Vol.LXV No. 12 December 2018

Sunday 9� 5.30 to 7.30 p.m. The Saraswathi Mahila Samaj celebrates Children's Day and Samaj Day

Wednesday 12 6.30 p.m. Sarvajanik Satyanarayana Pooja at Canara Union

Saturday 15� 6.00 p.m. Study Circle: DISCOVER ROBOTICS by KIDDYPI and team

Sunday 16 � 5.30 p.m. Sapthak music programme: Sangeet Sandhya

Tuesday 25 10.00 a.m. Canara Union Annual Sports begin. Details to all members via email

QUILLING (coasters, clock, jewellery) by KALPANA KUMBLEArtwork courtesy ANAND M BALSAVAR

Programmes for the Month Of December 2018

My wife Usha and I have been discussing some people’s use of a language they do not know well, in this case English. English is of course the language of opportunity for many, they desperately want to use it. Mobile phones also compel people to manage in English. I have requested Usha to present this first part in her words.

Look at these samples of WhatsApp texts we got from three people. The spelling, punctuation etc have been kept as received.

Our helper SHANTA:Hello Madam, due to emergency, I am traveling to native. I would not able to come tomorrow. Sorry inconvinence. The PHYSIOTHERAPIST:• I will try to be on time Mam. I only have reached Bangalore.• Sorry I can’t reschedule. I have anther appointment.

SHRUTI, a young student:Thank you so much mam for a nice clothes for me [three smileys here] I will ware on my birthday [four smileys] We put these texts together and looked at them. Prakash felt that if we could understand the messages, if the meaning was perfectly clear, that was enough. This was true in all three texts.

I (Usha) agreed that clarity of meaning was the most important. In other situations, grammar, punctuation etc are equally important, but here errors didn’t matter at all! The thing is that for these three people struggling to communicate in English, the meaning was perfectly clear. Yet language, in any situation, is also about courtesy, empathy, respect-giving, expressing concern. It’s about softening something that may be unpleasant news.

Look at Shanta. There are errors in her grammar, spelling and usage (‘due to emergency’, ‘my native’). But we had no problem with her message because of the last part—'Sorry inconvinence’. She apologises and therefore softens the irritation one might feel. Shruti uses emoticons to make up for her lack of English and to express her joy. Such courtesy is absent in the physiotherapist’s texts. He doesn’t mean to be rude, but if only he had added something. This blah-blah, these extra bits, are important—apologising, explaining, lightening, suggesting alternatives… You don’t need great English for that, just the right attitude. I thought this was interesting and wanted to share it.

Back to me. Looking back, this has been a year full of events. Our Study Circle programmes held every month have become very popular with unique and varied topics; the classical music concerts thanks to Sursagar and Sapthak have always been welcome; the Golden Jubilee Table Tennis Tournament created unprecedented enthusiasm; The flood relief team work on the collection of medicines, clothes and other essentials to the victims of Kerala and Kodagu will never be forgotten, and last but not the least, the Karnad Drama Festival has created history among theatre lovers of Bangalore! The recent Diwali Mela, which needed a lot of organising, went well. We need, though, to now focus again on the project for the new building—an effort that has been taken up by past Presidents, their support committees and so many others. We need to bring many people’s dreams to reality. The project needs our single-minded attention, perhaps even at the cost of reducing other activities and tightening our belts. Many people need to work in many directions. I hope we can press on with everyone’s support.

I wish us all a good 2019!

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GARAGE SALE – POSTPONED from December 2018 to January 2019

TH thThe eagerly awaited GARAGE SALE has been postponed to 12 and 13 January, 2019. We will be collecting the following items:

Ø clothes and linen (must be washed and ironed) Ø vessels crockery cutlery� � � � � Ø toysØ electrical and electronic items� � � � Ø bags footwear (all in good condition)� � � Ø furniture

Kindly note we will not be accepting books, cassettes, CDs and innerwear.

Please do give us empty cartons, (non-plastic) carry bags and packing material (crockery & curios). These will be of great help.

thDate for collection: 15 December onwards at the Canara Union.Timings: 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

We badly need volunteers for the collection and on the days of the sale and request you to contact Meera Philar 9844022713, Jyothi Haldipur 9886059623, Anuja Mudur 9980402654 and the Canara Union Office 23342625.

PS: Please do let everyone-friends, neighbours, helpers at home…know about the Garage sale. In the past, home-helpers and support staff have found many items affordable and have greatly appreciated the sale.

STUDY CIRCLE SESSION, 15 DECEMBER 2018

“DISCOVER ROBOTICS”An introduction to a vision of engaging and igniting children's minds

through smart, fun and friendly hands-on education

by KIDDYPI and TEAM comprising Bhoopalan Y, Bhanumathy and othersThis session is mainly designed for children and youngsters in the age-group of 5 to 18 years.

Parents may join us too. Any senior members who are interested are welcome as well. Saturday 15 December 2018, 6.00 p.m.

The Canara Union Mini Hall, MalleswaramCoffee will be served at 5:30 p.m. ALL ARE WELCOME

CHILDREN'S DAY and SAMAJ DAY, 9 DECEMBER 2018

The Saraswathi Mahila Samaj is celebrating Children's Day and Samaj Day on Sunday 9 December 2018 in Canara Union TSR Hall from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Children who want to participate could please send their names to Smt Jyoti Madiman – 9900815019 or Smt Rashmi Chandragiri – 9449976412 at the earliest.

04

MUSIC PROGRAMME

ANNUAL SPORTS OF CANARA UNION

The Annual Sports of Canara Union will begin on 25 December 2018 at 10.00 a.m. with fun and skill games for different age-groups. Indoor games like TT, and music competitions will take place in January 2019 and culminate on 26 January 2019 with a treasure hunt in the morning, and a fancy dress competition and prize distribution in the evening.

Details of the sporting events and schedule will be intimated to all members via email. The entries may be handed in at the Canara Union office (2334-2625) or to Shri Uday Chandragiri, Sports Secretary, by SMS or WhatsApp (94802 35091).

STUDY CIRCLE REPORT, 28 OCTOBER 2018

SAVING THE DYING ART OF HANDWRITING

K C JanardhanReported by NIRAD MUDUR

05

STRAP NOTE: Handwriting has more to it than meets the eye, but the digital age threatens

its existence. Call it an under-rated revolution, but the invention of handwriting in the Sumerian civilisation

around 3000 BC, opened an avenue to keep data records for posterity for subsequent

generations to refer to. The cuneiform script (the world's oldest writing system), was a major

breakthrough in human civilisation. It ensured continuity from then on in human records

pertaining to history, the sciences, art, mathematics and even personal daily records of

individuals—the last allowing us to peep into the lives and deeds of the greats who have

shaped (or even made) history.

But the digital age that we are going through has massively dented the art and culture of

handwriting, and its future remains threatened. Punching keys on keyboards has almost

drowned the art of handwriting. But worse, it is affecting our cognitive and learning skills. The

practice of handwriting connects the hand, eye and the brain. Giving up the pen in preference

for the computer/laptop keyboard to write, affects our brain's knowledge retention capability,

said Bengaluru-based KC Janardhan, Professor of Penmanship and Calligraphy Maestro,

who was the resource person at the October 28 Study Circle session at Canara Union on 'The

future of handwriting and calligraphy in the digital age'.

06

Janardhan said the adverse impact on the practice of handwriting is compounded by the lack

of proper handwriting training for school children. The teachers themselves lack knowledge

about good handwriting and the right age for children to begin to handwrite.

'Today, children are made to begin writing at the age of three when their motor senses are not

developed yet. They grip the pen or pencil tight at that age and that style persists throughout

their lives, impacting their writing styles. The right age to start is six,' he said, pointing to the very

seed of bad handwriting that is rampant among people.

He was also critical of teaching children to write in the cursive form, saying that the print form of

writing—that too slanted forward, as in italics—is the right way to handwrite. He stressed that

the pen/pencil should be gripped by the index finger on top and the thumb below, supported by

the middle finger on the side of the pen, and with more pressure applied on the downward

strokes than the upward ones.

Janardhan highlighted seven elements of handwriting—the power of handwriting;

typography, which delves on design of each height and proportion; lettering; calligraphy, the

harmonious art form; graphology/graphonomy, which many indulge in to determine the moods

of people from the way they write; graphotherapy, the questionable potential that victimises the

gullible with handwriting as a therapy or even a solution to make the sick healthy, or the poor,

richer; and the latest, the questioned document examination (forgery detection) which has

emerged as a sub-science of handwriting referred to even by forensic or document

investigators.

He warned the audience not to fall victim to handwriting quacks posing as experts in

graphacology who promise to foretell the future of the person or personality characteristics

based on his/her handwriting in exchange for payment.

Citing his own example in power of handwriting, he said some years ago he became probably

the only Indian to be allowed to write his own passport after a demonstration of his handwriting

to officials at the passport office. He impressed them so much that they allowed him to do so.

'The first impression should be the best impression, but the last impression should be a lasting

one,' he said about the potential of power of handwriting.

Despite the digital age threatening handwriting, he drew optimism from a current trend in

Bengaluru with information technology employees looking to the art of handwriting to de-

stress. 'The trend is growing and looks promising,' he signed off.

DIWALI MELA The annual Diwali Mela was held on 3 and 4

November 2018 at the Canara Union. The Mela began with an invocation prayer by Shri Uday Shankar Chandragiri and ribbon-cutting by Smt. Shanti Chickermane. There were over 31 stalls selling various items including food. The weather was beautiful, as the rains stayed away.

MUSIC PROGRAMME REPORT, 20 NOVEMBER 2018

Hindustani Vocal Recital by Dr Atindra SarvadikarReported by PADMINI RAO

07

08

'Saanjhbhayee, deep jaley'. It seemed a befitting tribute to the festival of lights, as the first melodious strains of Dr Atindra Sarvadikar's voice filled the Tombat Sakharam Hall at the

Canara Union on 10November

The concert unfolded first with a rendition in raag Apoorva Kalyan, a creation by Dr. Atindra's guru Swarayoginee Dr Prabha Atre, doyenne of the Kirana gharana. This was a meditative, bada khayal in vilambit ektaal, followed by a sparkling madhyalaya khayal set to ada chau taal and a chota khayal in teen taal—all compositions by Dr Prabha Atre.

He followed this with raag Hansakinkini, a rarely heard, complex melody, more often sung in the Jaipur gharana. Atindraji beautifully moulded the raag to the Kiranagayaki and presented some of his own compositions in this raag.

Switching to the light classical mode, a form that he is equally adept in, Atindraji presented a dadra in Mishra Pahadi and concluded with a Marathi bhajan in Bhairavi.

He was ably accompanied on the harmonium by Shri Satish Kolli and on the tabla by Shri Mihir Kallianpur, and on the tanpuras by his students, Shri Girish Jamdar and Dr Yogeshwar Chippa.

SPORTS NEWSOUT OF COURT

Shri Ashok Cherkal was runners - up in the recently concluded State Badminton Championship held at

Channapatna.

CUCT has been regularly participating in the inter club tournament and has been consistently

performing well in these tournaments. Continuing their excellent performance, they have ended up as

runners-up in the Reliance Inter Club Tournament recently.

CLOSE BONDS ACROSS THE OCEAN

GAYATRI MADAN DUTT

10

(A version of this article first appeared in the Bhavan's Journal of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.)

India celebrates her Independence Day in

A u g u s t . S o d o e s t h e R e p u b l i c o f

Indonesia, the archipelago-nation of over

17,000 islands. Indonesia declared her

Independence from the Dutch on 17 August

1945, while India declared hers from the

British on 15 August 1947. It is not just an

Independence month that the two countries

have in common. Closer ties bind them,

despite an ocean lying in between.

Indonesia’s Independence Day this year, 17

August 2018, was the date on which one of

her greatest monuments was slated for

inauguration. This monument, which has a

link with India, is the Garuda Wisnu Kencana

statue. ‘Wisnu’ is the way ‘Vishnu’ is

pronounced and written in Indonesian, and

the word ‘Kencana’ denotes a carriage or

vehicle. The statue was first conceived in 1989 as a

towering figure of Wisnu, the God of

Creation, riding on his eagle-mount, Garuda.

It is based on a Puranic story about the

gaining of amrita, the nectar of immortality.

Its sculptor, Nyoman Nuarta, imagined the

statue atop a 260-metre barren hill on his

native island of Bali. In 1993, he took this idea

to the then President, Muhammad Suharto,

who warmly approved it and sanctioned a

generous initial amount. However, the Asian

financial crisis and other obstacles came in

the way of the plan. The situation finally

eased, other sponsors came forward, and

now, after 25 years and a cost of over $10

million, Nuarta’s vision has achieved fruition.The story behind the making of the statue is a

fascinating one. More than 700 separate

modules of the statue were fabricated, and

then transported in 400 truckloads from

Nuarta’s studio-workshop which is on Java

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The upper body of Wisnu—deep in

meditation—and the head of Garuda were

among the first to be made.

They were temporarily placed on different

parts of the hill. Around them arose the

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park or

GWK, for short. The Park attracts more than

2,000 visitors a day, and has become the

most loved venue in Bali for holding social

gatherings, exhibitions, rock concerts and

weddings.

Its Lotus Pond open-air auditorium is named

for the lotus that Wisnu always holds in one of

his four hands. The Indralok Garden at the

hill's summit offers panoramic views.

Every evening, Bali's famous Ketchak, also

called the Ramayana Monkey Chant Dance,

island, 1000 km across to the site in Bali.

When the first lot of modules was loaded,

priests chanted Sanskrit mantras and

sprinkled holy water on the truck.

Nyoman Nuarta

12

is performed at the GWK. A large group of

men, chanting the word 'tchak' in a

continuous chorus, represent the Vaanara or

Monkey Army which helped Rama in his war

against Ravana regain Sita. Dance dramas of

stories from the Ramayana are enacted to

the accompaniment of the chorus.

Huge c ranes have assemb led the

monument which comprises 4,000 tons of

copper, brass and steel. Standing over 120

metres high (about 30 metres higher than

America's Statue of Liberty), it is one of the

tallest statues in the world. While forming it

around the supporting stainless steel frame

and the steel and concrete central column, it

was the positioning of Garuda, whose

outspread wings create an illusion of

movement, which proved to be the most

challenging.

The Monas National Monument in Jakarta

Nyoman Nuarta, who contributed a good

sum for the project from his own pocket,

says: It is my gift to the country that I love so

much. Bali thrives on tourism. I wanted to

build something grand. Wisnu is the

preserver of life. This statue is a call to world

citizens to protect Mother Earth.

The world has waited a long time to witness

this sight.

There are other interesting monuments that

link Indonesia and India. One of them is

another Independence Day emblem—the

Monas National Monument on Merdeka (or

Freedom) Square in Indonesia's capital,

Jakarta. It represents the rice-pounding

mortar and pestle, two important traditional

utensils of this major rice-producing country.

It also symbolises the lingga-yoni (male and

female) principles of Indonesian philosophy.

13

In Merdeka Square is also the Arjuna Wijaya

statue of Arjuna and Krishna on a chariot

drawn by eleven horses, also a creation of

Nyoman Nuarta. It was inaugurated in 1987

by President Suharto who exhorted

Indonesians to live by the teaching of the

Bhagavad Gita imparted by Krishna to Arjuna

Arjuna Wijaya Chariot Statue in Jakarta

on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, of doing

work selflessly, without expectation of its

fruits.

Another admired work of art near the

International Airport in the city of Tuban in

Bali, is the Satria Gatot Kaca statue, featuring

the battle between the two tragic heroes of

to save his uncle, Arjuna, on whom this

weapon would otherwise have fatally been

used. Karna, as readers know, later meets his

tragic end at Arjuna's hands.

On the grounds o f i t s embassy in

Washington DC in the United States, the

Indonesian government has placed a special

the Mahabharata war—Ghatotkacha and

Karna. Ghatotkacha can be seen standing

on Karna's horses, provoking him to launch

the deadly Konta (Shakti) against him, a

weapon which can be used only once. Karna

does so, and Ghatotkacha sacrifices his life

Satria Gatot Kaca in Tuban, Bali

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symbol of its culture—the sculpture of the

Vedic Saraswati, Goddess of Learning, a

book, a musical instrument and a rosary in

her three hands and her fourth held out in

blessing, watching over three children

studying.

T h e Ve d a s a n d t h e P u r a n a s , t h e

Mahabharata and the Ramayana resound all

across Indonesia. The bonds that Indonesia

and India share were forged long ago in the

late centuries BC when Indian traders and

teachers carried their culture to the

archipelago, which was adopted by the early

ancestors of the Indonesian people. Today,

Indonesians continue to respectfully

commemorate their ancestral past.

(Many thanks to gwk.com and other sites for the

beautiful pictures used in this article.)

MEET THE MANY TARAS A DIALOGUE WITH TARA KINI

KANCHAN BANNERJEE

of her personality and want to understand what has gone into the making of this talented, ebullient, witty, jovial, creative, warm person that Tara is. A nice coincidence of sorts is that Tara lived in Malleswaram round the corner from Canara Union for a few years when she first came to Bangalore.

My association with the creative music group Sunaad has been all of four years. But I feel I have been part of the Sunaad family much longer because Tara Kini, the genial genie behind Sunaad takes pains to make it an inclusive experience for each one of the 30-odd members. During our Sunaad sessions every Saturday, I get a glimpse of some facets

15

You were a physics teacher at Aditi school.

When did you morph from a physics

teacher into a music teacher or was it the

other way round?

Almost side-by-side. I was deeply interested

in physics and wanted to do a PhD. But then I

got married and came to Bangalore and then

the children came. Around this time, I was

called to teach music at Mallya Aditi School.

When they discovered that I had an M.Sc in

physics I was asked to start the physics lab.

And that is how I became a physics teacher

besides being a music teacher. Arundhati

Raja was a biology teacher as well as a

drama teacher. Together we put up

'Midsummer Night's Dream' with music and

Kathak—yes, Puck dancing Kathak!—

followed another year by 'Animal Farm'. My

husband, who is also musically inclined,

composed the music for that production.

How and when did Sunaad start? Sunaad

has put up 7 productions and a total of

over 80 shows across India. A tremendous

achievement.

Sunaad started when Aditi Upadhya and I

were teaching music together at the Mallya

Aditi school in 2002 and we staged a music

performance every year. We had a good

group of students that year who had taken

music as an elective subject. In the 2002

show, we decided to include, besides

students, alumni, a few staff members and

some parents; a show with 42 people on

stage, which knitted story-telling with music,

with the life of Krishna as a theme. We called

it 'Bhava Yatra'. We used a lot of Dinkar

Kaikini's compositions, for example 'Nahi

maney, nahi maney' and several others as

well.

KB You must have had a very musical

upbringing. What role did music play in

your life and how did it influence you?

TK My parents were very musical—my

mother was trained in Carnatic classical and

violin. My father who had grown up in Kolkata

was deeply interested in Rabindra Sangeet;

played the tabla and harmonium. My

grandmother used to play the sitar. My first

guru was my mother who started teaching

me music when I was 5 years old. Later I had

a Carnatic music teacher, followed by

Narayanrao Patwardhan, then Meera

Khirwadkar. To my father, music was more

important than academics. My school lab

records were often found with prompting

sheets in the green room! Strains of

bhajans, Rabindra sangeet, patriotic songs,

Mara th i abhang, c lass ica l mus ic…

continuously wafted through our house. My

parents were also greatly involved in theatre.

They would translate 3-act plays into

Konkani, and stage them, interspersed

lavishly with songs.

1416

understanding of the Upanishad. We did

over 20 shows of Kathopanishad. After that

we decided to present the Ishavasya

Upanishad with the blessing of Sri M and the

musical score by the Gundechas. This was

interpreted through the Masnavi of

Jalaluddin Rumi and was titled 'Isha-Rumi

Beyond Form'. We have presented 22 shows

of this. Both these productions on the

Upanishads were scripted by my cousin,

Gita Shenoy, who was my soulmate in both

projects.

Our latest show which premiered in April

2018 is ' Mandukya—Sant Vani' which

juxtaposes the Mandukya Upanishad with

the rich devotional literature of our saints. In

addition to music composition by the

Gundecha Brothers, and inspiration and

guidance from Sri M, this production

benefited greatly through the theatrical input

from Sunil Shanbag.

Those who had got together did not want to

disband. So an independent identity called

'Sunaad' was created along with Aditi

Upadhya. Our second production called

'Raag Katha' presented how raag has

evolved from Vedic chanting through

dhrupad, dhamar to khayal, thumri, and

Bol lywood songs as wel l . Our next

production was 'Kalpanam', which depicted

the role of imagination in developing a raag.

At this juncture, Aditi needed more time for

her growing music career and so I continued

to take Sunaad forward alone.

I happened to be listening to a lot of dhrupad

including the Gundecha brothers. Once

during their performance when they stopped

to tune the tanpuras, it felt like meditation

being broken, such was the spell of dhrupad.

I was writing a paper for a Helsinki

conference on 'Music and Consciousness'. I

went to Bhopal with a few members from

Sunaaad to interview the Gundecha

brothers. They were so hospitable and

generous. 'Hum sikhaate hain aapko,' they

said and taught us four bandishes in four

raags during our stay! When we came back I

combined one bandish with one khayal and

one tarana; added a story about how each

genre was developed in the context of our

learning; and a show called 'Pratha' was

created.

W e c a m e u n d e r t h e s p e l l o f t h e

Gundechas—Ramakantji and Umakantji.

And the idea of 'Swar Katha Upanishad' was

born which combined acting with music and

dance to convey the message of the

Kathopanishad in para l le l w i th the

philosophy of dhrupad.

Around this time I came in contact with Sri M

(a householder yogi) who helped us with the

Quite a journey. You were learning khayal

and now dhrupad. How do you balance

that, was there a conflict?

I started learning from Lalithakka (Vidushi

Lalith Rao, Agra Gharana) in 1986 when they

were in Chennai. I travelled to Chennai from

17

Yo u r d a u g h t e r K a n y i k a a n d s o n

Sankarsan. Both children have your great

musical and artistic talent.

Sankarshan has the great talent that my

husband has, for notating any kind of music

to which he listens. He plays several

instruments; writes music; performs with

many bands. Kanyika learnt Bharatanatyam

and performed her ranga pravesha soon

after high school, then studied design in the

Srishti School of Art and Technology. She is

also a wonderful artist. Mahasweta Devi's

story 'The Why Why Girl' was illustrated by

her.

Bangalore (with my children in tow) for my

lessons. Then there was a break. I re-started

in 2006 when they moved to Bangalore.

Earlier I learnt from Ramarao Naik, also of the

Agra gharana.

See, at one level there is no conflict. There is

no difference. It has to do with how you treat

the raag—the first treatment of the raag was

dhrupad. It evolved into khayal which is less

rule-bound. I am more and more attracted to

the purity of dhrupad. And less and less to the

ornamentation of khayal. Perhaps it is also a

factor of maturity and age and with my

deeper interest in philosophy I find dhrupad

extremely satisfying. I keep telling Lalithakka,

'My devotion to you keeps me attached to

khayal.'

So you have several gurus—Lalithakka,

the Gundechas, and you also have

spiritual gurus…

Anandamoyee Ma is my first spiritual Guru. I

met her in Delhi when I was 16. She has been

the biggest influence in my life. Whenever I

met Ma she would say, 'kirtan koro', ask me to

sing bhajans. I followed her to many retreats,

wherever she went Haridwar, Gujarat.

It shows total surrender…at the age of

16.

Now let me tell you about Sri M. When I met

him and got to know him better, I realised that

M was a person with great spiritual prowess

and infinite compassion. At one stage I asked

him how I should further my sadhana. He said

he would give me a Name. I protested saying

that I had already taken diksha from 'Ma'. But

look at his greatness and humility. Instead of

taking offence, he smiled and said that Ma,

Babaji (M's guru) are all the same— 'I know

Ma is a genuine guru…. I have met Ma!'.

What is your role in Shankar Mahadevan's

Academy?

In 2008, after twenty years in Aditi School and

helping to set up the Centre for Education in

Srishti, I went into independent education

consultancy. At this time I was introduced to

the Shankar Mahadevan Academy of Music

and I started developing a curriculum for their

music teachers. They are doing a marvellous

job with on-line teaching—each student gets

an on-line music book; you can stream,

repeatedly view videos of bandishes being

taught; you have the practice page, and a

structured music curriculum all the way to a

masters level and beyond. Shankar

Mahadevan's energy and drive to propagate

18

diary by a close disciple of Anandomoyee

Ma from Hindi into English. I have finished 6

volumes, but now I have been asked to

translate the remaining 17 volumes from the

original in Bangla. I must concentrate on this

and finish it. It would need immersion, which

is perhaps the only way to drive each pursuit

to completion!

music keeps the academy growing to reach

school children, serious students of music of

all ages and social backgrounds.

If you had your way, how many hours

would you want in a day? The normal 24 is

clearly not enough for you!

I do have several interests that are time-

consuming. For example, the translation of a

MALLESWARAM RAILWAY STATION

NOSTALGIA MAKES A HEART BEAT

SHEILA GULVADY KUMAR

the railway tracks between high outcrops of

rocks on either side. The third and the most

outrageous thing we've ever done well, this —

was way back in '56 or '57 when a whole

bunch of us, all between the ages of 9 and 10

years, would set forth on a mission that was

to say the least, fraught with danger.

thFrom our home on 17 Cross, we would walk

up to 18th Cross, turn left on the dirt track that

led down to the railway tracks. There, one of

the boys would put his ear to the track oh —

yes, we knew that much, to listen for the

sound and the vibration of an approaching

train. A grin indicated a green signal to start

walking along the tracks that passed

between the high rocks on either side leaving

no room for escape. Reaching the far end we

would then patiently wait for the train, which

invariably arrived. We had the time down to

Malleswaram—the name that spells magic to

me and the words 'Malleswaram Railway

Station' take on a whole new meaning. I

travel back to when time stood still or so it

seemed.

The station in those days was a very small

and quaint-looking place. There were two

sets of tracks running, a narrow gauge and a

metre gauge. The road outside the station

rose and dipped and one end continued to

go past Cluny Convent to end at 18th Cross.

And the other end continued towards the

Srirampuram bridge. A couple of groundnut

and kadle kalu vendors would always be

parked outside with their cycles.

Looking back, three things come to mind.

The first was climbing trees. The second was

doing that Forbidden Thing walking along —

I REMEMBER…

Two writers remember places and incidents from the past.

19

hid them in shoulder bags and off we went to

the Malleswaram station to sell the bunches,

to the waiting passengers and the motley

crowd that manages to haunt stations. One

anna per bunch was the going rate and soon

we had sold everything. On dividing the

spoils, each of us had made 6 annas. So far

so good we thought, feel ing l ik ing

millionaires. But tragedy struck—we were

spotted and the news was conveyed with

great relish to our horrified parents. A severe

tongue-lashing was on the cards and we

considered ourselves lucky that it didn't lead

to a spanking. The money of course went to

the Krishna Temple hundi just opposite the

railway station.

My deepest regret is not having any

photographs of my most favourite railway

station in the world. I would be very happy if

anyone has pics or anecdotes to share..

I guess sometimes having a good memory

isn't all that good, leaves you open to a lot of

heartache.

the last second. The high point of it all was

waving frantically to the engine drivers who

would wave right back.

Too soon it was time for the long walk back

along the tracks and back home with our

halos in place and squeaky clean. This was

by far the most 'out of the box thing' that we

had ever done.

One of the bright sparks in our gang came up

with an idea for making some extra pocket

money. What followed was pure inspiration.

We gathered all the coriander plants that

were growing in our collective gardens,

along with bunches of curry leaves. Then on

to the terrace to make bunches of both. We

THE GARAGE SCHOOL

SHANTI CHICKERMANE

boy said, 'My mother took me to get

admitted to a school, but they asked for

my birth certificate which we didn't have.

And there was another problem. If I went to

school, who would look after the baby

when my mother went to work?'

This was forty years ago. My younger son

Hemant had just got admitted to Std 1 of

Kendriya Vidyalaya and had gone to

school when I saw a group of children

playing in front of our house. I asked

them why they didn't go to school. One

sudden, a spark of intelligence lit up inside

him and he began to learn rapidly. Soon his

father came to ask if he could be taught

Tamil, and I agreed. I also procured

some Kannada primers and distributed the

books. Within a week the children had lost

the books. One said it had got wet in the

rain, another that a rat had eaten parts of it!

As the kids belonged to different age -

groups, I had to give them individual

attention, as I did Mani, according to their

capability to understand. Biscuits

distributed at the end of class were the

main attraction. Slowly, stories introduced

at the end interested them. I remember there were two brothers. Each

would come on alternate days, and when

asked for the reason they said their

thatched hut did not have a strong door

and lock, so if left unguarded, their few

vessels might get stolen. There were other

searing incidents. The 2-year-old sister of

Raju cried incessantly in class one day.

When I asked if she was ill, Raju lifted her

frock to reveal red welts on her back. Her

mother had been cooking and the child

was bothering her by crying. Out of irritation,

the woman had beaten her with a hot ladle.

I really doubted if my classes would last long

beyond a few weeks, but the children's

keenness to learn, despite all their sad

problems, astonished me. Their ability to

write their names made them proud and

they loved maths and Kannada. A neighbour

made and presented a chart to the class. My grandmother Kalyanpur Mathura Bai

was very pleased with this effort of mine

and encouraged me greatly. She had been

an honorary matron of Balikashram

(Ishvarananda Mahila Sevashram) an

orphanage for girls in Mangalore for more

So I asked the children if would they like to

learn if I taught them, to which they eagerly

agreed. 'Come tomorrow,' I said to them.

'Remember to have a bath and wear clean

clothes.'

The next morning, I heard the gate rattle. It

was a group of 11 or 12 children calling me

'Teacher Amma'. Those at home wondered

what the noise was about! My explanation

didn't please them. After my husband

took the car out to go to office, the kids

came in, a motley group of girls and

boys some holding infants on their

waist. Not being used to discipline, there

was chaos, so I asked them to chant after

me a prayer, a Kannada version of

'Tvameva mata pita tvameva'. Then they

sat on mats and my functional literacy

classes began. Some of them would

jump, another would turn somersaults. I

waited patiently, occasionally asking them to

settle down. I knew they were not used to

being in a class.

Slowly they started picking up, the

inducement being that they must learn to

write their names. The noise prompted

neighbours to peep in, curious to know

what was happening! The children's names!

There was Bhimappa and his sister

Bhimamma, Tayappa, sister Tayamma,

Basappa and Basamma and so on. Their

parents could probably think of names only

in pairs!

One day the children told me about a Mani.

They said he belonged to the cobbler

community so should not be allowed to

come. I had to convince them that this

class was meant for all those who wanted

to learn and Mani came in, hesitantly. He

would not utter a word, and for a couple of

weeks showed no progress at all. All of a

20

The garage school went on for 2 years.

Then, as construction work got completed,

most workers moved to other localities.

Before they left, one of the children brought

me pudina plants and planted them

saying this was how he could thank me. I

was deeply touched. Another said he would

clean the driveway in front of garage.

I often wonder where the children are now

and what became of them!

than 23 years . Her backing helped me

pursue this effort. These hapless children of construction

workers, some with single mothers, really

won me over with their simplicity and

sincerity. Suma who had come from N.

Kanara as a home helper, was encouraged

by the eagerness of these kids to study and

she requested me to teach her. As she

knew Kannada alphabets her progress

was steady, but she studied separately in

the afternoon. She soon picked up enough

to read stories from Chandamama and

was proud of her achievement.

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Report on the activities of the Bengaluru Local Sabha for the month of October 2018

Reported by SAIKRUPA NALKUR

Special Programmes: Navaratri Utsava was observed at THE Bengaluru Math from October

10th to 19th with Samoohika Navaratri Nityapath, Devi Anushthan and Devi Pujan on all days

followed by special Devi Stotra Pathan. Kumarika Pujan was held on the occasion of

Mahavanavami. The Samaradhana of Parama Pujya Shrimat Shankarashram Swamiji I was th rdobserved on 14 October with Bhashya Pathan and Ashtavadhana Seva. On 23 October,

Kojagari Poornima was observed with Lakshmi Pujan and Kheer Vitarana.

Programmes Vargas: by various Yuvadhara organised a Garba and Dandiya Nite for the laity

on 13th October with live music and songs. Three yuvas also participated in the Navratri

festival, trek, cook-out and the yuva programme, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, at Karla from 13th to

23rd Oct. Three yuvatis participated in the bhajan program along with Shivashakti Bhajan

Mandali on 17th Oct. On 28th Oct, 4 yuvatis performed Devi Anushthan preceded by Ninaada

conducted by Smt. Archana Kumta.

Regular Programmes: Pujan was performed by Gruhastha-s every Monday, Thursday and

Friday. Samoohika Gayatri Japa Anushthaan was conducted every Sunday. The series of talks

by Smt. Dr. Sudha Tinaikar on Kathopanishad continued. A short 5-minutes Ninaada practice

session was a part of all regular activities. Ashtanga Fitness sessions were conducted by

Yuvadhara on Fridays and Saturdays.

Semi furnished well ventilated and bright single bedroom

flat with attached bath in Kailash Apartments ,

8th Main road, Malleswaram, Bengaluru 560003.

Contact : S. Mudbidri -9482932462 (M) 08041131180 (LL)

2 BHK flat at K.T 4 Kalpatharu Apartments on

13th Cross Malleswaram, Bengaluru 560003

Contact : 9740075075

OBITUARY

We convey our deepest sympathies to the relatives of those who are no more with us:

Smt Rekha Nagarcenkar Baljekar, 83 years, on 16 November 2018 in Bangalore

Shri P. R. Madhav (husband of Smt Nandita Naimpally) 57 years, on 19 November 2018 in Bangalore