Category Archives: Records, All

Road Projects On Track: MP

Business & Economy, Records, All

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– Land acquisition for Mysuru-Kushalnagar Economic Corridor from next month
– Mysuru-Bengaluru 10-lane Highway will be completed in 24 months from now

Mysore/Mysuru:

Land acquisition for the Mysuru-Kushalnagar Economic Corridor Expressway Project from Paschimavahini in Mysuru till Kushalnagar in Kodagu along the existing Mysuru-Madikeri National Highway (NH)-275 will begin next month, said Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha.

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in city this morning, the MP said that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had approved the project long back and after necessary ground work, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared the land alignment and land required for the project.

The road has a design length of 93 kilometres and bypasses have been proposed having an aggregate length of 84 kilometres at Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, and combined bypass for Hunsur, Bilikere and Mysuru. It is a four-lane corridor that directly connects Bengaluru with Madikeri, bypassing Mysuru. The 115 km-long Expressway costing Rs. 6,000 crore is a centrally-funded project and is executed by NHAI.

The Expressway will connect Madikeri with Bengaluru bypassing Suntikoppa, Kushalnagar, Periyapatna, Hunsur and even Mysuru city by touching the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway (which is getting converted into a 10-lane Highway) at Paschimavahini near Srirangapatna. The Expressway will have a road median and the alignment for the new corridor has been done. The Expressway will reduce the journey time between Madikeri and Bengaluru to five hours from existing seven hours.

The MP said that the existing four-lane road between Mysuru and Madikeri (NH-275) has reached a saturation point and there is an urgent need to build a separate road. Travelling on the existing Highway is a nightmarish experience especially during weekends and holidays when thousands of vehicles move between Mysuru and Madikeri, a hill station, he added.

“It will be a 14-metre wide road. Rs.6,000 crore has been set aside for land acquisition only and the project will use 25 percent of the existing roads, 40 percent Government land and the remaining 45 percent land will be purchased from private parties. A dedicated office for land acquisition ‘Special Land Acquisition Officer and Competent Authority (Mysuru-Madikeri Section) NH-275’ has been set up at No.984, First Floor, Geetha Road, Chamarajapuram, in city,” he added.

10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway

On the 118-km Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway that is being upgraded to a 10-lane highway including four service roads on either sides of the six-lane main carriageway, Pratap Simha said that from Bengaluru-side, 35 percent of the road works have been completed and from Mysuru-side, seven percent of the works have been completed,.

NHAI has taken up the core works at an estimated cost of Rs. 7,400 crore and once the project is realised, commuters between Bengaluru and Mysuru can travel the distance in just about 90 minutes from the present 3 hours, he added.

“The NHAI has awarded the project to Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon and the project is fully funded by the Centre including the distribution of compensation for the land acquired. The Company has taken up the highway works in two packages.

Work in packages

The first package covers the development of 56.1 kms highway stretch from Bengaluru to Nidaghatta in Maddur taluk at the cost of Rs. 3,000 crore including 900 acres of land acquisition. The second package of works includes the development of 61.2 km highway from Nidaghatta to Mysuru at the cost of Rs.3,500 crore, he added.

The project is being taken up under new Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) adopted by NHAI. As per this, NHAI will fund just 40 per cent of the total project cost while the remaining 60 per cent will be invested by the contractor or developer. The contractor/investor will get fixed annual revenue while the Highway Authority takes care of the toll collection.

The Company has taken up both the package works after setting base camps at every 20 kilometres. Six bypass roads will be constructed at Srirangapatna, Mandya, Maddur, Channapattana, Ramanagara and Bidadi. An estimated 36,000 vehicles ply between the two cities everyday and traffic density has increased, Simha added and expressed confidence that the project will be completed in 24 months from now. The NHAI has a deadline of 30 months.

City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, District BJP President S.D. Mahendra and NHAI Superintending Engineer Sridhar were present at the press conference.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 20th, 2020

CNC Urges Centre To Accord Geo-Political Autonomy And ST Tag To Kodava Tribe

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

CNCkf18feb2020

Mysore/Mysuru:

Codava National Council (CNC) President N.U. Nachappa, welcoming the Centre’s enthusiasm and commitment for the creation of Bodoland Territorial Region, has urged the Union Government to expedite the long-cherished aspirations of Kodava Land Geo-Political Autonomy under Articles 244, 371 (read with 6th & 8th Schedule of the Constitution) and also assign ST (Scheduled Tribe) tag to Kodava tribe.

Addressing a press meet at Pathrakarthara Bhavan here this morning, he said that the Union Government, on Jan. 27, succeeded in bringing the curtains down on more than three decades of “militia” activities in one of South Asia’s insurgency-hit region.

“First, the NDA Government in 2019 made its commitment of assigning greater Autonomy to the existing 10 Autonomous regions of North East. Now it has taken first step by entering into a pact with Bodoland people. On Jan. 27, a Tripartite Agreement was signed between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) known as ‘The Comprehensive Bodo Settlement Agreement (TCBSA).’ According to this agreement, it gives greater Autonomy and more powers to the body, which will again be renamed as the Bodoland Territorial Region,” Nachappa said.

The five points of the Agreement include:

1. Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) to be renamed as Bodoland Territorial Region. 2. Inclusion of villages having predominant Bodo population into the Council region. 3. Bodo language with Devanagari script to be an associate official language across Assam. 4. Assam Government to set up a Council for welfare of the Bodo-Kachari people living outside BTC. 5. Steps to ensure land rights of the Bodos. As per the accord, Bodos can directly avail monetary aid from World Bank and IMF, he said.

CNC’s five demands are as follows: 1. Kodava land Geo-Political Autonomy should be carved out under Articles 244 and 371. (For traditional and indivisible home land of Kodava tribal community, comprising 45 ancient traditional Kodava Naads, that is from Marenaad to Pathkattnaad, from Gadinaad to Anjigerinaad, from Bengnaad to Kadiyathnaad, from Ballathnaad to Bottiyathnaad, from Noorokkanaad to Poramalenaad, from Muthnaad to Kuthnaad, from Badigerinaad to Paakerinaad, from Surlabbi Naad to Kurchinaad, Thodanaad to Ummathnaad, from Berali Naad to Bepp Naad, Kangalath Naad to Baira Naad, Thavu Naad to Botoli Naad, Perava Naad to Poo Naad, Kirnal Naad to Edenal Naad, Paadi Naad to Kuiangeri Naad, Madikeri Naad to Aarkeri Naad, Noorambada Naad to Kaggod Naad, Nelliya Pudikeri to Kanthamoo Naad, Nelji Naad to Aarayiranaad, Mudigerinaad to Paleri Naad etc.).

2. Indigenous Non-Schedule vulnerable, diminishing Kodava tribe should be included in the ST list under Articles 340 & 342 of the Constitution.

3. Minuscule micro minority dwindling Kodava tribe and their cultural heritage should be included in the Intangible Cultural heritage list of UNESCO.

4. Ancient, rich and living spoken language of the Kodava region and also the mother-tongue of aboriginal Indigenous Kodava tribe ‘Kodava Thak’ should be incorporated in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

5. Kodava gun rights should be continued without any time restriction. Kodava tribal folk are exempted under Section 3 and 4 of Indian Arms Act and can possess and carry gun at all times, since weapon is considered by Kodava tribal folk as revered sacrament. Because of their dwindling population and vulnerability there is an existential threat for them and their identity. Hence these minuscule micro minority diminishing ethnic tribe should be protected Constitutionally, the CNC President said.

Continuing he said, for the time being, let them be classified as ST under the Constitution because there is no other classification under the Constitution of India. However, in the long run we Kodavas would like to be classified as a Special Warrior Tribe, he added.

CNC’s demand and claim for Geo-Political Autonomy is most legitimate, logical, feasible and deserving in all sense among any other demands, he opined.

Considering the veracity of the legitimate demands put forth by Codava National Council before the Constitution Review Commission of India headed by Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah comprising an 11-member stalwarts who are experts in various fields like Constitutional experts, Jurists, Civil servants, Law-makers, Diplomats, bureaucrats and Eminent Journalists have recommended for the creation of Coorg Autonomous Development Council under Article 371 of our Constitution, he said.

Renowned Economist and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Subramanian Swamy too has taken cognisance of the subject and he is working towards it, Nachappa added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 17th, 2020

Squash: Joshna Chinappa Wins 18th National Title, Saurav Ghosal 13th Crown

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

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Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghosal, the country’s squash aces, reigned supreme in the 77th Senior National Championship at the ISA courts, claiming their 18th and 13th titles respectively.

Chinappa, the torch-bearer for Indian women’s squash for close to two decades now, showed why she was the one to beat as she put paid to the aspirations of Tanvi Khanna, (seeded 3/4) in four games to add yet another national title to her kitty.

The top-seeded Chennai player recovered brilliantly after losing the first game to post a 8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 win to underline her superiority in the finals on Saturday.

Chinappa had broken the record of 16 national titles held by Bhuvneshwari Kumari by winning in Pune last year.

She won her first national crown in 2000 and has since lost only two matches, both finals.

In the men’s final, Ghosal showed why he is still the man to beat, with a crushing 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 defeat of young Abhishek Pradhan (No. 2 seed) to win the title yet again.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / February 17th, 2020

Famous Alumni Of A Century-Old School

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

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Educational institutions were first started in Kodagu after the British takeover in 1834. People took to education most enthusiastically. In 1909, St. Joseph’s Convent was founded by Catholic nuns in Madikeri. It was primarily for girls, but boys were allowed till 7th standard. I recently came across a remarkable group photograph taken in 1911, of the students at the time, along with the European nuns who ran the school. The school catered to both boarders and day-scholars.

This school offered better quality education to children of those locals who aspired to see their chldren well prepared to take advantage of lucrative jobs and career opportunities under the colonial dispensation. This school saw generations of students, especially women, pursue higher education and excel at a time when women were not much involved outside the traditional family responsibilities.

One family in this frame, frozen in time, has members who went on to become famous during the 1930s to 1950s. They are the seven daughters and one son of the first lawyer from Kodagu — Codanda D. Poovaiah. After school, six of his daughters pursued higher education outside Kodagu. The sisters excelled in various fields and soon came to be known as the ‘Poovaiah Sisters of Coorg.’ One of them, Rohini, was the first lady from Kodagu to acquire a degree. She later became the Principal of Crosswaithe College, a well-known institution in Allahabad. She was familiar with the Nehru family and had a brief role in the education of a young Indira Gandhi. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1973. Another sister, Ashlesha, was one of the first lady doctors from Kodagu. Yet another sister, Swati, did her Nursing degree and later went on a scholarship to Columbia University in 1948 for further studies.

Three of the Poovaiah sisters with their dance guru Jailal. / Picture right shows Chonira B Muthamma, first lady IFS Officer.
Three of the Poovaiah sisters with their dance guru Jailal. / Picture right shows Chonira B Muthamma, first lady IFS Officer.

The three younger sisters — Sita, Chitra and Lata — became renowned Kathak dancers and were much sought-after not only for their performances all over India, but also to direct dances in Hindi movies. All sisters took part in the freedom movement. Chitra and Lata defied prohibitory orders during the ‘Quit India’ movement. They were jailed for 2 weeks. Sita went on to earn a Ph.D in Arts from Bombay University and became the first Kodava lady to get a Doctorate degree. My father, C.M. Poonacha, was a freedom fighter and knew the family well. I had the privilege of being invited to their home on Malabar Hill in Bombay in 1968. Except for Ashlesha, all the sisters were spinsters.

On a personal note, my wife’s grandmother is one of the little girls sitting in the front row. She later married Pemmanda K. Monnappa who had the unique distinction of being the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in three Southern States. He was the Police Chief who headed the Government action in quelling the Razakars revolt in Hyderabad. He was the first IGP (equivalent to DGP now), of the newly formed Karnataka State in 1956.

My sister’s future father-in-law is one of the little boys sitting in the front row. Interestingly, his future mother-in-law is also in the same frame! This iconic, over a century-old photograph, has many stories to tell.

Over the years several girls who had their early education in this school went on the achieve in various fields. Konganda Accamma, who passed out of this school in the 1920s, joined Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi. She was one of the first Kodava women to earn a MBBS degree. She headed the Vanivilas Women and Children’s Hospital for several years.

One of the most distinguished alumna of this school is C.B. Muthamma, who was the first woman to qualify for the Indian Foreign Service in 1949. She also has the distinction of being the first lady Ambassador from the IFS cadre. Muthamma had to face gender discrimination while in service. She fought against the Government and went to the Supreme Court in 1979. The Apex Court passed a judgement in her favour which paved the way for other women civil servants from being discriminated against. She authored a book titled ‘Slain by the System’ in 2003. Muthamma’s classmate was Jajie Mandanna, who was an MLC and a well-known consumer activist. I am told they fiercely fought for the top rank in their class!

St. Joseph’s is now a co-ed school and continues to provide quality education.

___________________

About the author:
C. P. Belliappa, born in 1946, is a Chemical Engineer. He is currently settled in Coorg. He is known for his writings on issues pertaining to Coorg. Four of his books — Tale of A Tiger’s Tail & other Yarns from Coorg, Nuggets from Coorg History, Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg, and Tongue of the Slip, have been published by Rupa Publications. He currently serves as President, Coorg Institute of Technology, Ponnampet, South Kodagu.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / February 16th, 2020

NCoV: Info sought from foreign visitors to Kodagu

Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Madikeri on Friday. DHO K. Mohan is seen. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Madikeri on Friday. DHO K. Mohan is seen. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Kodagu Health Department on Friday said it will keep information shared by visitors from China and other countries affected by 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) to the district about their health status and symptoms confidential.

District Health Officer K. Mohan said the department had takenprecautions for the prevention and control of the disease. The visitors can provide information, in case they are suffering from any of the symptoms in the wake of the virus scare, on their own in a prescribed format.

The District Surveillance Officer, Shivakumar, can be contacted on 94498 43263 besides the taluk health officers from Madikeri, Somwarpet and Virajpet. The health authorities from Kushalnagar and Gonikoppa can also be contacted. Other contact persons are Srinivas on 94498 43203 and Yathiraj on 94484 48481, the release added.

Meanwhile, posters for spreading awareness about the 2019 nCoV were released in Madikeri on Friday by Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy. The DHO was present. Surveillance had been stepped up in the border towns of Karike, Kutta and Makutta with Kerala confirming three positive cases. The banners would be pasted in these towns for educating the public.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – February 07th, 2020

Floral paradise recreated at Raja Seat; enthrals crowds

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

The annual fruit and flower show which began at Raja Seat in Madikeri on Friday has been attracting tourists and nature lovers in large numbers.

The traditional 'Ainmane' house made out of flowers, is the main attraction in the fruit and flower show in Raja Seat, Madikeri.
The traditional ‘Ainmane’ house made out of flowers, is the main attraction in the fruit and flower show in Raja Seat, Madikeri.

Artifacts featuring Virat Kohli, Wing Commander Abhinandan, Kuvempu, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi, B S Yediyurappa, A P J Abdul Kalam, Mahatma Gandhi, Siddaganga seer, Dr B R Ambedkar, Field Marshal K M Cariappa, General Thimmaiah and Pejavara seer— all carved out of watermelons, mesmerise visitors, at the entrance of Raja Seat.

6,000 flower pots

A total of 6,000 flower pots have been arranged in the park. Flowers exhibiting a wide spectrum of colours and species, arranged in artistic patterns, have been providing a visual treat.

Raja Seat, which had lost its sheen owing to lack of flower-bearing plants, is now wearing a refreshed look.

The main attraction, however, is the traditional ‘Ainmane’ (house), designed with lakhs of flowers. A lot of visitors were seen taking selfies in front of the Ainmane.

Rocket

The heart made out of roses, rocket launching station of ISRO, coffee pot and the cup, Mickey Mouse, Swami Vivekananda and other artefacts made out of flowers are making the people spellbound.

Cultural programmes will be held in the evenings, as a part of the fruit and the flower show. Food festival is being held in Gandhi Maidan. People have been relishing their taste buds with sugarcane juice from Mandya and other delicacies. Stalls have been put up by the Horticulture Department and private nurseries, featuring the sale of various flower-bearing plants.

MLA’s praise

Speaking after inaugurating the fruit and flower show, Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan called upon the people to come to Raja Seat in large numbers to see the show.

The show is being organised by the Department of Horticulture at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. Cultural programmes are being organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture and Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said it has been a tradition to organise fruit and flower show in the month of January or February every year. The show will be on till Monday.MLC Veena Acchaiah, MLC Sunil Subramani, Kodagu Zilla Panchayat President B A Harish, Vice President Lokeshwari Gopal, Hopcoms President Biddatanda Ramesh Changappa and Horticulture department Deputy Director Chandrashekhar were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / February 07th, 2020

On the Actor’s Trail – Here’s what Gulshan Devaiah is doing about being ‘underrated and underutilised’

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

First off is the Amazon Prime Video series ‘Afsos’, in which he plays a suicidal writer who is simply unable to die.

Gulshan Devaiah
Gulshan Devaiah

Gulshan Devaiah moved to Mumbai from Bangalore more than a decade ago to become a “good leading man who’s also a good actor, or even a great and legendary leading man, who’s a great and legendary actor”. Will he get there, as he hopes?

Devaiah’s latest effort is Amazon Prime Video’s series Afsos, which is out on February 7. Written by Dibya Chatterjee and Anirban Dasgupta, Afsos follows Devaiah’s Nakul, a clinically depressed writer who hires an assassin (Heeba Shah) to kill him after 11 failed suicide attempts. Things go awry when Nakul wants to abort the mission after developing feelings for his therapist (Anjali Patil).

“Sometimes, you suffer more in your imagination than reality,” the 41-year-old actor said about Nakul. The insecure, middle-class writer is similar to his sexually obsessed character Mandar Ponkshe in Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s Hunterrr (2015). Both are what he calls the “average Ramu”. Devaiah added, “What made Mandar special was him sleeping around to feel good about himself. What makes Nakul special are the circumstances he gets into for his glum outlook on life.”

Afsos (2020).

Devaiah is coming straight off from praise for his role of a village strongman-turned-alpha zombie in Dibakar Banerjee’s installment in Netflix’s anthology horror film Ghost Stories. Despite being in the movies since 2011, the 10-minute role, of which nine minutes are spent under unrecognisable make-up, has earned him some of the best reviews of his career. Devaiah had no expectations from the film and wasn’t sure he would be recognised at all, but he now wonders why the role has drawn so much attention.

“Perhaps, though everything seems very sudden, what I had been doing for so many years created a positive impression in people’s minds, so the effect was cumulative,” he said. “I would keep getting messages from my audience, that I am underrated and underutilised. Perhaps, with Ghost Stories, people thought I have got what I deserve.”

Off the top of his head, Devaiah remembers Karan Johar and Reema Kagti praising him for his ghoulish act. At least one of those handshakes materialised in a role: Devaiah is playing a policeman in Kagti’s Rajasthan-set web series Fallen, alongside Sohum Shah and Sonakshi Sinha.

Gulshan Devaiah in Ghost Stories (2020). Courtesy Netflix.
Gulshan Devaiah in Ghost Stories (2020). Courtesy Netflix.

Devaiah’s career began with morally grey or outright negative roles in low-to-mid-budget productions such as That Girl in Yellow Boots (2011), Dum Maaro Dum (2011), Shaitan (2011), and Hate Story (2012). He played similar roles in commercial projects such as Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and Commando 3 (2019).

In between, he played diverse characters, including the double role of a don and a martial arts teacher in Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018) and a serial womaniser in Hunterrr, a role that his fans still keep talking about.

Despite leading-man ambitions and an impressive resume, he didn’t quite hit the sweet star-actor spot. Devaiah attributes this to being clueless about converting the attention he received “between 2011 and 2013” to “hustle”.

“The only thing I knew to do was good work,” Devaiah said. “The others after me were better at hustling like Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao. I am learning from them.”

Is being good not good enough? “Idealism has its place but you also have to be practical,” Devaiah explained. “I don’t want to be dragged down thinking I am so good and hardworking but I didn’t get the chances I deserve. I see disappointment and disillusionment in veteran actors who’ve been around for 30-40 years. I constantly think about what am I not doing, where am I missing out. Sometimes, in an interview, I might have the right answers, but not the right attitude. That might be enough for someone to not choose me for a role. I keep these things in mind.”

Gulshan Devaiah as Jimmy and Karate Mani in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2019).

Unlike his Afsos character, Devaiah is neither overtly bogged down by missed opportunities nor is he chasing big-banner productions. Most of his films have been made on limited budgets.

“Small banner, big banner is secondary for me,” Devaiah said. “My goal in life is to do roles through which I can challenge myself, surprise audiences. I don’t look for validation from a big director or big production house. The legacy I want to leave behind is of me being a versatile actor. Hunterrr or Mard were not big banner projects. But the connection I made with the audience with those roles is what I aim for.”

Some of Devaiah’s projects have either not been released or have gone straight to streaming platforms, which are not the best places for small movies to find audiences. There’s still no release date for Bala’s eight-year-old Peddlers. Kanishk Varma’s Hindi-Marathi bilingual thriller Daav/Haadsa, which stars Devaiah as a policeman, remains in the cans. The much-delayed Cabaret went straight to Zee5, while CandyFlip was released on Netflix.

But he cannot pick films based on the ability or willingness of their makers to release them, Devaiah said. He cited the example of Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive. “Did anyone expect a Dharma film to go straight to OTT?” he said. “Shit happens man, I can’t worry about it. I can’t even put it in my contract that the film must be released. I can only tackle things I have control of, like my film choices or performances.”

Gulshan Devaiah in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). Courtesy Bhansali Productions/Eros International.
Gulshan Devaiah in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013). Courtesy Bhansali Productions/Eros International.

Besides Fallen, Devaiah has nothing on his plate that he can talk about except a thriller Hinterland, announced long ago but yet to be shot. The film, also starring Manoj Bajpayee, “is about a man chasing another man, and how the system is rigged in a way that a conflict between two parties helps a third party”, he said.

Devaiah prefers to work on one project at a time. “Be it a three-day shoot or a 300-day shoot, if I can, I only eat, sleep, think one thing at a time,” he said. “I would say my work ethic of putting 100% attention to something is my biggest strength.”

Many acclaimed roles, a few commercial successes, and yet his best role didn’t even make a blip on the radar. “Hunterrr is the only brand value I have actually,” he said. “People were attracted to the nostalgia of the film. Everyone had one friend, brother, or cousin, who was like Mandar. Everyone, post-puberty, tried the sort of things Mandar did in the film. I definitely related to the things happening in his life, if not him exactly. Many women told me that they also related to the events in the film.”

Chori Chori, Hunterrr (2015).

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Reel> On the Actor’s Trail / by Devarshi Ghosh / February 05th, 2020

Govt women’s first grade college to get own building

Education, Records, All
The land levelled to construct the women’s first grade college in Madikeri.
The land levelled to construct the women’s first grade college in Madikeri.

The government women’s first grade college in Madikeri will finally get its own building. The work on levelling the land for the construction of the building has commenced.

The college was started five years ago in the district headquarters and was functioning from Yuva Bhavana building of the Jilla Yuva Okkuta.

Following a request by MLA Appachu Ranjan, the state government has sanctioned a piece of land behind Gowda Samaja in Madikeri. The two-floor building will come up on a 70-cent site, said sources from Collegiate Education.

The authorities have been searching for suitable land for the college building for the last five years. Owing to a stay order from the Supreme Court, the land identified near Dasavala Road could not be utilised.

The land identified at Karnangeri was damaged in the natural calamity. Finally, it was decided to use the land earmarked for the construction of quarters for the Department of Public Instruction deputy director, said college principal D J Javarappa.

He said the college building is likely to be made available in 2021 academic year. A sum of Rs 4 crore has been released for the building. As many as 200 students in degree college and 400 students in composite college are pursuing their studies.

The new college building will have classrooms on each floor. In addition, it will have a library and parking on the ground floor. The first floor of the building will house arts stream and the second floor will be earmarked for the commerce department.

The government is also mulling over construction of a composite college building near Field Marshal Cariappa Auditorium near Junior College premises. About 60 cents of land has been identified for the purpose.

Jilla Yuva Okkuta President P P Sukumar said that with the functioning of the college from its building has affected activities of the Okkuta.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> News> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DHNS, Madikeri / February 02nd, 2020

Ex-serviceman honoured in marriage function

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Capt (retd) G S Rajaram, his wife and mother were felicitated during a marriage function at Omkara Sadana in Madikeri on Sunday.
Capt (retd) G S Rajaram, his wife and mother were felicitated during a marriage function at Omkara Sadana in Madikeri on Sunday.

Setting an example, family members and friends of an ex-serviceman felicitated him during a marriage programme held in Madikeri on Sunday.

Captain (retd) G S Rajaram, son of Satyanarayana and Indira, is an ex-serviceman who served in the Indian Army for 30 years. He worked in various parts of the country.

After attaining superannuation recently, he had returned to his native village.

The gesture by Rajaram’s relatives has gathered huge appreciation by the people and the video of the felicitation given to him during the marriage function is being circulated on social media.

The marriage function of Nikhil Bhat and Soumyashree was held in Omkara Sadana in Madikeri. The groom’s mother is the sister of Rajaram.

The ex-serviceman, along with his wife G R Savitha and mother Indira, were felicitated by former DGP Timmappaiah Madiwal and entrepreneur S G Srinivas, in the presence of relatives and friends.

Speaking on the occasion, Capt (retd) G S Rajaram said that his 30 years service to the Indian Army has been an accomplishment. The soldiers think more about their country than their family.

Major (retd) Venkatagiri and ex-serviceman Kiggalu Girish were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DHNS, Madikeri / February 02nd, 2020

Flower Show At Raja’s Seat From Feb. 7

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

Kodava lifestyle, traditions to bloom

FlowershowKF31jan2020

Madikeri:

The Kodagu District Administration and the Department of Horticulture will conduct a Flower Show at Raja’s Seat in Madikeri from Feb. 7 to 10 in order to attract tourists, an official statement said. A special feature of the Flower Show will be the depiction of the lifestyle and traditions of Kodavas through floral replicas of “Kodagu Ainmane” or ancestral home.

According to the statement, this is to promote and create awareness of the lifestyle, culture and traditions of Kodavas to the present generation. Nearly 25 species of flowers and about 10,000 plants will be part of the show with floral decorations depicting the cultural facets of Kodagu.

Horticulture Department officials said the topiaries (practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful) will be brought for the festival.

In a bid to attract the children, floral statues depicting well-known personalities, will be created and serve as a selfie point for the visitors.

There will be cultural programmes in the evening on all the days of the Flower Show besides floral rangoli competition for women. Stalls will be put up for sale of handicraft items, the statement added.

As part of the Flower Show, thousands of flower pots are being arranged at Raja’s Seat. Flower pots and a large variety of flowers including African marigold, Celosia, Lady Lace, Gladiolus, Gerbera, Anthurium, Bird of Paradise, Carnations, Lilium, Tuberose, Orchids, Stasis, Chrysanthemum, and Limonium will attract visitors. Exclusive selfie spots will be created for tourists to click selfies and share on social media. Works are underway at Raja’s Seat.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / January 31st, 2020