Builders of india....

Skycrapers, multiplexes, and the mighty bridges and dams...

Its their quest for livelihood which makes these building projects a reality. Whatever novelty and creativity might be shown by the architects, its the workers' audaciousness matters in actualising the plans.
Buiding work has been one of the oldest industries in india. In karnataka, there are lakhs of toilers, in fact there is no statistics available for entire state. Trade union leaders say there will be 10 lakhs labourers in the state(This is not official compilation).
In mangalore city, we can see many points, where one can find these sort of migrant labourers, who lack all basic necessities.Generally, MESTRIES(work supervisors) come to these points and pick up them in whatever number he needs. Some times a tempo-full of workers are transported for bulding works, to the sites.
These poor workers, live in untidy tents, evenwhen the rain pours heavily! They bathe there, and openly defecate. People in the trade union opine that, basic ameneties should be provided by the authorities or builders, who employ them. But problem is that, labourers have no permanant work. Most of them in Mangalore are migrated either from northern parts of karnataka or nieghbour state Tamilnadu.
Often they fell prey to diseases like malaria, diarrhea.
Central government has already made an Act in 1996, but it is the state government which actually needs to formulate the rules. According to the central act, builders have to provide healthy shelters, toilets and other basic ameneties.
When buiders spend lakhs of rupees to get license and other permitts in unethical ways, but they deny minimum facilities, abourers deplore. They accuse that, buiders have successfully hindered state government in bringing out regulations. If state govt implements the rules, then builders have to shed one rupee for every cement spent worth 1000 Rs.
Whatever the accusations are, the irony is that when a skycraper is complete the worker would be still inside a tent, worrying about his next destination.

Bangalore musings!

It was 2002 june, when i stepped in to our RAJADHANI Bengaluru, which has fascinated me whenever i used to see its pictures and images on TV.
I was there for about 2 months on my interneship in Doordarshan Kendra, after completion of my P.G in Masscommunications. Those 2 months taught me enough and at the end i was compelled to return from Bangalore due to family commitments.
Sincethen, I have been working in a kannada daily in mangalore. My editor had asked me to undergo 10 days training in legislative assembly and council reporting 3 months before. And last week i had the opportunity to cover sessions again, for one week.
2 months in 2002, 10 days in this february and one week in July....my understanding of Bangalore is growing gradually. Its different from Mangalore in many ways if i take it professionally too.
Bangalore teaches one a lot and one can get good exposure to under many conditions which are helpful in growing oneself. And one can gain knowledge about state's overall affairs. A senior reporter of our news paper told the same to me and asked me to shift over to bangalore.( But my personal problems might not allow me to shift at present, i explained my inconvinience with him.).
He was right in many ways, there is a tendancy in journalism that whatever a district reporter does, goes unidentified in the eyes of many reporters who are located in big cities. But for the sake of reputation and fame, and offcourse professional growth, one has to compromise with personal interests, habbits. The mechanical wheels of urban life in cities like Bangalore curb one in doing any other activities other than his profession. There is a danger of being attatched to urban life, which may act as a filter through which one can't see the struggles of common man in rural areas.
So I felt i could stay back in my place and justify my profession well. Hope there are at least few voices which will support my views, even if i found out to be incorrect:)
Sakat cool maga: One gets up and looks like he attaches wheels to his legs and plunges in to the river called urban life in Bangalore. His looks, actions even his smile becomes almost plastic. I am not going to generalise, but i've seen many of my friends, unable to come out from this urban life circle. Except their profession one can't expect from them anything. They don't want their old friends, they think they can't maintain relations, whenever they get time, they silently keep themselves aloof from others, some go for shopping, and some to thetres.
Even in buses, people look like suffering from unknown personality disorders, and they rather behave strangely, or they don't behave at all! You can see apathetically sitting youngsters with headphones on, tense looking mid age women, pale eyed call centre employees.
I've wondered many times in bangalore, even when a bike rider fells down, or hits to other vehicle, and is crying out of pain, no one bothers, even to look at the sight of accident!
Still life goes on... The picture was same when i visited bangalore in 2002, its same even now...Eventhough life is placid, radio mirchi yells....sakat hot magaaa!!!

Be a bike freak !

Vroooooooom......You might have seen mercurial Yamaha rx 100 bikes accelerating amidst heavy traffic in the cities. Then you might giggle yourself and say mad boys! Certainly there is a kind of attraction in biking!
There are many friends of mine who have bikes, and most of them love their bikes like their soulmates! I have seen many of them embellish and glamorize the bikes.
One of my friend Joymayya has done wonders with his Hero Honda Splendor plus. The 2 mirrors have been removed and a Moto-D race tyre has bettered the look, the steel carrier in the back has been replaced by sturdy looking black matt. Simple car mud flap replaces the original hero honda one, and now Splendor looks entirely different. The earlier elegance replaced by robust look! Mayya does not prefer tank covers, he says it disfigures the look :-)
Even i have been influenced by him and now my Splendor has changed a bit.
My photographer friend R.K.Bhat has suggested me to add some more sponge in to my bike seat, and after following his advice, i feel not only comfortable but also heightened in look! I have seen some persons careless about their bikes, those bikes...God! i really pity about them, sadly look hangdog, often not washed, with mud allover the engine, silnencer, and entire body appear to me completely dull.
Earlier , i too was lazy in washing my Splendor, but after listening to some of my friends, now i got my black splendor painted again, as it turned grey. Now because of my sheer passion, bike is awesome, it gives economical mileage and also steals my heart like a girl friend:-)
So my advice for bikers is that, love your bikes, adorn them, revitilse them, they would be loyal to you, like your loved ones.

Saintly students of siddhavana gurukula

Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands
-ANNE FRANK

If this is true, then it is also true that an institution can make a person shape his destiny. And Siddhavana Gurukula a free hostel near Ujire in Dharmasthala of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka is known for shaping destiny of thousands of students.
Gurukula is not a mere free hostel, but it is a training camp for those who have firm belief in values, and have commitment towards life.

Gurukula transforms a stubborn kid in to a matured guy who takes life as it comes, and equips him to tackle any sort of obstacles that he faces in journey of life.
The meritorious students, those who complete SSLC or PUC can find oneself a place in Gurukula. The selection procedure and the rules are followed strictly. I was one of those luckiest students who could enter this temple of life education and form my self in to a better human being. Those five years of training in Gurukula have been certainly the turning point in my life and I am sure of many others alike me.
Those who have brilliance in mental and physical attitude but who lack financial backing, can walk in to Gurukula and try in a better way, this temple helps him in providing right kind of environment. Educationist, sportsman, engineer, doctor, police officer, teacher, administrator, politician…. name any field, and there you will find a person who came from Gurukula in this part of the state.
Life starts thus: Here you have to say bye to the luxury of early morning sleep. Long bell rings in the dawn at 5 o’clock and you have to be ready to get in to a huge prayer hall, where we all pray for our day to be bright and cheerful. When you come out of the hall, hot tea waits you, after that you have to either work or read. Hostel inmates are divided in to two groups. When one group is working, another group has to study.
Work usually consists of taking care of cattle, growing vegetable, cleaning the surrounding, gardening etc. Even the dress is simple here. White dhoti and a shaul.
Ganji(rice and rice water) with chutney is served in dining hall exactly at 8 am, and after one must leave to college. In the evening every student must be in side the campus before 6 p.m. Again inmates must attend evening prayer at 6.30 from Monday to Friday. It would bhajan in Saturdays and cultural programme on Sundays.
After the supper at 7.30 students must study till 10.30, again dreaming for the spirited next day.
In total, siddhavana teaches you everything needed in life, makes you a man with comprehensive outlook.
Ambience: The atmosphere of this saintly place is astounding. Greenery around, the old prayer hall building…spacious dining hall…nice garden….beautiful cows….and a coconut garden on a hill…
Its perfect place for those who study, those who need spiritual life.

Rain brings memories

Feels like i'm walking in the rain
I find myself trying to wash away the pain
Cause i need you to give me some shelter
Cause i'm fading away
And baby, i'm walking in the rain
-John Ray

From last four days, rain has started to lash south kanara district, which has not only cooled the earth but also dampened my memories. Every year, its does so. Especially the AATI MALE(rain in June end-July), during the same period, we loved to go out with friends, classmates and play water splashing games.
I came from Kasargod district, in which there is a place called Maniyampare(the name is rightly put since there we find laterite stone spread all over). Maniampare has got so many small ponds or PALLA and it was best water game place for children and offcourse for buffaloes.
It was in the same period, when it was raining cats and dogs, we had to travel considerable distance to reach school. Still we were enjoying our journey to school. After school, home going was still more pleasurable. Mother used to prepare hot coffee and snacks, most of the times tukdi made of jack fruit.
Our garden has so many ponds and small streams, where with my friends, i used to play whole day during holidays.
After getting cold and fever, mother used to care much, make me sleep in bed fully cover with woolen bed sheet and sit by my side. God it was the best feeling in ones life getting care by mother!
Still my mother is with me. She still loves me, but my job makes me out of home most of the time. Now also its raining heavily, i rush to perform my duty. Then when nostalgia rushes to my mind, work becomes easier. This may be the feeling of several.

Bandaje falls enchants

1. You are a hardcore trekker, and want a hard place to conquer.
2. You like to see the evergreen forests, and shola clad mountain peaks of western ghats.
3. You dream to have a cool bath amidst thick forests, where nobody can have a peep:)

Then here the famous Bandaje Falls welcomes you! western ghats provide ample oppotunity to the trekkers for admiring awesome nature and each place in the ghats is different in its feature. So Bandaje too is quite different and a 365 days flowing falls. Eventhough a famous falls, this spot is clean and tidy, and nature is left unharmed, mainly because piknic freaks dont dare to come over here. As the onward journey to the upper part to the falls is pretty tiresome, which expects tremendous energy. So those who love nature are the usual goers to Bandaje falls. If you start from Mangalore, towards Chikmagalore, you have to get down at Somantadka 4 kmts from Ujire. Its 2.5 hours journey from Mangalore to Somantadka by bus. You can hire a jeep at Somantadka and go to Valambra, which is the starting point of trek. In valambra you will find A Gowda house, the owner is Venkatraman Gowda, who usually provides all necessary information and bottlefull of water too. From there you have to a couple of kilometres in hot sun and this journey is tiresome. But once you enter the thick forest area, you dont have the problem from scorching sun. But its the height, which poses all kinds of difficulty for not only to the beginner, but to the experienced trekker too. Usually after tiresome trek of around 5 hours exhausted, you reach grassland which is stark except a few palm trees. In another one hour, you will have a glimpse of the falls, and another half an hour, you will be right near the falls. You can swim in a pond just a few metres above the falls, and can refresh all your tiredness. Bandaje jumps to a valley nearly 200 feets deep. One can trek to the bottom of the falls too, for that that you have to deviate in your journey when you find a water stream below, and follow the stream, which takes you to the bottom.
Our trekking team stayed atop hill listening to the sounds of beckoning hills, roaring falls and chirping birds. The next morning we saw a dramatic sky around, which altogether brought so much joy and spirit.

Dont we need shady trees?

They always have been the targets in the gallop of a country. Be it highways, or pipelines, dams, mining…in all these big projects, we have cut lakhs of trees.

Karnataka state has not lagged behind in this national phenomenon.

Recently we have another dream project, which has already set in, the fourlaning of national highways. The stretch of highway between Suratkal and B.C.Road of Bantwal taluk is being upgraded in to fourlane road. Main purpose of the project is to meet the demand of vehicle traffic and port connectivity.

As expected we had our trees cut in the initial stage of the project. As many as 600 big trees are cut. Using powerful bulldozers, within a few hours IRCON, the agency, which has got the fourlaning contract, cleared the tree cover beside the road.

It is true that we need our roads to be widened, and if required, we have to cut trees. The important thing is our departments forget to replace the tree cover once the project is finished.

So we have been losing out greenery, which is of utmost necessity to human beings to survive.

Digital printers-Threat to screen printing?

Screen printing, which boasts of printing virtually on any kind of surface, is on the verge of being eliminated out of the business in mangalore city.
Around 70 odd screen printers in the city are facing a grave future due to a stiff competition by the ultramodern digital colour printing technology and the entry of mini offset machines in the printing arena.
Earlier, screen printing was an easiest choice among the consumers in printing. Generally those who wanted to print visiting cards, invitation cards, stickers were largly pulled towards screen printing. But the onset of mini offset printers and the latest digital based laser printers, with reduced printing cost is proving to be a doom for screen printers.


Digital popular : The colour laser printers are being installed in every corners of the city, which provide high resolution multi-coloured prints, on glossy papers have grabbed the attention of the customers.
Eventhough these printers came 3-4 years before, its only in the last 2 years, they are spreading their wings in full speed. At least 20-25 colour laser printers are operating in the city. For an A 3 size multicolour print the charge around 30-40 Rs.
People generally get attracted towards this high tech printers since they get prints relatively faster than any other kinds. Another reason behind is the sheer fine quality.

Less Investment : In 1984-85, most of the screen printers started functioning in the city. The prime reason of early, quick expansion of this business was requirement of meagre investment. In as less as 5000 Rs, one could start a screen printing business.
The screen printing technology involves a small screen print instrument, and chemicals and ink. It is as simple as that of an art shop, does not require large machinary. People could walk in to the shop and order for 100, 125 cards. The screen printer would not take more than 5 hours to furnish the demand.
Screen printing enterprise had given employment opportunity for urban and rural youth, that too, women in particular. 'But now our future seems to be fading away, and we fear this business may not last more than 2 years' apprehended Premnath Shenoy, who is running this enterprise in Car Street from last 18 years.
As many as 300 people were in our field before. But unable to meet the stiff competition from the latest printers, mini offset printers, they most of them have moved to other profession, he laments.
Now only those who have a passion for this old type, and a few cashew industries come to screen printing. Cashew industries give bulk sticker orders to the screen printers.
Government industries should give bulk orders of stickers, and other printing orders to screen printers to save us from the closure many screen printers opined.

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First rain of joy off course with a few grave notes!

ts something like your dream….a little bit like a mother pouring water on her young child…You crave for it especially in the areas where it sweats a lot….

The first rain which anyone welcome with utmost joy. Children love getting under the downpour, playing in it, even though their mothers will not allow them to. The elders too, like it especially the redolence, the first rain spreads over.

We in cities in the name of development, pile up enough dirt allover the buildings, the trees if any remaining, which can be cleansed only by the first rain! It cleanses the roads, buildings and scum and sludge layers on the grizzled petty shops and hoardings.

Happiness not for all ! : Like other cities, Mangalore alias Kudla also experienced its first rain on May 4^th which in general brought enough happiness to people, but not so for some specific reasons.

The development drive taken up by some apartment builders in mangalore and the seashore areas of Hosabettu and Chitrapur, causing nightmares to the residents there. A main stream which takes the rain water from the low lying areas of Hosabettu is now filled with soil, for building purpose. The villagers are appealing continuously the district administration for taking necessary steps.

These low-lying areas, which were once paddy fields, and now kept idle. Since the farmers families have hardly any interest in cultivation, they find it better alternative to sell the land to all-powerful apartment builders.

The residents of Hosabettu and chitraputr are also alleging that the Tavarekere a lake which is under government’s hand could fall in to the builders hand. So they have asked DC of dakshina kannada to preserve the lake.

The problem of unscientific land filling is sure to pose grave problems to local administration. The problem is not only seen in Hosabettu, but also in Jeppu, Kottara and several other areas, where loads of soil is being dumped in the way of streams. And there is a possibility of Mangalore becoming Bangalore at least with regard to drainage system concerned, if not in development.

So the first rain has come with a clarion call to administration, to get ready for coming mansoon.

No show off, just you and me! blessings from all!

Hundreds of truly blessing hearts around...rhythmic beat of 'chenda' (drum type of musical instrument) and 'valaga' (another musical instrument)...encouraging words of your close relatives...what else you want when you enter in to a wedlock!
When the dusk set in the sky, 125 pairs et in Dharmasthala a town in South Kanara district of Karnataka.

This has been a regular scene in Shree kshetra Dharmastala since 34 years. The welfare project, which aims at simplifying and applying a kind of brake on costly marriages.

The Dharmastala which is known for its 'anna dana', 'vidya dana' and 'nyaya dana'(three type of charity work daily meals programme, free education and disbursing justice), and the mass marriage ceremony is equally famous among Heggade's other welfare programmes.

Even though the marriage is held under the auspices of Dharmasthala Heggade, The couples are allowed to obey their own religious practices. After that religious head from Kshetra preaches the oath, which stresses that the couple would not indulge in a manner, which will spoil them, or they would not get in to bad practices.

Earlier this, Dr.Veerendra Heggade distributes Mangalya to each of the couple. Under a single roof, more than hundred couple exchange garlands on the eve of Godhooli muhoortam, which is believed to be a very good for marriages.

There will neither be any show offs from unnecessary personalities, nor the exhibitionism from rich class.
The main intention behind arranging mass marriage is to promote simple marriages says Dr.Heggade. In the earlier times, the working class, primarily agricultural labourers had been in pathetic situation, and the young brides and bridegrooms had to face financials problems. Then it was thought that only mass marriage is a way to solve such a problem he says.
Heggade is happy for the issue that many temple trusts and associations are keen on arranging such mass marriage ceremonies.

Pix: R.K.Bhat

May day memories

This graphic shows the never ending fighting spirit of
working force, which still struggling in this country.

WATER... WATER!!!

This graphics depicting the summer water problems, using the wonder design software Photoshop.

'Lion king' expected at pilikula zoo

If everything works well, mangaloreans and the tourist coming here would be fortunate enough to have a glimpse of Asiatic lions, within a month.

The only Zoological park in D.K. district which is situated in Pilikula(where it is told that tigers used to come to drink water in a lake here) would be having Asiatic lions. The zoo authorities are contemplating to bring such Indian breed lions from Gir forests, which are situated in Gujrath. The other zoo in the state has the foreign breed lions, which belong to afro-Asiatic origin. There is likely that one male and 2 lionesses may be brought to pilikula.

Now Central Zoo Authority has upgraded the zoo to the status of medium zoo, around 4 months back, after thorough inspection. The animal health, total management is a reason for this promotion says the director Jayaprakash Bhandari.

Right now zoo has got 3 tigers, 3 leopards, sambar, monkies, deer, variety of snakes including king cobra. The Zoo has to shed around 15 lakhs Rs. Annually for the maintenance of the zoo including feeding cost.

Recently zoo has started adoption system, which has ignited a nice response from mangalore entrepreneurs. Around 6.25 lakhs Rs has been collected already within a period of 3 months after the announcement of adoption system.

The approach road to pilikula zoo is posing problem. The road still left without tar. The stones on the road are a big problem for two wheelers. The gate collection is estimated around to be 12 lakhs Rs. Says Bhandari.

The gate collection would go beyond 15-17 lakhs Rs annually if the road is well maintained. And the tourist can be satiated well.

AMIDST BISILE RAIN FOREST

Very recently i had the opportunity to participate in a unique book release function.
Dinesh Holla, an avid trekker, graphic artist by profession, wrote poems and those poems were brought out as a nice anthology named ADAVIYA NADUVE.
The venue of book release....can you imagine? a hotel hall...or a posh lawn in the city...no..oops Whetre then?
It was arranged amidst thick forest of YESALUR RANGE in BISILE ghat, which bosts of having thickest shola cover in the state.
There were a few peaks like the mejestic PUSHPAGIRI, Doddabetta and a river too watching all these the proceedings. well, it was not just book release. but Holla had a nice idea of neatly bringing together artists and poets amidst nature. Canvas were distributed poets started playing with words. soon we could see nature redefined in their own way.
The children who were left to themselves free seemed to be enjoying an entirely different set up which you can make out from the picture here.

Can we save KUDLA?

Multiplex….Pizzahut….ATMs in every corner….multistoried buildings….concretized roads…So Are you happy Mangalorean?

A person with a bit concern can just think and analyze the direction of Mangalore city's development. Our builders are ready to bulldoze any hill or forest canopy in the city, for them all these are mere obstacles to so called development.

So from last 2-3 years, we see the buildings without shades of tree. The sad thing is that most of us too have started to believe that life is just earning, spending and nothing else. Its not fair to generalise but still most of us neither like our children play in the shades of trees, nor we are ready to allow them to play in the village with their The easy money has started to come through mushrooming call centers and such other institutions. So for the professionals here we have got multiplex, pizza centers.

The irony is that our lalbagh hasn’t a single tree. So now we can happily change the name to concretebagh!

How nice our MG road is now without those old trees!

No tiles house: We now don’t have those good old tile roofed houses. You dont see those green paddy fields in the city limits. Even if a farmer is happy ploughing, our builders are brilliant enough to lure them, and acquire the land. If a NRI who had gone to foreign a few years back and if he returns now, it may be hard for him to identify his own house and surroundings.

We see a few such traditional houses in old port area. Similarly we can spot a few trees at kadri gudda and old court hills. The famous light house hill looks paralyzed after it was dozed and now its converted to a big ditch. The famous woodside hotel and the cool trees around are no more. Within a few months we can see a skyscraper over here.

Finally, who has to correct all these? A question needs to be answered soon, lest we will loose our beautiful costal city KUDLA forever.

Hi, friends, Here are a few pics of enchanting doodhsagar falls, which i have taken a year ago.

Enchanting western ghat...the seriously looking rocks...the long and roaring goods trains pulled and pushed by several engines... .and amidst these settings jumps `Doodhsagar' the name means ocean of milk in hindi.
This picturesque falls can be spotted on the trainway which runs from Madgon to Londa. The speciality of the falls is that the top of falls is in Karnataka where as the bottom is in Goa. On your way to Doodhsagar, aroun 2 Kmt before the exact spot of falls, you can get the glimpse from varoius angles. There is only train to take you there. Otherwise you should be ready to spend more than 2,000 Rs for Tracks service available from Kulem, which only foreigners chose.
One can erect a tent near the falls, and spend the night with the backdrop of roaring falls, gigantic goods trains and the serenity of thick forest.
Why delay? Rush now....you can still find enough water in falls....which gives different view altogether in the rainy season.

This was my personal experience of visit to MAHARAMAHAYANA SATRA which is being held at Hosanagara ramachandrapura Matha.
We three, KMT, Giri and i(Venu) started early morning 6 o'clock from suratkal on our favorite hero honda bikes. the onward journey was a memorable experience. We had breakfast at kundapur, which was not upto the mark. The ride through the thick rain forests in the mookambika range was a soothening experience. Kmt had a unexpected meet of his aunt and brother in kollur temple. we took snaps too. Kmt later had met several of his relatives in Mahasatra.
we reached there at around 11.30. The parking slot was spacious. there were generous volunteers chanting HARERAM again and again, and ready to help of any kind. people were made in to single line and being lead to the huge Mahasatra campus. The main attraction was GOSHALA, consisting attractive cows mainly from northern india.
it was sad to watch a few dying cows too. later we had a glimpse of Matha, Ravana, Ramapattabhisheka mandira and hundreds of Kolyas chanting ramayana. There was a huge venue for Yaga.
vounteers were spirited in distributing panaka. Kmt showed interest in drinkg as much cups of panaka as possible. Lunch was arranged in a nice manner, the taste was praiseworthy.
we started from there around 3 o clock, after few minutes rest in parking slot. we came through Theertha halli, attractive Agumbe, Manipal and reached Suratkal at 8 pm.

Of course riding gives this much long brings fatigue but also joy