Programmes Conducted by the Kendra During Year 2016]

2016 Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru Kendra

Compiled by;H.S.RAJASHEKAR

BENGALURU KENDRA OFFICE

[PROGRAMMES CONDUCTED BY THE KENDRA DURING YEAR 2016]

Address: No.43, Race Course Road, BENGALURU 560001, KARNATAKA, INDIA PHONE: +91 80 22267303, 22265746, 22267421, FAX: 22287373 E-MAIL: [email protected], [email protected] WEBSITE: www.bhavankarnataka.com

NANJANGUD SRIKANTAIAH JANAKAMMA MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT

MUSIC PROGRAMME AT BHAVAN’S ESV HALL, ON JAN 2, 2016

Sugama Sangeetha by Savitha and Rajeev Anand

PROGRAMME AT INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORLD CULTURE, BASAVANAGUDI, BENGALURU ON JAN 8, 2016

Sugama Sangeetha by Geetha Deepika Alura

Smt. Vani Ganapathy

DISABILITY IS NOT A DETERRENT FOR ARTIST

A thinking bird, a smiling flower, a calm and peaceful horse… These startling and rare images which Anu Jain depicts in her paintings are her way of communicating with the world around her.

Anu, 32, wonders why disabled persons are stigmatized, when no one is perfect in this imperfect world. Born without legs and rudimentary elbows. Anu paints, photographs and designs artwork. She is no amateur either, having cleared Chitra Bhaskar Part –II from Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh.

Anu may not have fingers, but plays the piano. An avid reader of Sudha Murty‘s books, she recently painted Murty‘s portrait and presented it to her. A surprised Sudha wrote to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to organize an exhibition of paintings of a rare artist. The exhibition sponsored by Infosys Foundation, opened on Saturday 16 and was on till January 23.

Her family is her backbone. While elder sister Abha and younger brother Trilok help her update her website, her parents Kiranprabha and Vinay Kumar Jain stand as her pillars. Abha says Anu is a vibrant, self-motivated, resourceful person and the family is only supporting her interests. ―One day, my mother gave me a brush and paint and asked me to draw on white canvas. I gradually felt interested and explored. I was home trained. My paintings are reflections of my thoughts.

Most of my paintings have flowers, birds, the sunset and sunrise. No flower is dull in my work, they are bright and cheerful. Pink is the colour of hope, love and happiness and you can see many pink flowers in my work. All that art requires is focus and patience‖ says.

Painting on discarded X-ray sheets are another interest. Her ‗Ganesha on X-Ray‘ caught many eyes at the exhibition. Currently settled in Bengaluru, she conducted the Art Workshop for the children of Bhavan-BBMP school at Srirampuram.

―Her interaction with students can make a tremendous impact both in their sense of art and their attitude towards life‖ says H.N. Suresh, Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

What disappoints Anu is the lack of ramps and lifts in public spaces across India. ―We do not have enough special school, disabled – friendly roads and footpaths. Treat us like normal people‖ she says.

(Courtesy - Times of India)

Artist Anu Jain and H.N. Suresh, Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, lighting the lamp at the inaugural of the exhibition

Peeyush Jain, Hon. Treasurer, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Dr. Vijaya, Veteran Journalist, honouring artist Anu.

Bhavan-Infosys Foundation

OUTREACH CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT MES COLLEGE, MALLESHWARAM ON JAN 23, 2016.

Carnatic Harmonium Recital : Harmonium : Vidwan. C. Ramadas, Violin : Vidwan Venkatesh Jois, Mridanga : Vidwan. C. Chaluvaraj, Ghata : Vidwan M. Gurumurthy, Tambura : Sujatha Ramachandra

Bhavan-BBMP Public School Kannada Dance Drama ‘Kindari Jogi’ at BVB, on Feb 6, 2016

Kindara Jogi

BVB IN ASSOCIATION WITH ICCR PRESENTED KATHAK BY DANCE COUPLE HARI AND CHETANA, ALONG WITH THEIR TROUP AT BVB ON FEB 13, 2016.

Dancers of Noopur Performing Arts Centre, the performing outfit of the couple‘s dance school, at the recital

Feb. 20 : Neela Ramgopal is one of those rare artistes who have succeeded both as a performing musician and a teacher. She continues to straddle both streams, being one of the accomplished Carnatic vocalists Karnataka can proudly flaunt. Aspiring musicians yearn to become her wards, and among Carnatic vocalists, she is a top notch singer. ―Neelambari‖ is a group of four performing Carnatic vocalists—Usha Kesari, Geetha Murthy, Bhargavi Manjunath and Rema Ramaiah— all B High and A grade artistes of AIR. As wards of Neela, they have made their mark individually as well. They are regular performers at classical music events, focussing on thematic concerts, which is a welcome change from routine concerts. Such theme-based concerts initiate the audience into aspects of music hitherto unknown to them such as compositions on certain deities, on composers themselves, etc., which can prove to be one of the first steps in creating a better-educated audience vis a vis music, which in turn can lift the standard of music by generating more informed and demanding listeners. Neelambari needs to be appreciated for this, although to them, theme-based concerts might mean more a challenge than being looked at as a service to the music field.

Dasara Compositions with Emphasis on ‗Dina Nithya Jeevana Thathva‘Artists : Neela Ramgopal, Geetha Murthy, Rema Ramaiah, Usha Kesari, Bhargavi Manjunath.

Every classical dancer in Karnataka needs to be grateful to Guru H R Keshavamurthy, because he was one of the earliest practitioners and proponents of classical dance in the State. What Rukmini Devi Arundale did in Chennai, Keshavamurthy did in Karnataka, not on that scale or focus, but he certainly was one of those responsible for accruing respectability to classical dance, and many young girls from conservative Brahmin families taking to dance at his Keshava Nritya Shala in conservative Malleshwaram. What Keshavamurthy has given to the culture field in Karnataka has in fact gone unsung and unrecognised, because he not only belonged to an era of humble beginning and growth, but he was not a savvy marketer. Even today there is none to parallel him in his depth of knowledge on varied subjects that go to make an artiste complete, such as Samskritam, Kannada literature—modern and ancient, folk arts, forms and music, Carnatic classical music, and Kathak and Bharatanatya. Vasanthalakshmi Venkataram and B K Shyam Prasad are two of his children who are long- standing dance teachers in Bengaluru, with Shyam Prakash even having established the Keshava College of Dance and Music, which is affiliated to the University of Bangalore. Shyam Prasad‘s and Vasanthalaskhmi‘s families are also into the arts field. The latest third generation dancer to enter the fray is Lasya Priya, Keshavamurthy‘s youngest son, Ravishankar‘s daughter.

Lasya Priya

1. Kathak by Poorna Acharya 2. Bharatanatya by Sukruti Ananth 3. Bharathanatya by Raghunandan

1. Odissi by Vandana Bharatanatyam by Ritwika Bharatanatyam by Aparna Menon Ghosh

BVB-Karnataka Nrityakala Parishath present ―Natarajotsava 2016‖ at Khincha Hall, at 4 pm. An exclusive festival for male dancers in an otherwise women-dominated art form, this year‘s festival, into its nineteenth edition, will cover Bharatanatya, Odissi and Kathak, preceded by Nritya seva by senior teachers Mysore Nagaraj and Jayakamala Pandian. Nritya Seva is a special segment of the programme got up about nine years ago to put on stage senior teachers, and record it for the archives, by the Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy and the Parishath. This is one platform where male dancers from outside Bengaluru are given an opportunity to perform. This is really appreciable as male soloists from outside the metro find it difficult to make their presence felt in known or popular fora.

Nataraja

LANDMARK CENTURY AT INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORD CULTURE

A culture NGO with phenomenal reach, infrastructure, networking and public goodwill is Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), anywhere in the country. Its activities continue to lend hope that ancient Indian wisdom and traditions will not disappear against the onslaught of western cultural and lifestyle influences.

A sure fire pointer to this is the 100th successful conduct of the BVB-Infosys Foundation (IF) programme on April 15 at The Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC) venue in Bengaluru, marking a century of shows of the varied traditional arts of Karnataka, especially dying arts. Besides music sabhas, several private organizations promote classical music and dance year round in the City. This is apart from some of the major annual festivals devoted to these arts. What ails other traditional performing arts is patronage, finance, and viability, a lacuna more than rectified by the BVB-IF project. It provided an opportunity for over 500 artistes to go on stage since inception in April 2010; brought to fore some rare arts form; created an interested and appreciative audience, and acted as a clap board for young artistes from all over Karnataka, especially from rural areas, many of whom had their first glimpse of a metro such as Bengaluru, when they came to perform for Infosys Foundation. Six years ago, when the association of the two organizations was concretized for this project, it was a coming together for a cause—promoting young talent, especially from the economically weaker sections, and those from rural areas. The ideal has been more than met, the 100th programme of devotional music on not marking a culmination of the venture but ushering in a renewed beginning of much more to come. If Sudha Murty thought it best to propagate Indian culture through the Bhavan there was a sound reason behind. Way back, in 1997, she set up an annual endowment programme in her personal capacity in memory of her grandfather, Hanumanth Rao Kadim Diwan, a teacher by profession, and a true Indian at heart...... his love for the country‘s culture and philosophy was what prompted Murty to set up a programme in his name. This association got further cemented in 2010 through the BVB-IF project. Says H N Suresh, BVB Director, Bengaluru Kendra, ‗This project has been an ideal channel for the less seen and less heard arts and artistes. In that sense it is the unique project which is truly altruistic in nature‖. Pointing out that every programme has been above average in quality, he says the project will have a cascading effect with its nurture and revival of near-extinct art forms. ‗The public in South Bengaluru have responded well; the key is to provide interesting programmes‘, he says.

Hirakata, Tamaki vacant, puppetry, magic shows, yakshagana, vachanas, fusion music, daasapadas, light music, devotional songs, DVG‘s famous ―Mankuthimmana Kagga‖ in music form, instrumental music such as violin, flute, veena, jaltarang, mukhaveena and saxophone, percussion, book launches, environmental awareness projects, and lecture- demonstrations are just a few of the forms and themes covered under the programme. One of the most gratifying aspects of this project has been the recognizing of talent of the differently-abled, whose performance in this forum was an inspiration to the organizers and the public, more than being an opportunity for them to perform. One has to mention two persons responsible for the continuation and success of the programmes—K C Pemmaiah, Manager, Programmes & Projects, and Prema Thotadhri, Associate Secretary, BVB. It is a reality today that cultural events even in residential areas do not attract much of an audience, many shows running to near-empty auditoria. Hamstrung with this difficulty, the duo also had to deal with presenting not popular art and artistes, but less popular or near extinct forms, and yet woo viewers—a horrendous task in itself. But the credentials of the quality of the performances and the innate attraction of the art forms presented were established soon after the project got off, ensuring a steady audience. Buoyed by this response, the BVB-IF project is poised to get bigger and better.

Dr. Sudha Murty Chairperson, Infosys Foundation felicitating Justice M. Rama Jois who was the chief-guest at the 100th annual programme at IIWC

Artists who performed pose with Dr. Sudha Murty , Justice Dr. M. Rama Jois and Sri H.N. Suresh

Devotional music to mark 100 shows

Bombeyata

Noted Puppeteer K V Ramesh presenting a colourful puppet to Dr. Sudha Murty

ESPOUSING PEACE

It was a coming together of Samskritam scholars, spiritual gurus, academicians, and artistes at the Rotary Centennial Peace Symposium in Bengaluru, which looked at coming to an understanding of the word peace itself, and how it can be established at the micro level, and consequently in society, so that antagonism, war, strife and conflicts no longer rule the world.

The two-day symposium got up by Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar and BVB, Bengaluru Kendra, from April 22, saw the participation of familiar yet respected names such as Shatavadhani Dr R Ganesh, Rajagopala Sharma Ganapaati, Prof. M N Chandrashekar, Swami Shanthimayananda of Ramakrishna Math, Bengaluru, Ananda Bhanteji, General Secretary, Maha Bodhi Society, and Dr Chiranjeev Singh, former ambassador to UNESCO among others. ―Peace is Possible‖ was the underlying message of the seminar, which began with chanting of peace mantras drawn from Samskritam texts by Rajagopala Sharma, with eloquent commentary by Shatavadhani Ganesh. A specially choreographed dance on the theme of peace, titled ―Rasothkarsha‖ by Abhinava Dance Company lent strength to the concept in terms of interpreting it through a visual art medium.

Yoga and meditation are integral to inner peace, from which stems tranquillity at the macro level. Dr S N Omkar gave a lecture-demonstration on ―Yoga and meditation‖ on April 23, which was followed by a panel discussion on the theme of peace. Noted scholar Dr Hampa Nagarajaiah, Rev Fr Dr Eugene Lobo, PRO, Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishop‘s Council, and Dr Syed Ejazuddin Ashrafi, former MLC, lead the discussion.

Curtains were drawn on the two-day event with music recitals by several artistes, revolving around the conference theme. ―Shama-Saama‖, under the direction of Carnatic vocalist T S Sathyavathi, saw Maruthi Prasad S R, Anjana P Rao and Shilpa Shashidhar (vocal), Sangita Srinidhi (veena), Smitha H M (violin) and Adamya R (mridanga) take to stage. Violin by Aneesh Vidyashankar and a Bharatanatya recital by Subhashini Vasanth rounded off the programme.

Doves, symbols of peace being released by Rotarian‘s to mark the conference

Lighting the lamp from left : Rtn. M.K. Panduranga Setty, Past Rotary International Director, Rtn. Peeyush Jain, President, Rotary Banagalore Indiranagar, Rtn. Sushil Gupta, Trustee, The Rotary Foundation, Rtn. Flt. Lt. K.P. Nagesh, District Governor – RI Dist 3190, Rtn. Suresh Hari, Chairman, Rotary Centennial Peace Symposium

Mantra recitation by Rajagopala Sharma and Group

Rajendra and Nirupama in Rasothkarsha

MAY 4 : INDIA , HUMAN RIGHTS CRADLE

India, except when she was ruled by non-Indians, has always practiced human rights, a philosophy that is deep rooted in her values and traditions since ancient times. ―Vasudaiva Kutumbakam‖, is unique to Indian ethos, said Justice R C Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India. He was speaking after releasing the book of another legal luminary, Dr. Rama Jois, titled ―Human Rights Bharatiya Values‖ published by Bhavan. It is painful to see that India, the mother of several great religions of the world, should come to be painted as an ―intolerant‖ nation. This is because of political opportunism, and the denigration of the great ideals of India. It would be belittling the concept of Hinduism if it were to be construed as ‗religion‘ in its narrow and conservative sense, he said. ―The expanse of the word Dharma as understood in Samskritam, is much deeper than what is conveyed by the English word ‗religion‘. The English language does not possibly have a word which can fully encompass within its fold the meaning of the word Dharma!‖ Justice Lahoti lauded the variety and range of subjects on which Dr. Jois has written. He complimented BVB for publishing the book ―which is of great relevance to contemporary society‖. The book is a renovated scripture which conveys the essence of ancient scriptures in modern terminology to suit the youth, he pointed out. The book launch was held at the Bengaluru Kendra May last. D H Shankara Murthy, Chairman, Karnataka Legislative Council, presided. Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka, and Sanjay Sahay, ADGP, spoke. K G Raghavan, Hon. Secretary, BVB, introduced the book to the audience.

Justice R.C. Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India lighting the lamp while other dignitaries on the dias joins

Justice R.C. Lahoti, former Chief Justice of India being felicitated by from left Sri. N. Ramanuja, Chairman, BVB, Sri. H.N. Suresh Director, BVB, Justice Dr. M. Rama Jois, former Governor of Bihar and Jharkhand

BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMME

AT INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORLD CULTURE, BASAVANAGUDI, BENGALURU ON MAY 20, 2016

Dasara Padagalu & Vachanas by Vocal : Dr K S Vaishali Tabla : Vid.Vikas Naregal Harmonium : Vid.Madhusudha Bhat

FASCINATING EPIC JOURNEY

World epics, their rich and varied content and literary artistry notwithstanding, attract few readers if any. Yet the conference on Mahavakvyas got up by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), Bengaluru Kendra, June last, threw up such animated participation as to rekindle interest in them, demanding a compulsive visitation. Epics, by definition, are voluminous, immediately debarring them from the interest area of youngsters. Any kind of reading today, is, after all, passé! What distinctly came across in the four-day event was the vastness of the literary world vis a vis epics, ―Mahakavyas‖— the Indian nomenclature for epics— being more relevant to present times, rooted as they are in the cultural ethos of the land. If creative writing of recognized artistic value is a cornerstone of categorizing a literary work as a Mahakavya, Indian epics traverse from the mysteries of time till date, capturing every aspect of life, the essential difference being that Mahakavyas represent, quintessentially, the culture, traditions and life philosophy of India, whereas the western ―heroic‖ epics are straitjacketed. Inaugurating the seminar on June 17, Prof. Maha Mahopadyaya Reva Prasad Dwivedi said a work of art has little use unless it aids in introspection and self-realization. Lauding the seminar as a great opportunity to get to know world and Indian epics, Prof. Dwivedi‘s points to ponder were that the message of the Vedas was central to Mahakavyas, sans which they needed to be shunned; Alankara is the essence of poetry and not mere literary embellishment. Delivering the keynote address, Justice B. N. Srikrishna, former Judge of the Supreme Court, and Vice-President, BVB international, while appreciating the great service being done by BVB for the ‗renaissance of Indian culture‘, dwelt at length on the Pancha Mahakavyas—considered the five gems of Sanskrit literature—covering Kalidasa, Bharavi and Sreeharsha, to clearly arrive at what constitutes Mahakavyas. In a scholarly talk that was yet succinct in communication, culled from his study and understanding of the epics, Justice Srikrishna derived the definitions of Mahakavyas from classical Sanskrit poets such as Vishwanatha and Dandi, their messages being more contextual to current times than ever before; their implementation imperative for a ‗sublime life‘. Chief Guest Dr. T. V. Venkatachala Shastry pointed out the dichotomy between eulogizing of ancient Indian literature as a national heritage and the apathy towards them in the neglect of their learning. Incorporating classics into the education system alone could ensure their becoming the lifeblood of society once again, he felt. Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON, in his presidential address spoke of the Akshaya Patra programme—synonymous with the service activities of ISKCON— which today feeds over 11 crore children in 10 states, even in the remotest of areas, the cascading effect of the mid-day meal scheme being better enrolment in schools, dramatic

dip in dropout rates, and addressing the problem of malnutrition in a country where 3,000 children die every day due to lack of nourishing food. Curtains were drawn on the event with Sri Veerappa Moily, MP, in his valedictory speech quoting from Ramayana and Mahabharata to reiterate that their ethical core is the lifeline of Indian society. He drew from his own five-volume epic, ―Ramayana Mahanveshanam‖, to reinterpret the ―Rama Rajya‖ of yore to present times, within a ―secular framework‖. Chief Guest Sri Manu Baligar, President, Kannada Sahitya Parishath, felt Mahakavyas could be popularized by organizing workshops for youngsters, appealing to BVB to take up the task. Cultural programmes, centring on Mahakavyas, rounded off the academic sessions on all days. Conference highlights: —Book launch—Message of Mahapuranas—a compilation of the 2014 national conference —Recitation and singing of excerpts from Mahakavyas —Eight sessions with seven speakers each —50 scholars from across India including Kashmir —Epics from 10 Indian languages —Epics from two foreign languages—Latin and Greek — Topics ranged from Ramayana and Mahabharata to classical Sanskrit works, Kambha Ramayana, What Mahakavyas Mean To Me, Pancha Mahakavya‘s in Telugu, Folk Epic Traditions in Hindi, Telugu, Epic Traditions in Persian, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmir, Tulu, Kodava, Homer‘s Illiad and Odyssey (Greek), Aenid of Virgil (Latin), and Divine Comedy of Dante (Italian). —Book exhibition of BVB publications.

Felicitations to eminent epic poets Prof. Reva Prasad Dwivedi of Varanasi and Dr. T.V. Venkatachala Shastry of Mysuru (sitting extreme right and left)

Scholars chanting Vedic hymns

Launch of book, ‗Message of Mahapuranas‘

Rendering prayers from Mahakavyas under the direction of Smt. Gangamma Keshavamurthy ( second from right). Also seen is Sri. M.A. Jayarama Rao, renowned gamaki.

Prof. Reva Prasad Dwivedi of Varanasi and Dr. T.V. Venkatachala Shastry of Mysuru being felicitated by Sri. Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON, Bengaluru, and Justice Sri. B.N. Srikrishna, former Judge, Supreme Court & Vice President, BVB, while other dignitaries on the dais join in.

Sri. M. Veerappa Moily being felicitated by Sri. K.G. Raghavan (left)

Sri. Ramakanth Rath of Bhubaneshwar being felicitated by

Sri. Pathi Sridhara and Sri. Chiranjeev Singh

Dr. Manu Baligar, President, Kannada Sahitya Parishat, being felicitated by Sri.N. Ramanuja, Chairman, BVB, Bengaluru

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY AT BVB COMPLETE YOGA CAPSULE

His wiry frame and agile movements belie his age, despite the mop of gray. He exudes energy and enthusiasm in the name of yoga. Kumara Reddy B H, a former State level basketball coach, who represented Bangalore University in the same game, is a yoga expert and teacher who lives and breathes this ancient spiritual discipline, making him one of the sincere and knowledgeable yoga teachers in Bengaluru. There is no fancy name for the yoga he teaches, imbibed essentially from B K S Iyengar, and the study of practically every book on yoga including Iyengar‘s ―Light on Yoga‖. ―Health issues made me turn to yoga, and I started teaching it from 1998‖ says Kumara, who has designed his own module incorporating the essential suryanamaskara, pranayama, asanas and meditation into it. On International Yoga Day—June 21 he will give a yoga demonstration along with his many students of Bhavan‘s Yoga School at the Bengaluru Kendra. With the twin experiences of being a sportsman and a yoga expert, Kumara points out ―yoga is good enough to keep one fit, agile and healthy, physically and mentally. A supple body is the added bonus‖. When queried about other forms of exercise, he says gyms give muscle mass; it is an artificial form of exercise; walking is good for the heart; only yoga gives mind- body alignment and leads to inner peace‖. A cross-section of enthusiasts, from 18 to 70 years of age, flock his classes, and benefit from his yoga training which is age and health specific—an expertise that comes only with earnestness and experience. Kumara has no name for his school—he is his own brand

name. Come rain or shine, he is up at 4.30 am. His criss-crosses the City throughout the day, teaching yoga at the individual level. Lauding International Yoga Day as having created better awareness and attracted more adherents, Kumara says yoga is a way towards spirituality. ―To me, every day is yoga day‖. He is one teacher who does the asanas with his students, demonstrating the correct way of going about it, which is crucial. Done wrongly, yoga can be detrimental to health and agility. For enquiries on yoga classes, contact 9448043186.

Akarna Danurasana

Ekapada Shirasaasana

Bhavan-Infosys Foundation Outreach Cultural Programme at Seva Sadan, Malleshwaram, June 25 and 26.

Bharatanatya Recital

Poojitha Cadambi Arupa Lahiry Abhaya Lakshmi

Shreema Upadhya Rashmi Agarwal Namrata Krishnamurthy

July - 2016

JULY 9 : BOOK GIFT TO KANNADIGAS

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan worldwide President, Sri. Sunderlal G. Mehta‘s book, Rich Tradition Richer Heritage will be translated into Kannada shortly, while exploring the possibility of rendering the work in other South Indian languages. The decision was taken at the launch of Sri Mehta‘s book in Bengaluru July last, on a suggestion made by Prof. M. H. Krishnaiah, former president, Karnataka Sahitya Academy.

Speaking about the book, Prof. Krishnaiah mooted the idea of making it a part of school curricula as it had nuggets of wisdom that could lay the foundation for character building and creating an ethical society. Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Advisor, Department of Space, and former chairman, ISRO, who released the book said the work should not be limited to a Kannada translation, as every citizen should know the value of the heritage of India; Bhavan should take a lead in this regard. The younger generation should learn to ―read‖ and Bhavan should become a forum for literary activities, he said. Recalling his school days when students were asked to write a piece taken from Bhavan‘s Journal daily, Dr. Radhakrishnan said the exclusivity of the language (Samskritam) was perhaps a hindrance for the spread of ancient Indian knowledge. Citing the various streams of learning such as Ayurveda, as espoused by Charaka and Shushrusha, Artha Shastra of Chanakya, Brihat Samhita of Varaha Mihira on science, Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni on performing arts, and Sangita Ratnakara of Saarangadeva on music, he said all of them had relevance today, needing an exhaustive revival. A fitting closure to the compact, intellectually-oriented function was the recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama by Sandipani Gurukula, befitting the occasion.

H.N. Suresh, Prof. M.H. Krishnaiah, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, N. Ramanuja and K.G. Raghavan at the book launch Rich Tradition Richer Heritage, on July 9.

Recitation of Vishnu Sahasranama by Sandipani Gurukula

BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMME AT INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORLD CULTURE, BASAVANAGUDI, BENGALURU ON JULY 15, 2016

Thatva Padagalu : vocal : K M Ramaiah, ekadaari tala : D. Narayanamma,

shruti : Mahalingaiah, damadi : Prakash, kanjira : Ratnamma

Aug 18 : A Rakhi Bonding For Life

Raksha Bandhan for children at the BVB-BBMP Public School in Sriramapuram went much beyond symbolism, with the students understanding and celebrating the festival as a ―mutually protective and symbiotic relationship with all living beings‖. What was most pertinent, timely, and meaningful was the tying of green rakhi to trees and plants by the children, pointing to the environmental awareness among the young minds, and making the festival as not just one of bonhomie, but as a pledge for respecting, nurturing, and preserving nature. The day could thus be considered as a relevant and important lesson in the school curriculum albeit in fun and informal fashion. Justice N. Kumar, former judge of the Karnataka High Court, who was Chief Guest, underlined similar sentiments, pointing out that the Constitution of India itself had ratified the celebration of Raksha Bandhan, through its tenets of equality and respect to all. ―There is a historical importance and reference to this festival, in the filial affection of Lord Krishna to Draupadi. Raksha Bandhan is about universal brotherhood, making it an important national festival‖, he said. Sri Daulat Rao, National Secretary (South), Bharatiya Vikas Parishat (BVP), presided. Sri Doraiswamy, Vice-Chancellor, Pesit University, and Sri Mumtaz Ali Khan, former minister, were the Guests of Honour. The programme was jointly organised by BVB and Bharat Vikas Parishath.

Girls tying the rakhi

Children tying the green rakhi to plants. PROF U S KRISHNA RAO AND SMT. CHANDRABHAGA DEVI ENDOWMENT: BHARATANATYA - AUG. 21, BVB

SEPTEMBER - 2016

ANCHORED IN CHANGING TIMES

Youngesters learning at the Gandhi Institute of Computer Education & IT

Isn’t it heartening for a conscientious citizen to know that a culture organization has trained thousands of underprivileged youth and senior citizens to become computer literate, free of cost?

Well, this reflects the visionary attitude of the hallowed institution. Does it not point to its rootedness in Indian culture too, in its conduct of Bhagavad Gita classes, complete with a curriculum, written and oral examination? rootedness in Indian culture too, in its conduct of Bhagavad Gita classes, complete with a curriculum, written and oral examination?

Computers and Indian scriptures are on two ends of the learning spectrum, in terms of time and substance, which the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has straddled with success.

It is this victory which will be exemplified this month when the convocations of the Gandhi

Institute of Computer Education and IT, and Sandipani Gurukula, which conducts the Gita classes, are held at the Bhavan premises of the Bengaluru Kendra.

The criterion for eligibility for the computer course is simple: the prospective student should belong to the 18-35 age group, or be above 60, and come from a low income background. Access to the course is easy, but training them in computers, where English is of essence, is no easy task for the instructors.

THE FREE COMPUTER CLASSES ATTRACT THE YOUNG AND THE ELDERLY

Senior citizens benefitting from the free computer course

Yet, the course begun at the Bengaluru Kendra only in 2013, has trained about a thousand persons in computer basics such as office assistant and account assistant courses. Some 350 senior citizens have benefited from the three-month course, lending them confidence, penning up the digital world to them in a big way, and helping them to communicate with their grandchildren, as admitted by them.

Some 60,000 persons have completed the course successfully, in the seven Bhavan kendras run by Mr. Praveen Kumar S, whose dream of eking out on his own turned out to be satisfying too. From the first computer training centre he set up at the Chennai Bhavan in 1997, to the seven other centres he runs in South India, his has been a story of translating one of Bhavan’s ideals into a practical module.

Systematic teaching courses without compromising on quality and hands-on experience have made the Bhavan’s computer classes truly beneficial as a starting point in becoming computer literate. The convocation for the Sixth batch of the Institute, supported by Rotary Indiranagar,

Suprajit Foundation, and M P Birla Institute of Management, will be held at the KRG Hall, on Sept. 3, at 11am.

Sri K. C. Ramamurthy, MP, will deliver the convocation address.

Bhagavad Gita Course Convocation

It is often said that our heritage shows in our parenting methods. Electronics engineer Rohini Chakravarthy gave up a satisfying teaching job to take care of her little daughter. Her recitation of the scriptures, and teaching slokas to her child sowed the seeds of spreading this knowledge to a wider audience.

Parama Pujya Sri Sri Sri Jayendra Puri Mahaswamiji, Padasevaka Peethadhipathi of Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana, Rajarajeshwarinagar.

What took shape was Sandipani Gurukula, which traces its roots to Rohini’s father, Prof. S Srinivasan, a Samskritam scholar and Kannada academician, who was secretary of the Kannada Sahitya Parishath.

Kannada literature, from the ancient to the modern, and Samskritam was the enviable staple diet of Rohini as a child. Literary and cultural activities were not given secondary position, enjoying equal status as her pursuit of academic qualification. A similar upbringing marked the childhood of her daughter, Rohini’s fervour to share Indian tradition and learning with others resulting in forming Sandipani Gurukula in 2000.

Bhagavad Gita classes at Bhavan

Today, she takes classes in Bhagavad Gita in several schools in Bengaluru and at the IISc.

EACH DIPLOMA HOLDER IS PROFICIENT IN THE RECITATION AND DISCOURSE OF THE GITA

She conducts regular quiz contests. Her wards range from ages 8 to 80, her classes are free, it is a multi-religious group, and she has groomed a professional outfit to recite the Gita when invited by organizations.

In her multi-pronged approach towards preserving tradition and taking one step towards spirituality, Rohini has included Bhagavatam, Soundarya Lahari, Lalitha Sahasranama, Vishnu Sahasranama, and Durgasaptashati classes, where the stress is as much on explaining the slokas with meaning as the recitation.

She now has a staff of 36 trained teachers who have volunteered to teach Bhagavad Gita. Each one of her teachers holds a university post-graduation in different streams, who despite being academically well qualified, have chosen to spread the message of the Gita, more as a passion than a profession.

ROHINI HAS DEVOTED HER LIFE TO SPREADING THE MESSAGE OF THE GITA

Roped in by the Bengaluru Kendra four years ago to conduct Bhagavad Gita classes, Rohini worked out a three-year professional diploma course which has oral and written segments, and a paper on how to implement the Gita in daily life. Three chapters of the Gita are dealt with in great depth taught in each of the six semesters running to six months each.

Bhavan and Sandipani will proudly present the first batch of the diploma holders at convocation on Sept. 18, at the Bhavan premises, when 52 successful candidates will become trained ambassadors of spreading the message of Bhagavad Gita

Parama Pujya Sri Sri Sri Jayendra Puri Mahaswamiji, Padasevaka Peethadhipathi of Sri Kailash Ashrama Mahasamsthana, Rajarajeshwarinagar. - Jyothi Raghuram

Gujarat

It was a classical dance recital in Ahmedabad Krishnabhakti Thi Kavya Ras Sudhi, on July 10, when two dozen artistes chose compositions on deities such as Ganesha, Krishna and Durga, and drew from Surdas and Tulsidas, besides from modern Gujarati poetry.

Classical vocal recital at Ahmedabad

Krishna Bhakthi Kavya Ras Sudhi

A classical vocal concert was held on July 19, on the occasion of Guru Purnima, by nine awards of Pandit Vikas Parikh, in the Mewati Gharana, which was a rare portrayal in itself.

The classical vocal music programme featured two large teams exclusively of men and women which made for a wholesome concert, whose musical effect was rich.

Another segment of classical music, Ahmedabad Thiruvananthapuram

Padayani, a folk art associated with festivities of some temples of southern Kerala was performed by Kadammanitta Gothra Kalari on the 16th. The dancers sported masks or kolams of different colours and designs made of areca nut fronds. The costuming added a sense of magic.

Padayaani Rajasthan

Kathputli, a puppet show by Prakash Bhatt and troupe with live music was held at Jaipur on the 6th. The artistes interacted with students after the show.

Puppet show at Jaipur

The colorfully clad puppets Kalbelia dancers, Jaipur Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

The inaugural of the outreach programme was held at the Bhavan’s auditorium in Hyderabad on July 16. Sri B Venkatesham, Secretary to Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture, was chief Guest. Sri I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, former chief secretary, Andhra Pradesh, presided.

Perini Thandavam, Hyderabad

A RAKHI BONDING FOR LIFE

Raksha Bandhan for children at the BVB-BBMP Public School in Sriramapuram went much beyond symbolism, with the students understanding and celebrating the festival as a “mutually protective and symbiotic relationship with all living beings “.

What was most pertinent, timely, and meaningful was the tying of green rakhi to trees and plants by the children, pointing to the environmental awareness among the young minds, and making the festival as not just one of bonhomie, but as a pledge for respecting, nurturing, and preserving nature.

Girls tying the rakhi Children tying the green rakhi to plants

The day could thus be considered as a relevant and important lesson in the school curriculum albeit in fun and informal fashion.

Justice N. Kumar, former judge of the Karnataka High Court, who was Chief Guest, underlined similar sentiments, pointing out that the Constitution of India itself had ratified the celebration of Raksha Bandhan, through its tenets of equality and respect to all.

“There is a historical importance and reference to this festival, in the filial affection of Lord Krishna to Draupadi. Raksha Bandhan is about universal brotherhood, making it an important national festival”, he said.

Sri Daulat Rao, National Secretary (South), Bharatiya Vikas Parishat (BVP), presided. Sri Doraiswamy, Vice-Chancellor, Pesit University, and Sri Mumtaz Ali Khan, former minister, were the Guests of Honour.

The programme was jointly organised by BVB and Bharat Vikas Parishath. •

LEARNING, EAST TO WEST

Bhavan’s Bengaluru Kendra has plunged into a range of activities these past few years, fanning out even beyond the borders of Karnataka, to set its cultural footprint as far as the Northeast. Yet the Kendra has kept going with its well-entrenched focus areas with equal interest, classical music and dance classes being one among them.

Journalism and Samskritam classes, once synonymous with the Kendra itself, will be re-introduced from this month, re-emphasizing the dynamics of Bhavan’s thrust areas.

Traversing from East to West in its belief of spreading the fragrance of India globally while welcoming the best from the West, western music classes will be introduced this month, bringing a much-needed exposure to this genre of classical music to youngsters who are learning Indian classical music at Bhavan. Opening up a learning opportunity to those interested in its western counterpart will be major fallout of these new classes.

Violin, keyboard, guitar and flute will be taught for the three-year diploma course in western music, the comprehensive syllabus laying equal emphasis on theory.

The certificate course in Samskritam will be conducted by Vyoma Linguistic Labs Foundation, classes for which will be held at the Bhavan premises.

With the commencement of the post-graduate diploma course in journalism, straddling both Kannada and English, media studies will make a re-entry into Bhavan.

The course, with journalist Sri N. S. Sridhara Murthy as coordinator, will cover six areas of study, hands on training forming an important

part of the curriculum.

For details, contact :[email protected], www.bhavankarnataka.com, or 22267303, 22267421 Jyothi Raghuram

GITA: BEYOND SECTARIANISM

Bhagavad Gita is not confined to any caste or religion, but is a practical guide to face the vicissitudes of life and emerge unscathed, Sri Jayendraswamiji of Kailash Ashram said.

Delivering the convocation address at the BVB-Sandipani Gurukula Bhagavad Gita diploma certificate distribution function at the Bhavan on Sept. 18, the Swamiji said the Gita was the only work in world literature which looked at human life in all its dimensions, offering solace and solution that was at once universal and tailored to individual needs.

Swamiji handing over the certificates

“Mahakavyas”, roughly translated as classics in the western context, remains a vibrant body of work even today, with a sizeable readership, understanding, and popularity in India, whereas western classics have been forgotten and cast aside.

This speaks of the utility value, timeless and universal appeal of ancient Indian epics, enhanced by the literary, spiritual, scientific, metaphysical, and psychological content and sense in them, he said.

The Bhagavad Gita course is conducted by Rohini Chakravarthy, the Gurukula Founder, in association with BVB. *

Kalia kela at Bhubaneshwar Oshakathi dance at Bhubaneshwar

Pala dance at Bhubaneshwar Puppet show at Bhubaneshwar

Udrar Padhatiya Sangeet at Bhubaneshwar Baindla katha at Hyderabad

Cheriyal Paining at Hyderabad Dappu dance & Gusadi dance at Hyderabad

Dappu dance & Gusadi dance at Golla Suddulu at Hyderabad Hyderabad

Folk singing at Jaipur Baatposhi Gissagoi at Jaipur

Music at Kolkata Balya dance at Pune

Vrindavani Venu at Pune IN MEMORY OF MS

The inaugural of the birth centenary celebrations of M. S. Subbulakshmi was celebrated by Bhavan along with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) with a musical tribute by Dr. Deepti Navaratna, Executive Director, IGNCA, on Sept. 16.

The event assumed special significance with the Chief Guest, Sri H. N. Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemicals, Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs announcing a donation of Rs. five crores by the Union Ministry of Culture for the auditorium coming up in memory of MS at the IGNCA premises.

“The building, a tribute by Karnataka for the great musician and humanitarian, must be completed this year and be thrown open by the time the centenary year of MS culminates”, he said.

“Sadbhakti”, the musical tribute, featured songs of MS in various Indian languages.

Sadbhakti by

Dr. Deepti Navaratna

JUSTICE K.R. GOPIVALLABHA IYENGAR ENDOWMENT PROGRAMME: AUG 1, AT BVB

Vanamaali : Bharatanatya feature by Kalakshetra Foundation

PROF U S KRISHNA RAO AND SMT. CHANDRABHAGA DEVI ENDOWMENT: BHARATANATYA - AUG. 21, BVB

MBA COURSE INAUGURAL

The 18th Batch of the MBA course of M.P. Birla Institute of Management, at BVB, was inaugurated on Sept. 7. Dr. G.S.D. Babu, Director, M.P. Birla Foundation of Fundamental Research, inaugurated the programme. Sri. N. Ramanuja, Chairman, Bengaluru Kendra, presided, in presence of Institute Director Dr. N.S. Vishwanath BHAVAN - HK KEJRIWAL FOUNDATION :

VEDIC RECITATION: SEPT 14, AT BVB

Vedic Recitation by Vidwan Sri. Rajagopala Sharma Ganapaati, Sri. Ganesh Ganapaati and group

BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION OUTREACH CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT SEVA SADANA, AUG 20.

Flute recital by Sri. Raj Kamal and Party

BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMME AT IIWC, AUG 26

Sugama Sangeetha by Ashish G Nayak, Sreemanth Kumar Neelur (Tabla) and Suresh Nayak (harmonium)

PROGRAMMS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2016

KALABHARATHI TURNS 15

Kalabharathi Students performing on the eve of Kalabharathi 15

Classical performing arts have to be taught individually for the aspirant to be able to grasp even the basics, is a belief that compels many parents to send their children to expensive, preferably well- known teachers; institutional teaching impedes growing into a teacher or performer, is another opinion.

Kalabharathi of the Bengaluru Kendra celebrates 15 years of teaching of visual and performing arts to those from ages 7 to 70, putting up its wards on stage this month.

Intensive training to those seriously interested in making a career out of arts, is imperative. However, the Bhavan has been filling a huge culture gap through its arts classes, the purpose being a multi-pronged cultural spread; the benefits of this endeavor cannot be discounted.

Where else can one find a range of traditional performing arts classes such as Hindustani and Carnatic vocal, Sugama Sangeetha, classical dance, Mridangams, Tabla, flute, Veena, and even keyboard and drawing and painting classes, under one roof, with a reasonable fee structure?

If one is to review the art classes at Bhavan in toto, one has to say that Kalabharathi has evolved into an art learning centre with a host of learning opportunities.

Staggered timings of the classes allow aspirants to learn more than one art form at the same venue, learning in groups creates a lively atmosphere while nurturing a competitive spirit, a sense of camaraderie helps in developing inter-personal skills, keeps youngsters pleasantly occupied during weekends-- overall grooming a new set of appreciators of classical arts.

A major thrust of learning at the Bhavan is exposure to performances, the innumerable cultural shows at its premises doubling as a ready and familiar venue for the students.

Reviving fading arts has rendered the Bhavan platform a nurturer of rare arts, opening up precious forms to the students too.

Held under the Mathoor Krishnamurti Memorial Endowment, the annual cultural event of Kalabharathi this year will be held every weekend at the Bhavan from Nov. 6, when the paintings of the art students will be on display.

The five-year diploma courses are split into annual certificate courses, with 70 aspirants receiving their certificates this year at the convocation that will be part of the Kalabharathi anniversary.

KALABHARATI : CASH PRIZE AWARDEES

Rakshit Srujan Shubhangi S. Gurukiran Hegde Carnatic Vocal Veena Hindustani Vocal (I Year) (I Year) (II Year)

Shreyaa Shastry Raja Vignesh N.S. Gopalakrishna

Bharatanatya Tabla Ananthanarayan (II Year) (I Year) Mridanga (III Year)

R. Mayura Krishna Stella David Kshama Sridevi M.V. Mridanga Keyboard Drawing & Painting (III Year) (I Year) (V Year) SMT SUSHEELAMMA NANJUNDAIAH,

SRI NANJUNDAIAH, AND SRI. DILIP

SHETHKALABHARATHI TOPPERS – 2016

Panchami P. Subhaga P. Nitindala Umashankari C. Lalitha S. Honnappa N. Nayak Carnatic Vocal Carnatic Vocal Keyboard Keyboard Keyboard (I Year) (III Year) (II Year) (II Year) (II Year)

KALABHARATHI : TOPPERS - 2016

T.G. Sai Sharada R. Ruthika Janhavi V Akshay Satish Triyan Mukherji Bharatanatya Bharatanatya Bharatanatya Mridanga Drawing & (I Year) (II Year) (III Year) (III Year) Painting (I Year)

Pavitra K. Bhavani Iyengar M.K. Sheetal S. Kooduvalli Abhay Mohan Sathvik M.G. Drawing & Drawing & Drawing & Drawing & Hindustani Vocal Painting (II Year) Painting (III Year) Painting (IV Year) Painting (V Year) (I Year)

Simran M. Chadia Sarat Chandra Bardhar H.S. Krishna M.R.Vivekananda S. Chandana Hindustani Vocal Hindustani Vocal Tabla Tabla Veena (II Year) (III Year) (I Year) (II Year (I Year)

Kalavathi P. Veena (II Year) Rajyotsava – 2016

This year’s Rajyotsava celeberation features a whole spectrum of performing art shows ranging from folk forms and yakshagana to sugama sangeetha and classical dance. Got up in association with Rotary International District 3190, the highlight of the cultural programme, Sambhrama, is a feast of classical dance styles—Dances of India— which incorporates all six classical forms, besides sand art, and earthy rhythm instruments.

Directed by Smt. B. Bhanumathi, well-established teacher known for her successful experimentations in Bharathanatyam, and conceptualized by Dr. R.V. Raghavendra of Ananya, a highly regarded classical arts institution,

Sri Raghavendra Hegde, sand artist will add variety to the show at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, at 4 pm

Smt. B Bhanumathi Sri M

Come November 6, a large chunk of public not only from Bengaluru but from different parts of Karnataka converge at Bhavan to listen to the talks of Sri M, spiritual guide and vedic scholar, drawing hope and sustenance from his lucid address drawn from Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam and other epics.

The two-day talk preceding Nov 6 has been drawing packed audiences over the past few years, Sri M’s credibility and authenticity of being a Guru in the truly Indian tradition of leading a transparent and simple life, taking a quantum leap subsequent to his recent Walk of Hope padayatra for communal harmony, when he traversed the entire country on foot, covering 7,500 km in 474 days.

Sri M

The talks every year culminate in the birthday celebrations of this “modern day mystic”, the difference being that there is no lavish celebration, but only receiving of the blessings of Sri M.

At this year’s three-day lecture programme at the Bhavan premises, beginning on Nov. 4, Sri M will dwell on the “Yoga of Action—Bhagavad Gita chapter 3”, focussing on Karma Yoga. The talks begin at 6.30 pm. Veena Solo

Smt. Manjula Surendra is a veena artiste with an academic background worth boasting about. She has a post-graduation and an MPhil. in music, and is pursuing her PhD at Bangalore University.

Her other accomplishments in music include having passed the vidwat examination with distinction, and being an A grade artiste of AIR and Doordarshan. Currently being groomed by Vidwan D. Balakrishna, she has learnt from C. Krishnamurthy and Gyanambal for many years.

Founder trustee of Aarabhi Cultural Academy, Smt. Manjula has participated in several music ensembles, besides being a soloist. The Gayana Samaja best musician award for 1989, and Nadajyothi Yuva Puraskara award, 2009, have been hers.

Smt. Manjula will be performing at the Indian Institute of World Culture on Nov. 11, at 6 pm, under the BVB-IF outreach series. Smt. Manjula Surendra

BHAVAN-INFOSYS FOUNDATION OUTREACH CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT G.R. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION, SEP 22

Sugama Sangeetha by Smt. Savitha Ganesh Prasad & party

CUTURAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME REPORTS : BVB-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES : OCT, 2016

Trichy Kendra organised Natyanjali by students of Srirangam Bharatanatyalaya on Oct 9, at Arulmigu Akilandeswari temple. The programme was part of the Kendra’s efforts at promoting young talent.

The Kendra along with Infosys Foundation has held 37 such events during 2015-16, bringing on stage 164 talented youngsters.

Dancers of Srirangam Bharatanatyalaya

CULTURAL REACH OUT- JULY, AUG, SEPT.

Sugama Sangeeth by Dr. Swati Vyas Kapadia & group, Gujarat, on July 30.

Semi classical patriotic songs by young artistes Gujarat, on Aug 15.

Shivaradhana Indian classical group dance by Dharma Thakkar and party, Gujarat, on Aug 28.

Shivaradhana Indian classical group dance by Sri. Dharma Thakkar and party, Gujarat, on Aug 28.

Kootiyattam - “Subhadhra Dhananjayam” by

Sri Margi Madhu of „Nepathya‟ , Kerala on Aug 12.

Thiruvathira Kali by Smt. Manjis Ajit and troupe, Kerala, on Aug 26.

Folk Drama : Lok Natya Tamasha Shaili - Agnipariksha, by

Sri. Dilip Kumar Bhatt and troupe, Rajasthan, on Sep 29.

Folk Dance Gotipua Nata by Odisha Dance Academy, Bhubaneshwar, on Sep 5.

Folk Dance : Chadheya Nata Odisha by Nrutya Sangeet Kala

Parisada on Sept 19.

Folk Dance Gotipua Nata by Odisha Dance Academy, Bhubaneshwar, on Sep 5.

„Putra Kameshti Yaga‟ a doll show by Smt. Anu Padmabhushana Dr. B. Saroja Devi lighting the lamp Visweswaran at Bhavan as a part of to inaugurate the doll show on Oct 1. Dasara celebration from Oct 1, to Oct 10.

Kathakeerthana „Sriramanjaneya Yuddha‟ by Kum. Tushara L Acharya on Oct 6.

Vachana : „Srirama Pattabhisheka‟

Sri. K.G. Raghavan, Hon. Secretary, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, on Oct 7.

Bharathanatya by Dr. Vasundara Doreswamy and troupe, sponsored by ICCR on Oct 8.

INFOSYS FOUNDATION ANUPU FESTIVAL DEC 9, 10 & 11

TRIBUTE TO BUDDHIST HERITAGE

Anupu, on the banks of the Krishna river near Nagarjunasagar dam, is an expansive archaeological wonder of Buddhist learning and culture dating back to the 3rd century.

It is not just a tourist destination; it is a historic walk into an ancient seat of Mahayana Buddhism in South India, its magnificent architecture a reflection of past glory brought to life.

Discovered during the construction of the dam, the ruins of the ancient Buddhist centre was unearthed, literally throwing up a place of marvelous architectural interest, complete with a Vihara (Buddhist university), Harati temple and a large amphitheater.

Anupu, the place where Acharya Nagarjuna preached Mahayana Buddhism, was painstakingly reconstructed in detail by the Archaeological Survey of India, the 80 hectares of the site coming alive as a historical and cultural world monument of Buddhism.

The intricacy of the structures lie in their divisions, the stupas having circular brick walls with cladding of limestone slabs, the Simhala Vihara housing two halls, one enclosing an image of the Buddha, and the monasteries having limestone columns set in brick and stone walls.

MEGA CULTURAL FEST – 2016

The amphitheater enjoys pride of place, its stepped columns opening up to a central playground. Just before the amphitheater is the Harati temple sporting a statue of the mother Goddess in a sitting posture.

Limestone - Ayakpata showing the transportation of Siddhartha‟s headgear (crown) to heaven by the gods, accompanied by musicions.

The stark and arid landscape of Anupu, scattered with greenery here and there, has its own unique appeal.

The Anupu festival is a celebration of India’s rich Buddhist heritage, where the ancient monument will reverberate with traditional performing arts events, seamlessly linking the glories of an ancient time to the cultural legacies of a later age, while nurturing and preserving the same for times to come.

Centred geographically, linguistically, and culturally in the Andhra region, the festival will naturally focus on folk arts, theatre, and classical dance and music drawn from there, with special emphasis on folk forms, their colour, vibrancy, and their very sustenance factored in.

Symbolically, the festival will be inaugurated by Buddhist monks who will pay floral tributes to the image of Buddha.

The maiden performance will be the folk dances of Andhra, representing the essence of Telugu art vis a vis an indigenous culture, followed by a nadaswaram recital, which dates back to generations of players in the Telugu heartland.

Instrumental music, Kuchipudi, folk dances, classical dance features exclusive to Andhra, and devotional music embody the arts featured at the festival, a highlight of which is a cultural programme by the employees of Infosys.

Their stage outing will showcase music, dances, and a fashion show, the specialty being that all of them will be in the traditional format.

Even the fashion show will feature traditional costumes drawn from different states of India, where the essence of Telugu will blend into the rich cultural milieu of India.

Over 350 artistes will pay obeisance to the Buddha through the festival, tailored as a tribute to India’s cultural mosaic, integral to which are age-old monuments.

Indian culture, as evidenced in its scriptures, customs, traditions and arts is not only the soul of this ancient land but is its hope and beacon light too, for re-creating a beautiful, peaceful world.

To keep alive India’s cultural heritage and diversity, Infosys Foundation has been supporting activities connected to art, a recent effort being the reconstruction of ancient monuments and bringing them alive through traditional performing and visual arts festivals.

The first such festival was held in March 2016, at Lakshmeshwara in Gadag District, when the restored 2,000-year-old expansive temple complex of Someshwara reverberated with dance and music, equally of the folk variety, attracting an audience of thousands, drawn from adjoining villages.

The cultural matrix of India lies as much in its history, the huge monuments sprinkled all over the country bearing testimony to ancient India’s scientific architectural intricacies and its rich tradition of public festivities and arts.

To help re-create this past glory, Infosys Foundation plans to wed Indian traditional arts and historical monuments by holding annual culture festivals at archeologically renovated sites.

The core value the Foundation will establish through these festivals, where the venue is central to the performances, is the continuation of a cultural legacy.

Creating public awareness of a slice of India’s ancient history and wooing large audiences through presenting myriad arts against a historical backdrop will be of essence here.

The mega Anupu culture festival, the second event on similar lines, is a celebration of the cultural diversity of India in the lap of history. - Jyothi Raghuram

Group Dance

The BVB-ICCR Horizon series presents Bharatanatya group dance by Veena C. S. and troupe at the Bhavan premises, at 6pm. A dancer cum academic with several interests in allied fields such as stage lighting, Veena has a host of national and international performances behind her, with thematic dance productions and her Kala Sampada School of Bharatanatya encompassing her holistic approach to the art.

C.S. Veena

Yoga, Samskritam, Carnatic vocal and dance theory are part of the curriculum at Kala Sampada, which institution has groomed dancers who have done particularly well in dance competitions and examinations besides being giving solo recitals.

Women’s Instrumental Trio

C.S. Veena Vani Manjunath Prema Vivek

They proudly call themselves the Women’s Trio in Carnatic Music, specialising in instrumental music concerts. Shubha Santosh (veena), Prema Vivek (violin) and Vani Manjunath (flute) have been performing as a team for two years now and are gaining stage space as a three member women’s troupe.

Currently training with Sri.H. S. Sudhindra, Shubha has several performances and awards to her credit, while Prema, having learnt from Sri. H. V. Krishnamurthy and Smt. Neela Ramgopal, is presently being guided by Smt. Kanyakumari of Chennai.

Besides routine performances, Vani has ventured into interesting outings. She has dabbled in fusion music with the troupe Kohum, has composed music for plays and for Doordarshan, and has organized classical orchestral music programmes.

The trio will perform at Indiranagar Sangeeth Sabha under the BVB-Infosys Foundation Outreach Programme, at 6 pm.

Bharatanatya by NRI dancer

The Pandanallur Mutthaiah Pillai Endowment Programme will present a Bharatanatya recital by NRI dancer Chinmayee Kamakotika Venkatraman, a dancer with the unique distinction of having both her dance and music debut performances the same day!

Chinmayee’s outings include classical solo recitals, group dances— many composed by her, and bhangra, topped off with Rangila, a dance feature where she was both choreographer and one among the many dancers, and which was for a philanthropic cause.

The recital is at Khincha Hall, 6 pm. Chinmayee Kamakotika Venkatraman - JR

STROKE OF COLOUR AT HAMPI A literally colourful outcome of Hampi Utsav Hema Koota near the Saraswathi temple, amidst the famed ruins of Hampi, formed the 2016 was the painting of 40 canvases with awe-inspiring backdrop for the three-day camp, different subjects, of which Bharatiya Vidya the un-prescribed theme allowing artists to draw Bhavan’s Bengaluru Kendra too boasted of two from the haunting beauty of the surroundings. well appreciated works.

What got translated on to the canvas of Sri. It was an occasion for the Kendra to feel proud of; Suresh were two nimble figures, Virupaksha @ its Director, Sri. H. N. Suresh, an award-winning Hampi and Gandharva @ Hampi. The paintings artist, was one among the 20 select artists picked encapsulated the presiding deity of the by the Department of Culture and Toursim, Vijayanagara empire, as a reality, and the Government of Karnataka, to participate in the art celestial beings— Gandharvas—as personifying camp at Hampi, as an adjunct to the festival. the beauty of Hampi, inspirationally, and as a conception of beauty.

Virupaksha @ Hampi Acrylic on canvas 3ft x 3ft The painting pays obeisance to the presiding deity of Hampi, Lord Virupaksha, accompanied by the dhyana shloka, “Aangikam Bhuvanam...”, of the Natya Shastra, in praise of Nataraja, the Lord of dance. The work was commissioned for Hampi Utsav, 2016, at Hampi

Gandharva @ Hampi acrylic on canvas 3ft x 3ft The painting depicts flying Gandharvas, besides tracing raga chakra – the assignment of definite times for singing particular ragas in a 24-hour time cycle. Utsav, 2016, at Hampi

The fluidity and exotic beauty of the forms, both in the Virupaksha and Gandharva paintings, was what set apart the art works as classics.

CUTURAL OUTREACH PROGRAMME REPORTS : BVB-INFOSYS FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES : SEP, OCT, 2016.

Sixty six cultural programmes were held in which 661 artistes performed to an audience of about Ghusadi is a traditional dance of the Gond tribal people performed at the time of Deepavali, the biggest festival of The Raj Gonds of Adilbad District.

As harvesting is over and the season is cool, the Gonds, dressed in colourful costumes and decorated with ornaments, go to neighbouring

2000. The events included Gond Ghusadi and Jada Koppu Kolattam folk dances of Telangana, a workshop on Nirmal painting tradition by the Hyderabad Kendra, Jagran Gondol and Kalagi Tura folk dance and music of Maharashtra (Pune Kendra), and Lok Utsav and Baul Mela (Kolkata).

The Jaipur Kendra organized a folk dance recital cum workshop at Bikaner where artistes got an opportunity to learn and perform traditional folk dances of Rajasthan.

ANDHRA PRADESH AND TELENGANA

Telengana folk dance - - Gond Ghusadi by Sri. Bhupati & group, Hyderabad, Oct 15. villages in groups, singing and dancing.

Jada Koppu Kolattam is the name of the alluring dance form practiced by young people. The term Kolattam is derived from kol, which means, a stick, and attam, meaning play. The circular movements are welltimed and Telengana folk dance-Jada Koppu Kolatam by executed, the ropes hanging from Sri. Bhupati & group, Hyderabad, Oct 15. above getting plaited by the dancers in the form of chanthadu.

Nirmal painting, the 400-year-old art of making soft wood toys and paintings, is an attractive handicraft model, the finely carved figures and dainty paintings attracting art lovers. Students of four schools were trained in drawing and painting of Nirmal art. Nirmal painting exhibition & workshop by of Smt. Ramadevi & group, Hyderabad, Oct. 20.

RAJASTHAN

Some traditional folk dances of Rajasthan are losing out to fusion dance, preventing pure traditional dance arts from reaching people.

To promote Rajasthani folk dances, over 30 dancers were identified to participate in the workshop

74 on pure traditional folk dances including Gangaur, Charu, Ghumar, Terahtali and Manjira. KERALA

The rendering of folk songs to the accompaniment of instrumental music by Sri. Adarsh M. R. and troupe, meant the presentation of a fading folk form by artistes from a rural background. The artistes were drawn from the Vaimuzhi Folklore Study Centre, Pathanamthitta.

Pathanamthitta Sep 14.

MAHARASHTRA

Deepshikha by Smt.Anjali Karhadkar & troupe, Pune, Oct 7.

Deepshikha, a musical play on the life of women saints of Maharashtra such as Muktai, Janabai, Girija, Soyara, Nirmala, Vena and Meerabhai, was presented in the form of bhajans, bharud, abhang, fataka, nandi & bhairavi.

The struggle these saints went through was well depicted in the play, and co-related to the problems of women in today’s society.

Natya Nandi Parva, popular songs of musical dramas, also known as Nandi or opening songs along with musical pointers (suchak pade), rendered by Bal Gandharva in plays like Saubhadhra, Swayamvur and Manapman were presented, with the singers draped in traditional costumes. Kalagi Tura (Bhedik Lawani) by Shahir Bharat Bhagawat Thorat and troupe, Pune, Sept 2.

Musical play-Natya Nandi Parva” by Folk music – Jagran Gondal by Shahir Balasaheb Smt. Preethi Gokhale & troupe, Kanhere, Pune, Sept 23. Pune, Oct 21.

WEST BENGAL / AGARTHALA

Lok Utsav and Baul Mela included folk music by 80 artistes, kathak and poetry recitation with instrumental music

Lok Utsav & Baul Mela, folk music, kathak, poetry recitation with instrumental music, Birbhum, Sept 12.

KARNATAKA RAJYOTHSAVA CULTURAL PROGRAMME ON NOV 1

Sri T.S. Nagabharana, noted film director, Dr. B. Jayashree, ex-member of Rajya Sabha, Dr. Vijaya senior journalist, being felicitated. Also seen in the picture are H.N. Suresh, Director, BVB, Rtn. H.R. Ananth, District Governor - Rotary District 3190, Rtn. Ambika K. Narayan, District Director - Club Service

Kuchipudi : Prateeksha Kashi and troupe

Mohiniattam: Rekha Raja, Sindhu Achar, Tejasvini Muralidhar, Angel John, Kamakshi Anantha Subramanya

Dance drama by disciples of Guru B Bhanumathi