MEMOIRS: January 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

LALBAGH FLOWER SHOW 2013

JANUARY 2013

Lalbagh Flower show is well publicized and attracts lot of crowd...... and the usual problems of vehicle parking and walking space...... still we decided to visit the place, since Sathisha and family from Hunsur were with us. After going round Lalbagh a couple of rounds, and finally found a parking place on the fifth floor of Shantinagar Bus Stand, from there, it is short walking distance. Parking is Rs.40 and entrance is Rs 40 per person.

The flower show is inside the glass house in the park. The amazing thing is people rushing and pushing for seeing the flower arrangement and to take photos. There was constant announcement over the PA system that people should move fast and should not stand....... to enable the massive crowd to see the show..... Any way we were able to get out within half an hour, after taking some pictures.

Every year on Independence Day and Republic day, flower shows are organized at the Lal Bagh Botanical Garden. Organized by the Horticultural Society of Mysore with an cost of over Rs 35 lakhs, this flower show has been one of the most awaited events in the Garden City, Bangalore.

The flower show showcases several varieties of potted plants and cut flowers, but the main attraction are the flora replicas, Ikebana, Jannur, Indian Floral Art, Bonsai, Thai Art, and vegetable carving. This year, too, the flower show at Lal Bagh created magic with beautiful and breathtaking floral replicas and arrangements comprising of nearly 673 genera and 1,854 species of plants from all over Karnataka.

Saturday 26th Jan 2013

Sunday, January 27, 2013

SAVE PARK PROTEST

JANUARY 2013

COFFEE BOARD LAYOUT PARK, which is close to our house, Birthi Mane, at Bangalore, on the verge of being demolished for the purpose of making it into sites for construction of houses, by the Coffee Board Housing Society. The park is existence for more than 3 years and already enjoyed by the general public of all ages. It was planned and constructed by BBMP Bangalore.

There was public protest organized by Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Byatarayanapura Hobli, and large number of general public participated in the protest march, we also joined, shouting slogans, carrying placards. The march was around the park, Bhuvaneshwarinagar and coffee board layout areas, shouting slogans.... 'Horaata, Horaata.... Parkigaagi Horaata", ...."Parku Ulisi... hasiru ulisi".....

After an hour and half of protest march, which ended in the park.

Sunday, 27th Jan 2013

NAMAKARANA- SUCHITH

FEBRUARY 2013

Anil with his wife and new baby Suchith

It's Anil, who became father of a boy recently and the family wants to share their happiness with celebration of naming ceremony for the child, The ceremony was in the mini hall of Dattatri Temple at Hosakerehalli, at Bangalore, and as we were invited, we were there for the function. The boy was named SUCHITH.

Grand lunch followed with several courses as usual in these case, with more than 100 people present for the function. There was holige, halwa, and some more sweets along with the other items.

Sunday 27th Jan 2013

SPIC MACAY PROGRAM

JANUARY 2013

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC AND CULTURE AMONG YOUTH (SPIC MACAY)
The organization organised six-day workshop for school children at a school in Cholanayakana halli, Bangalore, from 17th Jan- 22nd Jan.2013. Several school children from all over the state participated in the program to learn and experience music, art and culture.

Saligrama Makkala Mela Team

78 year old Shri Sridhar Hande, Director of Makkala Yakshagana Mela, from Saligrama, along with two of elderly colleagues, attended the workshop as resource people to teach Yakshagana to school children. It was amazing to see the dedication and love for the art, at that age, ignoring the constraints and discomfort of staying in the school classroom and teaching the children, in the fourth floor of the school building.

However, there was show of Yakshagana Prasanga "VEERA VRASHASHENA" by the students of Saligrama makkala Mela on Sunday, 20th Jan 2013, in the hall crowded with children and few teachers and general public.

Sri Sujayeendra Hande, multi-talented yakshagana artist, (son of Sridhar Hande) explained the Navarasa, with presentation by a mature artist. They are Shringar (Erotic -delight), Hasya (Humorous- laughter), Karuna (Pathetic- sorrow), Roudra(Terrible -anger), Veera (Heroic - heroism), Bhayanaka (Fearful - fear), Bibatsa (Odious -disgust), Adbutha (Wonderous- wonder), Shantha (Peaceful - peace)

The YAKSHAGANA presented by students of Saligrama Makkala Mela was excellent.

Sunday, 20 Jan 2013

Saturday, January 19, 2013

ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ- ಡಾ. ಶಿವರಾಮ ಕಾರಂತ

The celebrated novel CHOMANA DUDI written by Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth is 1931 is very heart touching and raises some serious in our society. Untouchable (Holeya), Conversion (Matantara), Landowner's cruel handling of workers (bonded labour), and his strong belief and faith in Hindu Gods. Though at one point he decides to convert and till his own land, he just could not move forward God's place (Pajurli Bhoota).

In "Chomana Dudi" Karanth writes the ambitions of Choma who has one burning wish in his life - to till a piece of land. Choma is an untouchable. Even among the untouchables he is from the group Mari, the lowest among the four groups of untouch-ables. His hut is on the outside of the small village, almost where the forest begins, away from every other house.

Choma is an untouchable bonded-labourer in a village who is working along with his family for a landlord, due to a paltry loan of twenty rupees borrowed from him years ago. Due to his social status, he is not allowed to till his own land, something that he desires most. Though he managed to rear a pair of bullocks that he found straying in the forest, he cannot use them to till the land. He comes in contact of Christian missionaries who try to convert him giving him the lure of the land, but Choma does not want to let go of his faith. He releases the fury that fate has beset on him, by beating his drum.

He has three sons and a daughter; two of his elder sons work in a distant coffee estate trying to pay off the debt. One of the sons dies of cholera and the other one converts to Christianity by marrying a Christian girl. His daughter, Belli works in the plantation and falls for the charm of Manvela, the estate-owner's writer. She is raped by the estate owner, who then writes off Choma's debt. She returns to Choma's home without telling him of the reality. His youngest son drowns in a river, with nobody coming to save him because of him being an untouchable. He then finds his daughter in an compromising position with Manvela. With anger, he beats her and kicks her out of the house. To defy his fate, he starts tilling a piece of land and then chases off his bullock into the forest. In the climax, Choma shuts himself in his house and starts playing the drum till he dies.

Though I read this novel years ago, still reading now made it very refreshing.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sunday, January 13, 2013

ಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ - ಜನವರಿ ೧೪

JANUARY 2013

Sankranti is a solar event. So while dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing as per the Gregorian calendar, the date of Makar Sankranti remains constant over a long term, 14 January. Makar Sankranti is celebrated in the Hindu Calendar month of Magha.

This is the Suggi or harvest festival for farmers of Kaveri basin of Karnataka. On this auspicious day, young females (kids & teenagers) wear new clothes to visit near and dear ones with a Sankranti offering in a plate, and exchange the same with other families. This ritual is called "Ellu Birodhu.. Here the plate would normally contain "Ellu" (white sesame seeds) mixed with fried groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut & fine cut bella (Jaggery). The mixture is called "Ellu-Bella" (ಎಳ್ಳು ಬೆಲ್ಲ). The plate will also contain sugar candy molds of various shapes (Sakkare Acchu, ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಅಚ್ಚು) with a piece of sugarcane.There is a saying in Kannada "ellu bella thindu olle maathadi" which translates to 'eat the mixture of sesame seeds and jaggery and speak only good.' This festival signifies the harvest of the season, since sugarcane is predominant in these parts.

The starts with usual activities of morning exercises, walk, watering plants........ and special day as mom prepared some Huggi (Pongal) both sweet and khara for breakfast.....

Monday, 14th January 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

KITTU'S ANTIQUE COLLECTION

In front of Kittu's antique house

Krishamoorthy Bhat, nickname - Kittu, from Puttur, Udupi is my sister's son. He built a nice house in his own locality, property acquired from his father Ramachandra Bhat. The place is just 4 km from Udupi on NH 17 highway to Kundapur.

Few of the collections

Collecting antiques and rare wooden items from old house is hobby and interest for Kittu. He was working with a timber merchant for some years and recently he has been on own business.

Nalini appreciating the items

He built store houses for keeping old items and also as display. He is keen on safeguarding antique items and loves them a lot.
Monday, January 7, 2013

Thursday, January 10, 2013

WEDDINGS AT UDUPI

JANUARY 2013

Children grow, finish college, working in US or India, reach marriageable age and time to celebrate WEDDING. Parents also feel that children should have female partner, of acceptable choice.

Reception at Kidiyoor Hotel

with Sudhakar, Latha, Vikas & Kamala nagaraj

First was the wedding of Onkar Bhat, son of Keshava-Vishala Bhat, who were close friends at Dubai-Abudhabi, those days and Onkar was small. He marries Aparna, daughter of Prabhakar-Arundhathi Upadhya, also were close friends at Dubai. Many friends from Dubai also came to attend the wedding. Wedding celebrations held at Vasuki Anantha Sabha Bhavana, Sagri, Udupi. Grand lunch followed and the reception was held at Shesha Sahayana hall at Kidiyoor Hotel, Udupi.

Shushma-Chandru with Nalini

Same day, wedding of Chandru, son of Udaya chandra-Ratna, distant relative, took place with Shushma, at Sri Krishna Sabha Bhavana, at Car-street, Udupi. Next day beegara outhana was held at Puttur temple where we had sumptous grand lunch.

With Madhwaraj, and his wife

For attending the function we took SEA-BIRD volvo multi-axle bus on Saturday, Jan 5th night. The bus did not stop at the scheduled stop at Yeshawanthpur, but we went up to Jalahalli Cross, where the bus was waiting for us.
For our return trip, we boarded DURGAMBA multi-axle volvo bus, at Udupi bus stand at 9 pm, on Jan 7, and reached Bangalore early morning at 5am and reached home by 6 pm.

That was a nice trip around, could visit Birthi house, did pooja for a day, also visited Manipal hospital to call on Abhilasha's mother, who is admitted and taking treatment. All these was possible as we had ALTO car belonging to Sujatha (Nalini's sister) of Udyavara.

Wednesday, Jan 9, 2013

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

WELCOME 2013 AND 2012

31ST DECEMBER 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

Yet another year 2012 passed into annals of history....... with lots of happenings in the country and around....
Spent the year peacefully in the new house BIRTHI MANE...... used the ground floor house for tuition and ABACUS classes, organized a function for distribution of certificates. and usual get-together for Yugaadi, Navratri, went to ooru three times, in May, October and November.