Arts, Culture & Entertainment – Page 8

INTERNATIONAL: Ashes of John Merwin Fritz, a London-based Archaeologist, Immersed in the Tungabhadra waters at Hampi

The ashes (asthi) of John Merwin Fritz, an 83-year-old London-based archaeologist and anthropologist, who died in London on January 23 this year, were, as per his wishes, immersed in the Tungabhadra waters at Hampi on Sunday.

Fritz was an internationally acclaimed archaeological researcher who made notable contribution to research on the great imperial city of Vijayanagara.

As per his wishes, his cremation was carried out according to Hindu rituals in London and the ashes were immersed in the Tungabhadra waters. His grandson Williams performed the ash-immersion rituals at Hampi.

Fritz’s daughter Alice Chandra Fritz and his friends John Gollings and George Michell were among those present at the Hampi ceremony.

“Fritz was very fond of India, especially Hampi. As per his wishes, his ashes were submerged in the Tungabhadra waters. His other wish was to complete the Vijayanagara Research Project which he started 30 years ago. I am also part of the project with a specific assignment of mapping surface archaeological features and I have finished it. We will try to complete the entire project,” Surendra Kumar, a Hampi-based researcher, told The Hindu.

Born on December 29, 1939 at Glendale of California in the United States, Fritz had settled down in London.

His work, Paleo-Psychology Today (1978), anticipated not only new directions in archaeology but also what would become the core of his research and publications regarding the symbolic features of past architectural monuments and structures, including aspects of both the Chaco site in New Mexico and, most substantively, the grand imperial city of Vijayanagara at Hampi in India.

In April 1981, Fritz joined George Michell, an architect from Australia, for archaeological research of Hampi. Over the next 20 years, he and George Michell ran an independent field camp in the middle of the ruins in Hampi. Together with the many scholars who became involved in what came to be known as the Vijayanagara Research Project, Fritz published extensively, editing the two-volume “Vijayanagara: Archaeological Exploration, 1990-2000”, and, together with George Michell, issued a popular guidebook on the site.

Their jointly authored “City of Victory” published in 1991 by Aperture in New York was the first of the several superbly illustrated volumes. They gifted much of the project’s maps and drawings to the British Library. Before his death, Fritz made a bequest to the American Trust for the British Library to fund a one-year cataloguing post for the collections.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: 4th ‘Bangalore International Centre (BIC) Hub’ba’ kicks off

The fourth edition of Bangalore International Centre’s Hub’ba features a dedicated children’s corner, policy discussions on a variety of topics, short films in addition to music and dance .

The annual Bangalore International Centre (BIC) Hub’ba is kicking-off today and features a variety of events for Bengalureans to participate in: lectures, conversations, panel discussions, traditional dance, music programmes and a dedicated corner for children.

For the first time, the fourth edition of the festival also features a section for short films about the city produced by citizens from different backgrounds.

“This year, we are hoping to create a carnival-esque vibe. It’s called a ‘hubba’ for obvious reasons. The idea is to emulate a good-old fun fair. But it is mainly characterised by the sheer variety of events. Everything that people will be interested to know about or participate in, but may not know where to look for,” says

Lekha Naidu, thespian and programming manager at BIC.

It was the success of the original event in 2019 that prompted its return as an annual event ever since. “The whole point of the fest was to create a packed-up version of all different sorts of events that we do throughout the year,” Naidu explains.

This year, the festival also features a section titled ‘B-LORE’ that is dedicated to stories about Bengaluru from a variety of perspectives told through the short films. “We wanted to garner many perspectives and stories about the city. What Bengaluru means to people and what they see in the city. We wanted a repository of information and stories connected to the city. And that led us to putting out an open call for films,” she shares, adding that among the 60 entries that they received, 26 were picked up by the jury and will be premiered at the festival.

While BIC Hub’ba has continued to add events each year, this time the organisers have made a key change to help the audience have a better time at the festival. “We have spaced out the sessions to give the audience a bit more breathing time. In the earlier editions, we had back-to-back sessions, and people would complain about having too many options at the same time and not being able to catch all of them,” Naidu concludes.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ’19th Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) Awards 2023′ Ceremony returns to Stage, February 18th

The 19th edition of the Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) awards recognised 10 winners across various categories, including literature, music, short film, photography, and digital art.

Dadapeer Jyman, a promising talent in the Kannada literary scene, could hardly contain his emotion as he accepted the award for creative writing in Kannada at the 19th edition of the Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) awards ceremony held at Bangalore International Centre on February 18. With a tremulous voice, Jyman expressed his joy at winning the prize. “I’ve dreamt of winning a Toto for three to four years now. I’ve been longlisted and shortlisted… It feels like finally being accepted after pursuing a loved one for long,” he said.

Having won the Sahitya Akademi’s Yuva Puraskar in 2022, Jyman is making a name for himself as a rising star in Kannada literature. His award-winning story, Taha’s Letter, explores the clash between two worlds, through the lens of two close friends, Dileep and Taha. One is stuck in the village, while the other has become an activist in the city. Taha is queer, and, as the story unfolds, we see how two worlds collide and get a chance to examine why it did not work out between them.

Following two years of virtual editions, the Toto Awards finally made a return to the physical stage. “Nothing compares to meeting young artists in person and hearing a live audience cheer them on. All of us at TFA were excited to do an on-ground event,” said CK Meena, chaiperson, TFA.

The TFA is a non-profit trust that was founded in 2004 to commemorate the passing of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, a 20-year-old art and literature lover. Every year, the trust awards prizes in a range of categories, including literature, music, short film, and photography, and hosts workshops, talks, readings, film screenings, and intimate addas to discuss arts-related topics.

A new category was established this year to pay tribute to the memory of abstract artist Mehlli Gobhai, dedicated to digital art, and an additional award was presented for music. The ceremony included a short ghatam performance by Sumana Chandrashekar.

“It is a great platform for youngsters riddled with self doubt about their potential,” said chief guest MS Sriram, Kannada writer and chairperson of the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. “This award is a big endorsement from the community. While there are several language-based art communities in Bengaluru, what makes this one unique is its diversity. I was amazed by the different regions the award winners came from, as usually in these gatherings we only see local talent.”

Moachiba Jamir, who won the award in the creative writing in the English category, said, “The story, Expecting Caterpillars, talks about grief in a way that also touches the culture that I come from, where very strong emotions such as grief and happiness are not really shared. We don’t really hug people, we don’t say we are sorry… I wanted to explore that in my story,” said Jamir.

A native of the Ao tribe in Kohima, Nagaland, Jamir includes his cultural roots in his writing. “I am inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who said there’s not just one story. So, I am not the only story from my culture; I am just a little voice out of all the voices that are around.”

This year’s ceremony recognised 10 winners across various categories, each of whom received a cash prize. In the music category, both Dindūn and Rudy Mukta were awarded ₹60,000 each. The creative writing in the English category saw Moachiba Jamir and Aparna Chivukula winning ₹50,000 each. Dadapeer Jyman won ₹50,000 in creative writing in the Kannada category. The photography category was won by Aswin Sharma and Anuja Dasgupta, with each of them receiving ₹50,000. In the short film category, Pratik Girish Bhoyar and Nikhil Vinay received ₹50,000 . Sankalpa Raychaudhury won the digital art category, receiving a cash prize of ₹50,000.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SPORTS / BOATING: ’11th National Dragon Boat Championship’ begins in Swarna River, Heroor,Udupi, February 23 to 26th

700 participants from 15 States are likely to participate in the races till February 26. The event will be held at Swarna river in Heroor.

The 11th national dragon boat championship will begin in Udupi for four days from Thursday, with about 700 participants from 15 States expected to participate.

Organised by the Udupi district administration, in association with the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association, the competitions will be held on the Swarna near Heroor in Udupi.

Those selected in this championship will be eligible to participate in Asian Games to be held in September/October, 2023.

Arrangements like two access roads, space for viewers have been organised in Heroor.

According to Udupi MLA K. Raghupathi Bhat, dragon boat race has evolved into a competitive global sport.

‘‘Udupi got an opportunity to host this championship. The prospects of Udupi in organising water sports championships can be explored further. The championship will have 200 metres, 500 metres, and 2 km race,” he told presspersons.

In each category, 25 participants will get selected to participate in the Asian Games, Mr. Bhat said, adding that the dragon boats have already arrived at the venue.

The boats have been designed to look like a dragon’s head, while the rear is carved to look like a tail.

In this event, 22 persons sit on the narrow boat, while the rest of the team works the oars and one person sitting in the front will beat a drum to egg them on and a coxswain steers the boat. There will be three more persons on reserve.

The 10th national dragon boat championship was held in Bhopal last year.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE / MUSEUM: Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) Opens Physical Museum in Bengaluru

The museum includes virtual exhibits, artists lectures, virtual reality encounters and a number of keynote discussions that foucs on the collections.

The Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), the first major private museum in Bengaluru, opened its doors at Kasturba Road with the inaugural series, ‘Art is Life: New Beginnings’. In view of the launch, the museum is holding week-long events from February 18-24.

Supported by cutting-edge technology, the museum has been constructed on the pillars of an innovative digital format that was introduced in 2020. This entails virtual exhibits, artist lectures, virtual reality encounters and a number of keynote discussions with leading museum directors from across the world that focus on the collections.

igital interventions, such as the Sasken Multimedia Gallery, enhance the museum experience for MAP’s visitors and make the whole collection accessible even when individual pieces aren’t on show.

Four exhibitions

The brand-new series feature four exhibitions and a series of new commissions. Curated by the director of MAP, Kamini Sawhney, ‘Visible/Invisible’ includes works by leading Indian artists such as Jamini Roy, Bhupen Khakhar, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Ravinder Reddy, Arpita Singh, M.F. Hussain and examines the role of women in art.

With more than 160 images, renowned Indian artist Jyoti Bhatt’s collection “Time and Time Again” traces his path as a photographer in the second half of the 20th century. The installation highlights his experimentation with multiple exposures and fragmented mirror imagery, as well as his depiction of rural villages, portraits of other artists, and self-portraits.

The MAP also feature LN Tallur’s series of sculptures and movies called “Chirag-e-Al,” which explore the link between artificial intelligence and ritualistic belief systems while forcing viewers to consider humanity’s increasing reliance on technology. The themes of darkness, conversations between celestial entities, and white spaces are established via the use of imagined chatbots, neural networks, composite figures, and white spaces.

Three years of research-backed work

Speaking about what makes MAP so distinct, Ms. Sawhney said, “MAPs collections are spread over six categories — premodern, modern and contemporary, textiles, photography, indigenous art, and popular culture such as Bollywood posters and film scripts. It tells the stories of all communities that make up India. We tell much wider stories as compared to other museums. Visible/Invisible showcases the permanent collection of MAP but we also commissioned various artists to create work which became part of the works. We worked for three years on this exhibition and it is accompanied by a catalogue.”

MAPs collections are spread over six categories — premodern, modern and contemporary, textiles, photography, indigenous art, and popular culture such as Bollywood posters and film scripts.

The MAP started first as a digital museum. “We developed the concept of MAP Labs which looks at the intersection of the science and the arts and how we can use technology to find art solutions. In our first collaboration with Accenture, we came up with the idea of creating a 3D persona or a hologram of M.F. Hussain, an iconic artist with whom a lot of young people have not interacted. It enabled them to have a chat with M.F. Hussain and understand his work,” Ms. Sawhney said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : NATIONAL: KARNATAKA Showcases Ecotourism Hotspots to G20 summit Delegates from 30 countries

G20 summit delegates from 30 countries visited the Bannerghatta Biological Park, Kalkere Arboretum, and the Jungle Lodges and Resorts as part of the series of events organised by the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).

During this excursion, curated by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, the state showcased its models for the restoration of forest ecosystems and the different types of forests curated at the arboretum, stated in its official release.

At Bannerghatta, the delegates visited the famous butterfly park and a short animal safari curated for them, where they were able to learn about the state’s sustainable ecotourism model. The Globally acclaimed “Wild Karnataka” movie was screened for the delegates at Jungle Lodges and Resorts.

The visit is part of India’s efforts to shift focus to the climate-change challenges and towards sustainable models of development such as eco-tourism, which can play a vital role, and will balance the needs of the growing economy with necessary measures for protecting the environment.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. V. Ram Prasath Manohar, IAS, Director, Karnataka Tourism said, “Karnataka has an abundance of natural beauty, including the Western Ghats, a site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This mountain range is renowned for its great diversity of flora and fauna. The state has 35 wildlife sanctuaries and five national parks. It is also home to over 100 species of animals, and 600 species of birds, including 524 tigers and over 6000 elephants, making Karnataka, truly India’s wildlife capital.

On Thursday, the G20 delegates were given a short insight into the state’s rich biodiversity and stunning wildlife during the excursion”.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: Writer Irene Pinto Awarded the ‘Konkani Lekhak Sangh Annual Award 2023’

Irene Pinto has authored several Konkani books, published over 25 short stories, and broadcast several stories over All India Radio, Mangaluru.

Eminent Konkani writer Irene Pinto has been chosen for the Konkani Lekhak Sangh annual award 2023 in recognition of her immense contribution to the language and literature.

The award, carrying a purse of ₹25,000, would be presented to Ms. Pinto on February 25 at 6.30 p.m. at Sandesha Foundation, Bajjodi, said Sangh convener Richard Moras. Former editor of ‘Raknno’ weekly Rev. Fr. Francis Rodrigues and Radhakrishna Bellur, Kannada professor with Government College, Kasargod, would attend the programme.

Established in 2018 to promote Konkani language and literature, the Sangh decided to honour a Konkani writer for her/his contribution to the language and literature from 2022, Mr. Moras told reporters in Mangaluru on February 7 in the presence of Sangh members Dolphy F. Lobo, J.F. D’Souza, Gerald Pinto and Titus Noronha.

Born on November 11, 1945 to Francis Pinto and Piad Mary Pinto in Bejai, Mangaluru, Ms. Pinto is married to Vincent Castelino and has three children. She did her BA at St. Agnes College and B.Ed at St. Ann’s College of Education, both in Mangaluru. She has authored several Konkani books, published over 25 short stories, and broadcast several stories over All India Radio, Mangaluru.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ACHIEVERS: 9 Personalities Presented State-level ‘Sandesha Awards 2023’

Nine achievers, including an institution, were presented with the State-level ‘Sandesha Awards 2023’, in recognition of their achievements in different fields here on Tuesday.

The awards were presented in a programme attended by, among others, Sandesha Institute chairman and Ballari Bishop Henry D’Souza, Alva’s Education Foundation Chairman M. Mohan Alva, Bishops of Mangaluru and Udupi Diocese Peter Paul Saldanha and Gerald Isaac Lobo respectively, Sandesha Director Sudeep Paul, and others.

The literature awards, Kannada, Konkani and Tulu were presented to Raghavendra Patil, Andrew L. D’Cunha, and Chinnappa Gowda respectively; the media award to Shivaji Ganeshan, the Konkani music award to Joyce Ozario; the art award to M.S. Murthy; the education award to Kotiganahalli Ramaiah; the special award to Prerana Resource Centre, and the best teacher award was presented to Sabiha Bhoomigowda.

Mr. Alva in his address said: “Our cultural, religious and social life and values are compromised amid the growing worldly life and technological advancement. It is unfortunate that we miss many of those persons who nurture the socio-cultural values through their life. The real joy of living a virtuous life is when we work tirelessly and selflessly for society.”

“Human being is a spirit in the world who constantly strives to explore and grow the inner spiritual powers for the betterment of the society. Sandesha awards has displayed and honoured those who have selflessly contributed their resources and inner powers,” said Bishop Rev. Saldanha.

Bishop D’Souza said: “Today we are living in a world where environment, harmony, health, unity, sensitivity, relationship and cooperation are great matters of concern. Let us aspire to build a society without hatred, division and violence.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA : World Konkani Centre announces 2 New Awards from this year

The World Konkani Centre, Shakthi Nagar, in Mangaluru has instituted two new awards from this year in the name of its chief patron. Each award carries ₹1 lakh in purse and a plaque.

It has chosen Ajit Ganapat Shenvi Kerkar for the P. Dayananda Pai Vishwa Konkani Ranga Shreshta Puraskar 2022 considering his lifetime contribution to the field of theatre and their contribution to the cause of Konkani.

Vidya Pai has been chosen for the P. Dayananda Pai Vishwa Konkani Anuvada Puraskar 2022 considering the enormity and impact of her translation work of Konkani literature in to English resulting in worldwide exposure for the Konkani literature, according to Nandagopal Shenoy, president, Konkani Bhas Ani Sanskriti Prathistan, World Konkani Centre.

The awards will be presented during the Vishwa Konkani Awards Ceremony to be held on February 9, 2023, in the presence of chief patron P. Dayananda Pai and other dignitaries, he said in a release.

The selection is based on the nominations submitted by the public and evaluation by two jury committees comprising of eminent personalities.

The jury for Ranga Shreshta Puraskar comprised of G.G. Lakshman Prabhu as the Chairman, and Muralidhar Shenoy from Kochi, John Permannur from Mangaluru and Sanjiv Verenkar from Goa as members.

The jury of Vishwa Konkani Anuvada Puraskar had Payyanur Ramesh Pai as Chairman and Gokuldas Prabhu, Kiran Budkuley and Melvyn Rodrigues as members.

Mr. Kerkar, 72, has served the Konkani theatre for the past 54 years in Goa. He still continues to be in the field of Konkani theatre by acting, directing and designing the sets for Konkani dramas. So far, he has acted in 89 productions and directed 43 production of dramas with innumerable shows across Goa and Maharashtra. He was instrumental in the success of 143 theatrical productions.

He is the only actor in Goa to have won the State-level best actor award for seven times including 4 times in a row.

Ms. Pai lives in Kolkota. She has translated 68 Konkani short stories and seven novels in to English and published them in reputed publications all across the world. A PhD thesis has been written based on her work and Konkani literature has received much needed attention in the literary world due to her work, the release said.

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: EXHIBITIONS & TRADE FAIRS: Army Stalls, Adventure Sports attract huge crowds at the ’26th National Youth Festival’, Hubballi

The army has set up two stalls, one to provide information on various employment opportunities for the youths in the armed forces and the other one is where a few of the arms and ammunitions used by the armed forces are on display.

Army stalls, adventure sports, water sports and various food stalls at the 26th National Youth Festival have drawn the attention of visitors.

At the ‘Know your Army’ stall set up on the campus of Karnatak College in Dharwad, a team of army personnel are providing information on all the recruitment opportunities including the newly launched ‘Agniveer’ scheme.

In the second stall, various arms and ammunitions including few used during the ‘Kargil War’ are on display. On Saturday, January 14, Havaldar Ravindra Pal Singh of Rajputana Rifles and others were seen enthusiastically explaining about various arms, their range, firing capacity and damage that they could cause to the enemy camp. They were assisted by Havaldar Sanjiv Kumar from Madras Regiment (a native of Bidar), who explained the visitors the same in Kannada.

Those on display include A.K. 47 rifle, Single Assault Rifle 7.62 mm, M.M.G. Rocket Launcher, Sniper DSR and others. Equipments and gadgets used for surveillance during night are also on display.

Adventure Sports

Adventure sports have also drawn attention of the crowd. Keerti Pais, Advisor to the Commissioner of Sports and Youth Empowerment said that for the first time at the National Youth Festival, crash courses were being conducted in association with General. Thimayya National Academy of Adventure. He said these crash courses were for registered NYF participants and had seen good response.

Mr. Keerti said that the adventure sports like rock climbing and water sports were open to the public during afternoon and evening hours, while it was restricted to NYF participants in the morning.

Desi games

Manjunath M.R., Advisor to Thimmaiah Academy said that the ‘desi games’ at RN Shetty stadium had evoked great interest among the visitors to NYF. So far around 1,200 participants had taken part in the desi games and they were assisted by 60 volunteers of ‘Kreeda Bharati’ organisation. Along with these, eight teams among the NYF participants would be displaying their native games at the youth festival, he said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)