Category: Amazing Feats

KARNATAKA RECORDS: NATURE & CONSERVATION: Karnataka’s First Wild Orchidarium to come up at Forest Department’s Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada

In an effort to conserve the wild orchid varieties of Karnataka, the forest department is all set to establish an orchidarium in Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) of Uttara Kannada district.

The orchidarium is being constructed at Nujji vilage of Joida (Supa) taluk of the district and soon, it will be open for nature enthusiasts and visitors.

The building work has been completed and about 40 varieties of wild orchids that are found in KTR are being grown in the orchidarium.

In the coming days, most of the orchid varieties found in the Western Ghats will be added, said Sachin Anil Punekar, Conservation Biologist and Founder of Biospheres-Ecosphere who has been helping the KRT set up the orchidarium project.

The Western Ghats is home for a rich orchid population and a majority of them are found in the Kali Tiger Reserve, especially in the Anshi region of Uttara Kannada district. “Out of 170 orchid species that are found in Karnataka, 80 species are from the Anashi region alone. Nearly 20 wild orchids are endemic to this region only. The orchidarium will act as a rescue and rehab site for wild orchids,” Punekar said.

source/contents: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA – TRAVEL & TOURISM: India’s First Sand Sculpture Museum in Mysore

The museum was conceptualised by the famous sand artist, MN Gowri. She took around four months to create the whole look.

Mysore (or Mysuru) is a historic city of Karnataka brimming with incredible attractions including Mysore Palace, Vrindavan Gardens and Mysore Zoo, among others. But did you know that Karnataka’s cultural hub is also home to a unique sand sculpture museum which has taken the country by surprise. It is also India’s first sand sculpture museum.

The museum was conceptualised by the famous sand artist, MN Gowri. She took around four months to create the whole look.


So, first of all, let’s talk about the location of the museum which is awesome. The museum is built close to Chamundi Hill and displays the rich cultural heritage of the city. The incredible museum is home to around 150 monoliths made using 115 truckloads of sand, water and a little glue!

source/content: timesofindia.indiatimes.com /timestravel

KARNATAKA RECORDS: AGRICULTURE: Bidar Farmer Apparao D Bhosle Achieves what is Considered Impossible. Grows Apples in a 3-acre Orchard

A farmer hailing from Ghatboral village of Humnabad taluk in Bidar district has achieved that which is considered impossible for many of his peers. Apparao D. Bhosle has successfully created his own apple orchard on three acres of land.

Bhosle knew that Humnabad taluk is no Kashmir Valley but he was determined to prove that anything can be grown if there is fertile soil.

While the apple trees of this variety usually bear fruit in about four-five years in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the saplings planted on his land started flowering and bearing fruit within two years. The trees bore 20 to 25 fruits and the yield is expected to be better in the second harvest. Though the fruits are small, they are tasty. The trees have grown 10 ft to 12 ft in height, Bhosle said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

WORLD RECORDS: INDIA – KARNATAKA RECORDS: Bengaluru Ranks 5th on the Global Stage for Tech Venture Capital Investment

Tech firms have attracted VC funds worth $7.5 billion in the first half of 2022.

Bengaluru has emerged as the top fifth city on the global stage for venture capital investment in tech startups in 2022, behind Bay Area (San Francisco), New York, London and Greater Boston, as per Global Startup Genome Report.

Tech firms in Bengaluru have attracted VC funds worth $7.5 billion in the first half of 2022, considerably higher than the previous record of$5.2 billion in the corresponding period last year, the report said.

C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Minister for IT/BT, told The Hindu that “Our city is a hub of the world’s top talent and our startups are very promising and growth-centric. This gives global investors confidence to invest in our companies in Bengaluru. Therefore VC and PE investment to city ventures are on the rise.’’

“Silicon Valley of India now attracts more investment than other global hubs like Singapore, Paris and Berlin and is trailing closer behind Greater Boston and New York,’‘ the report further said.

The Bay Area attracted $44.5 billion, New York $15.4 billion, London $ 11.3 billion and Greater Boston $8.9 billion.

The report highlighted Bengaluru’s formidable status with an ecosystem value of $105 billion, higher than Singapore ($89 billion) and Tokyo ($62 billion). Bengaluru’s massive growth in 2022 was largely attributed to greater access to funding with major funding rounds in 2022 forscale-up tech companies, including $55.7 million Series D for Ather Energy and Swiggy’s $700 million round in January.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENT: Dr.Nagnath V Yadgir, Doctor and Environmentalist has been Healing Kalaburagi’s Green Cover by Planting over 18,000 Saplings

Nagnath V. Yadgir, an Ayurveda doctor by profession and environmentalist by passion, has created a green cover in Kalaburagi city by planting 18,000 saplings in the last seven years.

Mr. Yadgir said that the first tree he planted in 2015 was in his compound. He brought some 30 saplings from the Forest Department and planted them in different places near his locality.

His team has planted 7,000 saplings at Sharan Sirasagi village on the outskirts of the city and 3,000 plantations on a single patch of barren land at Belur Cross. The team focuses on school compounds, community parks, and even graveyards, Mr. Yadgir added.

The ones most commonly planted are pongame oil (Millettia pinnata), neem, custard apple, bassora tragacanth, gulmohar, samanea saman, melia dubia, mango, banyan, sheesham, drumstick, guava, tamarind, and ashwatha trees. During the lockdown, even the school students joined him. He taught them the process ofmaking a nursery and educated them on the importance of trees.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: AGRICULTURE & FOOD: Sugar Factories in the State Crushed a Record 622 lakh Tonnes of Sugarcane in 2021-22. About 181 lakh Tonnes More Than the Previous Year.

Sugar factories in Karnataka have crushed a record 622.26 lakh tonnes of sugarcane in the year 2021-22, 181.14 lakh tonnes more than last year. 

Speaking to the media after chairing a meeting with members of the Sugarcane Control Board, Sugar Minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa said sugar factories in Karnataka have produced 59.78 lakh tonnes of sugar during the same period.

According to the minister, there are 89 registered sugar factories in Karnataka of which 72 are operating.  In Karnataka, 32 sugar factories are producing Ethanol, he said.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES: Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda Becomes First Indian-American President-Elect to Head the USA’s American Academy Of Audiology (AAA)

Having studied at AIISH Mysuru, Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda becomes the first Indian-American to occupy the top post.

Dr. Bopanna Ballachanda is a Professor (Adjunct) at Texas Tech Health Sciences and Chief Audiology Officer at National Hearing and Balance centres in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With more than 30 years of experience, he is now the President-Elect of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and he will have a three-year term from October 1, 2022.

Hailing from Kodagu and coming from a humble background, he did his B.Sc. in Speech and Hearing from the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH – 1970 batch), then under the University of Mysore. By becoming the first person of colour to head AAA, Dr. Bopanna has become a role model for many.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS : MEDICAL & HEALTH SCIENCES : WeCare Home Nursing and Security Solutions Wins ‘Best HealthCare Consultant’ Award at KTCC Karnataka Business Awards 2022

WeCare Home Nursing and Security Solutions, the face of quality Home Health Care and Security in Mangaluru and Dakshian Kannada, has been bestowed with ‘Best HealthCare Consultant’ in the healthcare sector at KTCC Karnataka Business Awards, the ceremony was held at Manpho Convention Centre in Bengaluru on May 29.

Karnataka Business Awards is the most cognized listing of Karnataka’s companies that have played a significant role in the success of the state and have unambiguously unveiled themselves as the next set of game changers in their respective categories.

Partners Surakat Ahmed and Vijesh Kumar received the award. The award was presented by Sowmya Reddy, MLA of Karnataka and also the general secretary of All India Mahila Congress of Karnataka.

WeCare Home Nursing and Security Solutions is a Mangaluru based ISO 9001:2015 certified company with over 250 employees currently under them having it’s office at Nandigudda. They have been providing exemplary service to the region in providing home nurses/ caregivers who are well experienced and have received formal training in patient home care skills and home management. They are qualified to perform duties and services that help maintain personal comfort in a clean and safe environment.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: AIRPORTS, TRAVEL & TOURISM: New World-Class Luxurious ‘080 Lounges’ Inaugurated to bring Luxury Back to Flying at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA)

Domestic and international flyers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) can now relax at the luxurious ‘080 Lounges’, recently unveiled by Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL).

All the aspects in the domestic and the international lounges, including art, artisans, and heritage, revolve around Bengaluru and even the name, 080 is attributed to the city’s trunk dial code.

While the first phase of the project is now open, once the second phase is also inaugurated, each lounge will occupy a space of over 2,000 square feet. 

VIDEO | THE NEW 080 LOUNGES AT BENGALURU AIRPORT IN JUNE 2022

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL RECORD: KARNATAKA: Kasturba Hospital Blood Center of Kasturba Medical College Manipal Bags the Netherlands based ‘International Society of Blood Transfusion Award (ISBT) for Developing Country’

Kasturba Hospital Blood Center has been conferred with ISBT Award for Developing Country at the opening ceremony of the 37th International Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion.

This international award is another feather on the cap for our Institution stated Dr Sharath Kumar Rao, the Dean of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

Dr Avinash Shetty, the Medical Superintendent of Kasturba Hospital Manipal appreciated the team behind this and said that the award is given in recognition of the significant contribution of Kasturba Hospital Blood Center in strengthening the Blood Transfusion Practices within the Country.

Accepting the prestigious international award, Dr Shamee Shastry, director of the blood centre conveyed that the blood collection, processing, testing practices and the quality system of the centre were considered for assessment.

She added that the education, training activities, publications, presentations, regional and global collaborations and research activities of the department were also taken into account.

source/contents: daijiworld.com (headline edited)