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NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: AVIATION & AIRLINES: RECORD SETTING: India’s First wide-bodied Airbus A350 Flies from Bengaluru to Mumbai

Flight AI 589 will operate from Kempegowda International Airport six days of the week barring Tuesdays to the same launch timings.

Air India on Monday commercially launched of India’s first Airbus A350 flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai carrying 297 passengers on board. Flight AI 589 departed from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at 7.05 am and reached Mumbai at 8.50 am.

The Airbus A350 aircraft is part of Air India’s record setting order of 470 aircraft signed with Airbus and Boeing in June 2023. The first Airbus A350-900, registered as VT-JRA arrived at IGI Airport, New Delhi on December 23, 2023, said an official release. One aircraft will arrive every six days in 2024.

The configuration of the aircraft is 316 seats – 28 private business suites with full-flat beds, 24 premium economy seats with extra legroom and 264 spacious economy seats. The latest generation Panasonic (eX3) in-flight entertainment system and HD screens in them will offer a superior flying experience to flyers, it said. “Fitted with the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, this aircraft is 20 percent more fuel efficient tan other similar aircraft,” it added.

Bengalurean Naveen, who flew on this spacious aircraft during one of its subsequent trips later on Monday from Bengaluru to Chennai told TNIE, “I have been waiting for long to travel by this magnificient aircraft. This model has been operated by international airlines to India and I have flown by them. But this is the first time that an Indian airline is operating one and that too on a domestic route.”

Asked what impressed him about this make, he said, “The entertainment systems available were impressive. Overall, it has more space than regular aircraft.”

AI 589 will operate from KIA on six days of the week barring Tuesdays to the same launch timings.

The release added, “Initially the aircraft will be deployed on domestic routes for crew familiarisation and regulatory compliance purposes. Passengers from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai will have the opportunity to experience the unparalleled comfort and state-of-the-art technology of the A350 – part of the 470 new aircraft order that Air India placed less than a year ago. The aircraft will be later deployed for long-haul flights to destinations across continents, strengthening AI’s growing fleet of wide-body fleets, comprising its own and recently leased aircraft.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

This Bengaluru-based Bala Rama creator has his roots in Idagunji

Idols of Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru and Bhat are among the three shortlisted for installation in Ayodhya.

Ganesh Bhat, a Bengaluru-based sculptor, whose Bala Rama idol has been shortlisted for installation at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, has his roots in Idagunji of Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district.

Idols of Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru and Bhat are among the three shortlisted for installation in Ayodhya. Although Yogiraj’s idol is said to have been finalised for consecration on January 22, it is yet to be officially confirmed..

Bhat hails from the family of priests of Idagunji Ganapathi Temple, which is considered as the oldest Ganapathi temple in the country. “I never expected an offer to carve the idol of Bala Rama. I was at a wedding in Idagunji when I got a call from Ram Mandir Trust. I was asked whether I can make an idol of Lord Ram. It was a big surprise. I readily agreed as it is a pride and honour for any sculptor,” he said.

Accordingly, he along with his assistants went to Ayodhya, where they were told to maintain secrecy of their work. Once he was asked to work on the idol, he selected a Shyama shila from the outskirts of Heggadadevanakote in Mysuru district. “Shyama shila is a natural stone. It will be soft inside the earth and after extraction, it becomes hard and ideal for carving. Usually, temple idols are made of this stone,” Bhat said.

“Our challenge was to create an unknown image of Bala Rama. We studied various Shilpa shastras. We adopted almost all types of art forms right from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari. Sitting on a lotus, this monolith statue has Shiva, Brahma, Bala Hanuman, weapons of Vishnu, and Surya around it. In this form, the idol gives voluminous information about Lord Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu. The Sun represents his dynasty,” Bhat said.

He said that his team of eight people took seven months to carve the 7.4-foot idol. Bipin Singh Baduria, a sculptor from Uttar Pradesh who has made Karnataka his home now, and Sandeep Naik, a sculptor from Idagunji, are part of his team.

Bhat has carved over 2,000 statues, which have been consecrated in temples not only in India, but also abroad. He has been honoured with national and international awards for his works.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

India’s first 31-metre U-grinder roped in for Bengaluru suburban rail project

Longest U-Girder in India Prepared for Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project.

To speed up the most awaited Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, the engineering team will use 31-metre-long U-grinder that helps to build tracks immediately. U-grinders are generally used in the construction of metro tracks and for the first time in the country, 31-metre-long U-grinders are being roped in for a public transport project.

Karnataka Industries and Commerce minister MB Patil took to social media and wrote, “A 31-meter U-girder, the longest in India, has been prepared for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project’s Corridor-2, surpassing the previous 28-meter record. This girder, among 450 others, will soon be installed between Yeshwantpur and Hebbal, under K-Ride’s management.”

What is a U-grinder?

U-grinders are U-shaped grinders that are used in the construction of public transport projects across the globe. Due to the length of these U-grinders, the construction time and number of piers used as the foundation gradually come down, which eventually helps the companies meet the deadlines. Each U-shaped grinder weighs more than 170 tons, and high-capacity cranes are used to cast these U-grinders.

Earlier in July, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya reviewed the Bengaluru suburban rail project and suggested the Karnataka government to extend the project till Tumakuru, Ramanagara and Chikkaballapur. He also requested railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to approve the expansion plan of Bengaluru’s suburban rail network.

In June, the Karnataka government directed the Rail Infrastructure Development Company of Karnataka (K-RIDE) to submit a revised plan of the project. According to the department, the suburban rail project will be extended to Mysuru, Gauribidanur – Hindupur and Kolar areas. MB Patil then said that the long-awaited suburban rail project will be a game changer in dealing with traffic congestion of Bengaluru. With the extensions, the surrounding districts of Bengaluru are likely to see ease of transport to the capital city.

However, the Karnataka government said that the project will be finished by 2028 and they will meet the deadline. Speaking to reporters earlier, MB Patil said, “To my knowledge, the suburban rail works will be completed by 2026. But if there are any delays, it will be finished by 2028. I have directed the officials to meet the deadlines and do not delay any work. Within the next two years, the works at Chikkabanavara and Bennaganahalli lines will be finished.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)