Mysore/Mysuru: As many as 47 candidates filed their nomination papers for 11 Assembly segments of the district yesterday (Apr. 19) for the May 10 polls.

While former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah filed his nomination in Nanjangud as Congress candidate from high stakes Varuna Assembly seat, sitting MLA Tanveer Sait filed his nomination as Congress candidate from NR Constituency of the city and  Congress candidate K. Harish Gowda from Chamaraja Constituency. The other candidates who filed their nomination yesterday included Congress candidate D. Ravishankar, AAP candidate Murugesh and independent candidate Shivananjappa from K.R. Nagar Constituency; R. Mahadevaswamy of Uttama Prajaakeeya Party from Varuna; B.R. Puttaswamy as BSP candidate from T. Narasipur; A.N. Shivalingappa of Samajwadi Party from T. Narasipur; S. Prakash Priyadarshan and H.P. Udayshankar as independent candidates from KR Constituency; B. Shivanna of Karnataka Praja Party and S. Harish of Uttama Prajaakeeya Party from Chamundeshwari.

Meanwhile, KR Constituency Congress candidate M.K. Somashekar filed another set of his nomination papers yesterday. Somashekar had filed his nomination papers on Apr. 17.

As on Wednesday, as many as 146 candidates in the district have filed their nomination.

Today (Apr. 20) is the last day for filing of nomination papers and the scrutiny of nomination papers would be taken up tomorrow (Apr. 21). Last date for withdrawal of nomination is Apr. 24.

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Mysore/Mysuru: There was a time when the voice of Indian women could hardly reach the public sphere as they had no right to work and were suppressed. But society changes with time and the once deprived section has now occupied public service, the most prestigious and coveted service.

Today, Mar. 8 is International Women’s Day and a day for women to celebrate their success, and achievements and thereby send a message on gender equality, loud and clear.

The encouraging momentum toward creating a more balanced public safety and administrative force is fuelled by a growing appreciation of certain unique and valuable professional qualities that women bring to administration and law enforcement.

Such qualities enhance the ability of the administration and law enforcement agencies to make a positive impact on the communities they serve. In Mysuru, several women hold key positions and have proved their efficiency in their respective fields.

Here, women are in top positions like Additional Deputy Commissioner Kavitha Rajaram,  Superintendent of Police Seema Latkar, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) K.M. Gayathri, Chief Conservator of Forests (Mysuru Circle) Dr. Malathi Priya, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mysuru City (Crime and Traffic) S. Jahnavi, Additional Superintendent of Police Dr. B.N. Nandini, Dean and Director of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute Dr. K.R. Dakshayini and Joint Director of Food and Civil Supplies Kumuda.

These posts apart, other district posts are also held by women like Mysuru City Corporation Deputy Mayor Dr. G. Roopa,  MCC Additional DC M.J. Roopa, Chief Superintendent of Mysuru Central Prison K C. Divyashree, University of Mysore Registrar V.R. Shylaja, Mysuru Assistant Commissioner Kamala Bai, Hunsur Assistant Commissioner Ruchi Bindal, Deputy Director of Land Records Seemanthini, Rangayana Deputy Director Nirmala Matapathi and T. Narasipur Tahsildar Geetha.  In addition, there are other women officers too holding key positions like Project Director, Urban Development Corporation (DUDC) Department Shubha, Joint Director (JD) of Treasury Yashoda, JD of Social Welfare Department Malathi, JD of Disabled Welfare and Senior Citizens Malini, Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) Priyadarshini and Kabini SLAO Priya.

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New Delhi: Indore was adjudged India’s cleanest city for the sixth time in a row, while Surat and Navi Mumbai followed it in the next two spots in the Central Government’s annual cleanliness survey, the results of which were announced yesterday. Mysuru came a distant eighth (above one lakh population).

After Mysuru had managed to secure the top spot in the first and second surveys — 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 — Indore has been at the top of the list since 2017.

In the category of Best Performing States in ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022’, Madhya Pradesh has secured the first position, followed by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

Mysuru has been ranked the cleanest among medium-sized cities with a population between 3 lakh and 10 lakh. By securing eighth place among urban local bodies with a population above 1 lakh, Mysuru improved its ranking from the last year’s 15th place.

The overall marks for Swachh Survekshan-2022 was 7,500 against which Mysuru scored 6,566 marks while Indore scored 7,146.

Mysuru has also been ranked second cleanest (Tirupati is first) among cities with a population between 1 lakh and 10 lakh. This is an improvement over the previous year’s ranking when Mysuru was ranked seventh in the same category.

Indore and Surat retained their top positions in the big cities category this year, while Vijayawada lost its third spot to Navi Mumbai. Among the States having fewer than 100 Urban Local Bodies, Tripura has bagged the top rank.

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave away the awards to the winners at an event in New Delhi, also attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

The survey is being conducted since 2016 and the focus this year was on ‘People First’.

“Swachhata Survekshan today is the largest sanitation survey in the world. In 2016, it was started as a pilot project in 73 cities and now in 2022 more than 4,355 cities have taken part in it,” Hardeep Singh Puri said

The 7th edition of Swachh Survekshan was conducted to study the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and rank the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) based on various cleanliness and sanitation parameters.

The Survekshan has evolved from being an assessment of 73 cities in 2016 to covering 4,354 cities this year.

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By Dr. K. Javeed Nayeem, MD

Over the past few years, we have all been noticing that the old and sedate, but incredibly charming face of Namma Mysuru has been steadily changing. Being very gradual, this change so far has not been unlike the transformation in the face of a beautiful lady when she gracefully steps from youth to old age, losing none of its charm in the process and instead, acquiring a glowing patina and sheen of its own.

But suddenly, our city now seems to be all set to undergo some drastic plastic surgery and a complete change of face, going by some new things that are taking place on our royal soil. While I am not very sure whether all this is going to be good or bad for us, especially the old-time Mysureans, but change, however undesirable, is inevitable and it cannot be thwarted even by the most powerful forces.

It is very much like the weathering of rocks and very often the entire landscape, by the gentle and almost imperceptible forces of wind and water. No rock however solid can resist their impact in the long run. That is why there is much truth in the age-old saying that… In the battle between rock and water, the water always wins, not because of its power but because of its perseverance! 

Very soon, in the next weekend to be precise, we are going to see in our city a mega conclave that will have all the ingredients of the commercial promotional events that are usually held these days in almost all metropolitan cities across our country. Mysuru, because of its environment and ambience, its prominence as a tourism hub, its now vastly improved and still improving connectivity by air and road, its climate and clean city tag, is all set to be the City of Smart Start-Ups & MSMEs.

All the aforementioned attributes, along with its close proximity to Bengaluru, make Mysuru an ideal city for any entrepreneur. It is a ‘comfort with convenience’ kind of story!

A 3-day Mega Mysuru Start-Up Pavilion & Conclave is being held on 5th, 6th, 7th August 2022 at the SJCE Campus, Mysuru. Some very bold ecosystem partners and start-up enablers will be hosting this mega event, to bring all like-minded players under one roof. Over 15,000 aspiring participants comprising students, innovators, researchers, educators and industry professionals are expected to visit the 100-plus start-up & MSME stalls and will have access to more than 25 speakers, investors, mentors, incubators and accelerators, all under one umbrella, justifying the tagline of the event as — One Place, Infinite Possibilities.

The event is set to offer access to the entire start-up ecosystem with keynote sessions, masterclasses, expert talks, start-up pitches, networking, panel discussions on cloud technologies, cybersecurity and many more. More importantly, the Mysuru Start-up Pavilion will also provide a platform for school kids and college-going students to present their innovative ideas to investors and the general public, showcasing possibilities for new-gen aspiring entrepreneurs.

Even in the field of healthcare which is what I am associated with, or interested in, Mysuru is fast emerging as a very reliable and convenient destination people can head to, for quick and effective health care without the hassles of navigating through the congestion of larger cities. Unlike in the very recent past when one had to necessarily rush to Bengaluru for advanced medical treatment, now most good hospitals in our city are more than adequately equipped to handle almost all medical emergencies.

Many of my friends who are settled abroad always prefer to come down to Mysuru for their non-emergent health needs and some of them are doing this even for their annual health check-ups which they synchronise with their visits to India! It may seem like an extreme coincidence but even as I was writing this article, a friend of mine called me up from Dubai to tell me that I should get in readiness a good ward at a good hospital to get him operated for the haemorrhoids that were bothering him for the past few months! I wonder if I can call this a ‘Bottoms-Up’ kind of story!

Sensing the great need that exists to showcase and market healthcare infrastructure that can be developed here in Mysuru, the Mysuru Start-Up Pavilion & Conclave has offered to give a stall at its exhibition where this can be done. And, a few leading hospitals which happen to be members of MAHAN, The Mysuru Association of Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Clinics and Diagnostic Centres, will be conducting events like patient education, free health check-ups and maybe even free Covid booster dose vaccination there under the banner of MAHAN.

Even as things stand today, Mysuru already has a mix of entrepreneurs who have brought new energy and passion to the existing eco-system, with their own success stories, be it in the field of electronics or cutting-edge technology. Being the pioneers who first tested the waters, they have all had positive journeys that can themselves inspire aspiring but sceptical entrepreneurs to live their own amazing experiences.

The year of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav certainly seems like the right time for the passionate aspirants to make the leap forward from job-seekers to job-givers. Yes, the time is just right and, entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination. Begin your journey NOW and Be at the right place!

e-mail: kjnmysore@rediffmail.com

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Mysore/Mysuru: “When we start living yoga, Yoga Day becomes a medium to celebrate our health, happiness and peace,” said PM Modi at the Mysore Palace this morning on the occasion of the Eighth International Day of Yoga (IDY).

“Yogic energy, which has been nurtured for centuries by the spiritual centres of India like Mysuru, is today giving direction to global health. Today, Yoga is becoming a basis for global cooperation and is providing a belief of healthy life to mankind,” he said.

The PM said that today Yoga has come out of the households and has spread all over the world and this is a picture of spiritual realisation, and that of natural and shared human consciousness, especially in the last two years of an unprecedented pandemic.

“Yoga has now become a global festival. Yoga is not only for any individual but for the entire humanity. Therefore, this time the theme of the International Day of Yoga is ‘Yoga for humanity’,” he said.

The PM remarked that India is celebrating Yoga Day at a time when the country is celebrating its 75th year of independence, the Amrit Mahotsav.

This widespread acceptance of Yoga Day, the Prime Minister said, is the acceptance of that Amrit spirit of India which gave energy to India’s freedom struggle. That is why mass Yoga demonstrations are being organised at 75 iconic locations across the country which have been witness to the glorious history of India and have been the centre of cultural energy.

“The experience of collective yoga at the historical sites of India is like tying together India’s past, India’s diversity, and India’s expansion,” he elaborated.

He also informed about the novel programme ‘Guardian Yoga Ring’ which is a collaborative exercise between 79 countries and United Nations organisations along with Indian Missions abroad to illustrate Yoga’s unifying power that surpasses national boundaries.

As the Sun apparently moves from the East to the West across the world, the Mass Yoga Demonstrations in the participating countries, if seen from any one point on Earth, will seem to be happening one after the other, almost in tandem, thus underlining the concept of ‘One Sun, One earth’. “These practices of yoga are giving wonderful inspiration for health, balance and cooperation,” he added.

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Hospitality sector stakeholders elated as hotels see 100 percent occupancy

Mysuru: Long weekend, summer vacation for schools, a pandemic-fear-free surroundings and safety guaranteed by vaccines — all these have contributed to the tourist rush in Mysuru and Kodagu. Though there are reports about the imminent fourth wave, thousands of tourists have preferred travelling to being closeted at homes.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti, Mahaveer Jayanti, Good Friday have come along with the weekend to give a four-day holiday. With the third wave of COVID petering out, tourists are flocking many places of interest, boosting the travel and hospitality sector. Added to the confidence of the travellers is full vaccination status.

Hotels in Mysuru are packed with tourists and all the 10,000 rooms are full, said Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C. Narayanagowda. This level of occupancy is being witnessed for the second time in the last two years.

While December 2021 had over 80 to 85 percent of bookings, 100 percent bookings are being witnessed this summer. “For the first time since March 2020, all hotels in the Central Business District have 100 percent bookings from Apr. 13 to Apr. 16. Some have bookings till Apr. 19,” he added. 

Owing to the long weekend, a majority of tourists landed in Mysuru on Wednesday (Apr. 13) night itself. “We are having a roaring business and along with rooms, there is huge demand for food also,” Narayanagowda said. He added that this summer weekend has provided a much-needed relief for the tourism and hospitality sector.

He is expecting the same trend to continue as more children are finishing their exams and want to make good use of the short summer vacation.

More than 10,000 visit Palace

Every day, more than 10,000 people are visiting the Mysore Palace and the tempo will continue till Sunday, said Mysuru Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya.

Encouragingly, the occupancy rate in hotels on the city outskirts and beyond the Outer Ring Road is 90 percent and there is a demand for serviced apartments too as it is difficult to get hotel rooms. These apartments give an opportunity for one entire family to stay in one apartment.

Apart from Palace, places like Mysuru Zoo, Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, Karanji Lake Nature Park, Jaganmohan Palace, Chamundi Hill and Sri Chamundeshwari Temple, Nanjangud Srikanteshwaraswamy Temple, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Srirangapatna, Kere Thonnur and Melukote are also teeming with tourists.

Boost for travel sector too

Travel agents, tour operators, tourist guides and all the allied tourism businesses are also seeing increased demand. Travel operators are finding it tough to cater to the needs of tourists as many of them are asking for vehicles for a day-long trip to places like Bandipur, Kabini and Nagarahole. As such, vehicles for short trips are not available. 

Like in Mysuru, hotels and homestays in Kodagu have reported 100 percent bookings. Here, homestays are the first preference for the ambience, hospitality, food and also other adventure activities like trekking that come as part of the package at some homestays. There are over 3,000 homestays in Kodagu and only over 500 are registered.

Tourist destinations mixed with wildlife safaris like Nagarahole, Dubare Elephant Camp and Harangi Dam backwaters are seeing more tourist footfalls. However, the sheen of Dubare Elephant Camp on the banks of River Cauvery has been taken off due to lack of water. Most parts of the river has dried up with water remaining only in some stretches where there are places for the water to collect.

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[Continued from Feb. 2]

By R. Chandra Prakash

During the past five decades Mysuru medical scenario has undergone revolutionary changes — from medical education to medical services. Thousands of medical professionals have been produced in these institutions who went on to serve the country well. No surprise that there was also a proposal to establish a Railway Medical College in Mysuru a few years ago. Here is an attempt to provide a brief introduction to medical educational hub that has emerged in Mysuru.

Medical courses from Diploma to Degree, Master’s to research-based Ph.D are available in Mysuru, both under Allopathic and Ayurveda streams. Apart from MBBS and Master’s in Medicine and Surgery, courses are available in Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Speech & Hearing, Physiotherapy and in Allied Health Services such as Radiology Technician to Dialysis Technician, Cardiology to Occupational Therapy Technician. Higher specialisations by research called DM are also available in Mysuru.

Mysore Medical College

Established in 1924, Mysore Medical College, now called as Mysore Medical College and Research Institute [MMC&RI], has provided to the world about 10,000 well-trained and committed medical professionals. It has expanded its areas of operations and made changes in its medical education. Today it provides courses in different fields, starting from Nursing to Pharmacy and MBBS to Master’s in Medicine and Surgery. Being a Government institution, admissions are governed by Merit-cum-Reservation-Matrix. Fees reasonable for medical education.

There are 150 seats in MBBS.  It offers M.Ch (Plastic & Reconstructive surgery), B.Sc Allied Health Sciences, B.Sc [MLT], B.Sc (Medical Imaging Technology), B.Sc (Respiratory Care Technology) and B.Sc General Nursing Midwifery [G.N.M]. Under Para Medical category, there are Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology, Diploma in Medical Imaging Technology, Diploma in Ophthalmic Technology, Diploma in Health Inspector and Diploma in Medical Record Technology.

There are more than 120 Post Graduate Medical [MD/MS] courses under different specialisations like MD in Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Community Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Dermatology, Radio Diagnosis, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, General Medicine; and MS in  Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, O.B.G and the like. It has K.R. and Cheluvamba Hospitals, attached to  MMC&RI to provide practical training in every branch. A new complex has come up in P.K. Sanatorium campus, where modern facilities will be made available to the staff and students. MMC&RI provides hostel to boys and ladies.

Govt. Ayurveda Medical College & Hospital

Government Ayurveda College was established in 1908. It imparts a degree course of 5-and-a-half years, Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) and 3 years Post Graduate course (MD) in four specialty — Kayachikitsa (General Medicine), Ayurveda Samhitha & Siddantha (Basic Principles), Panchakarma  and Swastavritta (Preventive Medicine).

The admission for BAMS course is 100 students each year and for Post Graduate courses it is 7 seats in Kayachikitsa, 5 seats each in Samhitha & Siddantha, Panchakarma & Swastavritta subjects. The College is functioning at the heritage building on Sayyaji Rao Road and the Post Graduate courses are offered at the new Charaka Post Graduate Centre, KRS Road. The Unani and Ayurveda Hospital is attached to this College.

Ayurveda College claims to fulfill all the norms of National Council for Indian Systems of Medicine. A Herbal garden ‘Chandravana’ is established under Ayurveda College near Kukkarahalli Lake, has 305 different species of herbal plants totalling around 5,000 plants.

All India Institute of Speech and Hearing [AIISH]

This institute was established in the year 1966 as an autonomous institute, fully funded by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The major objectives of the Institute are to impart professional training, render clinical services, conduct research and educate the public on issues related to communication disorders such as hearing impairment, mental retardation, voice, fluency and phonological and language disorders. AIISH provides 18 long-term academic programmes ranging from Diploma to post-doctoral degree related to communication disorder and allied areas. Courses such as Diploma in Hearing Aid & Ear-mould Technology, Diploma in Training Young Hearing Impaired Children and Diploma in Hearing Language and Speech, Undergraduate programs B.ASLP and B.Sc.Ed – Hearing Impairment, P.B Diploma Programs in Clinical Linguistics for Speech-Language Pathology, M.Sc in Speech-Language Pathology etc. are provided. AIISH has done a yeomen service to specially challenged children and set a model for other medical educational institutions in this field.

JSS Medical College

A part of the JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research (JSS AHER),  this is a large non-Government private institution providing education in a wide area from nursery to graduation to post graduation in different fields of Arts, Science and Commerce as also Ayurveda and Allopathy streams of medical education.

JSS Medical College was established in the year 1984 and has made good progress since then. It is well-supported by large multi-specialty hospitals in respective fields of medical education. It has 200 seats in undergraduate MBBS course and  provides Masters’ Degrees in various areas of specialisations such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Community Medicine Forensic Medicine, General Medicine, General Surgery, O.B.G, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, Dermatology, Radiology, Psychiatry, Respiratory Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Hospital Administration and Geriatrics. It also provides Super Specialty Courses in Urology, Medical Gastroenterology, Neurology  and Nephrology.

It offers M.Sc. degree in Medical Anatomy, Medical Physiology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Pharmacology, Medical Microbiology  and Clinical Embryology besides M.Phil in Psychiatry Social Work,

Its B.Sc degree offers courses in Medical Laboratory Technology, Medical Imaging Technology, Anaesthesia & Operation Theatre Technology. Medical Renal Dialysis Technology, Medical Respiratory Care Technology Cardiac Care Technology, Perfusion Technology, Emergency Medicine Technology, Optometry, Forensic Science, Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and Medical Genetics.

Nursing courses provide a post Pre-University level Diploma in Nursing and a course leading to B.Sc Nursing particularly for these students as Lateral Entry; Degree seats and M.Sc Nursing under different specialised areas such as Medical Surgical Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, OBG Nursing, Community Nursing etc.

In JSS College of Pharmacy it provides Diploma in Pharma course, Bachelor of Pharma, Masters’ Degree in Pharma under different specialisations, such as Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, etc. It also  provides Research based Ph.D course in Pharmacy.

In JSS Dental College, there are courses in Bachelor of Dental Surgery, [BDS] and for Master’s in Dental Surgery [MDS] under different specialised areas. There is also a Post BDS Diploma.

Speech and Hearing course provides Bachelor of Audiology Speech-Language Pathology [BASLP] and Master’s of Audiology and Speech Pathology. In Physiotherapy, there is a  course in Bachelor of Physiotherapy [BPT] and Master’s in Physiotherapy under different specialised areas.

In Allied Health Sciences, JSS provides a wide range of courses. It has  B.Sc course in Radiology, in Lab Technology, in Dialysis Technology, in Cardio Technology, in Food and Nutrition and in Occupational Therapy. JSS Institute has courses in Hospital Management and provides BBA and Master’s while JSS Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital gives admissions under BAMS, MDMS and MD/MS in Ayurveda stream.

With Medical, Ayurveda, Dental and Pharmacy Colleges, a Central Government-sponsored Institute and various medical and allied courses available in Mysuru, it justifies to be called a Medical City.

[To be continued]

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By R. Chandra Prakash

What is in a name? When one thinks of the above adage, one is immediately reminded of the great English wordsmith William Shakespeare and his romantic Romeo and Juliet; and its oft quoted dialogue, “What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would  smell as sweet.”

However, one will understand this better when one meets with a Mysurean, who gloats over his beloved Mysuru (though mostly about its past); or meets with any visitor to Mysuru who fell in instant love with Mysuru; or meets with those who preferred to migrate to Mysuru from different parts of the country, in some cases even from the different parts of the world; or finds out as to why Mysuru is consecutively on the New York Times list of world’s Most-Must-Visit-Place for one reason or the other. It is this magnetic DNA of Mysuru which makes its name unique.

Unique DNA of Mysuru

It is said that a city’s DNA is its identity: a unique, inherited collection of its assets, its history, its traits and its culture that distinguishes it internally and externally, and has the potential to unite people and place. Everything about Mysuru has a magnetic power that gives its distinctive DNA. Its location is extraordinary. Its history is legendary. Its rulers, Wadiyars, were great idealists and dedicated architects. They were the ‘Vishwakarma’ who planned this city with love, tender care and so very meticulously.

This city has been a centre of education to millions. Its Yoga is the source of hope for the body and soul of citizens of the world. Music, dance and drama vibrate in every pulse of this city. Its people are highly cultured. The fragrance of sandalwood is associated with Mysuru. This city is a preferred location for the film-makers of the world.

This city has been the karma-bhoomi for engineers of great eminence such as  Sir M. Vishweswaraiah; several Jnanpith Awardees  like K.V. Puttappa  (Kuvempu) and U.R. Ananthamurthy; writers like R.K. Narayan, Aa.Na.Kru., Ta.Ra.Su., Triveni; Cartoonists like R.K. Laxman; photographers  like T.S. Satyan; poet-lyricists like  Narasimha Swamy; businessmen of international eminence like N.R. Narayana Murthy and National and State-level politicians, educationists, academicians, musicians, dancers, donors, sports persons and the list can go on and on.

Mysuru is a name with superlative epitaphs. It is called a City of Palaces; a  Royal City; a Planned City; a Cultural City; Educational City; a Yoga City; a Sandalwood City; a City of Gardens, Fountains and Arch Gates; a Tourists’ Paradise and so on and so forth.

Books such as Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars by Vikram Sampath (2008); Mysuru Memories (2015) and Colonial Landmarks in Mysore (2020) by Gouri Satya and of course, the voluminous Gazetteer of Mysore by Lewis Rice narrate the spectacular story of Mysuru. And therefore, there is lot in the name of Mysuru. This is a name that resonates.

Location-Extraordinaire

Mysuru is located at the foot, rather in the green valley of Chamundi Hill. This city has a great symbiotic relationship with its Chamundi Hill. With its very curvaceous yet not very high, nor very low peaks as a beautiful background, the Chamundi Hill looks like a tiara of the city! Spanning a distance of more than 10 avian miles around the city, this tiara acts like a beacon for the Mysureans and the visitors of Mysuru, as if beckoning them to reach the city as soon as possible!  It generates a sense of great relief and  happiness that journey is coming to an end and will reach home soon.

Chamundi Hill has the power to convert an atheist! It makes even an atheist visit it, at least to have an aerial view of this city, if not the temple! And that view makes every visitor to feel the heavenly pleasure, which otherwise only an airplane traveller can have.

Cauvery and Kapila, the two rivers flowing not far away on either side of the city, are a great source of Mysuru’s life energy. Lakes, some within the city and many not far away and thedistant hills provide the city with its salubrious climate. The flora-fauna rich forests at its borders enhance city’s environmental richness.

Wadiyars developed several satellite townships around the city like Bannur, Chamarajanagar, Hunsur and  K.R. Nagar which worked as demographic shock-absorbers for their capital city and  at the same time provided the city with economic support in the form of agro and dairy produce. This city is also surrounded by historic and religious places such as Nanjangud, Srirangapatna, T. Narasipur and Somanathapur apart from the Chamundi Hill at the centre of the city.

It is a location extraordinaire indeed. How many cities in the country, or even the world can boast of such a beautiful location?

Ancient History and the Legend

The history of the city is claimed to date back to 862 AD to a copper plate inscription. But it is during the 11th and 12th centuries that a reference is found to ‘MAISURNAD’ which later took the anglicised form of ‘Mysore’. In the vernacular parlance, it was, and it is now, ‘Mysuru’.

There are several stories behind the city’s name. One among them is that ‘Mysore’ is said to have been derived from the legend of Mahishasura Mardhini. It is believed the Wadiyars of Mysore who adopted Chamundeshwari as their family Goddess, named their capital city as Mysuru. Chamundeshwari Temple and the giant statue of Mahishasura atop the Chamundi Hill seem to stand testimony to this legend.

Further, Mysuru Dasara, the auspicious ten-day celebrations of the Navaratri, has its own world prominence. Apart from confirmation of the belief of Wadiyars in the above legend, it is the pomp and pageantry of Dasara procession which gives Mysuru its another unique identity. The pre-independence glory of this Dasara, which was the culmination of religious and economic activities of the erstwhile State, was brand ambassador of the city.

City of Palaces

Wadiyars bestowed high degree of personal involvement in developing Mysuru into a most modern and a beautiful capital city. Atop most of the high points in and around the city, they built beautiful Palaces. However, the magnificent Mysore Palace was at the centre of all their developmental efforts. Its architectural style is Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture. The Palace is built by creating a fusion of Gothic, Hindu, Muslim and Rajput styles of architecture. Its heavenly Durbar Hall is an artist’s dream world. At the entrance, an arched gateway welcomes the visitor. Its large courtyard has lawns and open expanse giving this Palace an elegant facade. Chamundi Hill provides a beautiful frontal visage to the Palace.

In 1989, Los Angeles travel writers, Beyer and Rabey, had said about this Palace thus: “Some say it was inspired by Buckingham Palace, but the intricacies of its Hindu-Muslim detail far surpass the relative simplicity of Queen Elizabeth’s London home.” As per the New York Times 2011 list, this is the Palace that got the second highest number of visitors in the world, only after the Vatican, consecutively for two years. When illuminated this Palace creates an illusion of a dreamland scenario. Particularly when one views it from the high point of the Chamundi Hill.

They also built twin beautiful Palaces in Chamundi Vihar Palace and Karanji Mansion with vast open fields, located side by side divided by a small road; then the Chittaranjan Palace [now housing the Government Education College], the Summer Palace, Lalitha Mahal Palace [at present a star hotel], Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace [now with the University of Mysore and at the centre of Manasagangothri Post Graduate campus], Cheluvamba Mansion [now housing the Central Food Technological Research Institute], Jagan Mohan Palace [the present Palace Museum], and the Rajendra Vilas Palace, which looks like a diamond in the tiara of Chamundi Hill. Each one of these Palaces is an architectural marvel. No surprise that this city is called a City of Palaces!

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By R. Chandra Prakash

During our several meetings with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in connection with Draft of Mysuru-Nanjangud Master Plan-2031 time and again we were assured, both by the Master Plan consultants and the MUDA top officials, that their main objective was not to allow Mysuru go the Bengaluru way. That was between 2013-14.

Now the approved Master Plan is under implementation for nearly past 5 years and the conditions in and around Mysuru, as they stand today, do not seem to support the assurances made by the concerned authorities back then. It looks as though Mysuru has already gone Bengaluru way! To understand this stark reality, one has to first understand what is meant by Bengaluru way? Briefly, the Bengaluru way means a ‘failed city.’

A ‘Failed City’

In a very recent Editorial, a leading newspaper of the State has this to say about our capital city — “For about a quarter of a century now, one Karnataka Chief Minister after another has been promising Bengalureans the moon or rather promising to turn it into a Singapore, a Dubai, a ‘Smart City’, or other dreamscapes. In reality, though Bengaluru has remained closer to a cratered moon and every aspect of the city and life in it has deteriorated over the years. We are rapidly hurtling towards a point of no return…

…Bengaluru is a failed city in nearly every sense of the term. Not even a single stretch of road is free of potholes, walkable footpaths are non-existent in most areas, building violations and illegal constructions are the order of the day, waste management is a disaster, lakes are fast disappearing or are utterly polluted, the storm-water drain system has been destroyed by the builder-official nexus and the city gets flooded with every downpour and potable water is still a pipe-dream for many. Even Namma Metro continues to  progress at a snail’s pace and will not have the extensive presence it must have to relieve the city of its traffic mess until well after 2030. Civic Bodies and utility agencies remain rampantly corrupt and inefficient and promises to reform them remain unfulfilled.”

Above quote substantially establishes the pathetic conditions prevailing at  present in Bengaluru. But why are we moaning this condition of Bengaluru when most of our major urban centres, not excluding the national capital, are in similar condition? To understand this we will have to very briefly visit the unique place of Bengaluru in our State’s and national history.

A city with a touch of Europe!

Magadi Kempegowda is credited with laying the foundation for this city in 1537 with a mud fort. His vision for the city’s expansion could be seen in the boundary pillars he had erected nearly 500 years ago! If Hyder Ali waged a war to claim the control of Bengaluru, his son Tipu Sultan, born in Devanahalli, had left his Palace as a memory of his relationship with this city. The British found out that Bangalore (the earlier format of the name) with its higher altitude and thousands of lakes around had a salubrious weather all round the year. Hence, they established in Bangalore a very important Cantonment.

A large number of British citizens, including Winston Churchill, lived here. Europeans and Anglo-Indians, who worked and lived in the neighbouring Kolar Gold Field [KGF] gold mines patronised Bangalore for their social and commercial requirements. Thus, this city became an active centre for the Europeans and the Anglo-Indian population.

Consequently, Bangalore acquired a shade of an European town!  The Parade Ground and the surrounding complexes of Cinema Houses, the Brigade Road, the Commercial Street and the Mahatma Gandhi Road were full of European touch.

The contributions of the Wadiyars was also substantial in making Bangalore what it was. Even when Mysuru City was the capital of erstwhile Mysore State, Wadiyars had  developed Bangalore with special interests. Town Planning was the fulcrum around which this city grew.  They planned the residential layouts with parks, well laid out roads, road side trees, conservancy lanes, underground drainage and electricity. They also built the Palace, buildings with gothic architecture and huge gardens. Lalbagh is an old botanical garden in Bengaluru. Said to be first planned and laid out during the Dalavaiship of Hyder Ali and later managed under numerous British Superintendents, its Glass House is a model for other gardens. Huge Cubbon Park is another landmark of this city. No surprise that over a  period this city came to be known as a Garden City.

As part of their progressive administrative policies for the State, Wadiyars had implemented Regionally Balanced Socio-Economic Policies. As per this, suitable industrial units were located in different parts of the State. Bengaluru had got its own share in the form of Government Soap factory, Government Electric Factory and many others. However, industrial development being part of planned city development never caused adverse effects on the urban life. Rather it contributed to its socio-economic dynamics.

Post Independence – Dynamic Political Leadership

During the first two decades after independence, the State had the good fortune of a very dynamic political leadership. They were men of eminence and integrity coupled with high degree of local concerns. Politicians such as Kadidal Manjappa, K. Hanumanthaiah and Nijalingappa had national prominence both in the Government and the Indian Congress Party. They gave importance to the socio-economic development of the State in general and the Bangalore city in particular by choosing it as the State capital under great odds. Maintenance of the heritage of the city was given its due prominence. Location and the architect of Vidhana Soudha stand testimony to the political culture of the time.

A National Industrial Hub

Because of very conducive socio-economic-political environment, Bengaluru attracted a series of Public Sector enterprises (many connected with the defence) like HAL, HMT, ITI, BEL, BHEL, Railway Wheels Factory, DRDO, ISRO and many others, which had huge campuses of their own. Even Private Sectors like Kirloskar, MICO and Kisan had put up a few important units in and around this city. Foreign collaborations in some of these industries gave Bangalore an international image. Over a time, the city acquired the honour of having Asia’s largest Industrial Estate of ancillary and small units in Peenya. However, industrialisation of Bangalore did not damage the landscape of the city as either they were non-polluting in nature or they were located away from the residential layouts.

Industrialisation  enhanced the employment prospects of the citizens. As other major cities of the country had become highly congested and polluted, Bangalore glittered for its elegance, gardens and laid back large city. All over the country, Bangalore acquired prominence as a well-planned and clean city and a sophisticated large urban centre of the country. So much so, during 1980s when well-established business houses and industrial units found the Communist rule in Calcutta oppressive, many of them shifted to Bengaluru. Businessmen and Business Houses from Bombay and Delhi found Bangalore an attractive investment destination as also a very tantalising living place. By the eighties, Bangalore was turning into a large industrial, commercial and a residential city of the country.

[To be continued]

The post Has Mysuru gone Bengaluru way?-1: Bangalore’s Glorious Days appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Virus mainly comes from stale food and contaminated water

Mysuru: Health officers in Mysuru, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada are on alert after at least 13 confirmed cases of Norovirus have been recorded in Kerala’s Wayanad district. The disease was first reported in some students of a veterinary college in Pookode two weeks ago.

Norovirus is a contagious virus (water-borne) that is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis. It is usually more common in cooler winter months, with most outbreaks occurring from November to April.

The most common symptoms are sudden onset of severe diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and stomach cramps. Some people may also suffer from fever, headaches and body aches.

These symptoms usually start 12 to 48 hours after being infected by Norovirus and typically last about one to three days.

The alert issued by the State Health Department to the three districts say that at least a dozen more in Kerala are showing the symptoms. The district administrations of Mysuru, Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada which share a border with Kerala have been instructed to step up field surveillance at borders and.

Water sources shared at a community level like community wells must be safeguarded and consuming drinking water disinfected with chlorine has been advised. Pre-emptive screening is not possible unless people show symptoms like nausea or diarrhoea. People have been advised not to eat stale food from hotels and not to consume water that has not been chlorinated.

Mysuru District Health Officer Dr. K.H. Prasad told Star of Mysore that there is not much of a danger but people must exercise caution. “Norovirus is not air-borne unlike COVID and there is not much of a threat. People who already have viral infections like dengue must be careful with Norovirus as the infection may become severe,” he said.

It is a zoonotic virus and mainly comes from stale food and contaminated water. People must drink only warm water and hotels must serve only freshly cooked food. “We have stepped up surveillance at the Bavali check-post at H.D. Kote as it is the entry point from Kerala’s Wayanad. “Every day up to 200 vehicles take this route and we are doing temperature surveillance of visitors to see if they are feverish. We also screen Wayanad visitors coming from Chamarajanagar’s Gundlupet.”

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