Arts, Culture & Entertainment – Page 2

SOUTH INDIA: AVIATION & TRAVEL HUB: Air India and BIAL sign agreement to make Bengaluru premier aviation hub of south India

Air India said that this partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the State.

Air India and the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have entered into an agreement intended to develop Bengaluru as a premier aviation hub for southern India.

Air India (along with other Tata Group airlines—AIX and Vistara) and BIAL will collaborate to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency, and passenger experience over the next five years.

This includes strengthening the group’s presence at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) through an enhanced network and establishing a dedicated domestic lounge for premium and frequent travellers of Tata Group airlines Air India and Vistara.

As part of this initiative, Air India has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Karnataka to establish comprehensive Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities at KIA.

Air India said that this partnership will stimulate the MRO ecosystem and is projected to generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for highly skilled individuals in the State.

“Airline-airport synergy is key to elevated customer experience and efficient operations, while Bengaluru is highly attractive as an origin and destination market as well as a connecting hub,” said Campbell Wilson, Managing Director and CEO of Air India. “We are therefore delighted to be strengthening our relationship with BIAL with a view to developing a greater presence at the airport, expanding air connectivity as well as building a major MRO center. This partnership agreement is a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of Air India,” he added.

Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO, BIAL, said, “Given that over half of the international outbound travellers from Bengaluru and our catchment head to Europe, North America, Australia, and the Far East, our alliance with Air India represents a substantial leap towards this goal. We aim to capture a significant share of long-haul routes from the Airport over the next five years.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA / & INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / LANGUAGE : Tulu, Kannada ambassador Bharatesha Alasandemajalu to represent Wikimedia Summit 2024, Berlin

Bharatesha Alasandemajalu has been chosen to represent the Tulu and Kannada languages at the Wikimedia Summit 2024, scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany, from April 19 to 22.

A dedicated member of the Karavali Wikimedians User Group in Mangaluru, he will serve as an ambassador for these languages.

Joining over 150 multilingual individuals from more than 100 countries, Bharatesha will participate in various activities, including discussions on ratifying Wiki Moment 2030, attending User Group representative meetings, and addressing challenges related to regional languages.

Born and raised in Alasandemajalu, Perlampady, Puttur Taluk, Bharatesha is the son of Bojappa Gowda A and Girija A B.

Currently employed at the Bank of Baroda, he has previously been associated with the Karnataka Arebhashe Samskriti mattu Sahitya Academy.

Notably, Bharatesha collaborated with the Wikimedia Foundation to create “Pursa Kattuna,” Tulu’s inaugural research documentary, which garnered recognition at international film festivals.

With expertise in Tulu and Kannada writing, he remains committed to making significant contributions to the preservation of language and culture through meticulous archiving efforts.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HISTORY / ARTS & CULTURE / BUDDHIST: Nuggets of history from Sannati village in Kalaburagi district

Left neglected for many years after it came to light through the ASI excavations in the 1990s, the ancient Buddhist site of Sannati on the bank of the Bhima River got a restoration project in 2022.

Major Buddhist centre during the Ashokan Empire

Historians believe that the Sannati Ranamandal [war zone] was a fortified area spreading over 210 acres, of which only a couple of acres have so far been excavated. The excavations suggested that the area was one of the major Buddhist centres that flourished with the active support of Emperor Ashoka. The areas came under the control of Shatavahanas after the Mouryas.

The Maha Stupa destroyed by natural calamities

The Maha Stupa, which measures nearly 22 meters in diameter and rose to a height of about 17 meters, is believed to have been developed in three constructional phases – Maurya, Early Satavahana and Later Satavahana periods stretching from 3rd Century BC to 3rd Century AD. The archaeologists believe that the Stupa was destroyed by natural calamities.

Devanampiye and Piyadasi, titles of Emperor Ashoka

The minor rock edict found at Maski town in Raichur district in 1915 convincingly established that Devanampiye and Piyadasi (‘beloved of the gods’ and ‘one with a benevolent gaze’) were the titles of Ashoka. Till then, the identity of Devanampiye and Piyadasi which were widely referred to in ancient inscriptions remained unknown.

A major education hub between 10th and 12th Centuries

The site of ancient Nagavi Ghatikasthana, which was often termed the Takshashila of the South by historians, is around 40 km away from Sannati. The Ghatikasthana, which had the status of a present-day university, was a major education hub during rulers of the Rashtrakuta and Kalyana Chalukya dynasties between the 10th and 12th Centuries.

The Sannati Development Authority to conserve the antiquities

The Karnataka government established the Sannati Development Authority to conserve the antiquities retrieved during the excavation in Kanaganahalli and developed the ancient Buddhist site as a major tourist and pilgrimage destination. Karnataka Housing Board has built a museum building, dormitories, and staff quarters, but the museum building is not handed over to to ASI.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HISTORY: Know Your City: The Bengaluru ‘Jayamahal Palace Hotel’ connected to 03 Royal families and a musical mind of the Wodeyar family

A well-known admirer of music, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar is said to have pursued his interests at what is now Bengaluru’s Jayamahal Palace hotel.

Connections to the bygone royals are everywhere in Bengaluru for those looking in the right place, from the Gangas to Kempe Gowda. But today, the most common reminders are those of the Wodeyar dynasty, most often seen in the marks of the twin-headed Gandaberunda sigil. But one heritage hotel can draw its lineage back to not one but three of India’s erstwhile royal families—Jayamahal Palace.

The earliest trace of the history of the building, blending colonial and Indian architecture of the time, is from around 1892, by which time it had already been built for the Jagirdar of Arni. This was a small state dating back to around the time of Shivaji, when the founder of the jagir had been granted the territory by Shivaji’s father Shahaji as a reward. By the early 20th century, however, the palace had passed into the hands of the Wodeyar family.

The hotel probably takes its current name from Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s successor. His nephew, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, was a well-known admirer of music and is said to have pursued his interests at Jayamahal. A composer in his own right, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar was the president of the Philharmonia Concert Society in London and a patron to composers as far afield as Europe.

One of these musicians was Nikolai Medtner. This association happened towards the close of Medtner’s life, during a period of relative obscurity. The New York Times noted in October 1948, “In characteristic regal fashion, this Hindu ruler has expressed a desire, backed by a special endowment, that the entire stock of Medtner’s works—sixty works in all—be recorded on gramophone disks, so that posterity may avail itself of the composer’s neglected contribution to musical art. For the past twelve years Nicholas Medtner has been living quietly and modestly… One may well imagine the composer’s complete bewilderment when…he was informed of the Maharaja’s friendly wish.”

After a stint of about a half century with the Wodeyars, the building was by 1950 in the hands of the erstwhile royal family of Gondal, a princely state of Rajput origin located in Gujarat. According to Sanjay Sinhji, a member of the family, “The connection with the family is that Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar was married to my grandfather’s sister (Maharani Pratapa Kumari), who hailed from Vana in Gujarat. The hotel later was sold to Vikram Sinhji, the head of the family and erstwhile king of Gondal. Today, it is owned by his grandson.”

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: KANNADA : Vatican Radio-News adds Kannada as 53rd language for its media coverage

Vatican Radio – Vatican News have added Karnataka’s official language of Kannada as the 53rd language to provide coverage of Papal, Vatican, and Church news, offering the Gospel Proclamation in the mother tongue of 35 million Indians.

Vatican Radio – Vatican News will be available in Kannada language spoken by millions of people in India on the Vatican News web portal.

The initiative arises from collaboration between the Dicastery for Communication and the Archdiocese of Bangalore, in the Indian state of Karnataka.

“I am delighted with the launch of these pages in Kannada,” remarked the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Peter Machado.

“News about the Pope, the Vatican, the universal Church, and the world will be of great interest and importance for the local Church in Karnataka. I thank our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis, for his continual emphasis on synodality and on bringing the Church to the peripheries. The faithful will surely benefit from reading these articles and, in a later phase when possible, also from their broadcast in audio/video. I am sure that our Communication Centre of the Archdiocese of Bangalore will bring the universal Church closer to the people,’’ said the Archbishop.

“A new language is added to those spoken by Vatican News. It is an ancient language, yet very much alive,” highlighted Dr Paolo Ruffini, the Prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication.

“It is alive just as is the Catholic community that helps us in this small but great enterprise: to speak the language of 35 million Indians. It is an act of homage to their culture, and a service to authentic communication, a way of walking together, one step after the other. It represents great effort, certainly. ‘Effort always pays,’’ he said.

“The decision to also add the Kannada language to the existing 52 of Vatican Radio – Vatican News to offer the word of the Pope in the mother tongue of millions of Indians,” said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of Vatican Media, “confirms our vocation of service to the Bishop of Rome and the Churches that form the universal Church.”

In a historical moment characterised by difficulties, uncertainties, wars, and violence, it is comforting that the Church bears witness to communion and sharing, strengthening the ties between Rome and the world.

“The breadth of the Church is truly wonderful. 93 years ago, Pope Pius XI entrusted Guglielmo Marconi with the task of building Vatican Radio to bring hope to the world,” emphasised Massimiliano Menichetti, head of Vatican Radio – Vatican News, “to spread the Christian proclamation, and to build up the Church of Christ. In the 1990s, the waves of the Pope’s Radio reached Vietnam, that Proclamation generated “radio Christians”; a new living Church.

Today, new technologies (shortwaves, satellites, and internet) offer us many opportunities to bring the Good News to our wounded world. The Kannada language is another example of vitality and fraternity and our wish is to continue to weave these paths in responsibility and unity.”

‘’We are excited to announce that Vatican news is now broadcast in Kannada, courtesy of the Archdiocese of Bangalore. Today, Dr Peter Machado, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore, officially inaugurated and launched the channel.

This addition makes Kannada the 53rd language in which Vatican news is accessible worldwide, joining other major languages such as Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: 02nd edition of 2-day ‘Mahindra Percussion Festival 2024’ kicks off with thunderous performances

The second edition of the two-day Mahindra Percussion Festival stormed into Bengaluru this weekend, igniting the Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts with a thunderous opening day of performances.

The first day’s events began with a slightly subdued crowd, the emcee’s energetic greeting met with hesitant applause. However, the atmosphere quickly transformed as the Charu Hariharan Quartet took the stage, featuring the traditional percussion ensemble Kozhikode Nanthalakootam and artists from the Jenu Kuruba tribe of Nagarahole.

Charu and her quartet opened with three original compositions, showcasing a compelling blend of classical Indian percussion with contemporary influences.

The energy shifted as the Kozhikode Nanthalakootam joined the quartet, their powerful chenda drumming adding a distinctly Keralan flavour to the performance. The Jenukurubas’ arrival further electrified the stage, their unique instruments crafted from bamboo, antenna dishes, and plastic containers infusing a raw, folk energy into the proceedings.

Two Summ, featuring Viveick Rajagopalan and Anantha R. Krishnan, introduced a fascinating digital-analog hybrid — the MIDI mridangam (or the MIDIdangam). Their performance built from a gentle drizzle into a rhythmic downpour, Anantha’s humour lightening the mood as intricate melodies flowed. Their finale, blending African-sounding rhythms with Hindi lyrics, invited audience participation, ending in a standing ovation.

However, the night reached its zenith with Swarathma, Thavil Raja, and the Beat Gurus. Their performance made the audience rise from their cushioned seats and applaud and dance, thanks to a thrilling mix of global percussion. ‘Duur Kinara’ fused African drums and horns, while Sanjeev Nayak’s violin pierced through the powerful rhythms. Vasu Dixit’s invitation for the audience to howl during ‘Koorane’ added to the electric energy, further enhanced by ‘Thavil’ Raja’s masterful solo. The spotlight shone on each percussionist, showcasing their brilliance. ‘Pyaar Ke Rang’, saw Vasu descend from the stage, joining the audience in a joyous frenzy of song and dance.

After this crowd-pleasing performance, the legendary Vikku Vinayakram graced the stage for a phenomenal final act, accompanying his Ghatam symphony, which included V Selvaganesh, who won a Grammy this year. It was a fitting climax to a dazzling night of world-class percussion.

The festival, which resumes on Sunday at the same venue, will feature three performances: Rhythms of India, Ashtanayika – Kal Aur Aaj, and Taufiq Qureshi’s Surya.

The Mahindra Percussion Festival, in association with The Hindu, is co-sponsored by Mahindra Finance, Paul John Visitor Centre, and Carlsberg Smooth Soda and promoted and produced by Hyperlink Brand Solutions.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: Glass House Poetry Festival 2024 in Bengaluru: Dialogues on Gaza, freedom of speech, and more

The first in-person edition of the festival in Bengaluru on March 23 and 24 will be held at the Bangalore International Centre.

Remember the solace of poetry amidst the global lockdown? The feeling that shared words could transcend the loneliness and fear? The ArtMantram Trust attempted to evoke this feeling with the Glass House Festival, wherein poets from many parts of the world shared and celebrated poetry. It is ready to rekindle that spirit with the first in-person edition of the festival in Bengaluru on March 23 and 24 at the Bangalore International Centre.

This year, the Glass House, put together by a strong curatorial team, expands its scope with a focus on ‘Planet, Prosperity, People, and Peace’, the festival’s theme. Amidst a world fractured by conflict and turmoil, the festival creates a space where the power of words cannot only illuminate shared experiences but also spark vital conversations, inviting the public to be part of a larger dialogue and fostering a sense of global community.

“We found in that (lockdown) environment, we were turning to things like poetry to help us get through the moment, either writing or reading poetry,” says Yumna Hari Singh, founding trustee of ArtMantram, about the inaugural festival. This year’s iteration builds on that legacy.

Over 100 poets of diverse backgrounds will take the stage alongside workshops and performances.

Expect recitative and slam poetry, translations, regional language showcases, close readings, and more. Distinguished names like Annie Zaidi (who will be participating online), Ashwani Kumar, and Gayatri Majumdar bring star power. The festival’s heart, however, lies in its open invitation for poets and lovers of poetry from all walks of life to engage and become part of the artistic process, fostering a sense of belonging and global community.

“As a poet, I see poetry as a potent, condensed form. It can convey immense meaning in a short space like a telegram or the universe’s Morse code. Layers of thought, rhythm, and stanzas allow poets to communicate quickly and deeply,” says co-curator Rochelle Potkar, highlighting poetry’s power to cut straight to core themes affecting us all.

This commitment to meaningful dialogue shines through in the festival’s programming. Panels will address Gaza, incarceration, freedom of speech, and environmental activism. Art also plays a pivotal role, with artists and poets sharing stages and even dance performances alongside poetry readings.

The first Glasshouse Festival was born from a moment of isolation. This 2024 edition carries a similar weight. “The zeitgeist we see that affects us is the violence… There’s so much,” explains Yumna. But in its expanded form, the festival offers something more – a testament to poetry’s ability to connect us across borders, whether physical or emotional.

As a hybrid event, including online sessions, poets worldwide contribute their voices – echoing the festival’s first pandemic-era incarnation. “Poetry is a small form… What you can tell in poetry is like a telegram. You can tell so many things,” Rochelle reflects. These telegrams of verse promise to explore the complex challenges of our time.

Beyond the festival weekend, ArtMantram Trust envisions a lasting legacy. They see the gathered material, the recordings, and the sparked conversations as seeds. “We want to make sure the thoughts and ideas sparked by the Glass House Festival keep echoing in people’s minds long after the two days are over,” says Rochelle.

The two-day festival at Bangalore International Centre is free to attend. For more information, visit artmantram.org or bangaloreinternationalcentre.org.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: Mangaluru’s Dr Oshin Hegde Wins ‘Mrs Karnataka Global World India 2024’ Beauty Pageant

Dr Oshin Hegde won the ‘Mrs Karnataka Global World India 2024’ in the month of February which was conducted by Global India Entertainment Production (GIEP) held at Westend inn hotel, Delhi.

It was a pan-India beauty pageant, for which contestants from all over the country were auditioned and then selected. She represented herself from the city of Mangaluru for the grand finale. There were different rounds throughout the event after which she received her title.

She is an oral radiologist and forensic dentist by profession practicing in Ivory Shine dental clinic, Kavoor, Mangaluru along with her husband Dr Deviprasad Rai a practicing paedodontist as well. She is a mother to 2 boys.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: Hampi Art Labs: A new residency and cultural hub amidst Karnataka’s iron-rich terrain

Residency director Meera Curam says, “We are hoping to make this a space where critical conversations about contemporary art can happen.

It’s the colour of burnt orange all around. It is a hue that is unmissable when you are in Toranagallu in Bellary, Karnataka, thanks to the iron-rich land. The newly inaugurated Hampi Art Labs (HAL) near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi boasts the same colour palette. The expansive nine-acre space by the JSW Foundation is spearheaded by founder Sangita Jindal and her daughter Tarini Jindal Handa, the creative director. The concept is to primarily work as a residency. There are five large studios that will host as many artists every quarter, selected from an open call.

Residency director Meera Curam says, “We are hoping to make this a space where critical conversations about contemporary art can happen. This is where artists can come and work without any expectation. Sometimes you may not have anything at the end of three months but just a very strong concept and multiple prototypes or ideas which you may not have the time to develop here but can take back with you. We want the artists to go off the beaten paths.”

Inspired by the surrounding landscape, much of the building structure mimics the organic shapes and fluid forms carved by the Tungabhadra River that flows through the region. “As the founder of Echo, one of India’s first collected design galleries, I wanted to bring in what we try to achieve there with design, craft and art making. We adopt and create new lenses and unique languages to revisit Indian craft heritage through contemporary design. In the same way, I have tried to make the overall philosophy of HAL to be experimental, inclusive, and fluid in design and in vision,” says Sangita Jindal.

The space has been designed by Mumbai-based Sameep Padora from studio sP+a. Tarini Jindal Handa was also involved in the design conversation. The project itself has been in conception for over four years.

“We wanted to do something to give back to the world of art and culture,” says Handa. The site location incidentally was completely barren and did not have any vegetation, or features.

“We were looking at a reference point to develop the project from and being in the proximity of the incredible ruins of Hampi, its boulders and its riverine landscape was the starting point. The river in some sense became a metaphor for movement through our site and each of the buildings became the riverine landscape seen here,” says Padora.

HAL serves as a space for large-scale work and will be a production facility that the JSW Foundation will support. The inaugural exhibition—Right Foot First—on till May 31, showcases works from Sangita Jindal’s personal art collection and includes works of artists like Ai Weiwei, BV Doshi, Dayanita Singh, Tushar Joag and Zarina Hashmi, among others. HAL is a space that comes with a charm like no other as it makes art accessible, inclusive, and open for more people to enjoy and interpret in their own unique way.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited0

NATIONAL: BEAUTY : Ishika Shetty Wins Miss Teen Global World India Oceana 2024 Crown

Mangaluru girl Ishika Shetty was crowned as Miss Teen Global World India Oceana – 2024 at Mr and Miss and Miss Teen Global World beauty pageant in New Delhi on February 27, organized by Global India Entertainment Production and Ali Sharma.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and model Jathin Kirbath were the jury members for the final round and 65 contestants from all over the country took part in the beauty pageant.

Ishika Shetty hails from Kavoor. She is the daughter of Sharath Kumar Shetty and Shwetha Sharath Kumar Shetty. Presently, she is pursuing her degree at St Aloysius College.

In the year 2022, Ishika bagged Miss Teen Mangaluru and Miss Teen Karnataka in 2023 in Bengaluru. Since childhood, she has been inclined towards acting, dancing and modeling.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)