tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99850422024-03-08T02:51:34.043+05:30myself and mysuruSomethings about me, my thoughts, my passions and my city.H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-56221043504844571672022-01-13T23:46:00.002+05:302022-06-15T20:16:04.201+05:30Galaxy of Musicians<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>Ambling through the rooms and hallways of the Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, housed in the handsome Indo-saracenic building of Jaganmohan Palace, fills one with the beauty of 20th century artworks from across India.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br /></div><div>Artworks of Gaganendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, S.L. Haldankar, Nicholas Roerich, K. Keshavaiah, M. Ramanarasiah, G.L.N. Simha and many more stalwart artists grace the hallowed walls. Consuming the visual ambrosia as one reaches the second floor hall, the huge oil on canvases of Raja Ravi Varma overwhelms with its drama. Among the ten or twelve canvases of this artist par excellence, the 'Galaxy of Musicians' is unique.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br /></div><div>The composition reminds one of a group portrait. It strongly resembles a photograph of a group of female students of Maharani’s College contemporaneous with the painting. What differentiates the painting from the photograph, though, is the fact that eleven ladies in two rows, have been dressed in variety of costumes each representing different regions of India like Malabar, Tamil, Maratha, Lucknow, Parsi, English, Rajasthani, etc. Four of them are playing stringed instruments like a Saraswati Veena, violin, sitar and a sarangi, the Parsi lady is holding up a hand fan, the Lucknow girl looks like she is performing a thumri on kathak while others gaze out or towards the onlooker.</div><div><br /></div><div>It seems like the artist’s favourite muses from across the length and breadth of the sub-continent have assembled within a frame decking up in their finest drapes and jewels. The essence of India through its feminine beauty has been depicted here, one might presume.</div><div><br /></div><div>Probably Raja Ravi Varma was the first artist to symbolise Bharatmata in a composite portrait like this. He might have titled it as ‘Galaxy of Musicians’, but in reality he brought all the regions of India symbolically as the beautiful maidens and made them sing a common song of a single nationhood, a united and free India.</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-59226229256090504972021-03-01T20:17:00.001+05:302021-03-01T20:17:31.287+05:30Search Futile<p>Are you in my heart</p><p>or in my mind?</p><p>A happy little reverie</p><p>that's playing on rewind.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Where are you</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>pray reveal, be kind...</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There's nothing on outside</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Let me dive in and find.</p><p><br /></p><p>Precious much is lost</p><p>in the daily grind.</p><p>Few slivers of your smile</p><p>is all that's left behind.</p>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-71334574646692851172021-03-01T20:12:00.002+05:302021-03-01T20:12:16.324+05:30Unrequited Love<p> She loved me,</p><p><span> I didn't.</span><br /></p><p><span>I love you,</span></p><p><span><span> you don't.</span><br /></span></p><p><span><span>You love him,</span></span></p><p><span><span><span> he doesn't.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>On and on and on</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span> grows the shackle</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span>of broken hearts</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span> forged by</span><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><span>shattered dreams.</span></span></span></span></span></p>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-41507669240084117872021-03-01T20:09:00.000+05:302021-03-01T20:09:15.119+05:30Your Eyes<p>Your eyes</p><p>kindred the darkest recess</p><p>of my mind...</p><p>Something awoke </p><p>that was dead and gone...</p><p>Something stirred,</p><p>sputtered, crackled!</p><p>After eons of cold solitude</p><p>I jumped alive.</p>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-70414024690873509532020-07-28T17:18:00.001+05:302020-07-28T17:57:09.890+05:30What If Love Vanished From the Humanity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>Have you ever wondered, what if ‘Love’ vanishes from the world and what happens then? </b>There will be no love between a mother or father and the child, between siblings, between friends, between bloody absolutely anybody!<br />
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Nobody will fall in love. There will be no ‘lovers’ at all.<br />
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We will have admiration, respect, devotion, gratitude, fear and awe towards God but not love. Without love towards God, our devotion will be without soul. Humanity will lose its innocence. Love is the fuel of the soul and without this fuel the soul will seize to work and human beings will be like walking and talking machines.<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo">Victor Hugo</a> has quoted,<i> "Life is a flower of which love is the honey."</i> If there is no love, the flower is devoid of its sweet nectar and becomes just a good looking outer shell of colour and texture. Similarly, the human beings will be soulless, stone hearted creatures yielding to nobody.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUc9-cntVc2hO9T62G1ensl8KngQQap5Of1X_1AqXin4-MARbxQd4W-k5NGBOEtYBmshTCf4t-0qN5FLWB5N1WcCjKf-e2r3d07-7FekGaWayrt6ePFVpm7f7UFY62kzdTB8CY/s1600/650x350_loneliness_health_effects_slideshow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="650" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUc9-cntVc2hO9T62G1ensl8KngQQap5Of1X_1AqXin4-MARbxQd4W-k5NGBOEtYBmshTCf4t-0qN5FLWB5N1WcCjKf-e2r3d07-7FekGaWayrt6ePFVpm7f7UFY62kzdTB8CY/s400/650x350_loneliness_health_effects_slideshow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Image courtesy: www.webmd.com</span></td></tr>
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The loveless world will be a gloomy place to live in. Nobody will care for anybody. The lack of empathy and care will result in widespread exploitation, distress and negativity.<br />
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<b>Love is the glue that binds two hearts together.</b> In the lack of this glue, each person will be lonely. There would be no sense of camaraderie, warmth and belonging. Families will not exist. Friendships will be a thing of the past. Partnerships will no longer be forged. Everyone will be lost. Each one will be alone.<br />
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<b>Loneliness</b><br />
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<i>"Loneliness might not seem like a medical problem, but it can impact overall health, as well as brain health. Stress from feeling disconnected and alone can result in depression, anxiety and even cardiovascular troubles like high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease." </i>- <a href="http://brendalkk.blogspot.com/">Brenda Kelley Kim</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy: <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/you-are-not-alone-2/">https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/you-are-not-alone-2/</a></td></tr>
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Just imagine the situation where everyone in the world is afflicted with loneliness and are depressed. It is indeed a scary scenario. It will be much worse than the current situation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic">COVID 19 pandemic </a>that is sweeping the globe.<br />
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Worldwide depression is a bloody nightmare. If the doctors are also afflicted by this, who will treat others? There will be large scale suicides among the public. The violence will breakout everywhere. People will be on edge at all times. Domestic violence, murders, rapes, physical abuse, fights, road rage, all kinds of conflicts will erupt everywhere.<br />
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If the world leaders and their advisors are also stricken with a loveless, empathy-less and careless mind then it will not be long before someone among them will trigger a nuclear warfare. This, I am afraid, will lead humanity into total destruction of the world as we know it. It will be total annihilation of mankind along with the majority of the animal and the plant world.<br />
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‘Love’ may seem insignificant because it is just an intangible feeling. <b>But the lack of it will sound the death knell to our very being.</b> So it is in our best interest that love takes over the world and conquers all negativity.</div>
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H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-12935984774643839772020-07-02T19:18:00.000+05:302020-07-02T19:30:11.351+05:30Design Element - Bubris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsk2QDOQApjTUjIqCUlzBQntSWi2-lRzZGb_nvDmyuoXcJal9JnPqx8wQuxn4VH8PqWy-87w-9Yl-qzyFubyurm17RjRKYq0Z_V3Vpnvk6tWch5IwPFtTSw_FqPsFxygGxkQH/s1600/Bubris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="734" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsk2QDOQApjTUjIqCUlzBQntSWi2-lRzZGb_nvDmyuoXcJal9JnPqx8wQuxn4VH8PqWy-87w-9Yl-qzyFubyurm17RjRKYq0Z_V3Vpnvk6tWch5IwPFtTSw_FqPsFxygGxkQH/s320/Bubris.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubris</td></tr>
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Tipu Sultan had a fascination for tigers which is evident in the repeated tiger motif in his swords, guns, throne, royal seats, royal flags, standards, etc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Tipu Sultan's war turban | National Army Museum" height="200" src="https://www.nam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-04/136065_slice.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">War turban of Tipu Sultan. Notice the gold inlaid metallic plate (forehead guard) decorated with six bubris. <br />
The top of this metallic plate is crowned by four bubris.</td></tr>
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One particular design motif derived from the tiger stripes recurs significantly in his dresses, upholstery, documents, architectural ornaments, etc. The way he has used these motifs is so uncanny to the modern ways of brand building in the capitalist world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="A Tiger Cannon of Tipu Sultan" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhA4pwprNoVZyXq-apo3xFlvZqwHHi_RQHmWukTk7XjK1J-Sdt_cGQ2S1tNBhwxy2gmFhPsMqUbIK3lE9z3Xl5fFLglKp4wvKtucA72LUpSW-ziXn_ybQGjjA2jeVuAK8_6UMM65f5pO-8xQio=" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tipu's canon with tiger head. Notice the bubris or tiger stripes. </td></tr>
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This motif is a simplified tiger stripe somewhat similar to the letter 'S'. It has got a unique name as well - 'Bubris'. This word is always used together with the word 'Tiger'. So it is 'Tiger Bubris'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The spoils of Empire: Bounty looted by Wellington's men from ..." height="313" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/17/13/27A882B000000578-3043355-Atop_of_an_empire_This_historic_picture_shows_what_Tipu_s_magnif-m-94_1429273828349.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tipu Sultan on his throne. Notice the tiger heads and bubris in the borders.</td></tr>
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I was wondering since many years, since I came across the word and its meaning, as to the origin of the word. The problem was that I was pronouncing it as 'boobrees'. One day I was drinking coffee in the typical South Indian style with a stainless steel tumbler and its accompanying container which is called as 'Dabree'. I am fascinated with words which sound strange. So I was playing with the word 'Dabree' in my head when suddenly there popped the word 'Bubri' which was similar in sound.<br />
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It was an eureka moment. My confusion about the word got cleared in a second when I pronounced the word as 'Babree'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="250" src="https://www.britishbattles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/tipu-sultan-riding-to-battle-on-his-elephant.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tipu Sultan seated on an elephant. Mural depicting the battle of Polilur. Mural at the Dariya Daulat Baug palace, Srirangapatna, Mysuru. Notice the bubris design on the parasol, the border of the Tipu's seat and the white bubris on the red border of the cloth on the back of the elephant.</td></tr>
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In colloquial Hindi and Urdu, the tiger is called as 'Sher' (Sher is a persian word for lion). A strong and powerful male tiger in his prime is called as 'Babbar Sher'. So you can now see the connection clearly. Babbaree means 'of Babbar' (of tiger). Further, Babbaree has been anglicised as Bubri (singular) or Bubris (plural or collective).<br />
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So the final word is this - Bubris means the design motif of a tiger.<br />
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This is my hypothesis regarding the lexicological derivation of the word 'Bubris'.<br />
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Further, this design element did not die with Tipu Sultan in 1799. It has continued till today but shorn off its importance. Even today the Dasara elephants of Mysuru are covered with beautifully embroidered clothes on their backs which invariably have borders populated with bubris.<br />
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Bubris had captured the imagination of Mysureans so much that it endured few wars, a regime change and the merging of Mysore into the Dominions of India. It has remained as a silent testimony to the era of Tipu Sultan in the history of Mysore.</div>
H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-69722303525606196772017-10-30T19:20:00.000+05:302020-06-20T21:07:11.701+05:30Raghu Dharmendra Biodata<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Blowing My Own Trumpet</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSr2vqWjk3gN637xQBqBv1IEMR5Q8g_HwNgcM8qf65EVDq5xp015tWHtSei0dfsiQw984JwPHhCTlqczWGz2DdaSkheKgtRQHz4W_DpdxBJNQtduyoMLQanb2AW5jPw0vOLj5/s1600/IMG_0263c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSr2vqWjk3gN637xQBqBv1IEMR5Q8g_HwNgcM8qf65EVDq5xp015tWHtSei0dfsiQw984JwPHhCTlqczWGz2DdaSkheKgtRQHz4W_DpdxBJNQtduyoMLQanb2AW5jPw0vOLj5/s320/IMG_0263c.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
H.S. DHARMENDRA (b. 1976) better known as Raghu to friends and the art fraternity is a die-hard Mysorean. A product of Mysore University he holds a post graduate degree in Computer Applications and does the unimaginable. Raghu takes on the avatar of a designer of fine artefacts, dolls, traditional game-boards, game pieces, brochures, booklets and calendars for Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), the Mysore-based art foundation which hosts iconic events like ‘Bombe Mane, Kreedaa Kaushalya and Deepa Soundarya.’<br />
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In between he acquired a PG Degree in Fine Arts (History) which he admits adds a bit of colour and artistic depth to what would have been a bland rigmarole of life.<br />
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Raghu heads the Research section of RKP. His area of research includes traditional Mysore paintings, traditional dolls of India and traditional Indian indoor games. He also slips on the operatic cloak of an art historian when necessary and then with equal ease dons the mantle of a guest lecturer at Chamarajendra Government College of Visual Arts (CAVA) in Mysuru.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hEwoOJSf279-_nU24MQ87dpxc4RCVpVpcZUmDS40NSHOtc1IAkQxkk2hMwVNIgvhfrsBbApmHRMGzcNVShgQG1X5B9sGAZ3nQ1v9z_EAdmf9q32s09WtnufWtkRK11RzyKwb/s1600/cover-front-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="836" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hEwoOJSf279-_nU24MQ87dpxc4RCVpVpcZUmDS40NSHOtc1IAkQxkk2hMwVNIgvhfrsBbApmHRMGzcNVShgQG1X5B9sGAZ3nQ1v9z_EAdmf9q32s09WtnufWtkRK11RzyKwb/s320/cover-front-small.jpg" width="222" /></a>A Man of Many parts - Raghu!<br />
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He is also a co-author of the book, ‘Indian Traditional Board Games – A Guide to the Art of Play’, published (2016) by Ramsons Kala Pratishtana. As a part of the research, Raghu along with the RKP team spent hours and several days visiting scores of temples across the sub-continent to unearth the mystery of traditional board games etched in temple floors. The result was the informative book mentioned here.<br />
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On the occasion of opening of the "Ramsingh's Museum of Mysuru Paintings" (25-02-2020), an introductory book about the museum was released which was co-authored by Raghu and R.G. Singh. The volume was titled "Mysuru Chitra Siri" and it has been very well received for its contents as well as the introductory writeups about fifteen contemporary artists who practice Mysuru style. Raghu has designed both these books including their covers and layouts.<br />
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His dissertation for MFA – ‘Portraiture in Surapura and Mysore Paintings – A Comparative Study’ throws some interesting facts about the genre of portraiture in South Indian paintings and awaits publication.<br />
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H.S. Dharmendra (Raghu)<br />
<i>Art Historian and Curator</i><br />
Ramsons Kala Pratishtana<br />
1160, Ramsons, Opp. Zoo, Mysuru 570010<br />
M: 9686 693 625. E: raghuonlife@gmail.com<br />
<i>raghuonlife.blogpost.com</i><br />
<i>Bombemane.blogspot.com</i><br />
<i>Kreedaakaushalya.blogspot.com</i></div>
H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-81594834316743103192012-04-17T16:50:00.000+05:302012-04-17T16:50:30.842+05:30Mysore Palace Journal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 13px;">The Mysore Palace journal - published by Ramsons Kala Pratishtana. It has about 80 rare photographs and paintings showing the various stages of Mysore palace being built along with interesting tidbits about the palace. It is available at Ramsons store in front of Mysore Zoo.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 13px;">Here's a look inside the journal - Mysore Palace Celebrating a Century 2012. Rare photographs in the collection of Sri R.G. Singh give a glimpse of the making of Mysore palace and other aspects of palace. About 80 pages of photographs are the main attraction. Rest 80 are ruled pages which carry tidbits and line drawings showcasing little known aspects of palace. In these pages you can write your experience and observations when you visit Mysore palace.</span></span></div>
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Following is an article by Dr. Javeed Nayeem about the journal which appeared in the evening newspaper of Mysore 'Star of Mysore' on 9 March 2012.</div>
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OVER A CUP OF EVENING TEA: A HUNDRED YEARS IN A NUTSHELL </div>
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By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD</div>
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Although I have seen quite a few royal abodes both in our own country and abroad, I have always felt that none of them come anywhere close in visual appeal to the Mysore Palace, especially when it is illuminated at dusk. I can safely say that this opinion does not spring from any bias that I may be harbouring because I happen to be a born Mysorean. I feel reassured and gratified that many of my friends too who have visited Mysore and who have also seen the best of what the world has to offer have endorsed my opinion wholeheartedly. I think this makes my own appraisal fair enough.</div>
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During my travels, I have been led by guides and guide books to structures that were no different from large mud houses and yet called 'pala-ces' because some ruler or the other once dwelled there. I have also had many opportunities to see many really fine palaces much larger than our Amba Vilas and more impressive by their sheer might but still being unable to match its fairy tale look at night. Since in addition to having a great admiration for our palace, I am also much fascinated by its history, I always try very hard to uncover interesting facts about it from all possible sources.</div>
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So a couple of days ago, when I learnt that a book has been released detailing the construction of our palace to mark the completion of a hundred years of its existence, I could not wait to procure a copy of it for myself. Thanks to the intervention and good offices of my journalist friend Niranjan Nikam, last evening I was able to get in touch with R.G. Singh who has compiled the book as a project of his family firm, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana. It is an institution that is into the development and revival of art and craft forms which have long suffered from much neglect. Singh was kind enough to provide me a complimentary copy of his book in less than fifteen minutes of my contacting him although we were unable to meet each other personally. If things go as planned, I will perhaps have met him by the time you get to read this piece.</div>
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He says he is a self-made history buff who has been fascinated by the past ever since his childhood. It appears he started collecting old pictures and photo-graphs of Mysore and now has more than two-and-a-half thousand photographs and paintings in his possession.</div>
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Interestingly, this passion started nearly twenty five years ago when he happened to see a discarded photograph of horsemen standing in front of the palace that was lying in the Shivakumar Frame Works at Lansdowne Building. The proprietor of the shop, Shivanna, was kind enough to let him have this piece of history which its former owner had left behind after getting its ivory inlaid rosewood frame reused to protect some other picture that was perhaps more precious to him. He says his father D. Ram Singh and his uncle M.B. Singh, the former Editor of Prajavani, Sudha and Mayura were instrumental in encouraging him to come up with the book which he says is a personal tribute to the Maharani, Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, the widow of Chamaraja Wadiyar X (1868-1894). Since the heir to the throne, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was still a minor at that time, she was the regent from 1894 to 1902 and it was during her regency that the present palace was built under her direct supervision to replace the old palace that was destroyed in a fire.</div>
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In fact, her signature indicating her approval appears on many of the drawings and blueprints of the palace which still survive to this day. Compared to the many coffee table books that one comes across on a subject such as this, it is no doubt a rather small book. But it is certainly not a book that can be casually cast aside after a cursory look through although that is exactly what most people do with most books. This book serially depicts the various stages of construction and many stages of modification and metamorphoses the Mysore palace went through before it emerged from its chrysalis of history to remain forever perched like a golden butterfly on the pretty flower that Mysore is. It has some pictures shot from the top of the palace which show how the city looked a century ago. What is most interesting is that there was an entire township with houses, shops and narrow lanes within the precincts of the fort itself. It appears these were cleared to create the open space and the gardens that we see around the palace today after paying suitable compensation and relocating the inhabitants.</div>
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What makes this book unique and very precious is the fact that it has some photographs which simply are not available anywhere else. This is because they happen to be pictures shot by Lazarus & Co., the Calcutta firm that was entrusted with the job of decorating and painting the vaulted ceilings of the colonnaded hall behind the durbar hall. Well- preserved by his mother Jean, they had been lying with the British journalist and broadcaster Mike Souter whose great grandfather Dennison Smith happened to be a representative of Lazarus & Co. They were luckily made available to Singh when Dennison visited Mysore and Bangalore recently in search of the connections his great grandfather had with the palace.</div>
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In a very interesting and informative foreword, Singh gives credit to the contributions and efforts of all people whose inputs made his dream come true. The layout of the book has been done by Raghu Dharmendra who also happens to be the man who gave us the elephant-based logo of our 400th Dasara, although I do not think he got his fair share of credit for it. It was he who personally handed me the book yesterday for which I am promptly giving him credit today! (For your personal copy of the book you may call him on Mob: 98801-11625). It would have been good if our government had undertaken a project of this kind on a much larger scale to mark the completion of a century of our palace. It is still not too late and the powers-that-be should give it a serious thought. History is only useful when we record it.</div>
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e-mail: kjnmysore@rediffmail.com</div>
</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-86325743620147572662011-11-19T13:16:00.002+05:302022-06-15T17:25:42.792+05:30List of my favourite food - 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the third list of best food that I have tasted. Find the first post <a href="http://raghuonlife.blogspot.com/2008/04/list-of-my-favourite-food.html">here</a> and the second post, <a href="http://raghuonlife.blogspot.com/2008/11/list-of-my-favourite-food-2.html">here.</a><br />
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<b>Curd Rice</b> - <a href="http://mysoresportsclub.com/">Kanteerava Narasimharaja Sports Club or Mysore Sports Club</a>, Mysore<br />
<b>Bisibele Bath</b> in rice - <a href="http://mysoresportsclub.com/">Kanteerava Narasimharaja Sports Club or Mysore Sports Club</a>, Mysore<br />
<b>Bisibele Bath</b> in wheat daliya - My mom, Smt. Manonmani<br />
<b>Ragi Mudde and non-veg curry</b> - Jai Bhuvaneshwari Hotel, Bangalore highway, Baburayana Koppal near Pandavapura-Srirangapatna junction<br />
<b>Pasta</b> - Smt. Harinita Singh, Mysore<br />
<b>Uppittu </b>or<b> Upma</b> - Smt. Manonmani, Mysore<br />
<b>Pongal </b>- Smt. Manonmani, Mysore<br />
<b>Pizza</b> - Smt. Harinita Singh, Mysore<br />
<b>Biryani </b>varieties - Smt. Harinita Singh, Mysore<br />
<b>Tea</b> - R.G. Singh, Mysore<br />
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Updates - 6 July 2017<br />
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<b>Biryani </b>- Junior Kuppanna, National Highway, Vikravandi<br />
<b>Idlis </b>- Adyar Ananda Bhavan, National Highway, Vikravandi<br />
<b>Ambur Biryani</b> - Star Restaurant, National Highway, Ambur<br />
<b>Marathi Non Vegetarian fare</b> - Bharani Restaurant, Davanagere<br />
<b>Davanagere Benne Dosa</b> - Old Sagar Benne Dosa Hotel, Davanagere</div>
H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-4476216242218780012010-09-23T13:21:00.004+05:302010-09-26T18:03:39.837+05:30400 Years of Mysore Dasara - LogoAfter staking claim to the throne of Karnataka empire and called himself ''Karnataka Ratnasimhasanadheesha' in 1610 CE, Raja Wodeyar first conducted Darasa celebrations; he least expected for the tradition to endure for 400 long years.<br />
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Cut to 2010. Secretary of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), R.G. Singh is frustrated that nobody is taking cognizance of the importance of Dasara 2010. He tries to explain the significance of the 400 years of Mysore Dasara to few but to no avail. 'Charity starts at home.' He decides to make a difference himself. RG then asked me to design a logo to commemorate 4 centuries of Mysore Dasara. He told me that we shall use the occasion to be the central theme at this year's 'Bombe Mane' and also use the logo for the same.<br />
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So I sat one fine morning in front of my computer system with a blank mind and monitor. No idea was forthcoming. So I relied on a pen and paper instead. I wrote '400' as it is and a little bolder. 400 is a big quantity when you are talking about years, so I decided to make '400' the central design of the logo. The next question was to depict the spirit of 'Dasara' in the logo which has to be something that is easily recognisable by one and all.<br />
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It didn't take long to decide upon 'Jamboo Savari' (elephant carrying golden howdah) which is the most apt image that conjures up Mysore Dasara in our minds. But how to depict Jamboo Savari and also '400'? Next I made the '400' thicker still until the digits were sticking to each other. Lo! it looked like an elephant to me. I scribbled the silhouette of the howdah on top of it, made two human figures seated inside and a mahout. To make '4' look more like an elephant's head I added tusks and finally scribbled a tail onto the second '0'.<br />
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The rough draft was ready and I showed it to RG and MB Singh, the Executive Trustee of RKP. I redid this concept in Coreldraw with few editing in Photoshop. After a few tweaks, the logo was ready. Here it is...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I asked RG what made him to have a logo for this occasion, he answered me that in a country of one billion people and thousands of cities, only a handful can boast of such heritage and Mysore is one among them. He added that whatever we do with love towards it is a tribute to Mysore.</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-81180859128857541312010-09-11T17:09:00.005+05:302010-09-11T18:08:38.704+05:30To See or not to See the MoonToday is Ganesha Chaturthi, the festival of Ganesha. In many homes across south India (including mine) in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu, the lovable, pot-bellied, elephant headed Ganesha is welcomed and offered 16 course worship (<i>shodashopachara</i>). He is welcomed, offered seat, water, food, clothes, music, love and devotion and finally bid farewell.<div><br /></div><div>It is said that when Ganesha was travelling on his <i>mooshika vahana</i> (the mouse vehicle) with a big belly after a heavy lunch, the mouse toppled over and Ganesha fell down. It was a night lit up by a gorgeous Moon (Chandra). Looking at the scene below, the proud Moon couldn't contain his laughter and burst out cackling. Ganesha felt insulted and in a fit of rage cursed Moon to loose his charming beauty. But after much coaxing by the entire pantheon of gods, Ganesha watered down his curse. He said that whoever looks at the Moon on the <i>Bhadrapada Chaturthi</i> (the day on which Ganesha chaturthi is celebrated; i.e., today), he/she will be a victim of vicious and false accusations for the entire next year. So Hindus usually avoid looking at Moon on this day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Coincidentally, today is also finale of Ramzan (Ramadan). For Muslims the festivities of Qutb-e-Ramzan, after the month long fasting during Ramzan, is heralded by looking at the faint crescent of Moon. So until and unless they look at the infant Moon, they will not partake in festivities.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, today at one side you have Hindus who are deliberately shunning a glance at the cursed Moon while on the other side you have Muslims celebrating the vision of a delicate Crescent. This is the irony of faith.</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-90408864183033904192010-09-10T14:46:00.003+05:302010-09-10T14:57:07.841+05:30Can Someone Invent This - 1Many a times I have thought about things that could be invented and thought 'why nobody has tried to invent such a thing?' This will be a regular column in my blog and I will keep posting my various ideas under the same heading appended with successive numbers.<div><br /></div><div>My first idea:</div><div><br /></div><div>A light bulb (or similar contraption) which will be connected to a bunched-up optical fibre cables whose other end will be connected to a dish-antenna-kind-of mirror (this can be made to track the sun, a device invented by Pranav Mistry) which is installed on the terrace of the building. The sun-light falling on the mirror will travel through the OFC bunch and will illuminate the bulb on the other end. </div><div><br /></div><div>This way we can stop the usage of electricity to illuminate the interiors during day time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I appeal to scientists to come up with such a thing.</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-31497884346942056722010-07-02T14:47:00.006+05:302015-01-16T19:44:35.560+05:30Vijay Hagargundgi - Artist and a Dedicated Collector<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7XkaS-OBgCvVqlQxCeolIt0KB7ULYjdij-0guaCIgHzZE-7pVWHRJ1qFqJ0tPWoiZwQl41BE2x8JD0MxqnDg7yOv58-gddNflqnLy8887HG454p4TFlP7fH9a8Hdkl94YkQD/s1600/vijay-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7XkaS-OBgCvVqlQxCeolIt0KB7ULYjdij-0guaCIgHzZE-7pVWHRJ1qFqJ0tPWoiZwQl41BE2x8JD0MxqnDg7yOv58-gddNflqnLy8887HG454p4TFlP7fH9a8Hdkl94YkQD/s320/vijay-1.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489253212718509906" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
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<i>Inheritor of a unique legacy and reviver of a forgotten school of art</i></div>
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During the fifties and sixties of 20<sup>th</sup> century, <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region> was still learning to take infant steps in the world order of industrialised nations. People were being lured away from their hereditary occupations and villages to work in various industries being set up across the country. The main reason being economics, traditional craft forms were not a paying proposition as the patronage for the same had vanished in the new democratic setup. One such city migrant was Siddaramappa who along with his new bride Ratnamma, left his ancestral <st1:place><st1:placetype>village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Hagargundgi</st1:placename></st1:place>and traveled a few miles away to <st1:city><st1:place>Gulbarga</st1:place></st1:city> to work as a supervisor in a cloth mill. Vijay was born in the fag end of <st1:date day="1" month="11" year="1957"> 1957</st1:date> as the first son of this couple in <st1:city><st1:place>Gulbarga</st1:place></st1:city>.</div>
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Monochromatic illustrations in his school text books attracted the young Vijay more than text. The firm lines of the drawings captivated his imagination. His formal education came to a naught during his 12<sup>th</sup> standard; Vijay headed to the <a href="http://mmkcollegeofvisualart.com/">Ideal Fine Art Society's <b>MMK College of Visual Art</b></a> and studied art for six years. A scholarship from <st1:place><st1:placename>Karnataka</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Lalitakala</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Academy</st1:placetype></st1:place> gave him the opportunity to go to Shantiniketan. Modern trends in art influenced art education with abstract expressionism gaining momentum. Vijay was not satisfied by aesthetics, philosophy and politics of this modern art, disappointed, he left Shantiniketan after just a month.</div>
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Surpura was a small principality ruled by a dynasty of local chieftains for 6 generations before it was absorbed into the dominion of the erstwhile <st1:city><st1:place>Hyderabad</st1:place></st1:city> state. It was these royal patrons, local mutts, eminent musicians and rich merchants who commissioned paintings of religious subjects and portraits that led to the evolution of this school from Vijayanagar school of painting.</div>
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Vijay had visited Surpura, about 100 kms away from <st1:city><st1:place>Gulbarga</st1:place></st1:city>, during an educational tour, there he had come across beautiful murals on the crumbling walls of a royal mansion and mutts. Exquisite miniatures of this style had retained the original language of its forerunner, the Vijayanagar school of painting. He was drawn to it like a moth to the flame, and copied these miniatures. Since he had been taught in the contemporary painting system, he found it a hindrance to adapt to this ancient style. By then no artist who painted in this style was alive, it was road block. The inevitable stared him in the eyes; he could not pursue the art which he desired the most.</div>
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Vijay is a born fighter, who does not accept defeat easily, when there is no road to continue, he treads his own path, he did just the same in this situation. Rajasthan – famous for its miniature paintings beckoned him, he went to Jaipur and took the studentship of Dwaraka Prasad Sharma, a master of miniature painting. Vijay adapted the miniature technique, he mastered the nuances of miniatures and after two months of studentship in the desert state, he returned home. Using the techniques he learnt, he started copying the fragmented and damaged Surpura paintings. The fluid lines from the single haired brush began to take similar forgotten shapes on the paper, a new lease of life was given to Surpura paintings after almost a century.</div>
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This successful experiment created a sensation amongst the gallerists and seasoned art collectors, Vijay’s paintings were sold far and wide. Today, they adorn many a beautiful mansions, museums and collections across the globe. He has remained faithful to the language of his art; his favourite subjects for paintings are from Shiva purana, Dashavatara, Navagraha, Ashta Dikpalakas, Ashtanayikas, Kama Sutra, etc. His love for Hindustani music is reflected in his painting series of Ragamala. He is also adept at new compositions as evidenced in the illustrations he did for ghazals of Shantarasa; his miniatures can be described as visual poetry of flowing lines, solid colours and delicate gesso.</div>
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Another important facet of Vijay is revealed through his love to collect antique bronze icons and puja paraphernalia of the region. His mother Ratnamma did not discard old brass utensils or exchange them for new stainless steel ones as everyone else did. She put them to regular use in kitchen neatly arranged. Her passion for old utensils triggered similar attraction in Vijay. Old brass, bronze and copperware are sold as scrap or exchanged for new utensils in bazars even today, these junked items are sold as scrap for melting, Vijay instinctively bought these utensils and puja paraphernalia. This behaviour often invited derision and anger from other members of his family, but he never relented; these humble objet de arts form the core of his collection which has grown today to include Surpura miniatures, glass paintings, the long forgotten Uddharani paintings, extremely rare Edramay paintings, Mysore and Tanjore paintings, Bhuta figurines in wood and metal, innumerable bronze mukha lingas, equestrian bronzes of the folk hero Mailaralinga, etc.</div>
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Very often Vijay came across beautiful bronze idols being worshipped in friends' families. When he requested them to part with the same for his collection, many agreed on the condition that they should be given new ones in lieu. These folk bronzes were not readily available in market, they had to be made to order by a remaining few families of Kanchagars (literally, bronzesmiths) in the remote hamlet of Gajarkote in <st1:city><st1:place>Gulbarga</st1:place></st1:city> district which meant waiting indefinitely. Instead, he headed to <st1:city><st1:place>Delhi</st1:place></st1:city> and learnt the lost wax process of bronze casting from the accomplished artist Pushparaj Betala. Vijay became proficient in bronze casting and was able to create new idols and exchange the old ones for his collection. </div>
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Several awards and recognitions have been bestowed on Vijay by various institutions like Karnataka Lalita Kala Academy, AIFACS, Mallikarjuna Mansur Foundation, etc. Vijay has participated in 'Art in Action', which is held annually at London, for four years in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 2000. He has held several one man shows of his paintings in New Delhi (1983, 1986 & 1993), Baroda (1986), Bangalore (1983, 1986, 1988, 1990), Mumbai (1991) and Gulbarga (Vikas Bhavan 1997) along with shows at New Delhi (Art Today 1995 & Gallery Espace 2001) and London (Nehru Centre 2000). His paintings are in the collections of Lalitakala Academies of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chennai, New Delhi, Neemrana Fort Palace, Modern Art gallery, New Delhi, South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur, Sanskriti Museum, New Delhi, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Venkatappa Art Gallery, Government Museum, Bangalore, Folklore Museum, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysore and many private collections in and outside India. </div>
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Vijay Hagargundgi's contact details are as follows:</div>
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C/o Abhay R Patil, Plot no 51/1, Kotambri Layout, Behind Central Bus Stand, Gulbarga 585103</div>
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<b>Email:</b> vijay.hagargundgi@gmail.com <b>Mobile: </b>9480942377</div>
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H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-46608235518307096292010-05-06T20:46:00.000+05:302010-05-06T20:46:54.986+05:30Kuppalli the Inspiration of KuvempuIt was my long time wish to visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuppalli">Kuppalli</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuvempu">Kuvempu</a>, the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jnanpith_Award">Jnanpith</a> awardee of Kannada, is the bard of Malnad. He was born in 29 December 1904. Kuppalli was not only his beloved house, it was his inspiration throughout until his death in 11 November 1994.<br />
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In the beginning of last month, I got a rare opportunity wherein I was invited along with R.G. Singh to teach board games to children attending a summer camp there. The place is quite remote for people to reach, but there is a direct overnight bus from Bangalore which will take you right in front of Kuvempu's house which is known as Kavi Mane (poet's home). Well people from elsewhere are not so lucky to have a direct bus to Kuppalli.<br />
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One has to go to Shimoga, take a bus from there to Tirthahalli and once there, jump onto another bus which goes towards Gadikallu. An autorickshaw will take Rs. 20 and 5 minutes from there to Kuppalli.<br />
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Well, anyhow, following are few photographs and panoramas I shot there. Let me know how are these...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEhTugBEV_DVn7qgj2Y_FEizzyYm0ca2beSSg88WF9fyK1w53CQMs5FGg9GchnZAnRzyw9_lfpISfCB0-bfhW6fG4YZ1onkq14knJOH50J8a5z2Gygk1SgRI7wVDB8JyzPeNb/s1600/kavimane-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEhTugBEV_DVn7qgj2Y_FEizzyYm0ca2beSSg88WF9fyK1w53CQMs5FGg9GchnZAnRzyw9_lfpISfCB0-bfhW6fG4YZ1onkq14knJOH50J8a5z2Gygk1SgRI7wVDB8JyzPeNb/s400/kavimane-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is the ancestral house of Kuvempu, Kavi Mane.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscxk0PMwvOpDDK0JGC2L9gk7SVQOnfoc8aV3dSErDXjBcoaW1_cHATQ5C96bcHhQk5_QBeiiMs2KMq7lgz5ZWuEjhRy7Ql3i4WQsnIH4Xy9vsEyti0EuP9AZ82IjM-ZoEAMBc/s1600/kavishaila-stonehenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscxk0PMwvOpDDK0JGC2L9gk7SVQOnfoc8aV3dSErDXjBcoaW1_cHATQ5C96bcHhQk5_QBeiiMs2KMq7lgz5ZWuEjhRy7Ql3i4WQsnIH4Xy9vsEyti0EuP9AZ82IjM-ZoEAMBc/s400/kavishaila-stonehenge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This is a panorama shot of the memorial of Kuvempu at Kavi Shaila. This is designed on the lines of Stonehenge which I feel to be quite lame. Why should we copy some one else? We should create original things.<br />
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This is a beautiful vista one can behold from Kavi Shaila. Just behind me from where I shot this panorama, there is a favourite rock of Kuvempu.H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-73823470962592938652010-05-01T19:37:00.001+05:302022-06-15T17:37:16.677+05:30Sweeping Shadows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgj7Bf1quO4O5lNkcx5eadZjIkYFSaQ76T9gF1Ukf7YSdCmqwOe7xg8-vQLnmuZ1djHJmMTLia4rhbP_dH77uueMVHrgeblVj1eH1pUyiSfo3XjJNN37ypY6bWEB64gI1Dlwm/s1600/Giants-and-Shadows.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgj7Bf1quO4O5lNkcx5eadZjIkYFSaQ76T9gF1Ukf7YSdCmqwOe7xg8-vQLnmuZ1djHJmMTLia4rhbP_dH77uueMVHrgeblVj1eH1pUyiSfo3XjJNN37ypY6bWEB64gI1Dlwm/s400/Giants-and-Shadows.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I visited Talakadu (a sandy temple village on the banks of river Kaveri about 45 kms East of Mysore) last February, with family. After playing in the river Cauvery (Kaveri) we headed back to our vehicle. Among the swarming people, this patch was serene with sweeping shadows of eucalyptus. </span><br />H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-11901984708440422932010-03-22T17:59:00.003+05:302010-09-11T17:49:27.857+05:30Private Residential Museum - Mysore style paintings<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">If one wants to look at the private collection of Mysore paintings of royal family of Wodeyars, then the best place in Mysore is the <b>Private Residential Museum</b>. This museum is inside the premises of Mysore palace, just behind the main palace, near Kille Venkataramana temple.<br /><br />I went there yesterday after a gap of almost 12 years to have a look at the paintings. The entry fee is Rs. 25 (Rs. 200 for foreign nationals, I find this ridiculous). Exhibits there contain many things, objects, furnitures etc., that were used by the royal family. But my main interest was Mysore paintings which are in quite a good number.<br /><br />The first gallery is around an open-to-sky hexagonal thotti. At the far end of the thotti, the walls are adorned with paintings from Bhagavata illustrating the childhood and leelas of Krishna. Unusual thing is that these are done on canvas with oil colours. The sizes of canvas vary and seems to me that these were made for decorating the walls of a temple.<br /><br />Adjoining this thotti is a big quadrangle, once again the center is open to the sky. All four walls have wooden galleries for royal ladies to sit and see the proceedings in privacy. Royal robes, accessories, palanquins are on display in this hall. Two narrow rooms adjoining this central hall have Mysore style paintings. The first of these two rooms have smaller paintings. There are two paintings which are round in shape which is quite unusual. One of the corner room has a painting by palace painter Y. Sundaraih which depicts Bheema receiving the blessing of Shiva. One painting depicts Nagas (snakes) which is very unusual. All snakes bear names.<br /><br />In the second narrow room there are three paitings. One is Chakra which depicts Ramayana in small niches within. The second is Tripundra with Dashavatara and Lakshmi. Third painting is Shankha depicting Krishna leela from Bhagavata. As I moved away from this painting and on to the next, I was awe struck with what I beheld! A magnificent painting of Saraswati. My mind is still reeling recalling the minute detailed work all over this painting. Artist has not stopped with the canvas, he has painted with gesso on even the frame with same finesse and detail. Undoubtedly this is a masterpiece done by a master artist. Hats off to the artist. Another painting (Mahisha Mardini) of the same artist adorn the next frame. My day was made by these two paintings.<br /><br />After this I just glided through to the exit.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">If you are a connoisseur of Mysore style paintings, then these two paintings are a must see.</span></div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-38288990456150617772010-03-22T16:32:00.004+05:302023-10-16T07:49:09.090+05:30R.G. Singh - Maverick behind Ramsons Kala Pratishtana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking as the Chief Guest at the inauguration of an art exhibition. 16 May 2011</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">R. Gyaneshwar Singh (b. 24 January 1967) is the second son of D. Ram Singh and R. Kaladevi. D. Ram Singh was a pioneer in the manufacturing and retailing of handicrafts since the last five decades in Mysore.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">R. Gyaneshwar Singh is known as RG in the city’s arts and aesthetic circles while close friends prefer to call him, ‘Gyani’ </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Captivated by the magic of traditional paintings, old sepia photographs of the city of Mysore and beautiful artefacts, RG became a collector while still a teenager. </span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmOmyMHimECoVHRBQeAo59T_hkcfv-IhluMZvEFelGKR0TlUXuKF6yUAc5AsgtBAO5uQp2oEliLClnMcnk3YEenBFm38i-9_8AvmigPLAcxOcWR-gNEdyTZj7TaWB_-pW-LFA/s1600-h/gyani-portrait-med.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmOmyMHimECoVHRBQeAo59T_hkcfv-IhluMZvEFelGKR0TlUXuKF6yUAc5AsgtBAO5uQp2oEliLClnMcnk3YEenBFm38i-9_8AvmigPLAcxOcWR-gNEdyTZj7TaWB_-pW-LFA/s320/gyani-portrait-med.jpg"></a><br><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG grew up looking at the classical Mysore Style of Painting that hung in his ancestral home. His interest in them kindled when he saw more of them at Jaganmohan Art Gallery. This led him to embark on a mission to collect these paintings. He rummaged the antiquities stores in Mysore and bought aged, old classic paintings. In fact it was while he was still in college that he bought his very first Mysore School of painting from a photo-frame shop in the city with his pocket money. From that day onwards, he built an enviable collection of Mysore Style Paintings. Further, RG commissions artists to create masterpieces and thus nurturing the style. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was this passion for art that led RG to take on the role of Honorary Secretary of the Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, a trust established by his father. Under the aegis of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana Trust, RG was instrumental in reviving the ancient doll display tradition of Karnataka as well as traditional board games of India by hosting exhibitions that have today become iconic annual ‘must-see’ programmes on everyone’s itinerary, be it the tourist or the Mysorean alike.</span><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He, along with Raghu Dharmendra and Dr. Dileep K.C.R. Gowda, has conducted extensive research in the field of traditional board games of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> since the year 2000. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As part of Kreedaa Kaushalya, RG and his team mates have taught how to play traditional Indian board games to more than a thousand adults and children at various camps and workshops as resource persons since 2007.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Dr. C.R. Dileep Kumar Gowda, Raghu Dharmendra, Smt. Prema Simha and RG Singh at Kalale</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG has organised following special thematic exhibitions...</span><br>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Durge Durgatihaari - an exhibition of Mysore paintings depicting Durga in her avatars - 1999</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Exhibition of Mysore Paintings of artist K.S. Shreehari - 2001</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kala Sampark - an exhibition of crafts of Karnataka - 2002</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Veda Kala - an exhibition of paintings of G.L.N. Simha interpreting Vedic Suktas - 2002</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Exhibition of Mysore Paintings of artist B.P. Ramakrishna - 2002</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ganapaa - an exhibition of Ganesha images - 2005</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mysore Masters - an exhibition of paintings of bygone artists (1830-2009) of Mysore - 2009. Works of distinguished artists who adorned the royal court of Mysore, worked in Mysore and accomplished artists who had a Mysore connection were included in this mammoth show</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Divya Varna - an exhibition of paintings of G.L.N. Simha - 2011</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Puttaraju Works Ravi Varma - an exhibition of inlay marquetry panels - 2011. A year-long project in which 37 select paintings of master artist Raja Ravi Varma were rendered in the art of inlay-marquetry unique to Mysore by master artist R. Puttaraju which culminated in a successful exhibition</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baaro Krishnayya - an exhibition of Krishna in art - 2012</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kalaa Dhaaraa - a 78-day expo of contemporary/traditional art of about 90 artists of Karnataka - Feb to Apr 2014</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://bombemane.blogspot.in/">Bombe Mane</a> - a unique annual exhibition of dolls highlighting the doll tradition of India - 2005 to current year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://kreedaakaushalya.blogspot.in/">Kreedaa Kaushalya</a> - annual exhibition of handcrafted board games and commissioned paintings on games - 2007 to </span>current year</li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://deepasoundarya.blogspot.in/">Deepa Soundarya</a> - annual exhibition of lamps in various media from across India - 2008 to </span>current year</li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG conducted following activities under the aegis of RKP.</span><br>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1995 to 1999 - National level Shilpashree award presentation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1995 to 2006 - Rotary Ramsons Kala Pratishtana award presentation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2007 to 2017 - Ramsons Kala Pratishtana award presentation in association with Karnataka Shilpakala Academy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2005 - a twelve day traditional bronze casting workshop in association with Karnataka Shilpakala Academy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2012 - Varnamrita - a seven day painting camp for ten artists in association with Artists Forum of Udupi</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2006 to 2018 - A six-page calendar of commissioned artworks with a special theme highlighting the cultural aspects of Karnataka is being released every year which has gained immense popularity</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG has commissioned art works from several artists (both contemporary and traditional) for the art repository of RKP. Art works of following artists are in the collection of RKP.</span><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOLW3EAr4tb5U7J8S7lunRMCKNyskBe3Ihsniw80cKGHjlc6JLEZpfYWVw-BdC-ELsVd_uJPtMZLAFufKCQgcl0GN4gwu-9RD896xYvDBhcAbQgMc36gaJlKpsFz-ie6rqRcI/s1600/cover-front-small.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOLW3EAr4tb5U7J8S7lunRMCKNyskBe3Ihsniw80cKGHjlc6JLEZpfYWVw-BdC-ELsVd_uJPtMZLAFufKCQgcl0GN4gwu-9RD896xYvDBhcAbQgMc36gaJlKpsFz-ie6rqRcI/s320/cover-front-small.jpg" width="223"></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mukta Venkatesh, M.J. Shuddodhana, G.L.N. Simha, B.K.S. Varma, Vijay Hagargundgi, N. Kamalesh, Raghupati Bhat, M.S. Nirmal Kumar, G.Y. Hublikar, Chandranath Acharya, B.P. Ramakrishna, J.M.S. Mani, Ramesh Rao, Bhaskar Rao, K.S. Shreehari, Prabha Mallesh, Manish Verma, K.V. Kale, Srinivas Reddy, Kamal Ahmed, Sridhar Rao, M. Girija, Giridhar Goud, Ramesh Selluturai, F.V. Chikmath, Manjunath Mane, B.B. Raghavendra, Purushotham Adve, G. Subramanian, Jagadish Kamble, M.V. Kambar, Sunil Mathad, Balu Sadalge, Sindhu Kamath, M.R. Pavanje, R.G. Hegde, Ganesh Somayaji, S.S. Shimpi, etc.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG has also published, through Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, several monographs like, ‘Mysore Masters,’ ‘Puttaraju works Ravi Varma’ apart from a pictorial journal, 'Mysore Palace – Celebrating a century' published in 2012 and 'Indian Traditional Boardgames A Guide to the Art of Play'.</span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyJjIYlW1vntWXBnQTHYfhtpiMtf-x89kMVEJLauhZ5en-kJ92xPklhXgKH8Z0hwPT7-8nZ00SGjtZ_a_vefO7Z-qmWIOfzLqwznMxvr_ocxMyiUnsV72-kbJPyUkuPJX1nH2/s1600/DSC09214c.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="764" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyJjIYlW1vntWXBnQTHYfhtpiMtf-x89kMVEJLauhZ5en-kJ92xPklhXgKH8Z0hwPT7-8nZ00SGjtZ_a_vefO7Z-qmWIOfzLqwznMxvr_ocxMyiUnsV72-kbJPyUkuPJX1nH2/s320/DSC09214c.jpg" width="320"></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG has given talks and lectures on art and heritage at events like the International Art Symposium organised by Sri Guru Vidyapeetha of Kalburgi (Gulbarga) and at Rotary Clubs, the Suttur Mutt (Suttur), INTACH (at New Delhi and Bengaluru), IGNCA (Bengaluru), NGMA (Bengaluru), Central Lalitkala Akademi (New Delhi), 19th International Board Game Studies Colloquium (Nuremberg, Germany), VAG Forum, Karnataka Lalitakala Academy, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Vermilion House </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(Bengaluru) and Amethyst (Chennai).</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">His skills as an orator were honed in school and college (during his graduate days) when he was actively involved as a member of the Rotaract Club and he has also held the post of District Rotaract Representative of Rotary International District 3180 (1994-1995). It was also during his school and college days that he became a philatelist and his collection of stamps on Rotary International is enviable. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> RG has given several multi-media presentations on following subjects:</span><br>
<br>
<ul>
<li>Rotary on Stamps</li>
<li>Pearls</li>
<li>Kreedaa Kaushalya - Indian Traditional Board Games</li>
<li>Vijay Hagargundgi - Surapura Miniaturist</li>
<li>Mysore Palace - Celebrating a Century</li>
<li>Mantra Mukura - Art of GLN Simha</li>
<li>Traditional Dolls of Karnataka</li>
<li>Mysuru Paintings in Kuldip Singh Collection</li>
<li>Traditional Mysuru Style Paintings</li>
<li>Art and Life of F.M. Soofi</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: medium;">RG has established a museum of his collection of Mysore style paintings in memory of his father - <b>Ramsingh Museum of Mysore Paintings</b>. This is the first ever private museum of Mysore paintings. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfvQzl_dD0KcdnEgumSalcQPLxGqvzWu6BgIq13pI0RdGWEl7t9GNcRN6ewQ1VM5z7kNK6MnoCtK-bTmPN2zObPaN5_bQRQUdS2z3kHNllzl3hUksQjmzO7LAJEI3ol3zynY6-64ctBZ1vbNgmDyul0KIgwhJ9HDWTEbaQH6ranaivlNsgWo1/s1280/Ramsingh%20Museum%20Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfvQzl_dD0KcdnEgumSalcQPLxGqvzWu6BgIq13pI0RdGWEl7t9GNcRN6ewQ1VM5z7kNK6MnoCtK-bTmPN2zObPaN5_bQRQUdS2z3kHNllzl3hUksQjmzO7LAJEI3ol3zynY6-64ctBZ1vbNgmDyul0KIgwhJ9HDWTEbaQH6ranaivlNsgWo1/w226-h226/Ramsingh%20Museum%20Logo.jpg" width="226"></a></div><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RG's mother collected miniature dolls and toys from across the globe. RG used a part of her collection and along with the special display dioramas of Bombe Mane exhibitions, established the first doll exhibition south of Vindhyas which commemorates the memory of his mother - <b>Kaladevi Doll Museum</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPM55HiFFdAOSERiMhihiUReHIytos4Br-gjxURKdnrIwxo0bQ8g3OL07abHUaftk3TPw1gUNv0m449G-0d72E4GCTNvFLKwwoz7srVWbyqDcNjjuHGaXF2Cto3fOZyH5eZxoMX7biHy2mIWz9MUvms-W393j9uBgWJ5l0VTzPW93LjCpGR0t/s1931/KDM-logo-eng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1931" data-original-width="1930" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPM55HiFFdAOSERiMhihiUReHIytos4Br-gjxURKdnrIwxo0bQ8g3OL07abHUaftk3TPw1gUNv0m449G-0d72E4GCTNvFLKwwoz7srVWbyqDcNjjuHGaXF2Cto3fOZyH5eZxoMX7biHy2mIWz9MUvms-W393j9uBgWJ5l0VTzPW93LjCpGR0t/w180-h180/KDM-logo-eng.jpg" width="180"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><br></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG prefers to relax with a book. His choice veers towards non-fiction and authors like Khushwant Singh, Mark Tully, R.K. Narayan, S.K. Ramachandra Rao and William Dalrymple.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">He, has co-authored two books. First is<b> 'Indian Traditional Boardgames - A Guide to the Art of Play' </b>which was released at the 19th International Board Game Studies Colloquium at Nuremberg, Germany in April 2016 and the second was <b><a href="https://www.marg-art.org/books/quarterly-books/book-volume-69/thanjavurs-gilded-gods.html">'Thanjavurs Gilded Gods'</a></b> (Dr. Anna Dallapiccola and Sri Kuldip Singh were the other co-authors) which was published by Marg Publications in the year 2018.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img alt="Image result for thanjavurs gilded gods" height="400" src="https://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQS1Dx6-ka_GsojjPxKY9iv7PKDX3-LLJJTO8Wpk8gLX_S4oJs" width="318"></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">RG attributes his foray in the world of art, as a connoisseur, to the atmosphere of art created by his father D. Ram Singh and mentoring by his late uncle M.B. Singh.</span></div>
</div>
H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-49722648663985396452009-06-18T17:20:00.003+05:302022-06-15T17:42:38.724+05:30Spiritual Moment with a MangoI had a strange experience while consuming a mango last year (or maybe a year before that). It was evening, I felt mild pangs of hunger and I remembered nice luscious mangoes bought by Gyani. I took one out, washed and peeled it with a knife as Gyani does. The golden yellow fruit with its intoxicating aroma was so inviting that I couldn't wait to cut it (ironically, it had taken a longer time to peel) and sunk my teeth into its sweet flesh. <div><br /></div><div>The moment its divine juice flooded my mouth was orgasmic. I must have eaten hundreds or thousands of mangoes but never quite like the one which was exploding bliss in my mouth. I felt blessed by the god of taste. </div><div><br /></div><div>Suddenly I felt guilty for savouring the heavenly fruit all alone without sharing with anybody.
I did the next best thing. I closed my eyes... with each bite I remembered everyone - family, friends - one by one with a silent prayer "the sweetness I am experiencing, let it sweeten the minds and spirits of everyone." I remembered dad, mom, my siblings, their families, my friends, their families and their families. With the last bite, exhilaration filled my being.</div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-60385098049157039942009-06-13T18:23:00.003+05:302013-03-06T18:16:10.691+05:30The Musical Palace<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before the television laid seige to our home, our family went to the gardens of Mysore Palace every Sunday evening. Mom, dad, my sisters (Rekha, Uma and little Manji), my kid brother (Chinni) and myself were walking from our house to that of Prince's (well, he lived just two roads across, you know.)<br />
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There we took our usual place beside the Shveta Varahaswamy temple and sprawled across its green lawns, in front of the most beautiful edifice of Mysore, the pride of all Mysoreans. As the dusk faded into darkness people poured in more numbers. Peddlers of peanut (<i>hurida kadalekayi</i>), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikki"><i>chakke mithayi</i> (chikki, peanut-jaggery candy)</a> and <a href="http://www.ruchiruchiaduge.com/2008/08/masala-mandakki.html"><i>masala puri</i> (<i>masala mandakki</i>)</a> swarmed the place and we kids had a gala time eating.<br />
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At 7 pm sharp as if by magic the entire structure of the palace lit up with thousands of light bulbs stitched along its silhouette. The crowd let out a loud gasp of excitement (that excitement hasn't waned for me even today) and it was as if we have been transported to a fairy land of golden light.<br />
<br />
Simultaneously music would crackle in from innumerable loudspeakers hoisted atop lamp posts across the lawns. The divine music gave an ethereal feel to the atmosphere. Invariably one particular song would be played every week.<br />
<br />
Even after 20-25 years when I hear that song I feel as if I am back in that chaotic fairy idyll. I was under the wrong impression that it was composed only to mirror the grandeaur of the palace (I was not aware of its lyrics as I had heard only the instrumental version of the song).<br />
<br />
That song is '<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUDO9yLRS9I">Raghuvamsha Sudha</a>' in 'Kadanakutuhala' Raga, 'Adi' tala and was composed by 'Patnam Subramnia Iyer'.</div>
H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-60609041274549821042009-05-03T16:26:00.004+05:302009-05-03T17:09:52.686+05:30The Butterfly (Fish) Effect<div><div>I just watched a programme 'Preserve Our Planet' on National Geographic Channel in which they showed how the well being of fish is linked to our planet's well being.</div><br /><div></div><div>First they showed the link between disappearing animals in the forests of Ghana to the depleting fish population in its sea waters. This has also caused the population of baboons to increase manifold thus creating havoc in the forest ecosystem there.</div><div></div><br /><div>Later the focus shifted to a mysterious phenomenon in a small stretch of coastal Namibia. A nasty smell engulfs the coast with the sea waters changing colours and finally hordes and hordes of dead fish washing ashore. A marine biologist is intrigued by the phenomenon and choses to look deeper into the source while others turn a blind eye. She discovers that phytoplanktons in the sea waters, when dead, fall to the sea bed. Over years a thick layer of these dead phytoplankton is formed on the sea bed. This layer decays releasing hydrogen sulphide along with methane. When the concentration of methane has reached a critical level, the layer of dead planktons burst like a bomb releasing methane and H2S gas. The H2S gas suffocates the nearby shoals of fish, also the sulphur changes the water colour. One who has studied chemistry will obviously know how nasty is the smell of hydrogen sulphide - like that of rotting eggs. The resutling release of methane contributes heavily towards global warming.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331560647852077298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 354px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9SsV2mei0MABnzDbQ2FEFZqtCv6ntaA5zd6QlXWQIb8mddqkSHRyMksTSMu8NILEguRDS1arLaS28IZ9QE5a4HiD4GhrCYSMs_sla6oaYdOYqOuf6LdbnJpjj2kk5iLl8XUz/s400/fish-ashore.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><br /><div>Well, fish feed on phytoplanktons. Since the fish population is dwindling, phytoplanktons thrive in large numbers and litter the sea bed, when dead. This is observed in Namibia because the country is one among the top most fishing countries in the world. It won't be long before similar marine tragedies occur elsewhere if mindless fishing is not checked in time.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331560654572858754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOBBCZIixHxRWyJ4b1GpV6bPJT-Eqw0bPoYAaq4Lc8CD_SXVD91OMdt256QSLzvSbxvDw1Lc-QvtjGlL7OzCFfndcX9aZyuJMoPc0tff3mTLrNxLVofHUli7WE9aYSPYBZDQx/s400/spanish-factory-trawler-fishin.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>Moral of the story - Protect fish to protect our planet, our home.</div></div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-62204928387582428822008-12-26T21:26:00.002+05:302008-12-26T21:31:40.689+05:30Pensive<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisIrCrHmZXjCNa7gmucLBF9ZHvI-do8rszE3eKfgdMEn2XXDECFz_zjRNl7wOMCWCJi0lL2o3XsueZ_bDHQPoZcwnEyDnRhaOwaqXdtHy74L05HLrwDO6bo0GLPUggaTbgt6v/s1600-h/lady.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284128601687722306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisIrCrHmZXjCNa7gmucLBF9ZHvI-do8rszE3eKfgdMEn2XXDECFz_zjRNl7wOMCWCJi0lL2o3XsueZ_bDHQPoZcwnEyDnRhaOwaqXdtHy74L05HLrwDO6bo0GLPUggaTbgt6v/s400/lady.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yesterday I attended the first birthday celebration of Anagha, grand daughter of G.L.N. Simha at the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, Nanjangud. There, I saw this beautiful lady with a serene look on her face.<br /><div></div>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-55568439509745903522008-12-12T14:44:00.001+05:302008-12-12T14:46:43.830+05:30<table><br /><tr><td colspan="2"><a href="http://www.brainfall.com/quizzes/how-romantic-are-you/"><h2>How Romantic Are You?</h2></a></td></tr><tr><td><img src="http://img.brainfall.com/images/test94/Romantic_Genius.jpg" /></td><td><p><strong>You are a Romantic Genius.</strong> Your romance IQ is perfection! You are dreamy and seem to be gifted with sensitivities that most do not possess. Your heart is pure and full of true love. You treat your lover like a one-of-a-kind gem and everyone else is so jealous!</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="right">Find Your Character @ <a href="http://www.brainfall.com">BrainFall.com</a></td></tr><br /></table>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-57177676704418855642008-12-06T12:06:00.000+05:302008-12-06T12:08:53.959+05:30I am MysoreI am Mysore, I am old<br />I am mellow like a wine.<br />If you have an eye, I am still<br />beautiful, fresh and fine.<br /><br />The haunt of poets and writers<br />is now where joggers train.<br />The silver jubilee clock tower,<br />has gone silent again.<br /><br />Radio house and summer blooms<br />still charm at Cheluvamba Park.<br />Dufferin tower and market front<br />beneath the sky - blue and stark.<br /><br />The imposing banyan tree -<br />a place of quiet, time to spare.<br />Golden canopy of my maharaja -<br />known as statue square.<br /><br />I age with every passing day<br />I age with every week and year.<br />I want to be beautiful always, forever<br />Only if you protect me, my dear.H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-46449339445524519422008-11-26T19:48:00.001+05:302008-11-26T19:50:29.733+05:30Mirror Replies<p>Mirror mirror on the wall<br />Measure my heart, wide and tall!<br />'My fair master, evident two are shadows cast,<br />A life of present and a breathe of past'</p>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9985042.post-85128753033434131682008-11-25T14:25:00.002+05:302008-11-25T14:47:45.815+05:30Wonders of MysuruRecently, there was quite a media hullabaloo to list out new wonders of the world. The seven wonders of the world were given a new phillip and a renewed publicity through primetime TV slots, print media, blogs and what not.<br /><br />When I was thinking the about the necessity of such media circus, the fact dawned on me. These days media is cluttered with negative news, they really need to bring home a positive and heartwarming story and also the need to publicise these most visited spots of the world. Of course seven wonders of the world are the hottest tourist destinations, this fact was driven home to me when my friend Dileep visited them within a span of half an hour.<br /><br />Okay, please don't stare at the monitor in disbelief. No, I am not drunk and am not blabbering. It is true; he did visit them, at least not personally. He went to all these spots by Google Earth (do I hear 'oh...'!).<br /><br />Well, the point is, people are visiting these places either personally or through post cards, or Google Earth, or by whatever means they can get. This is serving one primary thing - tourism is thriving at these places.<br /><br />Suddenly, my thought switched over to my beloved city- Mysuru. It is also a tourist hot spot. It has got some beautiful and wonderful things. So, why not I list the wonders of Mysuru? Well, enough of my winding introduction to the main content of this post. Here it is, the wonders of Mysuru.<br /><br /><ul><li>Illumination of Amba Vilas Palace - Breathtaking</li><li>Chamarajendra Zoological Garden</li><li>Nandi on Chamundi Hill - Monolithic statue of bull </li><li>St. Philomena's Church - largest in south India</li><li>Lalitha Mahal</li><li>Inlay craft cluster - largest in the world</li><li>Nada Mantapa - music concerts therein</li><li>Bidara Krishnappa's Sri Prasanna Rama Mandira</li></ul><p>Well, mine is not the last word. You can add your list too. Leave a comment if you want to add some more. </p>H.S. Dharmendrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06385823354822584195noreply@blogger.com2