Tulu and Kashmiri. Curated by the producer, he says he approaches an artist and lets them pick the composition. “I have an episode coming up in Bengali. I may even have an episode in Kodava Thak – my own mother tongue. I experiment with both classical and contemporary styles. Experimentation is key; I do that a lot,” Ponnanna adds.
Previously self-funded, The Engineer’s Pick did run into trouble with finances and management once the pandemic took hold across the country. They then received funding from non-profit organization The Whitefield Project for the Arts & Culture and the Sanjeeth Shetty Foundation, which Ponnanna calls a “blessing” that’s helped keep the channel afloat. Another sponsor came in the form of audio company Shure, who provided high-end microphones.
Above all, there’s a certain science on the acoustics and production front that helps increase repeat listening. The producer says, “The mid and high frequencies are not too pronounced like they usually are in commercial music releases. This approach makes the compositions grow on you. I also choose compositions that suit this style of mixing. This methodology is what I believe is bringing subscribers to the channel.” With six episodes out from the second season of The Engineer’s Pick, at least eight more are in the pipeline. “You will surely get to hear some soulful music,” Ponnanna says.
Watch the video for “Aies Bayo” below.
Aies Bayo | Khalid Ahamed | Apoorva Krishna | Rahul Shivakumar | The Engineer’s Pick | S02E06 | LIVE
source: http://www.rollingstoneindia.com / Rolling Stone India / Home> Artists / by Anurag Talat / May 23rd, 2021
Through his four-year-old ‘Bhuvanam Foundation’ and initiative ‘Feed Karnataka’, Bhuvan with support from actress Harshika Poonacha handed over 200 food kits to the Municipal Council Commissioner.
Food kits were distributed in Madikeri Mann’s Compound Ground on Tuesday (Photo | Special arrangement)
Madikeri :
It is not common for an actor to share his mobile number across social media. But Bhuvan Ponnanna, the Sandalwood actor and native of Kodagu, has done just that even as he is working relentlessly to extend a helping hand to the needy during the pandemic.
Through his four-year-old ‘Bhuvanam Foundation’ and initiative ‘Feed Karnataka’, Bhuvan with support from actress Harshika Poonacha on Tuesday handed over 200 food kits to the Madikeri City Municipal Council Commissioner Ramdas. These kits will be handed over to needy families across the city. Further, the home guards, police and a few journalists also received food kits from the foundation.
The actor has also taken a unique initiative where food kits and medicines will be home delivered to needy residents across Kodagu. Two vehicles equipped with food kits and medicines will start doing the rounds across Madikeri, Gonikoppal and Virajpet areas from May 26 and the needy can avail food kits from the foundation following verification. The medicines will be supplied with display of prescriptions only. To avail the services, the eligible beneficiaries can contact the helpline number 9945008004.
Also, the initiative helps local farmers by buying vegetables from them and distributing it to the needy along with the food kits. Many donors including doctors have donated to the foundation and the organisation has so far distributed over 2000 food kits to the poor across Karnataka.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Pragna GR, Express News Service / May 25th, 2021
Sannuvanda Srinivas Chengappa (60), President of Virajpet Taluk Journalists Association and a resident of Thithimathi, passed away this morning at a hospital following brief illness.
He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, one son and a host of relatives and friends. Last rites were performed at Thithimathi today.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituary / May 20th, 2021
Nidhi Subbaiah, who started her career in Sandalwood, surprised many with her decision to take part in Bigg Boss Kannada this season. Known for having acted in films like Anna Bond and Pancharangi, the actress has now revealed in an interview that her main intention to participate in the reality show was to let people know that she is right here and not in Mumbai.
Nidhi told Cinema Express, “I came back last year before the lockdown. Before that, I was in New York. I am currently in Mysuru and plan to shift to Bengaluru to stay closer to the film industry.” For the unversed, the actress had moved to Mumbai a few years ago after she got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.
Nidhi added in her interview that Bigg Boss Kannada 8 has given her a different kind of fame as people across Karnataka have connected with her on a personal level. She also shared that the show has given her seven good friends, with whom she plans to stay connected with.
On being quizzed about some key takeaways from her BB experience, Nidhi said, “Bigg Boss house has taught me some life lessons — how to deal with pressure, anger and frustration. I learnt to be disciplined — sleeping and waking up on time, something that had gone haphazard previously. I’ve also learnt to cook and eat simple food without having to order in junk food all the time. It has made a difference to my lifestyle, and I hope to continue these habits.”
Nidhi, who was last seen alongside Shivarajkumar in Ayushman Bhava, is now looking forward to her next project. She has signed her horror film, which is being bankrolled by Lohith H’s Friday Films. The yet-untitled film is being helmed by debutant directors Pavan and Prasad.
source: http://www.filmibeat.com / Filmi Beat / Home> Kannada> News / by Waiz Ahmed / May 19th, 2021
A Bengaluru organisation is building a multimedia archive of tribal music in Karnataka, starting with the Kudiyas of Kodagu.
Still from the video: Who are these Kudiyas?
Bengaluru :
A life without songs sung to the beats of drums is probably unimaginable for the Kudiya people of the Western Ghats. “We sing about the plants and trees in the forests, the roots, stones, snakes, and elephants… There is a rhythm to each song, and we play the drum to that rhythm,” Kudiya musician Sharada Somaiah says in an interview with Bengaluru-based Gobal Kulture, which is taking the first steps towards building an archive of tribal music in Karnataka.
On April 13, Global Kulture released a 2.50-minute video titled “Hidden Sounds: Who are these Kudiyas?” on its YouTube channel. They’ve started with the Kudiya community, but Arun Sivag, percussionist and founder of Global Kulture, says the idea is to collect audio and video recordings of songs, interviews and dances of artistes from 40 communities (the state government lists 50 Scheduled Tribes), and compile it into the Budakattu Music Archive, a partial multimedia ethnography of tribal music and culture.
“It took one-and-a-half years of research to figure out how to go about this,” says Arun. This includes conversations with several people – including playback singer and co-founder of Global Kulture, Sangeetha Ravindranath, and Sumanto Mondal, who is editorial and communications partner at the organisation. However, the idea of the archive comes from Arun’s own experiences, and thoughts about music and musicians. “I always saw musicians on the street, and wondered why they weren’t on stage. Folk artistes are not given a stage, but they are the torch-bearers of music,” says the 29-year-old.
pic: a shot
In 2019, he began visiting government offices looking for a list of tribal musicians, and realised that the government didn’t really have one. But the idea stuck, and he came in contact with folk and tribal art expert Srinivas Murthy, who worked with Sharada’s father decades ago. With the little footage they collected in February at Sharada’s house in Tora village (Virajpet, Kodagu), they know they’ve barely scratched the surface. “One would need a whole life to understand their music. We are doing what the government is supposed to do,” says Arun.
The Kudiyas’ culture is oral — their songs and stories are the historical record of their existence. “They sing songs while working, after getting back from work, when there is a birth or a death, during festivals… They even have a song about the daughters of the tribe and how they wish the best for them,” says Sangeetha, who is working on translating the songs from Kodava to English.
The archive will also have interviews of the artistes, such as the one in which Sharada talks about the community’s origin story, and why they call themselves Kudiyas, says Mondal, who is translating her interviews from Kannada to English. They are looking for institutional funding that will allow them to retain creative independence. But for now, they are using their own resources to fund the project. Arun put in the stipend he got from OneBeat, a US government fellowship.
A part of that was used as honorarium for the artistes. “We are artists too. We want to pay them for their work. Right now, the only opportunities they have are annual performances at Vidhana Soudha and Ravindra Kalakshetra (auditorium in Bengaluru). When the government calls, these are the people who get the peanuts,” Arun says. Sharada’s earnings are paltry and not steady, like many artistes.
She pretty much kept the music of her community alive by teaching younger generations, but knows survival is at stake without economic opportunity. In the trailer, Sharada talks about her “biggest dream”. “…If our art is to survive, the government and other organisations must help us get a good platform, give us respect. Only if this happens will our music become a livelihood for us and for our children, and only this way will our art survive.”
Arun too has big dreams. He eventually wants tribal musicians to get the recognition and remuneration they deserve. “We want to build a not-for-profit artist management system for them. They should be treated just like any other artiste.”
Preserving history Global Kulture aims to collect audio and video recordings of songs, interviews and dances of artists from 40 communities and compile it into the Budakattu Music Archive.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Anisha Sheth, Express News Service / May 23rd, 2021
Nidhi Subbaiah, who started her career in Sandalwood, got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.
Sandalwood actress Nidhi Subbaiah
Nidhi Subbaiah begins her day with a song, which has been her ritual post waking up. This is something she has got used to after staying in the Bigg Boss house for 72 days.
The main intention to participate in the reality show for the actor, who has acted in films like Anna Bond and Pancharangi, was to let people know that she is right here and not in Mumbai.
“I came back last year before the lockdown. Before that I was in New York. I am currently in Mysuru and plan to shift to Bengaluru to stay closer to the film industry,” says Nidhi, adding that the Bigg Boss Kannada show has given her a different kind of fame, and people have connected with her on a personal level.
“It is overwhelming to hear from people across Karnataka calling me the ‘Pancharangi Girl’.”
“Especially in Kodagu, they now consider me as ‘Nangada Nidhi’ (our girl). Moreover, this Bigg Boss house has taught me some life lessons — how to deal with pressure, anger and frustration. I learnt to be disciplined — sleeping and waking up on time, something that had gone haphazard previously. I’ve also learnt to cook and eat simple food without having to order in junk food all the time. It has made a difference to my lifestyle, and I hope to continue these habits,” she says, adding that the show also gave her seven good friends, whom she hopes to stay connected with.
The actor, who started her career in Sandalwood, got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.
However, Nidhi says that she was never attracted by Bombay and the only reason for her move to Hindi films was because she wasn’t getting the kind of work she wanted in Kannada.
“When I was shooting for Anna Bond in Bangalore was when I signed two Hindi films. I felt Bollywood was calling, and as an actor, I thought I should give it a try. I did 6 to 7 films, which helped me expand,” she says.
Back to Sandalwood, Nidhi — who was last seen in Shivarajkumar- starrer Ayushman Bhava that featured her in a pivotal role — is now waiting to begin her next project. This will be her first horror film, which will be bankrolled by Lohith H’s Friday Films, and will be helmed by debutant directors Pavan and Prasad.
“It is a fantastic script, and can’t wait to begin,” says Nidhi, adding, “Staying inside in the Bigg Boss house, I had no idea about the Covid goings- on. I was planning to begin shooting post my exit from the house. We were in for a shock when we were shown clippings of what’s happening. Now, we have to wait for the situation to come under control to start any entertainment activities,” she says.
Nidhi, who loves acting, says given an opportunity she would like to sign 100 films and act till she can.
“I love acting, and the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ is like a moment of meditation for me. It is my favourite time when I forget everything and get into the skin of the character,” says the actor.
“I hope to be a part of the role that Taapsee Pannu plays in Thappad, or Pink,” she adds. The audience as well as the film fraternity have watched Nidhi up and close in the Bigg Boss house. Will it make a difference to the kind of roles she will be offered from now on?
“My director friends who watched me on the show say I was bold, straightforward, and didn’t use tactics. That’s how I am in real life — frank and bold. Now that people have seen me, directors too know what I am capable of. This might help fetch roles that fit my personality,” she says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by Express News Service / May 18th, 2021
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