Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Mangalore:Rich tributes paid to Field Marshal K.M.Cariappa on 114th birth anniversary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Mangalore, Jan 28, 2013:

Rich tributes were paid to Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Independent India, on the occasion of his 114th birth anniversary on January 28, Monday.

A function was held at the War Memorial at Kadri under the aegis of the Kodava Students Union wherein several dignitaries participated and remembered the valiant son of the soil.

Addressing the function, Deputy Commissioner N Prakash described Cariappa as a proud son of India who was not only a valiant soldier but also a strict disciplinarian and man of principles. He also exhorted youngsters to emulate the great qualities of Field Marshal Cariappa.

MLC Capt. Ganesh Karnik who also spoke, said Kodagu has the credit of contributing the highest number of soldiers to the nation and added that he was proud to represent the region. Field Marshal Cariappa’s birth anniversary should be celebrated by the entire state in the years to come and not just by students of Kodagu, he said. Celebrating the birth anniversary of the great personality would be meaningful only when we incorporate at least some of the great values pursued by late Cariappa, in our own lives, he observed.

SP Changappa, Bar Association President, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, former army officer Brijesh and others were present.

source: http://www.MangaloreToday.com / Home / by Mangalore Today News Network / January 28th, 2013

Kodagu district’s heroes Cariappa, Thimayya to get more attention

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders

Field Marshal K M Cariappa and Padmabhushan General K S Thimayya will now be remembered as national heroes by the district administration.

In the past, Field Marshal K M Cariappa’s birth anniversary was celebrated at his memorial in Roshanara, Madikeri, by his family members and students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan-Kodagu Vidyalaya.

After General Thimayya School was started by the Kodava Samaj in Madikeri a decade ago, students regularly assembled at Thimayya’s statue to offer floral tributes.

Apart from this, when VIPs and Army officers visit the district, they garland the statues of the two great sons of Kodagu.

After a garland of shoes was hung on Field Marshal K M Cariappa’s statue some time ago, a few retired Army officers and senior citizens decided to create awareness on the importance of these leaders by setting up the Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum. The Forum celebrates the birth anniversaries of Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya which fall on January 28 and March 31 respectively.

In 2012, GOC-in-C of the Southern Command of the Indian Army Lt Gen A K Singh, senior Army officers, retired Army officers and people’s representatives took part in Field Marshall Cariappa’s birth anniversary celebrations that were held on a grand scale.

This year, the administration has decided to celebrate his 114th birth anniversary at Madikeri on Monday while the Field Marshal Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum will simultaneously host celebrations in Gonikoppa.

Celebration Gets More Response

Forum president Col (rtd) K C Subbayya VSM, told Express that celebrations are usually held in Madikeri, Gonikoppa or Shanivarsante.

Forum secretary U M Poovaiah said competitions with themes related to the life of Field Marshal Cariappa had been organised to spread awareness among school and college students to highlight the importance of discipline and honesty.

This year’s competitions received good response, he said.

District Minister M P Appachu Ranjan said the government has sanctioned `3 lakh for the celebrations. Cariappa’s birth anniversary has also been added to the National Festival List and celebrations will be held at Madikeri, he added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> States> Karnataka / by B. C. Dinesh / ENS – Madikeri / January 28th, 2013

Priya Belliappa is all set to launch all women cinema ‘Ring Road Shuba’

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

A lady from hilly region of Karnataka Coorg district Priya Belliappa is all set to launch all women cinema ‘Ring Road Shuba’. The concept for this Priya Belliappa film is the real life murder. The culprit Shuba is behind the bars.

Studied in Pune Priya Belliappa is looking for a right protagonist role and intends to give training and then mount the film. The heroines with image are not required and I want someone who look for the story and accept the film.

As there is already one more Kannada film with the same subject Priya Belliappa is taking only the wafer line of the incident and adding more creativity to it. According to her the reality of the case is still not yet revealed. In the film ‘Ring Road Shuba’ the imagination of our team is the highlight she says.

Priya studying at Pune Film and Television institute worked in Ad Company and moved to Kannada cinema as assistant director with Ravindra in ‘Mathe Bannu Pritsona’.

The producer of this film is Ranjani Ravindra Das, wife of director HP Ravindra has inducted 15 members women team for the film.

Sanchari Das Molik is director of cinematography, editor is Moulsri Singh, Vani Harikrishna is music director, Rekha Rani is dialogue writer.

The selection of main protagonist is made via Suvarana News Channel reality show. It is ‘Suvarana Sundari’ crown the winner of this show earns and later appears before the camera

Vyjayanthimala mobbed in Bangalore

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

Yesteryear actress and dancer sure knows how to wow Bangalore’s audience. The actress, who dropped by to watch the The Gitanjali Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week that happened in Bowring Club, was pleased with the love and affection people showered on her.

Fashion guru Prasad Bidapa gave a warm welcome to the actress and also played a visual of one of her songs Bahron Phool Barsaon from her movie Suraj (1966) that starred Rajendra Kumar and Vyjayanthimala Bali in lead roles.

Draped in a pink and orange silk sari, Vyjayanthimala took the stage and said, “From the stage set up to the beautiful models and vibrant clothes — I am having a good time watching the fashion show.” She was invited by designer Jamila Malhotra, whose daughter Seema had showcased a special collection named Shimmer at the show. The actress sat throughout the show and was seen signing a couple of autographs as well. After the show, Vyjayanthimala was mobbed by fans of varying ages who were keen to take a picture with her.

The actress is known for playing a plethora of characters and is a recipient of numerous awards. Some of her works include Sangam (Hindi), Thenn Nilavu (Tamil), Devdas (Hindi), Vanjikottai Valiban (Tamil), Hatey Bazarey (Bengali), among others.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada> Fashion Show / by Sharanya C R, TNN / January 22nd, 2013

What a way to end, indeed!

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

Day 3 at the Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week Bangalore 2013 was reassuring. While some of the best and most talked about designers were left for the final day — the collections were at two ends of the spectrum, either being wonderfully interesting or being terribly drab. Here’s our roundup of what worked and what didn’t at the finalé day of PBFW…

Smallshop by Jason & Anshu was the perfect way to begin and while we couldn’t get enough of the sneaky flirtatiousness in most of their pieces, we really wished the colour palette was a bit more summery. That said, the natural silk hues worked wonders as did the fabrics and the the hints of florals and pastels. We loved their silhouettes and we’re now officially Jason and Anshu fans for life.

It seemed like a day of duos and Anu & Susan’s latest collection took to the ramp next. We’ve never seen lace and crochet thread work look so wearable and we love how they took the fabric out of grandma’s closet and made it sexy, risqué even. From gorgeous detailing to great cuts, this was one of the fashion highs of the evening.

Yashaswini Naik, whose collection raised the temperature quite a bit, proved that simplicity and clear design can win anyone over and we were mighty proud of the designers brazen collection. First of all, a huge round of applause to a female designer who attempted a male collection and secondly, applause for the amazing wearability of the clothes. We loved the colour palette and we think the printed beach shirts in whites and light blues — was something we’ve all been looking forward to for ages.

Nimirta Lalwani, as much as we assumed would be impressive, failed to create a stir and while a lot of people might call her clean lines and sombre coloured silhouettes fashionable and even trendy, we choose not to. The dresses looked lovely on the models, but assuming that these clothes would add or even complement someone’s personality, left us wondering whether playing it safe was the right way to go?

Indian fashion with a distinct European flavour is something that’s sure to catch some attention and Ritu Pande’s collection was inspirational. With motifs from European art mixed beautifully with Indian-inspired silhouettes — this is what fusion should be like. We loved the great lines, the sombre colours and the general feel of the collection. This was a winner.

Lokesh Ahuja’s collection of wonderfully structured suits that came up next, worked on many levels, because they were being showcased by a bunch of drop dead gorgeous models. What we were left wondering, however, was if this collection would look equally ‘fine’ on a common Bangalorean man. We’re still thinking…

A celebration of male fashion done, we were then offered Pop Patola, a collection we’ve been excited about all year through. Deepika Govind proved her mettle and retained the title of one of the city’s best designers with this collection. We couldn’t get enough of these clothes — funky, laden with character and colourful enough to eat. With a wonderful mix of traditional silhouettes and modern pop culture motifs and the exact opposite — modern silhouettes with traditional motifs: Pop Patola had us the moment the first model sashayed onto the ramp.

The grand finalé was grand indeed. Seema and Jamila Malhotra’s collection was loud, shimmery (true to its name) and colourful enough to leave the audience entranced. The pieces showcased were also faultless and the workmanship on them, incomparable. What didn’t work for us as a Bangalore audience was the lack of a Bangalorean connect. Unlike Shobha Nickham and some of the other designers who also presented bridal-themed collections laden with city references, this collection was very alien to us. That said, it was a visual pleasure and was the perfect way to end three days of high Bangalorean fashion.

A huge hurrah goes out to Prasad Bidapa and team for the great show, the even better planning and the whole wonderfully executed event.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Daily News & Analysis / Home> LifeStyle> Report / by L Romal M Singh, Agency: DNA / Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Kodagu boy Suhail among 22 chosen for National Bravery Awards

Amazing Feats, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Madikeri, Jan 19:

Suhail K M, a 17-year-old Kodagu boy, who without knowing swimming, had jumped into overflowing Cauvery River to rescue his classmate, who was about to drown, is among 22 children chosen for the National Bravery Awards-2012.
It was raining cats and dogs on November 3, 2011. The Cauvery River at Bhagamandala in Kodagu district had turned into a fast-flowing torrent.

A group of Class 8 students from the Sri Cauvery Junior College at Bhagamandala in Madikeri taluk attempted to cross the river via a bridge.

One of the boys, Faruq, stopped to clean his muddied trousers. Losing a toe-hold on the bank, he slipped into the water and the current carried him downstream. Faruq, who did not know how to swim, cried for help, the water entering his mouth and nostrils with each cry.

Seeing this, Suhail, who also did not know swimming, immediately jumped into the water and made his way towards Faruq. Reaching the ailing boy, he somehow managed to get to the shore and safety.

Suhail’s act of courage has rendered him suitable for an award from the National Awards for Bravery in 2012. Suhail is a resident of Ayangeri village near Bhagamandala. He wants to become a medical doctor.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will present the awards to children prior to Republic Day and all children will participate in the parade.

Apart from giving each awardee Rs 1 lakh cash prize, the government will also ensure that they pay no education costs till the graduate level. Awardees will also get a scholarship, which will allow them to study professional courses such as engineering and medicine.

source: http://www.CoastalDigest.com / Home> News / CD Network / Saturday, January 19th, 2013

For Bangalore, by Bangalore

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

You know Manish Malhotra. You know Rocky S. But do you know who Shalini Subramanian or Saunak Sen is? They are fashion designers, working right here in the city and trying to make a difference as far as Bangalore’s fashion identity is concerned. And starting today, they and few more designers are going to be making a point — Bangalore can be in the middle of a fashion revolution after all.

Stylist, fashion and image consultant or choreographer — call him what you will, but Prasad Bidapa has been part of the action for a while and now he’s all set to pay a homage to the city and its fashion fraternity with the Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week. “It has been a longstanding dream of mine to present Bangalore designers and brands on a platform that could become an event that celebrates the talent and diversity of our designers. Bangalore designers need to make their presence felt on a national and international level and PBFW will make every effort to present our designers in that perfect light,” says Bidapa, of the event.

According to him, after Delhi and Mumbai, Kolkata became a very important centre in fashion. “It was relatively upsetting, considering how Bangalore has always been known for its vivid interest and high sense of what is and can be ‘fashion’. So after years of mulling it over, it’s Bangalore’s turn to make the same statement and ensure that our designers take centrestage,” he adds.

The fashion week will feature a host of designers including Nimirta Lalwani, Runa Ray, Sanchita Ajjampur, Jason and Anshu, Anjali Sharma, Shoba Nickham, Saunak Sen’s House of Three, Sneha Satyaprakash, Namrata G, Rony Dutta, Pallavi Foley, Amanda Bachalli, Shalini Subramanian, Seema Malhotra, Manish Saksena, Deepika Govind, Lokessh Ahuja, Anu and Susan, Ritu Pande and Raj Shroff. “I am showcasing my Spring-Summer 2013 collection that I recently showed at Wills India Fashion Week in Delhi.

Staying true to the monochromes, I am focussing on a chic and plain look in mulmul and cotton. I generally design only for women, but I’ve also added a few special pieces for men, especially for this fashion week. They stay true to the look of the rest of the collection too,” shares Raj Shroff.

“My collection will be a sequel to my Ode to Sindh collection and I’ve decided to call it Sindh Contemporary. Staying true to the soul of Sindh, this collection will be in white and will focus on chiffons and georgettes for women and linen and khadi for the men,” explains Namrata G.

Nimirta Lalwani is also excited about her Spring-Summer 2013, where she will focus on the silhouette she loves the most — the evening gown. “I am staying minimal and trying to bring in classical elements. I’ve experimented with colour blocking, different kinds of layering and laser cutting and have ensured that I play with different kinds of fabric,” Nimirta concludes.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Daily News & Analysis / Home> LifeStyle> Report / by L Romal M Singh / Agency: DNA / Thursday, January 17th, 2013

I am spiritual, but I do not believe in God: Biddu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's

Dressed casually in tees and track pants with his trademark long hair, iconic composer singer Biddu wears his years lightly. The Grammy Award winning musician, who grew up in Bangalore, now divides his time between Spain, London, and India, and insists he leads a relaxed life, and has the full day in which to get things done. TOI caught up with him during his recent visit to the city…

It all began in Bangalore for you, didn’t it? Bangalore has indeed shaped my musical destiny. I started young at the age of 13, so it’s been 55 years since I have been earning a living professionally. I left Bangalore for the first time when at the age of 16 I went to Kolkata to sing at night clubs. I credit Bangalore’s Anglo-Indian community for my initiation into music. The Catholic Club and the Bowring Institute are where I used to sing at music competitions. I had two ambitions when I was a boy. One was to become a Hollywood actor, and the other was to make it big in the world of music. The second one was easier!

Just two years shy of 70, you look remarkably well preserved…. Thank god you said well preserved and not pickled. Well, I guess it is in the genes. All of us siblings look fairly good for our age. Also, we maintain high levels of activity. My sister, who’s played tennis for India, still plays tennis every day, come what may. I swim five days a week, and then there’s yoga and a walk. However, when it comes to food, I eat all the wrong things. Chocolates, pizza and donuts. But no matter whichever part of the world I am in, I start my day with papaya. I am, however, not obsessive about exercising or maintaining routines. I don’t want to be like Madonna. My looks… it could be the makeup too! I kid, of course!

Aao naa pyar karein is being adapted for India’s first zombie film… How did that happen? Luke Kenny called me up last year. He asked me if he could use the song and adapt it for his upcoming film The Rise of Zombie. I like Luke. He seems like a nice guy and his team is a bunch of enthusiastic kids. John Lennon said give peace a chance; I say give the youth of India a chance.

Any parting pangs for a song that was a rage in its day? None at all. If you do that, you’ll never be able to cross the threshold. Nothing is so sacrosanct that you can’t let go of it.

Have you heard the rearranged song? Yes, I’ve heard two versions of it. In the first, Luke has given it a David Guetta kind of style, which I liked immensely. And the second one has a trancy technoish feel to it. I told Luke that the second one may tie in better with the zombie genre.

You became famous with Qurbani… How did it come about? I was famous much before that in the west with my albums with Carl Douglas (Kung Fu Fighting) and Tina Charles, among many other successful projects. I didn’t think I’d have anything to do with Hindi music. I had failed my Senior Cambridge because my Hindi was abysmal. Hindi has always been a foreign language for me. It still is. Director Feroze Khan had heard about all the stuff I had done in the west. He wanted me to be associated with the project. I was hesitant, but he coerced me.

Coerced? No, it was more like blackmail. You know the You-are-from-Bangalore-and -I-am -from-Bangalore kind of talk, and I was on.

You are a card-carrying atheist I am spiritual, but I do not believe in God. I don’t put religion and spiritualism in the same box. Spiritualism is a way of life you create, whereas religion is what others force upon you. I don’t believe that God made man, I believe man made God.

Your favourite songs from your body of work? My perennial favourites are Disco Deewane and Made in India. My other songs have earned me a thousand times more, but these two I can listen to over and over again and never tire of them. I get goose flesh each time I listen to them.

Indian singers you admire? Frankly, I am not clued into the music scene here at all. I know very little of what is happening, musically speaking. But I think Shreya Ghosal has a fabulous voice. I also like Sonu Nigam, and have done an album with him. Even Shaan, he’s got a nice voice.

You were disappointed when you finally came face to face with your childhood idols, The Beatles. Yes, it was disappointing. They were my heroes. At that age, you expect your heroes to be these larger-than-life figures. You know the six-foot-six types. And then I see John Lennon, with his dirty canvas shoes and unkempt straggly beard. The only Beatle who made somewhat of an impression on me in the way he was turned out was Paul McCartney that guy should give up now. All artists must call it a day when they hit 65.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Entertainment> Music /by Purba Dutt, TNN / January 16th, 2013

City to miss Ashwini Ponnappa as she shifts base

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Glamour girl of Indian badminton Ashwini Ponnappa, who not long ago made Hyderabad as her ‘second home’, has decided to shift her base to Bangalore — a decision which could trigger intense speculations. However, 23-year-old Ashwini on Monday insisted that since her parents had shifted to her hometown, she too had decided to join them. “But, whenever the national camps are scheduled in Hyderabad, I will be coming here,” said Ashwini, who along with Gutta Jwala, has become the first pair from India to win a bronze medal in the World Championship last year.

Ashwini told ‘The Hindu ’ that she would be training at Thomas John’s Academy in JP Nagar in Benguluru where the other national players.

“I love Hyderabad. It gave me so much in life and in sport. And, it was a pleasure to train with Arif Sir (Dronacharya S.M. Arif). I always look forward to train under him,” the champion shuttler said.

“There is no animosity with anyone. I am grateful for all the support I got in the city and the reason for shifting base to Benguluru is I prefer to be with my parents,” she pointed out. Asked if Jwala taking a six-month break from badminton after the 2012 London Olympics could have been a reason, the doubles shuttler replied in the negative.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad, January 08th, 2013

Curtain raiser to a fashion fiesta in Bangalore

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

South India has always boasted a rich heritage when it comes to fashion. Bangalore leads the pack, with the right mix of the contemporary and the traditional. This is what The Gitanjali Prasad Bidapa Fashion Week 2013 intends to celebrate.

The curtain raiser to the fashion fiesta had some of the city’s top models showcasing garments and accessories crafted by various designers who will be showcasing at the event.

(Prasad Bidapa and Hari….)

Kick-starting the mini show at the curtain raiser, Prasad Bidapa said, “While Kolkata seems to be taking away the title of the country’s third fashion capital, I’m hoping that we can help Bangalore surge ahead by showcasing the eclectic mix of talent the city offers.”

While the colours, fabric and design wowed those present, the special attraction was the new launch of the Valentine collection from Nakshatra, available at JewelSouk. The collection offers a range of earrings, pendants and rings, along with specially-crafted diamond couple-bands. The range celebrates love in all its splendour.

At the fashion week starting from January 18, Gitanjali will showcase True Platinum, Envi by Gemfields, Nizam and Nakshatra.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Life & Style> Parties / TNN / January 12th, 2013