News

The Hindu :

An artist and a filmmaker duo document new age perceptions of the Dutch legacy in Malabar, for a show to be held in The Netherlands

The entrance of Hortus Malabaricus or garden of Malabar at Veli

When Vaidyar Itty Achudan and the Dutch governor of Cochin, Hendrik Adriaan Van Rheede tot Drakestein collaborated and collated the voluminous and detailed book on botanical taxonomy and traditional healing system of Malabar, “Hortus Malabaricus”, 1678, little would they have thought that centuries later it would still remain a huge reference point in history and medicine. But with 742 plant identifications and Ayurvedic cures the book continues to inspire research.

This time the research is a fascinating journey being re-traversed by Renee Ridgway, a visual artist and Rick Van Amersfoort, a documentary film maker who are in the city researching and filming new age perceptions about Dutch colonisation in India. Their story begins with the alleged burning of the Portuguese Library by the Dutch and the subsequent authoring of the “Hortus Malabaricus”. The tale begins in 1663, Kerala. And then questions come up, thick and fast. How, when, why now and what today?

Oral versions

“We are investigating the role of the collaboration between Achudan and Van Rheede who put together the Hortus Malabaricus,” says Renee, further explaining that the research is not just limited to that and will juxtapose both Dutch and Indian, oral as well as written, versions. It is to have a modern perspective, a new look at bio-patents and traditional knowledge.

A self-initiative, the researchers plan to interview scholars, Ayurveda doctors, ordinary folks as well as any lead that will help them come up with valuable information and new interpretations.

Hearsay, evidence, tales, conjectures, archival fragments, documents, structures and most of all peoples’ stories told by them is what will make their artistic pastiche. Factual rightness is not the mainstay in the story as years of time…More

The Hindu : y>

Pseudo Code, a classic rock band from the city will present music ranging from CCR to audiofile.

Venue: Suburbia, Kasturi Nagar , Outer Ring Road

Date: May 1

Time: 8 p.m.

Contact: 4149 9329

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>Lucky Ali talks to MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER about his new album, his concerns about the environment, his love and hope for the city

Sneak peak Lucky Ali: I believe that life is a trailer for what is to come later’

“They are pets,” says Lucky Ali introducing the fat, content geese waddling about in the musician’s sprawling farm. There are also inquisitive sheep sporting Rastafarian locks that go by the names of Rufus and Mary wandering in the studio where Lucky is meeting young musicians for his cooperative, Lucky Ali Enterprise.

“This is an attempt to find an alternative to the corporate system,” the “O Sanam” hitmaker comments. “I have respectfully bowed out of the system. We work with musicians to get music to as many people as possible. We are lucky to be at a time when technology allows us to reach the greatest number. We are at the threshold of a revolution. It is time to junk the old, bulky hardware. This is an experiment that has attracted a lot of people. We have 7,000 people on our forum.”

About the creative control, Lucky says: “the musician is in charge of their material. The facilities are here for being creative within a musical frame work.”

Lucky’s latest album, ‘Xsuie’, which means at your pace, is available online. “I don’t believe in selling. It is disrespectful. Music cannot be advertised like soap. People have got to know of ‘ Xsuie’ only by word of mouth, like ‘Sunoh’. While, I am grateful to Channel V and MTV for that initial push, they unfortunately have succumbed to market forces.”

‘Xsuie’ being available online coincides with Lucky’s environmental consciousness. “The environment is an important aspect of how I function. Making CDs and the covers uses a lot of plastic and paper and there is a lot of toxic waste. However, I know there are those who would like a physical…More

The Hindu : y>

Decathlon, sports cash and carry store is celebrating its first anniversary and is organising activities such as thwack, rollotrain, etc. for its members. It is open to all.

Venue: Decathlon, Sarjapur Road

Date: May 2

Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Contact: 25741509

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

A sugar-free life may help you to live longer and healthier

Difficult choice Eat one and stay healthy

We have a love-hate relationship with sugar. On the one hand, life would be dull without baked foods, ice cream, chocolates, jam and ketchup. On the other hand, a sugar-free life may well be longer and healthier.

Excessive intake of sugar can cause tooth decay, obesity, and an unfavourable cholesterol profile that increases the risk of heart disease.

Count your calories

Unfortunately, there are no clear-cut guidelines on how much sugar one can safely take in a day. According to most nutrition experts, including those who wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005), calories from added sugar are “discretionary calories”.

One may take them to make up for a dietary calorie deficit only after accomplishing the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins. The number of discretionary calories at one’s disposal depends on age, physical activity level, and individual medical problems. An average diet of 2000 Calorie/day has a discretionary quota of around 260 Calorie: this will cover a piece of cake or a couple of alcoholic drinks. Although it sounds like a party pooper, the “discretionary calories” principle makes life more bearable for diabetics: it allows them to have tea/coffee with regular table sugar and even the odd sweet snack in a day.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is tougher on sugar than the USDA. In its August 2009 recommendations, the AHA says that no more than half of the discretionary allowance of calories should come from added sugar.

For men on an average diet, the limit would be around 150 Calorie per day from table sugar (around 9 tsp of table sugar).

For women, the limit is around 100 Calorie (6 tsp of sugar).

Nutritious meals

Here are some tips to reduce the added sugar in…More

The Hindu : y>

Celebrity DJ Ritesh from Goa will be performing in the city. Cover charge of Rs. 1,000 (per couple) and entry is free for single ladies.

Venue: ONYX, The Gateway Hotel, Residency Road

Date: May 1

Contact: 66604545

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>Unseen Underground plans 40 pub shows across India

Unseen Underground plans to organise 40 pub shows this year in six cities — Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Guwahati, giving an opportunity to more than 100 up and coming bands from across the country.

Interested bands can send in their entries to unseenunderground@gmail.com

The plan is to have the shows as follows throughout the year: Delhi – six shows (bimonthly starting from May); Bangalore – six shows (bimonthly starting from June); Hyderabad – six shows (bimonthly starting from June); Kolkata – six shows (bimonthly starting from May); Guwahati – six shows (bimonthly starting from June); and Chennai – 10 shows (monthly starting from May). For details email the above ID or call 093805 60142.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>

There will be special cooking classes in North Indian, Chinese, Mughlai cuisines. There will also be classes in murals, Kohinoor paintings, stained glass painting and other crafts besides self grooming sessions.

Date: May 1 onwards

Contact: Nila Shah on 9845044350

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>A book release and a couple of concerts

A nkita Pustaka releases a novel and a short story collection by K.N. Ganeshaiah on May 2 at Indian Institute of World Culture, B.P. Wadia Road, Bangalore, 10.30 a.m. The book will be released by former chairperson Kannada Book Authority Baraguru Ramachandrappa. Chief guests are writer Jogi and filmmaker Nagabharana.

* * *

Guruguhaamrta features Amrita Venkatesh’s Carnatic vocal recital accompanied by B.K. Raghu (violin) and B.C. Manjunath (mridanga). The concert will have rare compositions of Muttuswami Dikshitar such as “Mangalambayai” (Malavasri), “Kumaraswaminam” (Asaveri), “Margahindolapriye” (Marga Hindola), etc.

The concert today, is at Ananya, Malleswaram, 6 p.m. For details, call 97398 67746

* * *

Smruti Sangeet presents Ustad Abdul Qadar Khan and Pandit Basavaraj Bendegeri memorial concerts on May 1, today at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Race Course Road, 9 a.m.

There will be a vocal recitals by Nidhi Ududpa Raghavan and Bharati Pratap and sitar by Mohsin Khan. At 5 p.m., Master Sarfaraz Khan and Deepak Paramashivan present sarangi, followed by Ustad Shabbir Nisar’s tabla solo and Shripad Hegde’s vocal recital.

It is open to all. For details, call Faiyaz Khan 98455 62037 or Shashibhushan Gurjar 90081 50405.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>

Version One dot Oh!, will stage the play “When The Python followed the Actor”. It is adaptation of Christopher Durang’s “An Actor’s Nightmare” and “3 sketches” from the “Monty Python Flying Circus” television series, all strung together to produce a 70-minute rib tickling comedy, say the makers.

Venue: Rangashankara

Date: May 2

Time: 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

<FONT …More