Category: Travel & Tourism

KARNATAKA: BUSINESS SUCCESS: AGRICULTURE to RESTAURANTS: From Software Coding to Culinary Success: The success story of Mallikarjun Hatti, an Engineer’s Farm-to-Plate idea in a hotel the ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’, Vijayapura

We have come across many instances of highly-paid engineers leaving their jobs in foreign countries and coming back to India to start their own businesses. While not many succeed in their endeavour, some like Mallikarjun Hatti from Vijayapura in Karnataka do.

Mallikarjun used to work as a software engineer in the United States and used to earn Rs 3.5 lakh per month. His yearly income was nearly half a crore Rupees! Yet he chose to return to his motherland to start something of his own. When he came back to India, his neighbours and friends laughed at him and his ideas.

Mallikarjun’s family was also tense because a sudden change in the domain could cause a lack of funds. He joined the US-based software company in 2008 and returned to India in 2013 after resigning from the company. In 2018, he started farming. He grew cereals and millet on his farmland. Later, he decided to start his own business by selling millet and cereals. 

Startup based on a Farm-to-Plate theme

Mallikarjun had many ideas regarding his startup. He selected the Farm-to-Plate theme, in which he decided to sell cereals as food to the people. Initially, people did not give heed to his ideas and startup. After a few days, he initiated another idea to start a hotel based on the millet he grew and serve only cereal and millet-based food items.

The hotel surged in business during the Covid pandemic. The season that impacted many people, turned out to be good fortune for Mallikarjun. He provided the best quality food items, which people appreciated. The health benefits of the millet are many. During the pandemic, there was an urge among people to eat healthy food. 

His hotel, ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ became very famous in the locality. His efforts finally started to pay out during the pandemic, as the people who did not pay any heed to him initially, started to turn towards a healthy lifestyle when the pandemic hit them hard.

He started the hotel ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ at Golagumbaz Road in Vijayapura. He prepares the food with the 9 variants of millets he grows on his own farmland. Government officials, travellers and other customers are regular to the hotel. Everyone wants a healthy alternative to the foods they consume every day. 

Mallikarjun does not add any kind of chemical or tasty ingredients to his food and believes in serving the food naturally. Snacks and lunch are prepared in the hotel with arka, Udalu, Navane and other millets. People suffering from BP and diabetes come here and enjoy nutritious food.

Earning 7.5 lakh per month!

Mallikarjun used to earn Rs 3.5 lakh per month while he was in the US. His decision to leave the high-paying job was very challenging in the initial days. Due to his visionary startup ideas, the hotel ‘Siridhanya Hallimane’ is today very popular. People from far and wide travel to Vijayapura to visit his hotel and enjoy the food. 

There are currently 20 workers at the hotel and Mallikarjun earns Rs 7.5 lakh per month, through the business. He has also started a food processing unit and wants to extend his hotel as a franchise to other cities as well.

source/content: newsable.asianetnews.com (headline edited) / Asianet Newsable

REGIONAL: KARNATAKA: TRAVEL & TOURISM: Bengaluru to function as Hub of Thomas Cook’s Charter Operations for South India

The travel firm’s maiden air charter service will be between Bengaluru and Bhutanese Capital Thimphu, a three-hour flight, starting in April 2024.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited, an omnichannel travel services company, has forayed into charter services to cater to the growing interest among customers in South India for holiday destinations in South Asian and European countries.

Bengaluru will function as the hub of Thomas Cook’s charter operations for South India and leisure/holidays tourists from across the region would be able to board the charter flights departing from the city, Romil Pant, executive vice-president & Business Head (Holidays), Thomas Cook, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The travel firm’s maiden air charter service will be between Bengaluru and Bhutanese Capital Thimphu, a three-hour flight, starting in April 2024.

“We will hire a 126-seater airplane from Bhutan Airlines and will operate five charter flights every eight days starting from April 27. This is the first time we are entering into the chartering space and we may extend this service to connect other neighbouring countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka and also some European destinations,” Mr Pant said.

Commenting on the rationale of starting the charter service from Bengaluru, he said Karnataka and Bengaluru were the company’s biggest markets in the country. For instance, the southern region solely contributed 45% of Thomas Cook’s total business in the country.

Currently, there is no direct flight to Bhutan from the southern region, only Delhi and Kolkata offer direct flights and land travel also takes a lot of time.

“South India is the largest contributor to the holidays business for us, overtaking the West and North India. Bengaluru and Karnatka has emerged as our number 1 source market for the leisure segment. Huge demand is coming from small cities including Mysuru, Udupi, and Hubballi too,” he added.

Commenting on travel trends in Bengaluru, Mr. Pant said the travel firm had witnessed a 60% increase in demand this year compared to 2019, the travel spend also increased by up to 30%, and average holiday duration has increased to seven days from three days compared to 2019 levels. The most favourite destinations for Bengalureans have been Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Mauritius, Singapore, Dubai, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, and Georgia while Andamans, Kashmir, North-East, Rajasthan, Kerala, Coorg, Chickmagaluru, Kabini, and Ooty are their favourite domestic getaways.

“We are very bullish on Bengaluru and Karnataka and we are investing deeply in this high potential market and are expanding our footprint here. We expect to see a business uptick of 30% from Karnataka in 2024,” Mr. Pant added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: CITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT-MAJOR MILESTONE: Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Clocks 100 Crore Foot Falls ever since its inception

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Achieves Major Milestone with 100 Crore Footfalls.

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro clocked more than 100 crore foot falls from 2012 when it was first launched, said Bengaluru Metro Transport Corporation (BMRCL) in an announcement. This is said to be a major milestone for the key public transport system of the IT Capital.

The first metro line in Bengaluru was launched in the year 2012 and was between Baiyappanahalli and MG Road. The 6.7 kilometers metro on the Purple Line was widely used by the public, with an average daily ridership of 33,152 passengers during the first year.

BMRCL later extended metro lines to most parts of the city in phases. In 2016-17, the Majestic metro station was opened on the Purple line, and it turned out to be one of the busiest metro stations in the city, connecting areas like Mysuru Road, Jayanagar and Baiyappanahalli. The average daily ridership then crossed 1 lakh passengers.

Bengaluru’s Namma Metro has 65 stations with an operational network of 74 kilometres.

In December 2023 alone, Bengaluru’s Namma Metro recorded two crore footfalls. This is said to be the highest monthly ridership for Namma Metro, ever since it was launched, and it also saw a spike in average daily ridership.

Making Purple Line fully operational in October last year by connecting Whitefield to Bengaluru South and Bengaluru Central was a game changer for BMRCL.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally dedicated the full operations of Bengaluru metro’s Purple Line to the people of the IT capital by inaugurating two pending stretches, Baiyappanahalli – KR Puram and Kengeri – Challaghatta, on October 20. The Purple Line operations started on October 9 without much fanfare or an inaugural event.

During the launch of Purple Line, BMRCL expected the increase in ridership would be at least between 70,000 and 1 lakh people, but it has only risen to roughly 60,000 passengers per day.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: AVIATION : MANUFACTURING – MAKE IN INDIA: PM Narendra Modi inaugurates in Bengaluru Largest Aerospace Engineering Facility of Boeing outside the United States

The state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) is built with an investment of ₹1,600 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru along with the Boeing Sukanya Program, on January 19.

The state-of-the-art BIETC is built with an investment of ₹1,600 crore. It is located in a 43-acre campus, and is the American aerospace major’s largest such investment outside the U.S.

Boeing said that the BIETC will become a cornerstone for partnering with India on next generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program that aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector.

The program will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and train for jobs in the aviation sector.

For young girls, the program will create STEM labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers. It will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots. Investments will support flight training curriculum, obtaining certifications, funding for simulator trainings, and career development programs.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: Mysuru Sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla to be Installed in Ayodhya Temple

One of the most sought-after sculptors in the country, Yogiraj sculpted the 30-foot statue of Subhash Chandra Bose installed at Amar Jawan Jyoti behind India Gate in New Delhi.

Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla idol has been chosen for installation at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple during the auspicious ‘Prana Prathistapana Muhurtham’ on January 22.

Of the three idols shortlisted, the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust on Monday selected Yogiraj’s Ram Lalla through voting, according to his family members here.

Yogiraj used a unique Krishna shila (stone) from Bujjegoudanapura village in HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district to sculpt the idol along with his team.

Yogiraj hails from a family of sculptors in Mysuru.

One of the most sought-after sculptors in the country, Yogiraj sculpted the 30-foot statue of Subhash Chandra Bose installed at Amar Jawan Jyoti behind India Gate in New Delhi. He is also known for his works such as the 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath, the 21-foot statue of Lord Hanuman at Chunchanakatte in Mysuru district, the 15-foot statue of Dr BR Ambedkar and the statue of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Mysuru.

Yogiraj’s wife Vijetha, who expressed her happiness for the selection of her husband’s Ram Lalla, told The New Indian Express that he has been working tirelessly for the past six months. “He did not even meet me or other members of our family during this period. We feel very happy that his work has been selected,” she said.

Many prominent leaders from Mysuru and politicians have congratulated Yogiraj on his achievement. Sharing his happiness on ‘X’, Yediyurappa said, “The idol of Lord Rama sculpted by Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru has been selected for installation in the magnificent Sri Rama Mandir of Ayodhya, which has doubled the pride and happiness of the entire Rama devotees of the state. Heartfelt congratulations to ‘Shilpi @yogiraj_arun’.”

Yediyurappa’s son and BJP state president BY Vijayendra too hailed Yogiraj for making the state and Mysuru proud. “It is the pride of Mysuru, the pride of Karnataka that the idol of Ram Lalla carved by Arun Yogiraj will be enshrined in Ayodhya on January 22,” Vijayendra said. MP PC Mohan and former minister B Sreeramulu also congratulated Yogiraj on social media. 

More than selection, people should appreciate it: Yogiraj

Sculptor Arun Yogiraj said he has not yet received any official communication about the selection of his idol to be installed in Ayodhya.

However, senior BJP leaders’ posts on ‘X’ made him believe that his work has been selected.“I am happy that I was among the three sculptors from the country selected to carve the idol of Ram Lalla,” Yogiraj said.

The challenge was not easy for him. “The idol should be of a child, who is divine too because it is the statue of the incarnation of God. People who look at the statue should feel the divinity,” Yogiraj said.

“Keeping the divinity aspect along with the child-like face in mind, I started my work about seven months ago. Now, I am extremely happy. More than selection, people should appreciate it. Only then, I will be happy,” he said. (With agency inputs)

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: HORTICULTURE / GARDEN: CM Opens Mysuru City’s First Botanical Garden – The 15-acre Lingambudhi Lake Botanical Garden

Chief Minister Siddharamaiah inaugurated the Mysuru city’s first Lingambudhi Lake Botanical Garden at Srirampura II Stage, Ramakrishnanagar, this morning.

The garden, spread over 15-acre area, is developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 4 crore and has over 300 plant varieties, including medicinal plants.

The Chief Minister and dignitaries, who went around the garden on a battery-operated vehicle, also released the pamphlets on Geographical Indicator (GI) products of Mysuru like Nanjangud Rasabale, Mysore Veelyedele (Betel leaves), Mysore Mallige (Jasmine) and several other farm produces.

Horticulture Minister S.S. Mallikarjun, Mysuru District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, Minister for Animal Husbandry K. Venkatesh, MLAs K. Harishgowda and D. Ravishankar and others were present.  A topiary at the Botanical Garden.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: HERITAGE: Three Hoysala Temples of Karnataka Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

All three temples are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India and the nominations were entered as ‘The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas’.

The Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapur in Karnataka were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites on September 18 in a move that will bring global recognition with prospects of increase in international tourism to these places.

The Chennakeshava temple at Belur and Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebidu — both in Hassan district have been on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014. The Keshava temple at Somanathapur in Mysuru district was appended to the other two monuments under the tentative list and all the three were officially nominated by the Centre as India’s entry for 2022-23 in February in 2022.

An expert from the International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) concluded the site visits covering all three temples in September last year and the monuments were officially inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

All three temples are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the nominations were entered as ‘The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas’.

The Hoysala temples are known for evolving a distinct style that is ornate with temple architecture following a stellate plan built on a raised platform. The material used in temple construction is choloritic schist which is also known as soapstone that are soft and amiable to carving.

While the construction of the Chennakeshava temple at Belur in commenced during the period of king Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE and took 103 years to complete, the Hoysaleshwara temple was commissioned in 1121 CE while the Keshava temple at Somanathapur in Mysuru district was commissioned by Somanatha Dandanayaka during the regime of Narasimha III in 1268 CE.

A. Devaraju, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage said the inscription of the 3 sites as World Heritage Sites will give global recognition for the three monuments which are known for sculptures and carvings and further boost tourism.

The dossier for final submission was prepared by the Bengaluru chapter of INTACH for the Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage and Department of Tourism with support from the Archaeological Survey of India.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: CM Siddaramaiah visits ISRO, to felicitate scientists in Vidhana Soudha

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Thursday that the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) would be felicitated officially by the government for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Speaking to reporters after paying a visit to ISRO in Bengaluru to meet and felicitate scientists, Siddaramaiah stated that the felicitation function will be held at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha after September 2. He had given directions for his staff to coordinate with ISRO in this regard, he added.

“The achievement of ISRO by landing Vikram on the Moon safely is hailed by the entire country. The achievement has made the whole world look towards India. Our country is fourth after Russia, America, and China to achieve a safe landing on the Moon. We are the first country to land safely on the South Pole. Hence, all of us should acknowledge the achievement of ISRO and appreciate it,” CM Siddaramaiah explains.

ISRO Chairman S. Somnath and his team of 500 scientists have actively taken part in the programme from Karnataka. 3,84,000 kilometres were travelled by the Vikram and for so many years efforts have been made for the achievement. “All our cooperation and support is with ISRO for its future programmes as it is a pride of our nation,” CM Siddaramaiah maintained.

When asked about how he felt after watching the event live on Wednesday, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “I became very happy as our country has achieved this.

“It’s a historical achievement and a big achievement. They worked for many years round the clock. They have nearly 500 scientists from Bengaluru involved in this and in total more than 1,000 scientists have worked across the country.” DyCM D.K. Shivakumar visited ISRO on Wednesday evening and felicitated the team.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL & KARNATAKA: Shobha Rao Smilemaker’s latest video ‘Six Decades in Incredible India’ released

After her video about Memorable Mangalore became viral last year, local resident and soft skills trainer Shobha Rao Smilemaker released a new video, this time about India.

On the occasion of her 60th birthday, the video called ‘Six Decades in Incredible India’ was released among friends and family on her Shobha Smilemaker YouTube channel.

The delightful video gives a pictorial glimpse about her travels across almost all of the 28 states and 8 union territories of India, and still she says one lifetime is not enough to experience the different corners of India.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: WILDLIFE CENSUS / TIGERS: Tiger Count in Karnataka rose to 435 between 2018-22: Survey

According to the figures, out of the five tiger reserves in Karnataka, the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has reported the highest number of tigers at 149, followed by the Bandipur Tiger Reserve with 143 tigers.

The number of tigers in the state, assessed through the trap camera method, has increased to 435 in 2022, compared to 404 in 2018, according to the Karnataka Forest Department.

Prior to the International Tiger Day on Saturday, the Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday released the figures of the All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) exercise 2022. The forest department in the state in had conducted tiger estimation exercise in all the 37 forest divisions across 31 districts in 2022.

However, the actual numbers will be known on Saturday when the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Wildlife Institute of India release the all-India tiger census report. In 2018, Karnataka ranked second in tiger numbers with 524, while Madhya Pradesh bagged the top spot with 526.

According to the figures, out of the five tiger reserves in the state, the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has reported the highest number of tigers at 149, followed by the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) with 143 tigers.

Meanwhile, the Biligira Ranga Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve has reported 39 tigers, Bhadra Tiger Reserve has 26 tigers and Kali Tiger Reserve 19 tigers.

According to the report, there were 4,786 camera trap locations across the 37 forest divisions. The total number of camera trap images captured during the exercise was 66,86,450.

Releasing the number, Khandre thanked the two late Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi for their contributions to forests in the country. “They implemented the Forest Protection Act, Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Right Act, and helped conserve forests for the current generation,” he said.

Meanwhile, noted tiger biologist and conservationist Ullas Karanth, appreciated the survey done by the forest department. “Unlike in the previous surveys from 2006 onwards, when the reports were published by NTCA, which were non-transparent on many details, the present Karnataka report provides significantly more details on the implementation of the camera trap surveys conducted by the department during the year in 2021-2022. We hope this sets a new trend of transparency as opposed to earlier practices of the NTCA,” Karanth said.

Further suggestion some measures for improvement, Karanth said, “The report contains the numbers of individual, unique adult tigers photo-captured at various sites which look reasonable to us, provided all these animals were camera trapped during July-August 2022. Furthermore, they have reported closed model tiger density estimates for several of the camera trapped sites. These densities look reasonable, provided closure was maintained.”

“The total estimated numbers of tigers in sampled areas could also have been generated in date on ‘state space’ area and delineation of tiger habitats had been clearly presented in the report. An issue of concern, which can be addressed if more detailed information can be provided, pertains to compliance with the important assumptions of geographic and temporal closure of populations during the sampling,” he said.

Karanth pointed out that the other gap in the report is the lack of data on population turn over because of the once-in-four-year survey frequency imposed by the NTCA prescriptions. “If on the other hand, the more rigorous protocols for open model population dynamics approached that we developed as far back as 2006 had been implemented, in addition to other numbers, critical population dynamic parameters vital to comprehensive monitoring, such as annual population growth rates, survival rates, recruitment rates and movement parameters could all have been estimated.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)