“If this is mine(caricature), then I must be really handsome.” these were the words said by P.Chidambaram when he saw his caricature made by Bharat Jagtap from Belgaum.

Bharat Jagtap, born in a family of traders, in a small town of Maharashatra called Barshi, had inclination towards fine art since he was a child. After matriculation he completed five years diploma in commercial art from Abhinav Kala Vidyalay, Pune. With guidance from famous artists like late.J.D. Gondhalekar, Shri. Murali Lahoti, Shri.K.B. Kulkarni, Shri. Subhash Avchat, Bharat emerged a full-fledged expressionist with his very own unique style of rendering illustration. He started his career as an ordinary paster in the pasting department of a newspaper. Later followed his career as a press photographer and finally became an illustrator of the leading Marathi daily, Tarun Bharat, Belgaum.

Bharat is a freelance visual artist. He draws and paints using various media such as pencil, ink pen, sketch pens, crayons, water colors, acrylics, oil paints and of course the digital medium. He also likes to make masks in epoxy medium as a hobby. He specializes himself in caricatures and illustrations.

Bharat has evolved his very own style of caricature and he likes to render my drawings in various styles depending on the application and subject of the illustration. Currently he is also working as an illustrator for a leading Marathi language daily newspaper.

Bharat says, “Caricatures are impressions of your face – they are not portraits. As such their finished work is an interpretation of the image/s supplied and can include exaggerations and other interpretive manipulations.

Caricature A representation, in which the subject’s distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect. This means a caricature is not a portrait, and under some circumstances may have a limited similarity to the original subject. Basically it means your nose may not be proportional because it has been exaggerated, or a forehead might be extra high etc. Certain elements of the face or body may adopt different shapes – this is what caricaturing is all about”.

His caricatures include personalities from different fields, right from politicians to sportsmen and are known for the peculiarities of the features.
Bharat Jagtap further mentioned that he works with different forms and is not restricted to caricatures only. He also does paintings and specializes in masks and murals. He continues to experiment in different media of metals and synthetics. Of a studious nature he loves to experiment with new ideas.

Jagtap has not limited his work to politicians or statesmen alone. His subjects range from cricketers, theatre artistes, film personalities and international figures, with the latest addition being US President Barack Obama.

Bharat further says, “I believe caricaturing is more related to the human mind. Computers are good, indeed, as they have helped many in this field. I associate myself with what comes out of my mind and I use different mediums to sketch,” says Jagtap, who has been awarded the Utkrusht Balvangmai Puraskar – 2009, the Maharashtra state level award.

Legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman has signed on his own caricature. Australian cricketers signatures — Steve Waugh, Gilchrist and Gillispe — grace their cartoons.

“I cherished creating caricatures of Sonia Gandhi and Atal Behari Vajpayee. However, my favourite is the caricature of former President APJ Abdul Kalam,”

Excerpts of a small interview with Mr.Bharat Jagtap.

• • Your parents/ family views on you becoming an illustrator as a career?Bharat ——> My family was involved in fruit and vegetable trading .So no one thought I should be an artist. My interest in art was not much appreciated from the beginning.

    Being an artist was considered as uncertain source of income and was not a good choice for career.

  • Do you remember your first caricature?Bharat ——> Girish Karnad had come to Belgaum around 1999 , and I made my first caricature of his. I am a huge fan of Girish Karnad and was so lucky that i got an opportunity of making a caricature of his.

    When he was on the stage of Kala Mandir. I managed to send his caricature to him through a gate-man, and Girish Karnad liked caricature so much that he asked ” who is Bharat Jagtap’ and asked organisers to call me on stage. In appreciation he gave his autograph on that caricature on the stage itself. This was a big encouragement and was a pack of surprise. Later whenever any celebrity came to Belgaum I made caricatures.

    

  • You now mainly do caricatures digitally how is this experience and how is it different from drawing on paper?Bharat ——> Actually all the caricatures are done on paper. Because most of them are done live and some are from photographs.
  • Is there any person whom you want to caricaturize?Bharat ——> I always enjoyed doing caricature in the presence of the person. right now, i wish to caricaturize Julia Roberts.
  • Do you also teach this art?Bharat ——> I do conduct live shows and demonstrations to promote an interest in caricature. Any caricature necessarily should show the most prominent characteristic of that person and it reflects artist’s perspective. You will see an individuality in every caricature. There are very few caricature artists in India. Most importantly I would like to mention that caricature is not a cartoon. It is a comic portrait of any person.
  • Your future plans?Bharat ——> I am publishing first book on caricatures. This book contains selective caricature of various celebrities i have done. The second volume will be on Bollywood personalities.

    

  • What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?Bharat ——> Nature. Air around Belgaum is very encouraging and energizing. people here are so sweet and compassionate.
  • What are your thoughts on this website?Bharat ——> I came across your web-site because of various important people recommended it. When i saw your web site I liked it very much. This web site informs about Belgaum and people of Belgaum. It always given a good “www” exposure to people from Belgaum

website www.bharatjagtap.com

Belgaum is a land of rich human resources, it is called the Poor mans hill station. People throng this city to get education as far of places like the North east, no need to tell south east Asian countries as well. To cover one more Star of Belgaum who has scaled great heights after he returned from Germany with his parents to make a fresh start here in Belgaum.

Technologist, businessman, consultant, writer, actor, musician, family man, community catalyst… He has many, many descriptions;

I am talking about Atul Chitnis is an Indian consulting technologist known for his work in the fields of data networks, internet and intranets, Linux and Free and Open Source Software and mobile computing in India. He is also the founder of FOSS.IN (formerly Linux Bangalore), one of Asia’s largest FOSS conferences. He is currently on the management board of Geodesic Ltd as Chief Products Officer, where the company’s MD is again a Belgaumite Kiran Kulkarni.

Born in Berlin, Germany in 1962, to his German mother Monika and G G Chitnis, he completed his primary schooling there, before migrating to Belgaum in 1972. He completed his secondary schooling at the Belgaum Military School (1972-78), his PUC from GSS college (1978-81) and graduated in Mechanical engineering from the Gogte Institute of Technology in 1985.

After working for a while in Mumbai, Atul settled down in Bangalore in 1986, where he continues to live with his family.

Atul has worked extensively to promote Linux and Free and Open Source Software. As Consulting Editor for PCQuest from 1996 to 2002, he was responsible for the PCQuest Linux Initiative, a successful effort to introduce FOSS and Linux to readers of the popular magazine.

Working with the FOSS community (most prominently the Bangalore Linux User Group that he had helped create in 1998), seminars and articles, he encouraged people to try out and use FOSS technologies. He also encouraged the FOSS community to participate in large technology events such as Bangalore IT.COM. The exposure from these events gained the community more visibility and credibility in industry and government.

In 2001, Chitnis, along with a group of like-minded friends, created and ran the Linux Bangalore series of FOSS community driven conferences. Now known as FOSS.IN, the conference has become one of Asia’s largest annual FOSS events.

His father G G Chitnis was doing good in Germany but the urge to return to India and get into the manufacture of hydraulics became stronger and stronger, more so with the birth of Atul and Arun, whom their parents wanted to raise in an Indian environment. In 1969, Atul’s father returned to India after almost eighteen years in Europe. In 1972, Atul’s mother, Atul and his brother Arun followed him to settle in India.

After his graduation Atul worked for a while with CompuTact, a Bombay-based firm involved in the development of software for business houses. In late 1986, he moved to Bangalore, and operated as a freelance programmer and consultant until 1989, when he helped found A.R.B.Constellation, a company involved with the development of software for the Indian domestic market.

In the period between 1989 and 1994, he was involved in various projects – including the first communication software developed in India, and was chief programmer for the award winning communications host system – CyberNet.

Today, he specializes in Corporate computing strategies and the identification of appropriate technologies.

Atul married his college sweetheart, Shubha, in 1987, and they have one daughter – Geetanjali.

He enjoys writing a lot, especially “humanized” technology articles that not only describe a concept, but also give it a practical base. His articles have appeared in various publications, including some of India’s leading technology journals such as PC Quest and DataQuest. He is especially known for his articles related to data communication and the Internet, as well as Linux — an Operating System. He is also a much sought-after public speaker. He enjoys stripping technology of its mystique and making it comprehensible to laymen.

He can speak, read and write in English and German, am an amateur musician and am a voracious reader of both printed and online material. He enjoys reading, especially science fiction, which naturally means that Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke rank very high with me.

K. B. Kulkarni ( 1920 – 2007)

Shri K. B. Kulkarni was fondly known as “KB” by all his disciples, near and dear ones. KB was born in 1920 in Belgaum District.

Born on 4 February 1920 in Hindalga, he completed his schooling from Benon smith high school in 1937. He started teaching in St.Pauls High school from 1949.

He was a student of Haldankar’s Art Institute and later became an Art Teacher. He has done Drawing Art Teacher certificate course from Sir J.J. School of Art , 1945. He was also on the Advisory board for Art Education of Karnataka. He was also a member of Karnataka State Lalit Kala Academy.

He was awarded State Award in 1972. KB started an Art Institute called ” Chitramandir” in 1951  at Khade Bazar and conducted regular classes till 1977. He also taught at St.Pauls High school Belgaum.

KB had devoted himself to art and teaching of art and also in painting. A whole generation of artists have been trained and nurtured by him. His own works truly represented his mastery over oil, water colour and nature, as well as human figure. For him art of paintings was a mysterious activity. In his words –“ Though it is often said that art is a visual poetry, I think it is also music, where harmony, balance, rhythm are very important.”

Photo: Santosh Purohit

Shivaputra Siddramayya Komkalimath or known as Kumar Gandharva was a Hindustani classical singer, famous for his unique vocal style, refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana, and his innovative genius. The name Kumar Gandharva is a title given to him when he was a child prodigy; a Gandharva is a musical spirit in Hindu mythology.

He was born in Sulebhavi near Belgaum. He studied music under the well-known Prof B R Deodhar.

He married Bhanumati Kans in April 1947 and moved to Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Soon after moving there, he was stricken with lung cancer which was wrongly diagnosed as tuberculosis. He was forced into having a surgery to remove the cancerous lung or face eventual death by the disease. Kumar opted for the surgery after much persuasion by his family and despite warnings that he might not be able to sing anymore. Recovering from the trauma of a surgery in Khanapur near Belgaum in Kumar Gandharva was visited by a fan who was also a physician. The doctor noted his surgical wounds had healed and asked Kumar Gandharva to attempt singing once again. Gradually, helped by this doctor, medicines of those yesteryears and care from Bhanumati Kans, Kumar Gandharva recovered and began singing again. However, his wonderful voice and singing style would always bear the scars of his surgery, which are evident to any person who listens to his songs such as ‘Runanubandhachya” from the drama “Dev Dina Ghari Dhavla”.

The house of Kumar Gandharva, which could have been developed into a memorial, has now become a restaurant and it is owned by Rudrappa in Sulebhavi. His father, the late Malleshappa Naganur, purchased the house about 50 years ago. Kumar Gandharva kept visiting the village and performed at the annual Sri Laxmi Mahotsava even after he shifted to Dewas.

His last performance was about three decades ago, and thereafter he did not visit the village.

Bhanumati Kans, who was learning music first under Deodhar and later under Kumar Gandharva himself, nursed him through his illness. His first mehfil after recovery from illness took place in 1953. The illness greatly affected Kumar’s singing in later years – he was to be known for powerful short phrases and his very high voice. He may not have reached the same heights of popularity as contemporaries like Bhimsen Joshi, but he always enjoyed the love and support of dedicated and connoisseur enthusiasts. His singing was also true to the Indian classical music tradition of dialogue with the listeners, of impromptu creation and interactivity. Kumar Gandharva was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award in 1990.

Kumar Gandhrav died on January 12, 1992 (aged 67) at Dewas.

Life of man is a pre-destined path, rightly designed by the supreme power. He firmly believed in this. Since childhood he had a dream of becoming a stage singer. And yes, at this stage of his life he Says, yes! Mission accomplished! He is Nandan G Herlekar of Belgaum.

The beginning:

Nandan still remembers the day when he sang for the first time in front of many people. He was a small boy of eight years and sang a patriotic song in a remote village in Nanded district of Maharashtra on the republic day. It was appreciated by one and all and was very halcyon and on the wings of ecstasy. From that day his desire to sing grew and he was in search of occasions to sing. He anxiously took part in the musical activities in the school and then in high school. Fortunately some staff members of the high school were musically talented and they encouraged Nandan to sing and act on the stage on every occasion. He learnt a lot from one Shahir Bilgoji. They went to many villages to sing Powadas, Lawnis and other folk songs. During those years they staged a musical drama (Waga-Natya) “Pudhari Pahije” written by Pu. La. Deshapande. Nandan sang all the songs in the drama though they belonged to different roles.

Nandan’s college days were also wonderful. Prof. Arvind Yalgi, a very cultured man was the principal and he directed the same Waga Natya in college. Prof. Page, a Sanskrit scholar was the next principal. He sang “Geet Ramayan” beautifully. He encouraged Nandan a lot. He was very happy when he accompanied him on harmonium. They both used to sing on every occasion in college and also in private ‘mehfils’.

Shri Nandan Herlekar

Along with music, he began his career as a sub-editor in ‘Belgav-Varta’ and then became an assistant reporter for Belgaum for newly started edition of ‘Sakal’s Kolhapur edition. It was a nice experience in writing columns and music reviews. He has also written hundreds of reviews and articles on music in ‘Tarun Bharat’.
Nandan was a student of Pt. Nehru Vidyalaya of Shahapur-Belgaum during 1970-73 (SSLC in 1973)
PUC in Govt. Chintamanrao Jr. College in 1974-76, B.A. in RPD College during 1976-79.
Nandan has passed ‘Gayan Kala Visharad’ exam from Bharat Gayan Samaj, Pune in 1983 and passed ‘Sangeet Vidvat’ with first rank in Karnatak state in 1984. At the same time he completed M. A. in History and Archeology. This made him a qualified for teaching music. During this period, he composed dance dramas on various topics and presented them with help of Mrs. Sandhya Hosmani, a leading Bharatnatya exponent.

He began teaching music to Bhajan groups and took some of them to AIR Panaji for broadcast. This was the time when he founded his music class in 1982 and began teaching vocal music and instruments like Tabla and harmonium. Eventually his institution became an examination centre of A. B. Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya of Mumbai.

In 1983 he accepted a job as a music teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force Station, Sambra. In the span of almost twenty seven years in K. V., he has enjoyed his job with hundreds of his own compositions, skits, poems, group songs, dance dramas and many other genres. Heepresented Bangalore region with twenty five students to Indore in 1990 and to Assam in 1998 for Cultural Exchange Programmes. He also had an opportunity to be a resource person for the in-service courses for music teachers for three times so far. He also has been a facilitator for oracle’s Thinkquest.org to teach the teachers to use websites for teaching music.

Nandan always think of composing new ‘Bandishis’, Taranas, Dhrupads, Dhamars and Chaturangs for the aspirants of classical music. He has written three books on music – 1: The Beginners’ Book On Hindustani Music 1998, 2: Revised Edition of the same in 2005 and 3: Tabla-Principle and Art. The books are popular among the music lovers of the country and also in music institutions in the U.K. and the U.S.A.

A small interview With Mr.Nandan Herlekar:

Tell us more about your initial training in music?

Nandan —–>In childhood my talent was tapped by my elder brother and sisters, who were good in singing. We belong to a heritage of traditional musicians. My great grandfather Pandit Damodarbuva Deulkar was a Dhrupad singer, a Pakhawaj player and a staunch devotee of Sant Manik Prabhu of Humnabad. He spent his whole life at his lotus feet. His son Vishubuva continued the tradition and I, as a child saw him chanting the ‘Gurumantra’ of Manik Prabhu and ‘Parans’ of Pakhawaj at an equal pace.

My father Govindrao Herlekar was a true lover of music. He took us to concerts where we enjoyed from the core of heart. He inherited the ‘Seva’ of music department at the Darbar of Maniknagar and we children were fortunate to listen to the great musicians of that time. Being Bapurao’s children (as he was popularly called!), we were treated with special attention by all at Maniknagar. The musical treat we received every year during Datta Jayanti festival of six days had been wonderful in our lives. I am immensely benefited by the music I listened there and have stuffed it in the inner part of my heart.

It was here that I met my first Guru in Tabla late Pt. Suryakant Gokhle, a talented Shishya of the great Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa. In presence of my father he taught me the first lesson at Maniknagar in 1973. Back in Belgaum I continued the ‘Riyaz’ and visited often Guruji’s house in Pune.

During that time I began taking lessons in vocal music from Pt. Sangameshwar Gurav in Vadgaon. After he went to Dharwad as a professor of music in Karnatak University, I was again in search of a Guru and I met Pt. Mrutyunjayabuva Puranikmath. Due to old age Buva was reluctant to accept anyone as a Shishya, but I was adamant and eager to learn from him. After a struggle of six months I could win his heart and he began to teach me. From 1979 to till his demise in 2002 he taught not only music, but the way of life.

Tell us more about your group during the Emergency days Madhav Vrunda?

Nandan —–>During emergency we formed a group called ‘Madhav Vrunda’ to spread the message of patriotism among the youth. Our group consisted of singers, orators, musicians and mimicry artists. Some names among them are Kishor Kakde, Avinash Vengurlekar, Dilip Deshpande, Bhalchandra Kalled, Ranvindra Karekar, Datta Jayade and many others. It was at this stage of life I began to compose music to the poems I liked. It was my duty to teach those songs to others and set music with musicians. I still wonder how I could compose hundreds of songs at that tender age. I have been doing the same till today with equal zeal.

How do you break the barrier of non-support from media to Indian Classical music?

Nandan —–> Let there be any support or not,I have been working in the field, many times swam across, followed the line of Rabindra Nath Tagore-”Ekla Chalo Re”. “Non-Support” is not at all a barrier to me.

Do you think electronic music instruments affect natural music?

Nandan —–>It is the person behind the instrument who is important. Electronic instruments are very smart. One must make proper use of them – artistically and yes, with brains! I puzzle myself by the use of them. I do not categorize music into natural and otherwise.

What would be you advice to the young aspirants who plan to take up misuc?
Nandan —–>“Go ahead, see, learn and conquer”. Music is unfathomable.

Can you tell something about Nandan Herlekar that the world doesn’t know?
Nandan —–> I do not think world is interested in me otherwise of music. Yes, they do not know that I am a history-lover. I traveled a lot on bicycle for the historical places.

Has being in Belgaum helped you in your musical career or do you think otherwise?
Nandan —–>Belgaum has made me whatever I am. Though the sphere is limited, I have done a lot (This is strictly confidential) musically and have done whatever has not been done by anyone earlier. So I am happy with my town.

What is that you wish Belgaum had for music lovers like you?
Nandan —–> Since earlier days, Belgaum is a heaven for music lovers. Music toppers lived in Belgaum. The “Samskara” done by the stalwarts have proved to be useful. The greats in the field made their Shishyas worthy of something. With the help of modern amenities and techniques, today’s artistes are achieving without much struggle. It is a very good thing. We, the old timers are happy about it, but sometimes are sad of lack of enthusiasm among the youngsters.

What is the best thing about Belgaum you like?
Nandan —–> “North-South, East-West” My Belgaum is the best! After you return from any place to Belgaum during summer, the so called “hot” Belgaum feels “cold”. YES! THAT IS BELGAUM!!!

What are your thoughts on this website?
Nandan —–> I liked the caption! ALL ABOUT BELGAUM! I think any topic, any subject or anything that connects with Belgaum is about this website. You and your friends (whoever has inspired you to begin it) are worthy to be appreciated a lot for this modern day necessity!
THANKS!

Dr R.H. Patil, is a sharp, honest and extremely low-profile, and could harness the best ideas from a young and dedicated team and push for appropriate regulation to implement them. He was a rare individual who turned down the offer to be Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), although the government was willing to change the rule to give him a term beyond 62 years. Dr RH Patil is the moving force behind the success of National Stock Exchange who, unknown to many, repeated his success in the government securities market.

Dr. R H Patil was born in a small village called Nandgad, about 32 kms from Belgaum (Khanapur Taluk). His father was a landlord. He completed his matriculation from the Mahatma Gandhi High school Nandgad and then went to study at Karnataka College in Dharwad between 1955 and 1957. He then got bored with Dharwad and shifted to Pune’s Fergusson College. He had scored well in SSC. Everybody said he should go in for medicine or engineering, but he wanted to be different. He thought medicine meant cutting bodies and, being a vegetarian, that didn’t appeal. Engineering meant working in a factory or field sites he didn’t want that either. At the pre-graduate level, he opted for economics, which he liked very much and chose sociology as his second subject. After graduating, he wanted to join the best school in economics, which was the Bombay School of Economics those days. That is how he landed in Mumbai.

Dr. R. H. Patil is presently Chairman of Clearing Corporation of India Ltd. and was ex-Managing Director of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE).Dr. Patil has been associated closely, during his career, with the financial sector in various capacities, particularly with the Capital Market. He has also been associated with various Expert Committees including High Powered Committee on Stock Exchange Reforms, Committee on Secondary Market for Debentures and Committee on Trading in PSU Bonds and Units of Mutual Funds. He has been associated with establishment of National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), Stock Holding Corporation of India Ltd. (SHCIL) and Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE). Currently, he is also Chairman of Disinvestment Commission and Local Advisory Board of BNP-Paribas and Director on the Board of 7 companies, including National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), National Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd. (NSCCL), National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) and Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. (CARE). He has worked with Faculty of Post-Graduate Dept. of Economics, University of Mumbai, Reserve Bank of India, Economic Dept. and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) as Sr. Executive Director in charge of Loan Operations and Treasury functions.

That is the kind of person Dr Patil is – unassuming but fiercely competitive; intensely focused on the cause of the institution he works for; remarkably entrepreneurial but totally ethical; an institution-builder but only of the public-service variety. He belongs to a rare category – serial institutional-entrepreneur.

Dr.Patil is a true example of what one can achieve in life. Coming from a small village of Nandgad to setting up of NSE he dreamt big and hence achieved his goals in life. He is simple down to earth person in life. We still wonder why he hasn’t been awarded the Padma awards still. A selfless person dedicated to work all time around.

Team AAB salutes Dr.R H Patil and his vision of NSE which has transformed securities trading in the country.

Gopal Ganesh Chitnis also known as German Chitnis was born on the 16th of December, 1928 in Tadsinhal, a small village in the Chandgad District of Maharashtra.

Very early in his life, he showed signs of the drive and determination that would become his trademark characteristic. In an era when any form of education was deemed as optional, he fought the odds that were against him and completed his primary and secondary education.

In 1948 he decided that there was more to learn, and decided to join the College of Engineering in Pune, which he did despite all the odds of a poor village boy ever doing so. In 1952, he successfully completed his course in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

At this point, he set himself another challenge – to continue his education in London and to gain work experience there. With the help of a loan of Rs.200 from Shri Baburao Pusalkar, he set On the 4th of September 1952, this village boy landed in London, where he proceeded to work and study, eventually earning his Higher National Certificate from the Hendon Technical College in 1955.

Thereafter, he joined AEG Germany as a Trainee Engineer, rising to be a Project Engineer in the newly formed Rourkela Cell at AEG.

In 1957, he left AEG to start his own import/Export and Consultancy business, focusing on the Oil Hydraulic line. As a side business, he decided to enter the tape-recorder business, and at the age of thirty became the youngest tape-recorder manufacturer in the world.

In 1959, he met his benefactor Baburao Pusalkar again in Germany, and arranged a collaboration with Vogel & Co. for him, for the manufacture of hydraulic presses – the first of its kind in India.

In 1961 he married Monika Barthel, his erstwhile secretary. A German by birth, she was the ideal partner in his career, and has stood by him through thick and thin ever since.

Through the 60′s, he continued his businesses, focusing more and more on the import and export of engineering goods. But the urge to return to India and get into the manufacture of hydraulics became stronger and stronger, more so with the birth of his two sons, whom he wanted to raise in an Indian environment. In 1969, he returned to India after almost eighteen years in Europe. In 1972, his wife and sons followed him to settle in India.

In 1970, he established his first unit – Standard Hydraulic (India) – in Belgaum. This firm was followed by more and more such units – each one focusing on a particular field in oil hydraulics, such as Hydrokraft for presses, Hyguri Hydraulik for hydraulic motors, Chitnis Machine tools for hydraulic application machinery.

His hydraulic pumps, valves, presses and other hydraulic machinery can be found all over India and across the world. His constant innovations and design improvements gave rise to hydraulic equipment his customers swear by. And his vast knowledge in the field made him a much sought-after consultant in the field of hydraulics.

The Government of India recognized his efforts by awarding him the much coveted Udyog Patra, considered to be the “Industrial Nobel Prize” in India.

Mr.Chitnis traveled often. Not content sitting on his laurels, he could be found wherever the action was – just like that boy back in the 1930′s in the small village of Tadsinhal – the little boy who stood up and said: “I can!”.

He spent his later years in retirement, often spending time in the villages that he grew up in, only to emerge with new ideas that he was always keen to discuss with people who wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Mr.Chitnis passed away on April 6th, 2009, leaving behind a rich legacy of industrial development and advancement that he could rightfully claim credit to.

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.

award winning photo

You can see his photos here.

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.

Ambulance, Hospital Fowler Beds, Water Beds, Paved Walkways & Landscaping, Additional Bore-well.

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:

KARUNALAYA

3, Independence Road, Camp

Belgaum, Karnataka 590 001.

Karunalaya Address:

KARUNALAYA

Navage Village

Belgaum, Karnataka 590 001

http://karunalaya.org

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.

Articles written by her on Belgaum:

Politicians should leave Belgaum alone

Source: THE PAULITE LINK No. 5, Dec. 2010

By Niranjan S. Patil

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!