Belgaumite Niranjan Sant recently won a special mention award for his photo Chameleon walk from the RBS-Santuary Asia magazine Sanctuary-RBS wildlife awards 2009.
Niranjan Sant is a great nature lover and one of India’s most admired wildlife photographers. He makes time from his busy work schedule to visit all corners of India to photograph birds and nature – but his first love would appear to be Belgaum in coastal Karnataka where he spends most of his time. Niranjan has co-authored books and articles on our birds.
Karunalaya is a Home for the dying, destitute, poor and abandoned of the city of Belgaum and its surrounding areas. It is run and managed by members of the LEOMEL Society for care of the dying and destitute who provide selfless service to the residents of the Home. It was founded by Mrs. Anita Rodricks, retired teacher of St. Paul’s High School, Belgaum. By establishing this Home, she and the society members hope to reach out in love and service to the poorest of the poor to care, support and assist the dying, destitute and abandoned who have no one to look after them.
Most of the residents of the Home are suffering. Some residents are partially paralyzed, some are deaf & dumb, some get epileptic fits, some suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure and a few are mentally ill. Karunalaya is not an old age home. It is specifically meant for the dying, destitute and poor who are abandoned and have no one to look after them. It caters to everyone regardless of race, creed, religion or sex, subject to the availability and admission criteria of the Home. Mrs. Anita Rodricks, the founder of Karunalaya, resides in the Home and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Home. The Home solely depends on the generosity and kindness of the general public.
Karunalaya welcomes with open arms those who are poor, dying, destitute or abandoned and have no friends or family to look after them.
Karunalaya is a home that provides the residents, who are poor, destitute and abandoned, a roof over their heads to sleep, simple food for daily nourishment and medical assistance for their illnesses.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Mrs. Anita Rodricks, husband passed away early and that left Mrs.Anita devastated. Her brothers and sister were always with her but she still something was missing in her life. In an effort to fill the heart-broken emptiness she tried to search opportunities. At this time she was also a mother of three and raising them and educating them she still had an urge to work for the poor.
Teacher Anita as she was called in St. Pauls High School, took and eary retirement for the cause of the poor. She was very impressed with Sneha Sadan, Hubli, run by Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. She got a chance to work for the dying, destitute, terminally ill and poor. The selflessness and generosity of the Sisters of Mother Teresa inspired her to do something similar for our city of Belgaum.
Inmates of Karunalaya
By establishing Karunalaya, which means a Home of Compassion and Love, She envisioned a Home providing physical nourishment, emotional support, medical assistance, and care to the dying, destitute, abandoned and poor. Mrs.Anita could not do this all alone, hence she sought help of her best friends especially Fr. Victor D’Cruz and Ms. Mariamma Nygam who supported her on every step and to setup The LEOMEL Society for Care of the Dying and the Destitute.
Volunteer feeding an Inmate
The Society is a group of my closest friends and relatives who extend their dedicated and selfless service to the residents of the Home, without whose help and support Karunalaya would not be where it is today.
Karunalaya has come across many deserving cases. Paralytics lying on the roadside and starved destitute dying on the foot path. Some residents were poor and had no one to look after them who were in urgent need of medical attention. Some residents who came to us were mentally challenged incapable of looking after themselves and had no one to look after them. Some residents who suffer from medical conditions, including epilepsy. Some are very tragic cases where residents were abandoned by their very own children and asked to leave the house. The one inmate who was admitted which is in our minds is who could not speak, read or write, Karunalaya had no choice but to give him a name.
Karunalaya is built on a piece of land measuring about 2 acres (approx. 8100 sq. meters) in the village of Navage on the outskirts of the city of Belgaum. Construction began in September 2004 and was completed in January 2005. It was designed and fully supervised by one of Belgaum’s leading Structural Engineers and Architect, Mr. Vijay Moogi, a society member.
The first phase of Karunalaya was officially inaugurated on 4th January 2005 and included a large Dormitory, Kitchen & Dining Hall, Toilets, Bathing rooms and Staff accommodation. There was no electricity and getting water was a major problem. Despite many hardships and difficulties, on 19th February 2005, the birth anniversary of her late husband, Melwin Rodricks, she decided to go and live in the Home with her first two residents – Maruti Uchukar and Arjun Ramling. Since there was no electric supply in the Home, she bought a diesel Generator on an installment basis at the cost of Rs. 58,000/- Due to the high cost of operation, the generator was sparingly used for only one hour a day. For drinking water Mrs.Anita used to get it from her home in camp.
The second expansion phase of Karunalaya was inaugurated on 21st January 2007 and added a new block that included another large Dormitory with attached Toilets and Bathing rooms, increasing the residential capacity of the Home. The new Dormitory was named Conrad House and assigned to the male residents. The existing Dormitory was named Melani House and assigned to the female residents. The Kitchen & Dining Hall was named Natasha Refectory.
Mrs.Anita dressing an inmate
A second bore-well was dug which now provides sufficient water for the Home and residents. However, the water supply is not sufficient for landscaping the property and water for a vegetable garden that is being planned, to help keep the residents of the Home occupied.
The third phase of Karunalaya was inaugurated on December 26, 2009. This phase consisted of a Multi-purpose Hall on the lower level and two Guest Rooms on the upper level.
How can one help
Karunalaya solely depends on the support and generosity of people like you. Below is a list of our current needs that will help residents tremendously.
The Home solely depends on the generosity and kindness of the general public. The LEOMEL Society encourages people to reach out to us so that we may be able to reach out to the dying, destitute, poor and abandoned residents in our Home. There are many ways you can contribute to Karunalaya –it does not have to be monetary.
You can DONATE:
FRUITS & VEGETABLES for the residents of the Home
FOOD rations that can be cooked for the residents**
HOUSEHOLD GOODS & FURNITURE that can be useful for the Home
CLOTHING for the residents
MEDICINES & MEDICAL SUPPLIES that can be used for the residents
Your PROFESSIONAL SERVICES for the use of the Home
Your TIME to volunteer at the Home
If you have any questions please call Mrs. Anitat+91-94489-41633. info@karunalaya.org
CHEQUE or DEMAND DRAFT (INDIAN RUPEE ONLY)can be sent to:
Mrs.Anita Says ”I feel blessed and would like to acknowledge with gratitude the tremendous help and support of all those generous people who have come forward to enable us achieve the aims and objectives of our Society. I pray that God give us all the strength and willingness to continue what we are doing and take our Home to even greater heights.”
Shobha Gurtu has a voice that pleads, cajoles, entices, prays and finally drowns you in a sea of emotion. An individual of extraordinary versatility, this doyen of Thumri singing who belongs to an artistic family with a long history from Goa, is the undisputed queen of her genre today. She must have inherited some of her enviable talent including her expressiveness and histrionic capabilities from her mother, who , we are told was one of the most sought after dancers and singers of her time. Apparently Manekabai Shirodkar, the mother, taught her daughter every nuance of singing. The little girl, Shobha, was encouraged to sing at religious festivals and soon her talent came to be reckoned with by all.
She was born Bhanumati Shirodkar in Belgaum on February 8, 1925 and was initially trained by her mother, Menakabai Shirodkar, a noted dancer schooled in the Atrauli Jaipur `gayaki` of Ustad Alladiya Khan. She married Vishwanath Gurtu, and took the name Shobha Gurtu. Her father in law, ‘Pandit Narayan Nath Gurtu’, was a highly placed officer in Belgaum Police, scholar and a sitar player
Shobha continued her musical education with ustads of the eminence of Nathan Khan in classical singing and Ghamman Khan in light classical and popular music. She was particularly influenced by singer Begum Akhtar and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
The grand dame of Thumri was thoroughly steeped in pure Classical Music. But she was better known for her light Classical Music. Shobha Gurtu was considered to be in a class by herself not merely because of the unique qualities of her warm and sensuous voice that blended strength with suppleness and vigour with grace. It was equally much the unique combination of talent and soul that she brought to bear on her music. She rendered with equal ease, everything from thumri, dadra, hori, kajri and chaiti to ghazal, bhajan and Marathi Natya Sangeet, with all regional and stylistic variations blended subtly.
A popular broadcaster and television artiste, she regularly featured in major musical events held all over the country. She had also created the musical scores for several Marathi and Hindi movies and had also lent her voice to the silver screen.
In 1989 she received the Sangeet Natak Academy award. She also got the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar, Shahu Maharaj Puraskar and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. In 2002, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan.
After reigning over Hindustani classical music genre, for five decades, as the Queen of Thumri, Shobha Gurtu died on 27 September 2004, and was survived by her two sons.
In 1987, she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and later awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Puraskar, Shahu Maharaj Puraskar and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. In 2002, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan.
Another reason to be proud that we are from Belgaum.
Thanks Rajendra Pai.
Sucheta Dalal has been a business journalist of high professional repute for the last two decades having worked in Business Standard, The Economic Times and as the Financial Editor of the Times of India. She is not afraid about taking on the big guns. A great example for young journalists!
Ms Sucheta Dalal is an award-winning business journalist and author and her career is founded on many newsbreaks, insightful analysis and high integrity. She has been a journalist for 25 years and was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri for journalism in 2006 and Femina’s Woman of Substance award for her work on the Harshad Mehta scam in 1992 and related writing.
Sucheta did her schooling from St Joseph’s convent school for 3 years and later pre university from RLS College. Her parents stayed in Belgaum for many years until they sold their house in Belgaum after 1996.
She did her BSc. in Statistics from Karnatak College Dharwad, followed up with a graduate and post graduate degree in law (LLB and LLM) from Bombay University. Her journalistic career began in 1984 with Fortune India, an investment magazine. She has subsequently worked with Business Standard and The Economic Times and then went on to become Financial Editor of The Times of India. She has been a columnist and consulting editor for The Indian Express group until 2008. She is now a Consulting Editor for MoneyLIFE a personal finance fortnightly (www.moneylife.in). Her columns are also published by various publications including the Dainik Hindustan.
Sucheta’s areas of interest are the capital market, investor related issues, consumer issues and the infrastructure sector. She is well-known for her numerous investigative pieces in all these areas and most notably for breaking the securities scam in 1992 which was India’s biggest financial scandal until then.
She has co-authored a book on the securities scam with her husband Debashis Basu called The Scam: Who Won, Who lost, who got away (1993). This book, which was a best seller that year, has been revised, updated and re-released in 2001 and again in 2005 (It is now called The Scam: From Harshad Mehta to Ketan Parekh). In March 2000, she wrote a biography of A.D.Shroff, who was considered a financial genius in the 1950s. (Published by Viking books of Penguin). Pathbreakers — a book of 26 inspiring interviews with eminent Indians — by Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu was also released in July 2007.
Ms Dalal takes active interest in consumer and investor related issues. She has been a Member of the Investor Protection and Education Fund set up by the Government of India under the Department of Company Affairs and a member of the Primary Market Advisory Committee of the Securities and Exchange Board of India. She is a Trustee of the Consumer Education and Research Centre of Ahmedabad, which is among the largest consumer and investor advocacy groups in India. She is also a Member of Bank of Baroda’s Standing Committee on consumer services and on the board of Credibility Alliance, which is a consortium of voluntary organisations committed towards enhancing accountability and transparency in the voluntary sector through good governance.
Raja Lakhamgauda’s son Basavaprabhu had no son, so he adopted Bharamagauda (my elder brother) as his heir in 1944, and changed his name to Lakhamgauda Basavaprabhu Sirdesai. On Basavaprabhu’s death in 1948 Lakhamgauda Basavaprabhu Sirdesai inherited the estate. My grandfather, Balasaheb Alagauda Patil, familiarly known as Annasaheb, was Raja Lakhamgauda’s brother, whose son Shankargauda Patil was our father. I am proud and privileged to have this man as my granduncle.
To recall the greatness of the man, one incident when I must have been around 6 comes vividly to mind. We were all at home when suddenly Rajasaheb walked in and said, “Come, let us go to Vantmuri.” His main object was to thank Prabhudev for all the good things he had in life and the good he was able to do. We bundled into the car which was big enough to carry all of us and here I was kneeling (!) next to the driver wanting to look at and listen to the conversation behind. Rajasaheb was very quiet on the way and as we approached the causeway, my father asked the driver to slow down. There was excitement among the villagers as they saw the car approaching and in the commotion, the darwan was summoned to break the seal on the door meant for entry on ceremonial occasions to enable our entry. Although our visit was sudden and unexpected, the villagers had changed into their ceremonial dress and thronged the palace to acknowledge Rajasaheb’s presence. Such was the love and regard that the villagers had for my granduncle.
Below I give a life sketch of this great man who was my granduncle, as published by the K.L.E. Socierty. Students of Lingaraj College may know about him. Authority, wealth and grandeur are the privileges enjoyed by a king. However, by sacrificing these, he chose to serve his subjects, protect the culture and strove to develop his country by devoting his life to these causes. Such men are one in a million!
Vantmuri Palace (no more today)
Even Ashoka, Akbar, Vikramaditya and Krishnadevaraya, although great kings, never donated their empire for the upliftment of their subjects and development of society as did the Lingaraja dynasty. Among these samsthans, Vantmuri in Belgaum District is the hamlet that was ruled by Raja Lakhamagauda who followed this noble way of Lingaraja. Let us go back to the 15th Century in the era of the Vijayanagar Empire when the Adilshahi dynasty ruled Bijapur. During this period Prabhu Basavantrao had built a wada at Vantmuri. Raja Lakhamagauda was the 16th ruler of this samsthan, when he ascended the gadi in 1877, at the age of 13.
The great sages of Nidadoshi, Konnur and Ankalgi visited his samsthan and purified this land. Although this samsthan had a secure palace, it did not believe in keeping an armed force to protect it. Social awareness and spirituality were the ideology of this kingdom.
Raja Lakhamagauda was born on 29th July 1864 in Ammanagi village. His first name was Appasaheb and his primary education was in a Marathi school in Ammanagi. The secondary education was done partly in Kolhapur where most of the princely students studied. From Kolhapur he continued his studies in Sardar High School, Belgaum. Here, Mr.E. H. Hoogwerf, the headmaster gave special attention to Lakhamagauda. In 1882 he passed his Matriculation from Bombay University. While studying in Kolhapur, in 1880, he married Parvatidevi, the daughter of Kalyanshetty of Gokak. On July 29, 1884, he was invested with power by the British government. In 1884, his wife gave birth to a son, who was named Basavaprabhu.
Back: V.L. Desai, Great Grand Son, Front: L to R, Myself, Rajasaheb, Elder Brother, Bharamgauda, my sister Parubai
Lakhamagauda was a king who lived without greed or lust. He studied law and medicine and decided to go to England for a law degree. He left for England in 1886 and was called to the Inner Temple Bar Association of legal luminaries. Here, he deepened his knowledge and heightened his compassion for humanity. The archeological splendor and natural beauty of England mesmerized him. After being called to the bar, he visited America on his way back to India. There, he saw their educational system, industry, and Art, Science & Cultural Institutes and noted its racial population. On returning o India in 1888, he was appointed first-class Judge of Vantmuri by the British Government. Highly qualified, Lakhamagauda managed his wada efficiently and renovated his palace. In the month of Shravan, he conducted Shivpuja Purana for Hindus and also celebrated Muslim festivals thus paving the way to secularism. Whenever disputes arose which could not be solved by law, he exercised moral guidelines to settle them.
Public works such as Pasi Pool Bridge over the river Ghataprabha, the road from Hattarki to
Pachapur, construction of a Guest House, Medical Shop and Primary School were taken up at his own cost for the betterment of society. During this time, the Lingayat Education Association
of the Veerashaiva community in Dharwad provided hostel facilities with boarding for their students. Raja Lakhamgouda donated Rs. 55,000 to this association in 1901. He reiterated his ideology that “Organisation is bigger than men, Society is bigger than association and Nation is bigger than society.” Social unity, including vision, value and health, the importance of the Lingayat community and its benefits to society were some of the issues of the Veerashaiva Mahasabha held in 1904 at Dharwad. This meeting was presided over by Lingaraja of Sirsangi. At this meeting Raja Lakhamgauda spoke on “Social Development” and urged the community to unearth the lost volumes of literature and study them. He presided over the Veerashaiva Mahasabha of Bagalkhot in 1904, emphasizing religious development, social awareness and spread of education in his speech. He also emphasized ways and means to improve the agricultural sector, urging the removal of inequality in society while living in unity with compassion.
Family Group: Sitting (L to R) 1. Mrs. Neelubai Shivgauda Patil of Hargapur and her son. 2. Mrs. Lakshmibai Desai of Bhadagaon (Grand daughter of Rajasaheb) and Parvatibai, daughter of Shankargauda B. Patil (my sister), Ammanigi, 3. Rajasaheb. 4. Mrs. Tarabai Sir Desai of Vantmuri, daugter-in-law of Rajasaheb and Niranjana (myself) son of Shankagauda B. Patil of Ammanigi. 5. Mrs. Sushilabai Shankargauda Patil of Ammanigi. Standing: (L to R) 1. Bharamgauda Shankargauda Patil of Ammanigi. 2. Srimant Basawaprabhu Lakhamgauda Sir Desai of Vantmuri O.B.E. (Rajasaheb Son.) 3. Sri Shankargauda Patil of Ammanigi (Rajasaheb’s Nephew.) 4. Srimant V. Desai of Bhadagaon (Rajasaheb’s great grandson).
In 1908, the sage Shri Kumaraswamy of Hanagalwas responsible for building the Shivayoga Temple which became known as Veerashaiva University, where he started spiritual education and social service. Raja Lakhamagauda helped this sage with generous donations. His social service and the work of electrification of this complex was recognized by the British Government and he was appointed as a Member of the Legislative Council of the Bombay Presidency for three successive terms, during the tenures of two successive Governors of Bombay Presidency.
In 1917, the Karnataka Lingayat Education Centre was started by Mr. Rudragowda of Aratala, joined by Mr. Sakhare and Mr. Mamadapur. When they visited Raja Lakhamagauda and explained their activities and plans, he donated Rs. 20,000 to the Trust. They named the Belgaum Science College after him. He also donated generously to various institutions such as the Deccan Education Society, Willingdon College Sangli, Lady Irwin College Delhi, Hostel of Free Scholarship Home Kolhapur, Belgaum Public Library and various educational institutions in Belgaum.
His beloved wife Parvati Devi expired in 1917 after a prolonged illness. Despite this sorrow, he involved himself in social service. He devoted his time entirely to the upliftment of humanity. He helped the poor and needy and became their savior. To help medical service to the poor, he donated generously to several hospitals such as the Belgaum Ayurveda College, Miraj Mission Hospital, Ghataprabha Arogyadhama and the TB Eradication Centre of the Belgaum Civil Hospital.
The British Government recognized his service towards the community and education and in 1919 conferred the order of Companion of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) and in 1930 his title as rajah was conferred. He worked towards the publication of several books on Veerashaiva culture sponsored by the Lingayat Education Association of Dharwad. He was also the leading donor towards the construction of the office building of the Karnataka Lingayat Education Society in Belgaum.
When Rao Bahadur Aratala Rudragowda stepped down as President of the KLE Society due to advancing age, Raja Lakhamagauda became the President considering his being an able lawyer, administrator an industrious social worker. In 1929, the Dharwad High School was renamed Raja Lakhamgauda Sardesai High School. In 1922 the school grew into a Degree College and Raja Lakhamgauda donated 1 lakh towards this cause. This college was named after the great donor Lingaraja and in 1944 it’s science stream was named Raja Lakhamgauda Science Institute.
Some prominent people of this area thought there was a need for a Law College and approached Raja Lakhamgauda with this proposal. Being the only barrister in this region, he gladly donated 1 lakh to the proposed Karnataka Law Society. As a token of respect, the college was named Lakhamgauda Law College. Further, he donated generously to the Karnataka College at Dharwad, right from its inception by Aratala Rudragauda. Raja Lakhamgauda worked for the development of Education for all castes and creeds, not just the Lingayats, and donated generously for their upliftment. He was a visionary and knew that all his moral and material help was for a noble cause and would bear fruit.
Being a ruler of a princely state, he was responsible for the well-being of his subjects. He mingled freely with hem and participated in their joys and sorrows. Thus, he was loved by one and all. He used to conduct cultural programs, and gave priority to health, sports and cultural activities. He showed how important and necessary these were to society and made “Kreeda Bhawan” and “Social Club” grow rapidly by leaps and bounds in Belgaum. In commemoration, Kreeda Bhawan was named after Raja Lakhamgauda. Though he was a ruler, he did not have any ego or pride and always expressed his love and compassion for the people. He aligned himself with the British Government for the benefit of society. Although he adopted British discipline, tolerance and obedience, he never distanced himself from Indian culture.
All his services to humanity prompted the socialites to organize a felicitation ceremony in which several leaders praised and blessed him. Raja Lakhamgauda was mesmerized by the love and affection bestowed on him by these patrons. He wrote a speech for the occasion, which was read by his son Basavaprabhu. He played down himself and his deeds and said that his donations to various institutions were not important but the noble utilization of them through the selfless service by these institutions was praiseworthy. He said, “I am simply a treasurer indebted to society and just return money which belongs to them.” He believed that service to mankind was the supreme service. He devoted half his lifetime for social service and empowerment through education. In a way, men such as he are the true preachers of socialism and spirituality by actual practice. At the age of 80, he expired in 1942. In 1944, the Governor of Bombay Presidency, Sir John Colville, visited Vantmuri to unveil a bust of Raja Lakhamgauda.
Note: The palace of Vantmuri was submerged in 1978/79 when a dam was built downstream at
Hidkal. Today its remains surface at the peak of summer and the surrounding villagers visit the
Prabhu Dev Temple at Sidlal, which has somehow survived even under water!
Nesargi a small village in Bailahongal taluk, 40 kms from Belgaumis no different from any other village in the vicinity. Fields, farmers working, cows, buffaloes grazing around and in the middle of all this you will find a group of 40 odd students who normally work when the village sleeps as power is available in the night designing CHIPS.
Yes CHIPS, not the potato ones but Integrated Chips used in mobile phones and other electronic gadgets. Amazed at this fact. The chips are being designed at the Karmic Training Centre (KTC) started by Dr.Shivaling S. Mahant-Shetti who has experience of 27 years in chip designing in Texas instruments USA.
All the students at the KTC are SSLC passed and who could not take up further education even though they were good at studies securing above 70% in academics. A majority of them are rural disadvantaged families of coolies etc.
The person behind setting up this Karmic Training Centre is Dr S S Mahant-Shetti. He holds 67 patents to his name and an experience of over 25 years in chip design.
Dr S S Mahant-Shetti from Bailhongal, with rich experience in research laboratories of Texas Instruments and in TestChip Technologies conducts the course and manages the Design Centre activities.
He founded Karnataka Microelectronic Design Centre Pvt Ltd (KARMIC) in Manipal which has 250 engineers designing chips. He has emerged as a team with in-depth acumen in Memory, High Performance Digital, Analog, RF and Mixed Signal domains. A unique feature of the Design Centre is that its members are drawn exclusively from KarMic Training Centre Pvt. Ltd., after a year of postgraduate training emphasizing strong team spirit as well as practical aspects of IC design.
Dr. Mahant-Shetti received the B. Tech (Hons) in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, in 1972. He earned Sc.M and Ph.D. degrees from Electrical Sciences from Brown University in 1975 and 1977 respectively. He worked in Astro-Med Division of Atlan Tol Industries, Warwick, RI. For five years. He joined the research laboratories at Texas Instruments, Dallas and worked for 16 years. He started the LinAsic design centre in Texas Instruments India, Bangalore in 1988-89, the first commercial chip design activity in India. Chip designing was not done those days. He learnt it the hard way. He did his schooling from Belgaum Military school.
Some of Mahant-Shetty’s Key Technical Contributions:
Long Range Opportunity -Silicon Transform Cameras, SPICE Model Verification for digital circuits, Definition of 0.6µm and 0.5µm technologies, Automatic testchip design, Several significant chip designs. As part of TestChip Technologies/Covalar, he started Karnataka Microelectronic (KarMic) Training / Design Centres in Manipal, Karnataka, India in 1999. KarMic is involved in Analog, mixed signal designs and boasts 98.2% retention.
Dr. Mahant-Shetty returned to Belgaum in 1999 and had to fulfill his social obligation. After following a lot of reconnaissance around, he set up a company in Manipal, where engineering graduates work on IT, KARMIC.
Shetty moved back to Nesargi two years back and started KTC.
The trainees at KTC Nesargi are taught same fundamentals taught to MTech students. Professionals teach them both in the classroom and computer labs. Special classes for English are the first so that they can easily read books and understand. In Nesargi the power availability in the night is more hence one can see these trainees working for a longer time in the night than in the day.
This is a great example of an out of a box thinking and also love for social obligation and repaying back to the society. Big books & people mention about corporate social responsibility but people like Dr. Mahant-Shetty need to be encouraged to carry their work ahead.
Dr Indira Hinduja has created what perhaps is the biggest gift for childless couples — India’s first test-tube baby, Harsha Chevda. What she started in 1988, has led today to a plethora of invitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics across Mumbai. But Dr Indira Hinduja, who first made it all happen, has rightfully earned herself a place in Indian medical history. Most cannot forget that sense of wonder when they heard about the birth of Harsha. For Dr Hinduja, it was a culmination of a three-year-long painstaking research in IVF and embryo transfer. Dr Hinduja has successfully delivered more than 1244 test-tube babies in India.
Dr.Indira Hinduja was born at Shikarpur, (Pakistan) and during the Partition, her family migrated to Mumbai. Indira was only a few months old then.
After living in Belgaum for some years, they moved back to Mumbai in 1963. And ever since, it’s been her home. She studied in Mahila Vidyalaya Belgaum and stayed near Kelkar bag (this is from sources). During her childhood she was unsure of what she wanted to do. She decided to take up medicine when she was in high school. Earlier, she wanted to be a musician. Medicine was decision that came after much thought.
Dr Indira Hinduja is an MD in Gynecology and Obstetrics and she was awarded a Ph D degree for her thesis entitled Human In vitro Fertilisation and Embryo Transfer from Bombay University when she was a full-time practicing obstetrician and gynecologist on the clinical faculty of the Seth G.S. Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. This significant contribution lies in combining her basic successful surgical skills with those of experimental embryology, endocrinology and cell biology, which led to the first ever, scientifically documented ‘test-tube baby’ in the country on August 6, 1986. This creditable achievement was the result of the collaborated efforts of the KEM Hospital and Institute for Research in Reproduction (ICMR).
She is also credited for developing an acolyte donation technique for menopausal and premature ovarian failure patients, giving the country’s first baby out of this technique on January 24, 1991.
For her outstanding performances, she has been felicitated on many occasions. She is the recipient of many awards— Young Indian Award (1987), Outstanding Lady Citizen of Maharashtra State Jaycee Award (1987), Bharat Nirman Award for Talented Ladies (1994), International Women’s Day Award by the mayor of Mumbai (1995; 2000), Lifetime Achievement Award by Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India (1999) and Dhanvantari Award by the governor of Maharashtra (2000) are a few.
Mr. B.N. Kalyani is an Ex-student of King George School- Belgaum, Roll No. 789 and studied during the period 1958 to 1964.
Baba N. Kalyani is Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd., India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of automotive components to global industry. Mr. Kalyani is a Mechanical Engineer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston from where he graduated in 1972. The U.S. $1.5 billion group of companies that Mr. Kalyani heads is engaged in manufacture of automotive components, especially steels and specialty chemicals.
Bharat Forge Ltd. is a global company with manufacturing facilities in India, Germany and USA. The company is aspiring for global leadership in its business. It supplies critical automotive engine and chassis components to virtually every global automotive manufacturer in the world. Mr. Kalyani has spearheaded Bharat Forge’s strategies that have resulted in it becoming one of India’s first global automotive component manufacturing companies.
Another person, who makes us proud that his roots are connected to Belgaum.
The Kirloskar saga began in 1888 when Laxmanrao Kirloskar set up a small bicycle repair shop (now near the Shreekrishna theatre on Kirloskar road) at Belgaum and later Laxmanrao and his brothers set up a model industrial colony called ‘Kirloskravadi’ India’s first industrial township. In January 1910 when the Kirloskar were being ousted from Belgaum to make room for a new suburb, they found themselves in dire need of a place to live and work and hence the birth of Kirloskravadi.
Laxmanrao Kirloskar, founder of the Kirloskar Industries was born on 20th June, 1869, in a small village, Gurlahosur in Belgaum District. He started his life as a school teacher and later on, opened a cycle repair shop in Belgaum. But his ambition and mission could not be satisfied by a small workshop at Belgaum.
Kirloskar road was named after him as there was his Cycle repair shop near the present Reliance Web world (earlier Shree krishna theatre. Noty able to know what was that road named earlier)
When the Municipality of Belgaum ordered Kirloskar to vacate their place, Laxmanrao Kirloskar could not find a suitable place for his workshop. But thanks to the timely help of the Ruler of Aundh who offered him a place arranging loan of ten thousand rupees, he started his factory in an arid waste land by the side of a renowned railway station, named Kundal Road. The factory later blossomed into famous Kirloskar Industries and the station came to be called Kirloskarvadi.
Laxmanrao Kirloskar set foot on 32 acres of barren land strewn with cacti and infested with cobras. Driven by his faith in human ability, Laxmanrao banded together 25 workers and their families and succeeded in transforming the barren expanse into his dream village. Ramuanna, Laxmanrao’s brother, planned and administered the township, Shamburao Jambhekar doubled as engineer and all-round healing man, K.K.Kulkarni, an unsuccessful student, became a manager, treasurer and odd jobs man, Mangeshrao Rege was the clerk and chief accountant, Anantrao Phalnikar, a school drop-out flowered into an imaginative engineer. Such was Laxmanrao’s faith in the human being that, Tukaram Ramoshi and Pirya Mang, both convicted dacoits, became the trusted guards of Kirloskarvadi! Superstitious farmers were extremely hard to convince and Laxmanrao Kirloskar took two years to sell his first iron ploughs.
About Laxmanrao Kashinath Kirloskar:
Laxmanrao Kirloskar
Laxmanrao Kashinath Kirloskar (1869-1956) was an Indian businessman. He was the founder of the Kirloskar Group.In 1888, he set up his first venture – a small bicycle repair shop at Belgaum. Strongly believing that agricultural implements must fit the milieu they are used in, he manufactured iron ploughs, the first Kirloskar products.
He had read about industrial townships in Europe and America where the owners of industries had built communities for the employees. His dream was to build his own industry and community for his employees; he realized this dream with Kirloskarwadi, a place where he started the Kirloskar Brothers Limited factory in 1910.
A man who believed that an understanding of one’s environment and reality was essential to the manufacture of path-breaking industrial implements. From this steadfast belief was born the iron plough, the first Kirloskar product. Originally intended as an essential aid to agriculture, the plough soon became an icon of reform and revolution. Shri Laxmanrao Kirloskar was not only an industrialist but also a great social reformer. When blind orthodoxy was rampant in rural area, he advocated the removal of untouchability. He banned untouchability in the township that he had established at Kirloskarvadi. He believed in social reform and trusted in the goodness of man. He employed ex-convicts as night watchman.
Shantanurao Kirloskar, the eldest son of the founder travelled to Pune to initiate a new aspect of the group’s activities – diesel engines. His experience of trying to secure the land for his factory in Pune was quite different from his father’s in Kirloskarvadi. There was no benevolent ruler here to bestow acres gratis. Shantanurao had to face the tangle of red tape and public resistance to acquisition of land for industrial purposes.
Finally, after arguing that factories have a longer life than human beings Shantanurao Kirloskar won a place for Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. (KOEL), twelve months after signing an agreement of collaboration with Associated British Oil Engines Export Ltd. of UK.
This collaboration, incidentally, was the first of its kind between an Indian and a foreign company, and signified a bridging of the technological gap between east and west. The KOEL factory was incorporated in 1946, and soon after that gave India her first vertical high-speed engine.
Today Kirloskar brothers are a 1.20 billion US Dollars engineering conglomerate driving critical industries. They are century old pioneers in areas of specialization like power, construction and mining, agriculture, industry and transport, oil and gas and environment protection with a range of world-class industrial products and turnkey services.
They are made up of 8 major group companies, each led by the best engineering and managerial talent in India. In addition to engineering, they have interests in civic utility systems and in Information Technology and communication.
The Kirloskar Saga began from Belgaum and if in 1910 Laxmanrao had not been ousted from Belgaum may be Belgaum would have been a different place.
Dr. Neeta Baporikar holds a Doctorate in Management from University of Pune, Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Distinction) and Law (Hons.) degree. With more than two and half decades of experience in industry, consultancy, training, research and academics – both at national and international level, she is also an Accredited Management Teacher (AIMA), Qualified Trainer (ISTD) and PhD-Guide, Faculty of Management, University of Pune where more than 5 research scholars are presently pursuing their doctoral studies in management under her guidance. She is also on Advisory Board, Member of Academics and Selection Committee in accredited B-Schools.
Is it something special? Yes, since she thought ahead of her times and pursued a career on unbeaten track. Doing MBA in early 1980’s when very few (even men) did and pursuing a career in management and attaining a ‘PhD in Management’ is certainly commendable! In fact many of her teachers say she may be the first ‘Doctorate in Management’, from Belgaum.
Dr. Neeta Baporikar (Neeta Deshpande) did her schooling from St. Joseph’s Convent Camp (1975-76) and graduated from Gogte College of Commerce in (1980-81).
Currently, she is on an international academic assignment. Earlier to this she is been a Professor – Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship in IIIT and BITS India. Dr. Baporikar has been a Principal Consultant in Pune and Delhi, Trainer for Bhutan German Seed Project Officials, Bhutan and National Insurance Academy, Pune. Prior to her entry into research and academics, her industrial experience for nearly a decade has been with Kirloskar Group, Finolex Group and Maschinenfabrik Polygraph Ltd.
Dr.Baporikar is a prolific writer and her area of research and interest is Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management Education. Widely traveled both across India and abroad, she has presented her work at Japan, Singapore, Bangkok, Oman etc. A reviewer for international journals, she has to her credit more than 30 research papers, and authored multi-disciplinary books in the area of Management and Strategy which are widely read and recommended by leading universities/institutes in India.
Dr Neeta Baporikar has been recently honoured with “Doctor of Science in Management Studies” by the International University of Contemporary Studies, USA in March 2009 and Listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, 2010.
Excerpts of the interview with Dr. Neeta Baporikar:
Who or what inspired you to do doctorate in Management?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> I come from a very humble family – my father was an agriculturist with land and no money – what one can say today “With assets but no liquidity”. Being the youngest of six children, in spite of being good in studies – I could not opt for science stream due to cost factor. I also felt that if my father had managed his lands well, we could have had better life. These thoughts kindled in me a desire to think about management and probably sowed the seeds for pursuing/studying Management.
On the other hand, my mother was a very well read lady. She always inspired me to do well in studies. I had promised my mother that whatever line I choose to study, I would acquire the highest level of education – pursuing doctorate in management, hence, in a way was a promise to be kept. So, the source of inspiration was both – circumstances and my mother.
2.Today youngsters think if he/she is a MBA he has achieved much in life. Your thoughts.
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Any education by itself cannot be an achievement – so is MBA though it is glamorous and more commercial. What is more important, I feel is whether one is able to imbibe and shoulder the responsibilities which come with professional education – especially degrees like MBA!
3.Some memorable moment or experience when you have traveled for lectures etc.
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> My professional journey of nearly 25 years, has given me many memorable moments/experiences. I will share just two of them because they made me feel not only good but also humble.
The first one was when I was teaching in Bangalore somewhere in 1997. I was called by a publisher and asked as to why I have not yet written a book in the area of management when students are asking for a book written by me! I really felt good but it made me humble to think that my students felt that I was capable to write a book!
Second incident is about three years old; I was invited in one of the Universities in Belgaum to conduct a workshop for MBA students. Being a professional first and a teacher latter, I strongly believe in punctuality. I was to start the session at 9.30 am. I reached the Campus at 9.00 am and checked in with the reception. Some students came along and started talking and when I realized that it was getting late, I asked them where the session was arranged – they led me to the hall and I began my session at sharp 9.30 am. After about 10-15 minutes the concerned officials came in to begin the workshop in a formal manner and were shocked to see that all the 150 students were already engrossed in the session!
So I was welcomed and introduced in the mid of a session!
4.Did being from a small town of Belgaum anyway hinder your career?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Not really – in fact small town values namely, hard work, sincerity, urge, honesty and non-ego approach help, I think to do well in any career.
5.You are a management guru who’s yours?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> It is difficult to name any one in particular – but I did take my lessons from – Jhansi Rani Laxmibai from History, Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from Politics and Father of Management -Thinker and Writer Peter Drucker from Management Science – incidentally I share my birthday 19th November with all three of them!
Others to name would be my teachers, V. Ramdas, Dean MBA and Late. P. S. Palande – Ex Commissioner of Pune and my doctoral guide.
6.Belgaum has so many management colleges have you come here anytime as a guest lecture or do you plan to?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Not really except once as mentioned. However, I do have plans to be associated with setting up a good management institute in Belgaum if right opportunity comes along in future. In this way, I hope to give back something to my birthplace. Let us see.
7.Tell us something about your books?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Basically my books are professional and can be classified as reference or text depending upon the level of studies/course. They can also be used as handbooks.
My first book “Entrepreneurship and Small Industry” 2002, now in its revised form “Entrepreneurship Development and Project Management” 2007, can be very handy for any one who wants to start their own enterprises or ventures.
Case Method – Cases in Management first published in 2002 is the first of its kind to bring both disciplines – education and management on one platform. Case method as a teaching pedagogy from Harvard on one hand and cases from all areas of management is the coverage. This is tool for the new faculty entrants in management education. The second revised edition has been published in 2008.
Global Strategic Management is more of Post Graduate Reference Book for Strategy Specialization Studies.
Management Education – Challenges Ahead is exactly what the title says in the light of proliferation of B-Schools all over the country – it is about Quantity vs. Quality of management graduates.
Others titles in the offing are Fundamentals of Pursuing Higher Degrees (PhD) and How to Educate Oneself Better?
8.Management education challenges ahead- some tips for under grads and PG’s pursuing management currently.
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> A teacher’s job is to inspire, model, promote, and develop… to do anything else, is to be irrelevant. My tips for the future management graduates is “Build Winning Business Attitudes” and the guidelines given 100 years ago to build this attitude still hold good. They are simple, but one needs to practice.
Make the best of circumstances. No one has everything, and everyone has for something of sorrow.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Don’t let criticism worry you–you can’t please everyone.
Don’t let your neighbors set your standards. Be yourself.
Do things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
Don’t borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than actual ones.
Don’t hold postmortems or spend time brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
Don’t be the one who never gets over things.
Keep busy at something. A very busy person never has time to be unhappy.
Students with the following characteristics build winning attitudes:
·Plan makers
·Information users
·Opportunity seekers
·Risk takers
·People helpers
·Organization builders
·Enthusiastic learners
9.Your future plans?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Work on improving management education – especially in smaller places and continue with RESEARCH, travelling/exploring, writing and publishing.
10.How often do you come to Belgaum?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Depends, but I try to visit at least once in 2 years.
11.What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar -> Weather – Camp Area and of course the school friends who are settled there!
12.What are your thoughts on this website?
Dr. Neeta Baporikar –> Impressed! Good pioneering efforts – because of which Belgaum and Belgaumites will get truly recognized – that is long overdue for a truly Cosmo City! Maybe small in size – but then “small is beautiful”, so is Belgaum indeed! Best Wishes!
Dr.Sudhanshu Kulkarni and his son Sarang are on a mission exploring and infusing divinity in harmonium with the ultimate objective of elevating this reed instrument with western origin in use as an accompanying instrument to the level of solo playing. Both have performed solo and jugalbandi as well.
Dr.Sudhanshu Kulkarni:
Of late, there is a paradigm shift in Hindustani Instrumental music wherein even folk instruments like Santoor have found place in classical music and recognized for solo performances which would not have been possible without a dedicated and committed approach. What one needs is to infuse divinity, similar to a sculptor who chisels off the unwanted to create beautiful and divine structures that are held in highest reverence. It is characteristically distinct approach to harmonium playing which position Sudhanshu on a different and worthy footing.
Dr.Sudhanshu along with Pt.Bhimsen joshi
A commerce graduate and diploma holder in personal management, Sudhanshu took to music when he was ten years old with initial inspiration coming from a latent musical environment at home. He was identified as a child prodigy mix-way through his training in fundamentals of classical music including vocal and tabla under late Appasaheb Laxman Sakhalkar. Six years later, he went into the tutelage of Pt.Rambhau K.Bijapure one of the noteworthy harmonium maestros of the time and a great ‘guru’ under whose able guidance Sudhanshu’s musical personality was molded.
Having graduated the degree of Sangeet Alankar & Masters degree in Music from Shvaji University, Kolhapur, Sudhanshu is the first in country to obtain Doctorate in Music (Sangeet Pravin) from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Mumbai in solo harmonium under the guidance of Pt.Narayanrao V.Patwardhan of Vadodra.
He also holds Sangeet Vidwat awarded by Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board besides the title of Surmani conferred upon him in the prestigious Kal-Ke Kalakar Sammelan organised by Sur-Singar Sansad of Mumbai in 1983. Presently, a B-high grade harmonium artist of AIR, has performed in many prestigious music festivals and conferences like Sawai gandharva Punytithi Mahotsav at Kudgol, Swami Haridas Sammelan (Mumbai),Maharshtra Sangeet Sammelan (Goa). He accompanied great stalwarts like Late Dr.Gangubai Hangal in India, Holland, England and India festival in Germany; Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, Late Pt.Kumar Gandharva ,Late Pt.K.G.Ginde, Pt.Prabhakar Karekar, Dr.Prabha Atre, Smt.Malini Rajurkar, Begum Parween Sultana, Smt.Padma Talwalkar, Smt.Veena Sahasrabudhye (International Vocal festival in Sweeden in 1994, U.S.A. and Canada in 1996), Ubhaygaan Vidushi Dr.Shyamala Bhave and a lot of other luminaries of Hindustani music.
His natural inclination to render solo harmonium inspired him to ensure recognition to solo harmonium playing from authoritative institutions like AIR & Doordarshan, connoisseurs and Critics. Despite certain limitations in harmonium, it is easy to play but difficult to render in individual capacity at advance level, but through a dedicated approach and back breaking riyaz under the able taleem from his guru, his creative instinct got shaped into a highly distinguished musical repertoire, so much that he has carved a niche for himself as an eminent harmonium player and stands tall along with other renowned contemporaries. In his sincere urge to reach higher levels of musical excellence and create a new genre of harmonium players, he founded Surel Sanvadini, Sanvardhan and running Academy of Music with present student strength of about 100.
With his fingers highly affectionate to the keys, his harmonics traverse through a gentle repertoire of Kirana Gharana where both musical melody and abstract personification of the spirit of raga finds stately statement in the emergence of true shades of swears and establishment of the raga in its sublime ambience coalescing both the performer as well as the listener towards a meditatively musical experience the ultimate objective of music. Hs fluency in classical music comes through a deep involvement and understanding of both physics and philosophy of raga as well as the instrument when he is with the instrument; the reeds get poetic, statement with a degree of musical sense and his entire faculties cascade into a true musical melody. His experimentation to reduce the bulk of the present conventional harmonium and using diatonic mode is a matter of convenience as it provides versatility
Sarang Kulkarni:
Sarang son of Dr.Sudhanshu Kulkarni is a prominent face of the new generation of classical musicians. Like father, Sarang is a child prodigy and has gained immense knowledge from his father from age of four.
Sarang is masters in Management and holds a degree of Sangeet Visharad from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal, Mumbai and presently is perusing M.A. in Harmonium at Shivaji University, Kolhapur. Sarang has won various Government of India scholarships and various awards at this young age.
He has performed solo harmonium programmes at several places like Dadar Matung Cultural Center Mumbai, Dasara Mahotsava Mysore, Pallavotsava Mysore, Das Naik memorial trust, Calicut, Pt. Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha Bangalore, Yuva-Chetana Mahotsav Koppal, Savai Gandharva Punyatithi Mahotsava Kundagol, Akhil Bhatratiya Gandharva Mahvidyalay Mandal conference at Belgaum, Karkal Sangeet Sabha Karkal and in many other cities like Goa, Kolhapur, Thiruvananthapuram, Dharwad, Hubli,Bhairav-Kalyan Utsav, Mangalore etc.
Sarang has also composed music under the genre classical and fusion in the name K.Sarang.
Sarang also plays classical music on keyboard. He is a specialist in quality harmonium manufacturing and tuning and runs his own harmonium- manufacturing unit under the name ‘Sarang Musicals’ in Belgaum and ‘Jayrang Musicals’ House’ in Panaji Goa.
Questions:
1. You got yourself groomed by Pt.Rambhau Bijapure some experiences with the great master?
Kulkarni –> As a Guru he is the best. Especially his way of teaching is ultimate. He has a tremendous experience in molding the student. He is not merely a guru but a friend, philosopher and guide. He has molded me as per my nature of fingers. I can proudly say that whatever I have achieved so far in Music field is because of him only.
2.Has being in Belgaum helped you in your musical career or do you think otherwise?
Kulkarni –> I could have done a lot more music activities if I had not settled in Belgaum.
3.What are your thoughts on the young generation being taken away with rock and pop?
Kulkarni –> “Duniya Zukati Hai Zukane Wala Chahiye” this is the tendency of young generation. The youngsters are not yet understood the supremacy of our music and culture. I think it’s the globalization effect.
4.Your thoughts on the upcoming talent in Belgaum how can one groom oneself being here.
Kulkarni –> Belgaum has very rich tradition of upcoming talents but there is not a single institution like SRA (Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata). Belgaum talent has very limited scope to make career in music.
5.What is that you wish Belgaum had for music lovers like you?
Kulkarni –> I wish Belgaum had a nice auditorium only for music, dance and drama purpose.
6.Tell us more about your music school.
Kulkarni –> This year is a Silver Jubilee Year of our Institute. Established in 1984 with blessings of Pt.R.K.Bijapure the institute imparts training in gurukul style in various field of music like harmonium, vocal, tabala, Keyboard, Guitar & Vance under the able guidance of Dr.Sudhanshu Kulkarni, Mrs.Rohini Kulkarni, Mr.Sarang Kulkarni, Mr.Dayanand Kamat, Mr.Victor Francis, Miss.Swanandi Kulkarni and Mr.Aditya Paranjape.
The academy trains aspiring artistes for the junior and senior grades, besides the ‘Sangeet Alankar’ (Gandharva Mahavidyalala Mandal, Mumbai equivalent of M.A.) In harmonium, vocal and tabla. The academy also organizes monthly programmes of instruments and vocal besides special programmes on the eve of Krishna Janmashtami, Basant Panchami &guru poornima & lectures & workshops for students on special occasions. The institute has its own auditorium with capacity of 200 people and own sound system. The academy also organizes programmes of various established and upcoming artists.
7.Was Sarang’s entry into music natural or you really wanted him to be one?
Kulkarni –> Yes it was a natural entry.
8.You and Sarang have performed many jugalbandi’s but is there any jugalbandi on a personal level as well, does the generation gap come in between.
Kulkarni –> Generation Gap is playing its role and I appreciate if those are good even though I can’t do it. Hehas a good potentiality in marketing our music (Especially Harmonium solo)
9.You tour so much which is your favorite place and why?
Kulkarni –> Paris, because the Harmonium was founded in Paris and it has very great cultural heritage.
10.Your future plans?
Kulkarni –> My sole and the only motto in life is to promote Harmonium as a Solo instrument that too in our Style (Bijapure Gharana)
11.Some memorable moment or experience when on tour or performing?
Kulkarni –> I have traveled and I still travel with great stalwarts in India and abroad so each and every programme with those artistes is a great experience for me.
12.What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?
Kulkarni –> Belgaum has a rich cultural heritage. Many great stalwarts in music field have a close relation with Belgaum. Rather I would say Belgaum has given many artistes to Music field.
13.What are your thoughts on this website?
Kulkarni –> It’s the only website to take Belgaum artistes to Global platform. My best wishes to AllAboutbelgaum. Cheers
Pt. R. K. Bijapure, an octogenarian, who is also popularly known as Shri. Rambhau
Pandit R K Bijapure
Bijapure, hardly needs any introduction in the music circle. Over the past six decades he has been an extensively famous persona among the music lovers all over India. As an outstanding solo performer, as an accomplished accompanist, as a versatile teacher, as a good music director, as a great institution builder and above all as a humanitarian Pt. Bijapure is a towering multi-dimensional celebrity. At 93 he still is charming as ever.
Education & career:
Born in 1917 at Kagwad (Belgaum district, Karnataka state) Pt. Bijapure developed inclination towards music due to his father late Shri. Kallopant Bijapure, a dramatist and a composer. His compositions were played on harmonium / organ and presented on the stage by another famous harmonium player late Shri. Annigeri Mallayya. As a child Shri.Rambhau was fascinated by the melodies of harmonium and showed a lot of interest in learning the art of harmonium playing. Shri.Annigeri Mallayya took the young Rambhau under his wings and taught him the basics of harmonium playing. Keen to learn further, Pt. Bijapure took advanced training in harmonium from Pt. Rajwade, Shri.Govindrao Gaikwad and Pt. Hanmantrao Walwekar of Dharwad. But for some voice problem Pt. Bijapure would have become a great vocalist as his wish was to become the one. However, this did not deter him from taking lessons in vocal music from stalwarts like Pt. Ramkrishnabua Vaze, Pt. Shivrambua Vaze, Pt. Kagalkarbua, and Pt. Utturkarbua. In fact, systematic training in vocal music helped him in developing his own style of ‘gayaki ang’ in playing harmonium solo.
Pt. Bijapure is a Sangeet Visharad (Vocal) and Sangeet Alankar (Harmonium) both, conferred upon him by Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He has also to his credit a shikshak sanad. In his long music career he has worked as a music teacher in Belgaum, as music director and Harmonium accompanist in Shri.Venkobrao Shirahatti’s drama company, as a harmonium accompanist in HMV, as an examiner for Akhila Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya- Mumbai, and the examinations conducted by the Government of Karnataka.
Performances:
After deciding to take-up harmonium as sadhana of his life, Pt.Bijapure never looked back.
With firm determination, continuous riyaz and profound thinking about the technique and presentation of harmonium playing (solo as well as accompaniment) Pt. Bijapure developed his own inimitable style. His solo performance is marked by clear, smooth and unbroken flow of swaras in all the octaves and at different layaas, control over the air-flow (bhaata) and its apt use to express the bhavas in the exposure of a raga. Pt. Bijapure’s solo performances are real treat for the rasikas as they include all the major forms of classical music namely – Vilambit khyals, drut bandishes, light classical compositions, natya-geets and the like. – All played with equal ease, and eloquence. He has rendered his solo performances in all major music centers of the country including Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolhapur, Hubli, Dharwad and on AIR. During the Festival of Russia in India, a Russian delegation was mesmerized after listening to Panditji’s solo. They specially recorded on the video his swift finger movements on harmonium keyboard.
As an accompanist he is undisputedly second to none. He has developed a unique style of accompaniment by showing his identity while complementing the main artistes and using the pauses available in between to add charm to the concert. Building a continuous rapport with the audience is another feature of his presentation. In his music career so far, he has accompanied almost all the leading vocalists of major Gharanas of Hindustani classical music. Illustratively,
Pt.D.V.Paluskar, Pt.Utturkarbua, Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Dr.Gangubai
Hangal, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Basavraj Rajguru, Pt. Mallikarjun Mansoor, Pt. Kumar Gandharva, Smt. Manik Verma, Smt. Kishori Amonkar, Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Dr. Prabha Atre etc.
Building an Institution:
Pt. Bijapure has painstakingly collected a large repertoire of Hindustani music including a wide range of cheezes, bandishes and compositions from his Gurus. He is too generous to distribute this invaluable wealth among the desired and deserved ones. Towards this end he started “Shri Ram Sangeet Mahavidyalaya” in 1938. Over the last six decades he developed the institute single handedly without any aid from the Government or private bodies. More than 10,000 students have gained under his tutelage. ‘Sir’, as Panditji is lovingly called by his students, is very compassionate towards poor, handicapped and helpless students. He teaches such students free of cost.
Today many of his students have established their names in the field of music. Dr.Sudhanshu Kulkarni – Sangeet Praveen (equivalent of doctorate in music conferred by Gandharva Sangeet Mahavidyalaya), Shri. Ravindra Mane – Sangeet Alankar, Shri. Ravindra Katoti – Sangeet Alankar, Smt. Kunda Welling – Vocalist AIR Mumbai, Shri. Shridhar Kulkarni – Surmani, Smt.
Chitnis are among the several students of Pt. Bijapure who are committed to carry forward the legacy of their revered Guru to the next generations.
Awards & Recognition:
Recognizing Pt. Bijapure’s achievements, innumerable felicitations, several awards and titles have come his way. Major among them are: “Karnataka Kala Tilak” Puraskar conferred by
Sangeet Nritya Academy in the year 1985, “Nadashree” Puraskar given by Hindustani Sangeet
Kalakar Mandali, Bangalore in the year 1992, “Sangatkar Puraskar” conferred by Gandharva
Mahavidyalaya, Pune in the year 1999, “Rajya Sangeet Vidvan” at the Dasara festival held in Mysore in the year 2001. On 25th July 2003, he was awarded the prestigious “T.Chowdaiah
Prashasti” instituted in memory of Violin Maestro Shri.T.Chowdaiah, by the Government of Karnataka at the hands of honourable Chief Minister. Akhil Bharateeya Gandharva Mahavidyalay Mandal conferred upon him the title “Mahamahopadhyay” in the year 2006. Lahari Recording Company, Bangalore has published two of his CDs, featuring his classical solo performances. Leading Kannada writer Shri.Shirish Joshi recently published his autobiography in Kannada titled ‘Swarayana’.
Even at the age of 91, this Maha Meru of Samvadini is very busy with his performances, music classes, entertaining unending stream of visitors and artistes at his residence “Ram Niwas”.
Belgaumite Niranjan Sant recently won a special mention award for his photo Chameleon walk from the RBS-Santuary Asia magazine Sanctuary-RBS wildlife awards 2009. 
Loading ...
