Karnataka Minister B Sriramulu to hold 9-day multi-crore wedding for daughter

Wedding

An official in Sriramulu's office played down media reports that the budget for the wedding is anywhere close to the lavish wedding hosted by Janardhana Reddy.

Prajwal Bhat

In 2016, it was mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy who raised eyebrows for hosting the biggest and fattest spread Bengaluru had seen for his daughter's multi-crore wedding Four years on, it appears that Janardhana Reddy's clout will be given a run for its money by his close aide and Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu who has set aside 9 days for the multi-crore wedding of his daughter Rakshita with Hyderabad-based industrialist Ravi Kumar.  An official in Sriramulu's office played down media reports that the budget for the wedding is anywhere close to the lavish wedding hosted by Janardhana Reddy for his daughter Brahmani in 2016. "The budget for the wedding is nowhere close to Rs 500 crores and it will be a traditional ceremony held over 9 days," a person who works in Sriramulu's office told TNM.  Few reports however claim that this too will be a Rs 500 crore wedding.   The wedding festivities have already begun on February 27 and a series of events will mark the days leading up to the main wedding ceremony on March 5. One lakh people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa have been invited for the wedding. The wedding invitation has been designed with a health-related theme and also has kesar, cardamom, vermilion and turmeric powder. The wedding will take place in Bengaluru's Palace Grounds on March 5 from 7 am to 9 pm. Multiple sets will be erected based on temples in Karnataka in a 40-acre plot in Palace Grounds. One of the sets is based on Hampi's Virupaksha Temple and 200 people have been deployed for floral decorations.  Costume designer Saniya Sardharia and the make-up artists involved in Deepika Padukone's wedding have been roped in by Sriramulu for the wedding. Events are lined up for March 4 too. The vara pooja and the pre-muhurat events will take place on a set erected in Palace Grounds and artists including Kannada composer Gurukiran, Akhila Pajimannu, Suhana Syed will be performing. Haldi programme is scheduled for March 1 and the Mehendi programme will take place on March 3.  Dignatories from Karnataka's political and film circles will be taking part in the wedding bash. Although it is not expected to top Janardhana Reddy's lavish spread for his daughter's wedding in 2016, it is still expected to be a lavish ceremony in Bengaluru.   

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Two Lingayat mutts in Karnataka ring in peace by appointing Muslim and Kuruba heads

Communal harmony

Diwan Sharief Rahimsab Mulla, a 33-year-old former autorickshaw driver and flour mill owner, and 47-year-old Neelamma Taayi, a teacher, were appointed mutt heads last week.

Naheed Ataulla

Diwan Sharief Rahimsab Mulla at his initiation

Amidst the hate speeches and communal strife that we’re witnessing lately, two Lingayat mutts in Karnataka quietly set an example of religious tolerance, by appointing a Muslim and a Kuruba (Backward Class) as their head last week. A bonus to this development: of the two mutts, one is headed by a woman seer from the Backward Class; though nearly 20 Lingayat mutts in the state are led by women, they are from the same community. While Diwan Sharief Rahimsab Mulla, a 33-year-old former autorickshaw driver and flour mill owner influenced by the 12th century social reformer Basavanna, took the Linga Deeksha (initiation) to head the Murugarajendra Koraneshwara Shanthidhama mutt in Asuti village of Gadag district, 47-year-old Neelamma Taayi, a teacher now known as Vijaya Mahantamma Taayi, became the Uttaradhikari (successor) of Basava Kendra Mahanta mutt in Mareguddi-Budhni PM village of Jamkhandi taluk, Bagalkot district. Commenting on Lingayat mutts in north Karnataka throwing open the successor posts to Basavanna’s disciples from other faiths, SM Jamdar, former bureaucrat and authority on Lingayat religion, told TNM this was because Kalyan (north) Karnataka and Maharashtra are the strongholds of traditional Lingayatism, unlike down south in the state, where the Lingayat community is not in the mainstream. “Nearly 40% to 50% of the population in Vijayapura, Dharwad, Gadag, Raichur and other districts comprises Lingayats and they have a strong influence on the non-Lingayats. Besides, the similarities in the practices of Lingayat and Islam faiths, such as belief in one God, no idol worship, burying the dead, giving Zakat (charity) and Dasoha, is the reason for the two communities to merge beautifully,” he added. According to SM Jamdar, Rahimsab Mulla is the fourth Muslim in 300 years to head a Lingayat mutt, with the first being a person named Fakir in Shirahatti taluk of Gadag district. He adopted a mutt which came to be known as the Fakireshwara Lingayat mutt. The second instance was a century ago when the personal physician of the Nizam of Hyderabad founded the Chennabasaveshwara Siddiqui Anjuman trust. The third was 25 years ago, when a professor became a Lingayat and headed the Marulashankaradeva mutt in Kalaburagi district. Swami Murugharajendra Koraneshwara Shivayogi of Khajuri mutt in Kalaburagi district, who gave the Deeksha to Rahimsab Mulla, said the latter’s parents were disciples of Basavanna and had donated land to the mutt. “Rahimsab Mulla is the first person with a family to head the mutt as Basavanna himself was a family man who laid stress on work being worship. The Gadag mutt will be a branch of the Koraneshwara Sansthana mutt in Khajuri as we believe in one lamp lighting another,” SM Jamdar added. Neelamma Taayi, who hails from Dharwad district, was a teacher in the mutt’s primary school for a decade. According to Basavaraj Giraganvi, general secretary of the mutt’s educational trust, the woman seer can continue her responsibilities as long as she wants. The mutt, started in 1987 as a branch of the Ilkal mutt, is a virakta (renouncement) one, which permits seers to live within society by renouncing all emotional attachments. Former director, Centre of Vachana Studies in Bidar, Ramjan Dargah, said these developments are the answer to the communal hate which is being spread across the country. According to him, north Karnataka is generally free from Islamic fundamentalism, which makes it possible for the religion to merge seamlessly with Lingayatism as both have common tenets. “It’s common in north Karnataka for a Dargah committee to have non-Muslims as members and during Ganesh Utsavs, the procession is dominated by Muslims,” he maintained. Naheed Ataulla is a journalist who has covered Karnataka politics for over two decades, and is a former Political Editor of The Times of India. Views expressed are the author's own.

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This Bengaluru eatery has been dishing out pork biryani since 1976

Food

Chandrappa Hotel prepares 25 kgs of biryani daily, and up to 60 kgs on weekends to meet the high demand.

Ramzauva Chhakchhuak

The first time a friend told me about a place that sold pork biryani in Bengaluru, I asked him to repeat what he said just to make sure I heard him right. In my seven years in this city and numerous years of gobbling up any kind of biryani, it never occurred to me the two could be combined. Nor did I ever find a place that sold the same. I remember doing a casual internet search after I got this information that day a few months ago. The results showed me two restaurants, one of which was the one my friend recommended. Yes, it was just one internet search away, all this while. There might be many more out there who don't have an internet presence. Who knows.   After planning for a few days, some friends and I decided to take a short bike ride to Chandrappa Hotel in Mathikere one chilly Sunday evening. In Bengaluru, when I was introduced to the donne biryani by a colleague, I remember being a bit confused. The bowl-shaped leaf where it was served and the greenish rice were elements in a biryani that were totally new to me. I'll admit this is still not my favourite biryani but I gradually came around to liking the rather spicy taste. A lot of us meat-eaters are more than eager to point out that there is no such thing as vegetable biryani. The concept of a pork biryani similarly did not fit my idea of a biryani. I told a foodie friend about this and she was surprised too.   There's the ubiquitous chicken and mutton versions. In Kerala, big restaurants have beef biryani proudly displayed outside and some even with neon lights. While not so openly sold, they are popular in other states. The fish and even prawn biryani are also widely available. Pork biryani? Not so well known, if you ask me.  Pork biryani at Chandrappa Hotel After negotiating some unruly night traffic for 40 minutes, we finally reached the place. Chandrappa Hotel is extremely unassuming and you would probably just pass it by if you don't keep an eye out for it. Later I realised, the eatery was but a mere reflection of the very modest personalities of the people who run it. Inside, the interiors are basic. The restaurant has a loyal base of customers who swear by the pork biryani and its other dishes since it started in 1976. It is named after its founder, Channarayappa K, who was more popularly known as Chandrappa. While he is no more, his legacy is being carried forward by his family. When we reached the restaurant, Kishore Kumar, one of the founder's grandsons, was at the reception speaking to a never-ending stream of customers. He snatched a few seconds at short intervals from his busy schedule to interact with me. Kumar's uncle and one of the founder's three sons, Rajashekhar C, runs the bulk of the business along with his son, Lohit R. Rajashekhar, who was described as a great cook by his son, handles all the nitty-gritty of the kitchen and the cooking. Lohit told me at least 25 kgs of biryani gets prepared daily and during weekdays the demands go up to even 60 kgs. While the place specialises in other pork dishes besides the regular chicken and mutton items, the pork biryani is one of its signature dishes. We gave our orders for four pork biryanis. A second batch was being prepared when we gave our orders and we had to wait for around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we decided to try the pork kebabs that came in mini plates and was finished in less than 5 minutes. I asked Kumar how the idea of selling something like the pork biryani was hit upon. He said there was no special reason. It was just a wise businessman trying out different things that could turn out to be a crowd puller. And pork biryani was one of them. Suhas Gowda, a 32-year-old Benglurean, has been coming to this joint specifically for the pork biryani since his teens. "I was introduced to this place by my father who has been coming here since the 80s. He knew the owner and would always speak to him when he came here. Besides the pork biryani, garlic pork is my favourite. There are not many places that have pork biryani even now and these guys started a while back. A visit to this place is a must, a few times a week." Chandrappa Hotel in Bengaluru. Lohit told me the mutton biryani and other mutton dishes are also a big draw. The shop has been in this same place, near M S Ramaiah College, since it started and will probably be here for many years to come. Kumar told me there was just one Chandrappa Hotel. He also said he was content with just this hotel and had no plans on expanding anytime soon. Lohit C, who is quite the businessman, however, differed and said opening other branches is on the cards in a few years.   The much-anticipated pork biryani was finally set on our table. It looked like the donne biryani and the rice tasted somewhat like it too. But there was no mistaking the pork in it. Small chunks of soft, tender and well-cooked meat that almost melted in our mouths. The spices had meshed well with the meat and the rice.  Not only did we finish the biryani we packed two more for a few friends.       My first introduction to the biryani was the famous Kolkata variety with the potato and aromatic rice. This was during my stint in that city. The Kolkata biryani remains my favourite to this day. In Delhi, when I got tired of eating the spice-laden biryani near my university or their somewhat overhyped cousins near Jama Masjid and around Old Delhi, I found out places that served my favourite biryani. While in Delhi, I introduced a friend to the Kolkata biryani who thought the idea of putting a potato in the dish was nothing short of ludicrous. I think now and realise the biryani has no boundaries. It will evolve as long as people are adventurous enough to do different things with it. Even eat it at a protest as a sign of dissent!   

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Slump in reservations for Bengaluru’s Town Hall cited as reason for protest ban

Protest

Town Hall had 54 reservations up until February in financial year 2019-20, as opposed to 88 in FY 2018-19.

Soumya Chatterjee

The iconic Puttannachetty Town Hall had only 54 reservations for the financial year 2019-20 ending March 31, as opposed to 88 single-day reservations in FY 2018-19. On Saturday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council passed a resolution to not allow protests to be held outside Puttannachetty Town Hall, with Mayor Goutham Kumar citing the failing revenues of the venue as the reason for the decision. Currently, the cost of booking Town Hall for a single day — from 9 am to 9 pm — is Rs 88,600. Officials said the hall can’t be booked for a shorter duration. After Saturday’s resolution was passed, the police were informed that permission for protests must not be granted at the venue. For long, the Town Hall has been the default venue for protests in Bengaluru, and many protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) have been held in front of Town Hall in the last three months. Officials said that due to the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, there has been a slump of reservations. However, TNM could not access further detailed records to ascertain the correlation of the protests and the slump in reservations. Suresh, Assistant Executive Engineer, MPED (Multipurpose Engineering  Division) Bengaluru told TNM that while there were 88 bookings for financial year 2018-19, the number till February 2019 for financial year 2019-20 is only 58, with only one month to go for the financial year to end.  MPED officials said that this led to the officials from the Finance Department in the BBMP to approach BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar, who, in turn, suggested to the Mayor to take the step. However this decision was not well received by the opposition and independent activists alike. Senior lawyer BT Venkatesh earlier told TNM that the BBMP does not have a right to restrict protests outside the venue. “Town Hall is a prominent area, and people show up there for protests. The only reason they are doing this is to clamp down on the rights of people,” he said.

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Bengaluru IPS officer Isha Pant transferred twice in four days

Police

Isha Pant had been serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Bengaluru South-East division.

TNM Staff

Credit: Rajesh Mulka on FB

Top IPS official in Bengaluru, Isha Pant, who has been serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of the Bengaluru South-East division, was transferred twice in past four days, following confusion and a speculated tussle for power within the city’s police.  On February 26, the Karnataka government issued an order that Isha Pant was to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as the Superintendant of Police (SP). However, on February 29, the state government issued an order revoking the decision to send her to the CID and instead reinstated her as DCP of Bengaluru South-East division. Hours later, another order was issued by the government and the IPS officer was posted as the DCP, Command Centre of Bengaluru, the Deccan Herald reported. Srinath Mahadev Joshi, a 2015 batch IPS officer, has now been appointed as the Bengaluru South-East division. Srinath Joshi was previously the Superintendant of Police in Chitradurga, and was promoted to IPS cadre in 2017.  Isha Pant had tweeted the developments over the past four days and on Saturday, she stated that she had handed over the charge to Srinath Joshi. Isha said that she had completed one year at the post and that it was very fulfilling work. She also thanked the staff who worked with her.    Handed over charge to the new DCP South East, Shri Joshi Shrinath Mahadev. I had a very fulfilling one year. I thank the officers and staff of the division for extending their whole hearted support to me. I also thank all the residents of the division for being active 1/n — Isha Pant, IPS (@DCPSEBCP) February 29, 2020   A week ago, Isha had announced a campaign, in collaboration with a local women's NGO Durga India, to make the city safer for women at night. The campaign, from February 24 to March 8, was to encourage women to come to public spaces in the city and spend time together over a fortnight between 7 pm and 9 pm. Eight locations in Bengaluru were identified for this exercise, including Madiwala market and Silk board. Arrangements had been made to improve the lighting in these places and various cultural events have been held at these places.   Music by Beat Guru on day 3 of #Betogetherbangalore at Veera Yodhara Park, Koramangala energized the people. Spreading awareness is not always boring. #policeisyourfriend pic.twitter.com/qXDGOKKMqC — Isha Pant, IPS (@DCPSEBCP) February 27, 2020  

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7 cases of swine flu confirmed in Karnataka’s Davanagere

Health

Officials have stated that this is part of the seasonal cases which are normally seen, and that there is no reason to panic as long as basic hygiene is followed.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran

Representative Image

Seven persons from Karnataka’s Davanagere district tested positive for the H1N1 virus (swine flu). “It is something we see around this time, a few cases of swine flu, but there is no reason to be panicked. We have informed the health officials concerned and the district surveillance officer and all the precautions to prevent further spread are being taken. The important thing is that people wash their hands and maintain hygienic practices,” stated Davanagere District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Raghavendra to TNM. The DHO further noted that all the seven individuals have been admitted and are undergoing treatment. District officials have also begun screening for swine flu and have also begun awareness campaigns to ensure that people are educated about the disease. While there were some reports that two individuals had succumbed to the disease in the district earlier this month, the doctor clarified that this was not true and that there has only been one death recorded in the district so far this year. A man in his seventies had died earlier this month after contracting the disease, but the DHO said that the man’s condition was aggravated due to underlying health issues. “One man who had contracted swine flu and was admitted to a hospital in the district for treatment died earlier this month. He had underlying complications which worsened his condition,” he added. The man was in his early seventies and was a known diabetic and had some other chronic health problems as well, which exacerbated his condition, said the DHO. Prior to this, another individual from Tumakuru district had died after contracting the disease in January. On February 20, SAP had shut down its offices in Bengaluru’s Ecopark and in Mumbai and Gurgaon after 2 employees tested positive for swine flu. In a statement at the time, SAP had said that detailed contact tracing was being undertaken. “The health of our employees and their families is of utmost priority, as a precautionary measure, all the SAP India Offices across Bangalore, Gurgaon and Mumbai have been closed for extensive sanitization, and all SAP employees based in these locations have been asked to work from home till further notice,” the company said. However, health department officials have stated that there is no reason to panic and to take basic precautionary measures. Swine flu, which is more commonly called H1N1, is called by a strain of the influenza A virus. This disease is a zoonotic one, which means that it was initially commonly seen in animals, but then was transmitted to humans. The animal source for H1N1 is known to be pigs. The most common symptoms of swine flu include cough, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting. People may also present with chills and severe myalgia (fatigue). The first cases of H1N1 in people were detected in April 2009 in the US. It is contagious and can be spread from person to person. A vaccine is available against the flu which the WHO has now declared to be a seasonal flu. H1N1 has also been declared a ‘post-pandemic’ disease. This means that the disease is now one that has incorporated itself into the human population. Along with varying seasonal illnesses and influenza, there are seasonal periods where cases of swine flu will spike in different parts of the world. Some preventive measures to take include getting vaccinated, washing hands frequently, and avoiding contact with individuals who are ill. Also read:Swine flu is a post-pandemic disease: Here’s why that means you don’t need to panic

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No more protests outside Town Hall: Bengaluru civic body passes resolution

Controversy

The resolution was passed without any discussion in the BBMP council on Saturday.

Theja Ram

Representation photo

Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) council on Saturday passed a resolution to not allow protests to be held outside Puttannachetty Town Hall. During the council’s session on Saturday, Bengaluru Mayor Goutham Kumar said that the decision was made as the civic body was unable to generate revenue from Town Hall.  “Puttannachetty Town Hall is not generating revenue as people are not coming forward to rent out the space for various programmes. This is because the space outside Town Hall has been utilised for various protests by various organisations on a day-to-day basis. Those wanting to rent spaces for programmes refrain from doing so because of the protests,” Mayor Goutham Kumar said in the council.  He further stated that the BBMP had informed the Bengaluru Police that permission for holding protests outside Town Hall must not be granted. “For protests, people can utilise spaces like Freedom Park and a few other designated spaces in the city. The city is incurring a loss when it comes to revenue generated by Town Hall and this is the only reason why protests cannot be held outside the building any longer,” he claimed.  The issue was on the council’s agenda on Saturday and the resolution was passed with a simple majority of BJP councillors. The agenda was introduced by the Mayor and the resolution was passed without discussion in the BBMP council.  Speaking to TNM, a senior lawyer practising at the Karnataka High Court, BT Venkatesh, said that the BBMP has no right to impose restrictions on those who want to protest outside the Town Hall and called it a ploy to clamp down on people’s right to protest.  “BBMP does not own the property outside Town Hall. It belongs to the people. Nowhere in the world does this happen. All residents of Bengaluru are equal owners of the property outside Town Hall. This is one of the schemes of the present govt to clamp down on protests against the CAA and NRC. It is too hot to handle for them. Town Hall is a prominent area, and people show up there for protests. The only reason they are doing this is to clamp down on rights of people," BT Venkatesh said.  Congress corporator from Manorayana Palya and Leader of Opposition in the BBMP Council, Abdul Wajid, said that Mayor Goutham Kumar is “out to snatch away the rights of people”. He said that the opposition would stage a protest outside Town Hall on March 3 and demand a discussion in the council.  “In Bengaluru, we only have two places where prominent protests have taken place historically. It is outside Town Hall and at Freedom Park. Our Constitution says that any person can protest anywhere, irrespective of religion, caste and creed. Town Hall is a central location and is easily accessible to people. I feel that because a lot of anti-CAA and NRC protests are happening outside Town Hall, the government hatched a plot to not provide a venue. If there is no venue then how will people protest? This is their mindset,” Abdul Wajid said.  The Congress corporator further stated that the BBMP charges Rs 1.25 lakh rent per day for those who want to hold programmes at Town Hall. “Half of the programmes that happen there are government functions and those get 50% discount. Then obviously revenue will be lesser. Who are they (BJP government) to snatch the right of people to protest? We demand a discussion in the council,” he added.   Mujahid Pasha, a senior BBMP corporator from SDPI, said the resolution was introduced by the Mayor and passed without any discussion within 10 minutes. “This shows the mentality of the Mayor and his party. It is understood that all these protests are mostly against the policies of the Central government, and this is a way to hide the discontent against it. If the protests are hidden away in Freedom Park, then many people won’t come to know about them and there will be less media attention as well,” Pasha told TNM. With inputs from Soumya Chatterjee

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