Latest news with #Jayanthi
The Print
5 days ago
- Business
- The Print
K'taka Deputy CM to meet PM Modi over Maharashtra govt's objections to Alamatti dam height
'I will seek time from PM and the Jal Shakti Minister once CM Siddaramaiah writes a reply to the objection raised by the Maharashtra CM,' he told reporters here. This follows Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' recent letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern that raising the height of the dam could lead to flooding in Maharashtra's Sangli and Kolhapur districts. Bengaluru, Jun 3 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he would seek a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil to discuss the objections raised by the Maharashtra government to raising the height of Alamatti dam. He also said CM Siddaramaiah will respond to Maharashtra CM's letter within two days. 'I have already shared my inputs with the CM. We will also share CM's letter with all the MPs so that they can take it up in the Parliament. We will seek an appointment with the PM after that. It is important that all of us safeguard state's interests in unison,' he said in a statement issued by his office. Shivakumar said Maharashtra CM Fadnavis is an intelligent person, who had supported the project in the past. 'I am surprised he (Fadnavis) wrote this letter now. Managing floods within a state is the responsibility of the state governments,' he added. Meanwhile, Shivakumar inspected the venue for Kempe Gowda Jayanthi celebrations on Magadi road here. 'We have decided to celebrate this year's Kempe Gowda Jayanthi at this venue. The land allotted to Kempe Gowda Development Authority is nearby. We will lay the foundation stone for the Kempe Gowda Development Authority on June 27 and celebrate his Jayanthi. In the allotted land, a museum on Kempe Gowda will also come up,' he added. Outlining details of the celebrations, he explained, 'Our local leaders have suggested swapping the allotted land with the land of Social Welfare Department as it also has an auditorium. A railway line will also pass through it and a station would be built here. This will be taken up in the Cabinet meeting.' Asked if the land was too far from the city, he replied, 'Bengaluru has expanded now, where else can we allot the land? No one is willing to part with Golf course and Race Course.' PTI AMP ROH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh wins over young listeners with her new live show
What if a raga could unravel like a bedtime story, or a ragam tanam pallavi echo with laughter. Can humour find space between a veena phrase and a ghatam beat? And what happens when a centuries-old art form decides to look a child in the eye and say, 'Come, listen'? In Cup 'o Carnatic, veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh dares to imagine just that. A world where Carnatic music is not only performed, but lived, spoken, questioned, and made delightfully human. Here, tradition doesn't stand still; it walks hand-in-hand with imagination, reaching out to the next generation with a gentle, knowing smile. In Jayanthi Kumaresh's hands, the veena becomes a seamless blend of music, theatre, storytelling, and visual poetry. On stage at Narada Gana Sabha recently, she is not merely a performer, but a narrator, a teacher, and a companion to the audience. Through her conversation with someone special, she bridges the gulf between the ancient and the new, the known and the curious. The roots of this production lie in a deeply personal moment, when Vidhya, a disciple of Jayanthi and a mother of two, found herself struggling to convey the depth and joy of Carnatic music to her young children. In search of a medium that could bridge tradition and comprehension, she approached her guru with an idea: could the core concepts of Carnatic music be shared in a way that was both engaging and age-appropriate? This seed of a question blossomed into a digital series on YouTube, Cup 'o Carnatic, which has been running for over seven years. These bite-sized episodes, rich in music and conversation, found resonance with parents, educators, and students alike. Inspired by this sustained digital engagement, the idea to bring Cup 'o Carnatic to the stage took shape, not merely as a live extension, but as a transformative experience. The live stage version made its debut in Bengaluru and then travelled to Chennai.. With its unique blend of animation, narration, and live performance, the show dares to collapse the boundaries between the performer and the audience, between digital and live, between tradition and experiment. Keerthi Kumar's graphics and lighting design elevate the experience . Upasana Govindarajan's hand-drawn illustrations, woven into the visuals, frames the narrative like a living storybook, The musical support is equally thoughtful. Giridhar Udupa on the ghatam and Pramath Kiran on the morsing and the tabla provide a responsive and understated rhythmic layer. During a post-performance conversation, Jayanthi said, 'We tested every joke on our students. If it made them laugh, we knew it had to be included.' The show is rich with gentle humour, the kind that eases the listener in, especially the young. The production took close to a year to conceptualise and refine. 'We wanted to do it right. To reach out to the next generation rasikas, we have to opt for formats they would love,' says Jayanthi, who plans to take the show across the globe.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
For a peaceful co-existence with wildlife in urban settings
Jayanthi Kallam, the Executive Director of the Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) in Horamavu, remembers the person who called the centre to complain about crow attacks in their neighbourhood. On further investigation, she discovered that 'this person has been shooing away the crows, not allowing them to nest around,' she says, pointing out that crows, which are really intelligent animals, remember faces and even pass on the information on 'which face to be friendly with and which face to be careful about.' She believes that a lot of these issues come about due to a lack of understanding about these animals and their way of life. 'With a better understanding, we would be able to come to a happy resolution both for the animals around us as well for ourselves,' she says, at a recent discussion, titled Interaction with Urban Wildlife, organised by Early Bird, a not-for-profit initiative that works towards spreading the joy of birds and birdwatching among children. Better understanding 'Fostering a better understanding of the wildlife we live with is essential, as cities are vibrant ecosystems and we see a lot of wildlife using them,' says California-based Shankar Shivappa, an engineer by profession, with a deep and abiding passion for wildlife, whom Jayanthi was in conversation with at the discussion. 'There is a thought that humans are apart from nature, but we are part of nature,' he states at this session, which Amruta Padgaonkar of Early Bird moderated. Living in a city, however, makes it very easy to forget this reality, says Shankar, who grew up in Bengaluru and now lives in San Diego. 'There is a very irregular interaction with nature…animals, birds. And if you consider how many people now live in a city, very few have a daily interaction,' he says. 'We are seeing a lot of children growing up without having direct exposure to nature. To me, that lack of interaction also points to a problem.' For people to have a better relationship with nature, a better understanding of the problem is necessary. 'As teachers, mentors and birding buddies, we need to figure out ways of understanding why and letting that influence how we can change this interaction,' he says. 'Otherwise, it becomes too complex.' The focus of this hour-long discussion was to examine the relationship between humans and urban wildlife, including the impact of social media on wildlife rescues, how children can have a better connection with nature, the ethics around feeding of urban wildlife, the issues with the exotic pet trade and why India is becoming a hub for wildlife smuggling. During the discussion, Jayanthi also highlights an important positive despite the many challenges: there are many people sensitive to the animals around them. 'We see a lot of positive interactions happen,' she says, adding that over 80-90 % of the calls ARRC receives are from concerned people wanting to help distressed animals in and around their neighbourhood. 'Wildlife rehabilitation centres exist only because people care about wildlife,' she believes. Sensitivity to nature Children are inherently disposed to care about the living things around them, feels Jayanthi. 'Any child would react to a puppy face or a plant…these are things that we inherently have some affinity towards ' Interactions, from then on, both positive and negative, are 'shaped by both knowledge and people's experiences,' she says, But, according to her, adults too have to pull their weight to ensure a more peaceful co-existance. 'We have a shared responsibility to shape these positive interactions,' she says. Amruta also alludes to the many activities we can facilitate to ensure that we build a long, sustained and strong connection with nature. Take, for instance, bird walks, something Early Bird has been regularly conducting for children. 'When we do bird watching, the intention is to get them to observe more and understand bird behaviour,' she says. 'It brings in a different perspective and attachment.' She then steers the discussion towards a common conundrum for animal lovers in the city. 'One thing that I have seen quite often is people feeding birds and other animals around us,' she says. And while, of course, the intention behind this is usually very good, 'Are there any negatives to this, given that there are wild animals?' she asks. Jayanthi says that the question had to be examined from different contexts: legally, ethically and ecologically. 'In India, there is nothing legally wrong with feeding animals, unless it puts an animal in danger,' she says. Ethically, too, she feels that 'as long as you're feeding the right diet and making sure that your feed is clean,' it is fine. However, whether this phenomenon is ecologically good is questionable. Take, for instance, the case of rock pigeons or monkeys, which city dwellers are constantly feeding. 'It comes from a good place: trying to feed a hungry bird. There is nothing wrong with that,' she says. But, 'in our compassionate actions, we shape things, whether ecologically good or not,' she says. By feeding pigeons, we have ensured that they have proliferated throughout cities, often at the cost of other animals. 'It is not about demonising the pigeons, but our behaviour,' she cautions. Since rock pigeons are so adaptable to human environments, 'by feeding them, you are increasing their populations disproportionately,' she says. Similarly, in the case of monkeys, 'if they suddenly start coming onto balconies and raid and eat, people may consider it a nuisance,' she says. 'This is something we have to consider carefully,' she says. Instead of periodically tossing out some grain for urban wildlife, a better way to do this, feels Shankar, is to grow plants, which can serve as a food source for urban wildlife. 'It may take some time to put methi seeds in a flat tray with some soil, let it grow and then bring the tray outside for the creatures,' he says, recalling how sparrows would feed on the methi his mother grew in their home garden while he was growing up. 'So, there are ways to do this, with a little effort,' he says. 'This is what the teachers and birding community should encourage…not the easy way, but the right way.' Pet trade Amruta, who once received a pet bird as a gift from a friend, then talks about another pressing issue: the ethics and moral dilemma around keeping birds and wild animals as pets. While Jayanthi agrees that there is some confusion around the problem, she reminds the audience that there is no ambiguity when it comes to the laws around wildlife. She says that, according to the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, one cannot keep a wild animal as a pet. 'India has very strong laws for the protection of wildlife,' adding that many people in India do not know about this. 'They end up finding a parakeet or mynah separated from its parents and end up taking care of the bird, keeping it in their homes,' she says. Again, this comes from very good intentions, with the bird often being fed and looked after well, but 'what happens later to that bird is a big question,' she says. Not only is this illegal, according to Indian laws, but there is also an ethical component to this, states Jayanthi. A bird, which would have otherwise had a very rich life, being forced to live in a cage, 'is not the definition of life,' in her opinion. Also, it will likely imprint on humans, making it almost impossible to survive if it is released back into the wild later. 'It is ethically wrong because this bird now does not have the skills to survive in the wild, nor does it know how to protect itself from predators,' she says. Ecologically, too, it is not a good idea because they are more likely to contract and spread diseases, she says. 'They are protected by the law, and people should not have them at home,' she reiterates. Also, she has a piece of advice for someone who has a pet wild animal or bird, 'If you have a wild animal centre accessible, submit it to them. If not, contact the forest department, and they will guide you through that.'
New Indian Express
18-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Greater Chennai police arrest four, including minor, for robbing Grindr date
CHENNAI: Four persons, including a minor, were arrested by the Greater Chennai Police on Saturday for allegedly robbing a 26-year-old youth of nearly 30 sovereigns of gold jewellery. The victim had invited one of them over to his house after meeting him on a dating app Grindr. The MKB Nagar police said the youth invited a man Jayanthi Nathan (35), whom he had met in Grindr a week ago, to his rented accommodation when his parents had gone to Bengaluru. However, Jayanthi came to his place with three more people, whom the police identified as Ayappan (33) of Ambattur, a 17-year-old girl and Esther (32), Jayanthi's wife. Jayanthi has also been identified as a history-sheeter. After entering the house, the group gagged and tied the youth up and locked him inside the bathroom before decamping with 30 sovereigns of gold jewellery and 4 kg of silverware from the house. After freeing himself, the victim reported the crime to the MKB Nagar police station who used CCTV footage and mobile tracking to trace the suspects to a lodge in Villupuram. Around 181 grams of gold jewellery and 1 kg of silver were recovered from Esther. The police said Jayanthi has been involved in similar crimes targeting people through online applications in the past.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Sudha Iyer and Srivdhya Iyer's musical offering to Purandaradasa
With endearing candour, Purandaradasar addresses Vittala: 'What if I am crooked, will your name lose its worth when uttered by me?', 'What if the river twists and turns, will the water shed its sanctity?', 'What if the flower is plain, will its fragrance be any less?', and so forth. An emphatic 'no, not at all' underpins each of these rhetorical questions. Srividhya R.S. Iyer and Sudha R.S. Iyer rendered this soul-stirring devaranama 'Naa donka aadharenu' in their vocal recital for Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam when it celebrated the saint-composer's Jayanthi recently. So, what if the siblings' concert leaned more toward the austere than the flamboyant? It did serve its purpose as a fitting tribute to the 'Sangita Pithamaha' and his deep-rooted devotion. The diligent offering was ably supported by Anuthama Murali on the violin and Nagai Narayanan on the mridangam. Rich raga contours The Iyer sisters began with 'Sakala graha bala neene' in raga Atana, Khanda Chapu tala, topping it off with crisp swara exchanges. They followed it up with the aforesaid reflective song bearing the refrain 'aadharenu?' (what if?) in Hamsavinodhini, a shadava-shadava raga (a hexatonic symmetry, omitting the panchamam), derived from Sankarabharanam. The raga suited the philosophical depth of the lyrics set to Rupakam. While the swarakalpana was tidy, a little more anchoring on the ga-ma-dha and ma-dha-ni phrases and their retrogrades would have better revealed the raga's contour. Srividhya delineated Kanada, riding its mood-laden curves, ahead of 'Naa ninna dhyana doliralu' in Misra Chapu. Another classic composition, it highlights the value of unwavering faith and the invincibility of Vittala's devotees. 'Just as ants cannot touch fire, the jealous cannot touch me, thanks to your grace.' Nattai made an unusually belated entry, as the fourth song, in the form of the Sanskrit composition 'Jaya jaya jaya janakikantha' in Khanda Chapu. The sprightly madhyama kalam passages enhanced the appeal as the duo breezed through the song. Kalyanavasantham came up next, with Sudha tracing its emotive shades in an alapana that preserved its intrinsic plaintiveness. 'Innu dayabaarade', again in Khanda Chapu, brought out Dasar's spirit of subservience and surrender, and the sisters rendered it with poise. Kalyani was chosen as the centrepiece of the evening. Having sung in Hamsavinodhini earlier, opting for another raga might have offered more tonal and structural contrast. Nevertheless, Sudha expanded the raga methodically before passing on the baton to Srividhya, who navigated the upper octave with some absorbing phrases. The yearning of the soul for divine grace found voice in 'Dayamado ranga' (Adi), and the sisters infused the song with the requisite bhava. The niraval at the charanam opening 'Ihapara gati neene' was particularly touching, and the swarakalpana with nishada nyasam was gripping. Anuthama's sensitive playing augmented the melodic appeal throughout. The tani by Narayanan was brief, but vibrant. The devotional journey continued with 'Rama mantrava japiso' in Jhonpuri, 'Jagadodharana' in Kapi, and 'Kandena govindana' in Chandrakauns, before the siblings signed off with 'Bhagyada lakshmi baramma' in Sri. The repertoire offered a commendable thematic variety, though the rhythmic spectrum remained lopsided. While the Chapu-s and Rupakam held sway in the first half, Adi tala made its first appearance only in the main kriti and stayed on till the end, casting a shade of monotony. Juggling the order a little would have averted the imbalance.
