By S. Kenneth Shishir

The tradition of firing cannons, initiated by the East India Company in the early 18th century with the 21-gun salute — the highest honour bestowed upon rulers or top-ranking officers — is still observed today.

This practice is a mark of reverence to the presiding deity of Mysuru, Goddess Sri Chamundeshwari, during the Jumboo Savari on Vijayadashami Day.

Executing the firing of the traditional cannons, housed in the Mysore Palace, demands both skill and courage.

The gunner, responsible for igniting the fuse and the staff from the City Armed Reserve (CAR) force endure the thunderous sound of these cannons. The cannons are used to perform a 21-round salute within a minute, with each cannon firing three rounds, from seven cannons totalling 21 rounds.

Among the esteemed gunners is 77-year-old Anthony Cruz, a retired member of the CAR with a service record spanning over 39 years.

A resident of Raghavendranagar in Mysuru, Anthony Cruz joined the Dismounted Company (now City Armed Reserve) Police force in 1966 as a Constable. He retired on May 3, 2005, holding the rank of Head Constable.

Notably, Anthony was enlisted into the ‘Pirangi Dal’ (cannon firing squad) in 1996-97, where he served as a gunner for 28 years until 2004.

Anthony Cruz claimed that initially, the gunpowder for the cannons was sourced from London, and later, it was procured locally from Ballari and Arasikere in Hassan. Emphasising the importance of security, he noted that stringent 24×7 measures were in place to safeguard the gunpowder.

Highlighting the cannon inventory, Anthony mentioned the presence of three short-barrel and four long-barrel cannons. However, during Dasara, only three cannons were utilised to perform the 21-gun salute.

The boom sound

Anthony recounted the tradition of firing 21 shots near Mysore Palace and an additional 21 rounds at the Torchlight Parade Grounds in Bannimantap. The cannons used near the Palace were then transported in the Dasara procession (Jumboo Savari) to Bannimantap, where another 21 shots were fired.

He reminisced about the heightened intensity of the cannon sounds during his tenure, stating that the current cannons produce sound levels almost three times lower. “My heart used to skip a beat to the booming sounds of the cannons as the intensity of the sound was almost triple than the sound produced by the cannons now.”

In consideration of the safety of the staff during cannon firing, precautionary measures were taken. Two fire-resistant dungarees (dangri), typically worn by firefighters, were procured from Mandya and Hassan, as the Mysuru unit had only one. These measures aimed to mitigate the risk of accidental fires during the cannon firing ceremonies.

Communication through flags

During that era, due to absence of sufficient wireless equipment, communication was facilitated through use of flags, which were manoeuvred in various directions. Anthony recalled that 21 shots were fired in two minutes when the English Band played the National Anthem.

Initially, the responsibility for the cannons rested with the Dismounted Company, which executed the firing during Dasara at Gun House. Subsequently, cannon firing operations moved from inside Mysore Palace premises to the area outside the Palace, which is now utilised as a parking lot.

Reflecting on a noteworthy incident, Anthony shared an experience when a 21-gun salute was halted midway. During the visit of the then President of India, Giani Zail Singh, a 21-gun salute was ordered in his honour. However, after firing 18 shots, the salute was abruptly stopped as the President expressed discomfort.

Anthony, who was also a sportsperson, boasted of winning numerous prizes in various sports meets, earning commendation from his senior officers.

No health benefits

Despite his fitness during his service, he now faces respiratory problems attributed to prolonged exposure to gunpowder smoke over his 28 years of cannon-firing duty. Anthony lamented the financial burden of medical treatment, as retired Policemen do not receive health benefits.

Additionally, Anthony served in the Special Task Force (STF) formed to apprehend the notorious sandalwood smuggler and poacher Veerappan.

Despite being recommended for the President’s Medal eight times during his 39 years of service, Anthony expressed regret at not making it to the list, attributing it to a lack of recognition from the authorities.

Presently, he resides with his wife Mary Elizabeth and daughters Irudaya Mary and Sagaya Mary at Raghavendranagar in Mysuru.

Rubbing shoulders with dashing Kabir Bedi

Anthony Cruz seized a unique opportunity to capture a photograph with the charismatic Kabir Bedi when the Bollywood actor visited Srirangapatna for the filming of the 1996 television series, ‘The Return of Sandokan.’  Anthony, along with fellow Police personnel, was assigned to provide security to the actor and the crew throughout the shooting period.

The post BOOM… Gunner Anthony Cruz recounts the tradition of 21-gun salute appeared first on Star of Mysore.

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Ramzan, also known as Ramadan, is a month-long observance in which Muslim brethren fast from sunrise to sunset. The Holy Month, which began on Mar. 24, will conclude with a mass prayer on Apr. 22.

During this time, the city comes alive with bustling markets, colourful lights and delicious smells wafting from food stalls and people from all walks of life come together to celebrate this important festival.

The streets are lined up with vendors selling mouth-watering delicacies. Iftar feast, which is the meal that breaks the fast after sunset, is a grand affair where families gather around delicious food, sharing their meals and exchanging stories. And now with elections round the corner, politics too is an important discussion topic.

Diverse food cultures

This year in particular, a wide variety of delicacies have come from across the country, bringing about a diverse food culture. One of the most significant shopping destinations during Ramzan is the overcrowded Meena Bazaar where shoppers can find a variety of items from hairpins to various types of dresses and shoes, all at affordable prices. The market is also home to numerous shops and roadside vendors selling perfumes, caps, artificial jewellery, crockery and much more, all of which are in high demand.

Meena Bazaar’s significance lies in its ability to bring together people from different communities, all of whom share a common interest in the festivities. The market is a bustling hub of activity, with vendors selling their wares alongside a diverse array of delicious street food.

Food trail and Iftar dishes

It is a season of delectable delicacies that can be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds. Mouth-watering dishes such as haleem from Hyderabad, a variety of samosas (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian), Kashmiri faluda, dry fruit sherbet, and a range of lassies are just some of the treats on offer during this holy month.

Exotic Middle-Eastern delicacies, including Arabian dessert, Arabian biryani, Arabian faluda and mutton samosas, among other dishes, are drawing food lovers to roadside vendors who have set up stalls and shops in Mandi Mohalla, Ashoka Road and Ramzan Food Mela, which has been organised for first time at Choultry on Shivaji Road, N.R. Mohalla.

The Iftar meal, which marks the end of the daily Ramzan fast at sunset, is an opportunity to savour a range of mouth-watering dishes, including delicious mutton curries, biryanis, irresistible desserts and refreshing sherbets — offering an array of gastronomic experiences that are sure to tantalise your taste buds.

Tantalising your taste buds

Indulging in some tasty snacks and refreshing juices is an essential part of the Ramzan experience in Mysuru. Here are some food stalls that are a must-visit  during the holy month.

S.M. Khwaja Samosa Centre, Sawday Road, Mandi Mohalla, is perfect place to start your Ramzan food trail at around 6.30 pm. This stall offers piping hot samosas such as mutton kheema samosa (Rs. 30 each), chicken samosa (Rs. 25 each) and veg. samosa (Rs. 15 each).

Another must-visit shop is HKGN Samosa Centre near Savoy Chowk on K.T. Street. This shop prepares delicious samosas between 1 pm and 8 pm. The mutton and chicken samosas are priced at Rs. 20 each while the vegetable samosa costs Rs. 12. There are several stalls selling Hyderabadi delicacies like haleem, Hyderabadi biryani and sweets. These dishes are a must-try and they are sure to leave you wanting more.

Juicy journey

After having delicious samosas, it is time to visit various juice shops selling nannari (sarsaparilla or sogade beru) juice, various types of faludas, dry fruit mix juice, kesar mix badam milk, milk badam faluda, Kashmiri kesar faluda and special kesar dry fruits khova lassi, which are season specialities.

One can visit Zam Zam Dry Fruits Centre, Mugliya Juice Centre and A1-Bombay Faluda Corner near Savoy Chowk which is offering nannari badam sherbet, badam lassi, nimbu cola and mirchi cola.

Shamsuddin, owner of Zam Zam Dry Fruits Centre, said that the shop is open between 4 pm and midnight every day till the eve of the Ramzan.

Festival paraphernalia

Perfumes, dresses, agarwood, wall hangings

Dubai Centre is a well-known shopping spot in Meena Bazaar which is popular for its imported perfumes and attars, watches, surma, wall hangings and other gift items. During Ramzan, this shopping hub is crowded with shoppers who come here to buy gifts for their loved ones. Apart from Dubai Centre, there are several other shops selling a variety of items like crockery, shoes, clothing and more.

There are shops that offer a wide range of dresses, including traditional churidar, sarees and kurtis. They also offer a variety of jewellery, including bangles, earrings, necklaces etc.

In addition to shopping and food, Ramzan also involves various charitable activities like distributing food to the poor. The community comes together to help those in need, making Ramzan a time of giving and compassion.

The Dubai Centre offers a wide range of fragrances and gift items for customers. The fragrances sold at the shop come in various sizes and popular scents include dehunul oudh, musk, amber, mukhalat and mubhakhar. Some of the fragrances are priced between Rs. 50 and Rs. 200, while some exotic ones can cost up to Rs. 15,000. The shop also sells non-alcoholic body sprays and leather handbags.

M.A. Ansari, the shop owner, mentioned that Agarwood or Oud is not only used for its fragrance but also has spiritual and medicinal properties. Agarwood is believed to help connect with God and fulfil wishes faster.

The shop sells Agarwood — priced at Rs. 2,000 for 10 grams, surma from Saudi Arabia (Rs. 500 for 100 grams) — gold-plated Quran boxes from UAE, tazbi made using amberwood with firoza stones from Iran, and hand-made wall hangings from Syria.

A stroll from Savoy Chowk to the City Crime Branch Office (the exact location of Meena Bazaar) is a delightful experience for shopaholics. Once you’ve completed your shopping spree at Meena Bazar, head to the Ramzan Food Mela.

A first-time food mela

The Food Mela at a choultry on Shivaji Road in N.R. Mohalla, organised by Samiulla of Sufiya Caterers and maintained by Nooruddin, is a must-visit for foodies. It is open from 1 pm to 11 pm until Apr. 21, offering a wide range of delicious food options. Visitors can enjoy various stalls selling vegetarian samosas, mutton and chicken biryani, seekh kebab, Afghani sweets made from khova and dry fruits, pineapple sweet, faluda and Varkey sweets.

There are also Hyderabadi delicacies such as chicken and mutton haleem, chicken tahari, firni sweet and spicy mango pickle. Additionally, chicken momos, chicken spring rolls, carrot halwa, and dahi vada are being sold like hotcakes. Various soft drinks are also sold, providing a refreshing drink to quench thirst.

Value for money

The mela offers excellent value for money, with a mutton biryani combo (mutton biryani, single stick chicken, 500 ml water bottle, dal salan and dahi chutney) offered at Rs. 149 per plate and a chicken biryani combo (chicken biryani, single stick chicken, 500 ml water bottle, dal salan and dahi chutney) sold at Rs. 99 per plate. Seating arrangements are available for those who like to eat there, and Muslim brethren can break their fast at the mela. Don’t miss this opportunity to indulge in delicious food.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi embarked on a 3,750-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on Sept. 7, 2022, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and over the course of 150 days, he was accompanied by 117 core walkers, who were there with him from the start to finish. One among them was Mysurean Dr. Shushrutha Hedna Vishnumurthy, Managing Director of Neurozone, a Neurology Hospital in Nazarbad. Dr. Shushrutha returned to Mysuru on Feb. 1 after the Yatra ended on Jan. 30, 2023, in Srinagar. Star of Mysore caught up with Dr. Shushrutha, who answered a few questions about his experience. Excerpts:  

Star of Mysore (SOM): Did the Bharat Jodo Yatra really shake the ground as anticipated?

Dr. Shushrutha: Yes, no doubt about it. Because when we started, we did not expect such support. In Kanyakumari, over 20,000 people joined us and this was a huge momentum. When we entered Kerala, the response was greater because Congress has a strong cadre base there. People were interested and enthusiastic and they walked with us.

In Karnataka, the response was humongous as people are fed up with the current dispensation. The overwhelming response went on and on until Jammu and Kashmir. People were coming to see this gentleman (Rahul Gandhi) who is walking all the way from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

Definitely, it is an impactful Yatra because even film personalities, eminent scientists, well-known personalities and even NRIs participated and support came from all quarters.  

 SOM: For Rahul, Yatra was a lifetime experience. Was it the same for you?

Dr. Shushrutha: I joined the Yatra as a doctor, as a responsible citizen and not as a member of any political outfit. I felt that I want to do something to express my protest against the current situation in India, be it a communal divide where people are using some agenda to kill each other, unemployment, worsening economic situation, women empowerment issues and journalists being put in jail.

SOM: What benefits have you garnered?

Dr. Shushrutha: Firstly, my health improved significantly. Secondly, my spiritual depth increased because of the way I was able to reflect on myself and see what I could do better in my life or how I could help society in my own humble way.

Thirdly, it was more like a religious Yatra because we visited many religious places belonging to different faiths. Fourthly, I discovered that there is so much of a health disparity between urban and rural areas. This was more like a research thing to see what the disparities are. And since I was doing tele-health advisory for rural zone and also health camps for rural people in and around Mysuru, this was a big experience across the country.

Last but not the least, I also wanted to understand India. I had read and achieved academically but I had not seen the country. So, this was a great experience to look at India in my own way. And I selfishly involved myself in that with my own agenda.

SOM: The entire focus was on Rahul, his beard, his expensive T-shirt and the luxurious caravan he took to unwind while others slept in normal containers. Where do other walkers count?

Dr. Shushrutha: This is a misconception. He was sleeping exactly in the same container in which we were sleeping. Some vested interests spread that Rahul Gandhi had an expensive container. Because of his security, his was a single container. We shared a container of 12 people. Even the food was the same.

SOM: Has Congress succeeded in making a point as the Yatra intended to educate people on various failures of the Central Government?

Dr. Shushrutha: Yes definitely. To be honest with you, a Congressperson should answer this question because as I said before, I am not affiliated with Congress or any political party. But what I feel is people are upset. Why did lakhs and lakhs join the Yatra? That itself shows that they are not happy with the country’s present state. This has definitely helped the Congress party rejuvenate a demoralised cadre and give new faith to people.  

SOM: Will Bharat Jodo Yatra fetch rich electoral dividends to Congress?

Dr. Shushrutha: I am not a political person to answer this. But from the response of the crowd and my little political knowledge, I feel it will have a huge benefit. Only time can tell.

SOM: Has Rahul got a makeover from his earlier image after walking all these days? Or do you think he has to do more to gain people’s trust and confidence?

Dr. Shushrutha: With my interaction with Rahul Gandhi, I feel that he is generally interested in the social impact, economic, rural health and he is very much interested to improve each and every aspect. So definitely whatever has been painted on him is false. No leader in the last few decades had the guts to face the people like him. He conducted many media interactions, asking questions, answering questions and involving people. He is very good at it. He can easily connect with people, media and it is the media who should answer this question.

SOM: What was your learning in the Yatra? And was India really divided for Rahul Gandhi to unite it?

Dr. Shushrutha: I definitely felt that after coming back from the US, I was shocked to see how India has changed. I used to come and go for 10 to 15 days. But by staying here, I felt that India was divided. Every day we hear killing, rape, women safety issues, economy drained and farmers having problems. Even people are divided by religion and infrastructure problems and corruption. This Yatra made an attempt to unite India.

SOM: As a doctor, how did you manage to treat your patients in Mysuru and simultaneously be a part of the Yatra?

Dr. Shushrutha: As a telemedicine doctor, I am involved in the THAR project (Telehealth Advisory for Rural Zone), providing free telehealth and health camp for rural populations in and around Mysuru and Kodagu. I also used to cover many hospitals in America using telemedicine and I use the same technology here. I used to conduct telemedicine using WhatsApp and connect with patients who want to see me personally. I used to do telemedicine consults using my laptop and phone. Also in the camp, I used to treat whoever reported ill.  

SOM: What were your memorable moments of the Yatra?

Dr. Shushrutha: When we were walking, we had a person in his 80s who collapsed and died in front of our own eyes. An MP from Punjab had a heart attack and passed away. And there was a person who was hit by an unidentified vehicle and we had to take him to the hospital.

On happier side, I saw people, including women and children, on the last stretch in J&K rushing to be a part of the Yatra, mindless of the gun-toting security men. This is etched in my memory. Overall, the enthusiasm of the people and the way they look at Rahul Gandhi with some hope gives us hope.

 SOM: You were moving from the hottest places to the coldest ones. How could you cope with the temperature shift?

Dr. Shushrutha: Until we reached Haryana, we did not have any issues with temperature. It was all hot in Kerala and Karnataka, but as we moved to Telangana and Maharashtra, it was a pretty decent temperature. As we reached Haryana, temperature dropped. After passing the eighth and ninth phases, we started to feel cold. We were ready to cope with a hot climate, but not ready for the cold.

In the beginning, it was tiring and a lot of discomfort. However, we adapted quickly and the last 10 days in Jammu and Kashmir, we dealt with extreme cold and we were afraid thinking what would happen. But somehow with our team spirit and crowd support, we were able to pull it off, even walking through snow at minus 3 degrees Celsius.

SOM: What is the key takeaway from this Yatra for you and the rest of India?

Dr. Shushrutha: The take-home message is very clear to me. Firstly, India is divided and Bharat Jodo Yatra was extremely relevant. For India, I would say, that all have to come together. This is just a small voice we have started and there is a long way to go. I don’t think we would be able to do this on our own.

Every organisation, all political parties, doesn’t matter whether ruling or opposition, everybody should come together to solve India’s problems. Every party has to do such Yatra to understand the genuine problems that India is facing. They should leave selfish motives behind and bring India together.

By S. Kenneth Shishir

The post ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra made an attempt to unite India’ appeared first on Star of Mysore.

By S. Kenneth Shishir

For 90 years, one optical store in our city has been framing and giving correct sight to Mysureans.

Ismail Optical and Co. on Sayyaji Rao Road, founded by Abubakar Ismail Sait and registered as A. Ismail & Bros on Feb. 16, 1932, was the first store selling optical devices, particularly spectacles with corrective lenses in city.

Speaking about how Ismail Optical Co. came into existence, Sadiq Sait, the present Proprietor and grandson of Abubakar, said that in the 18th century, a group of young entrepreneurs from Gujarat migrated to different parts of the country to try various business ventures and in South India they explored cities like Kochi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ooty and Madikeri, etc.

When the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore learnt about these entrepreneurs who were in Kodagu, he invited them to start their business in Mysore. One of these entrepreneurs, was Sadiq’s great grandfather Ismail Sait, who started a supermarket called ‘Ismail Stores’ in 1878 in Mysore.

The Maharaja had gifted Ismail Sait a building to set up his supermarket. In fact it was so large that the building had 11 doors! Even to this day, one can see a painting depicting Jumboo Savari procession with old Ismail Stores in the background displayed at Mysore Palace, says Sadiq.

Ismail Stores was located near Olympia Talkies, which was earlier known as Shivarampet. The supermarket sold a variety of items including spectacles which was one of its kind in those days. When K.R. Circle was being constructed, the supermarket was demolished and the Maharaja then provided another store nearby.

Ismail Sait’s son Abubakar Ismail Sait took over the supermarket business and then added a new exclusive optical store and registered it as A. Ismail & Bros in 1932. A receipt for goggles sold for Rs. 3 and 8 annas in 1934 is still preserved at the present store.

While the supermarket closed down, the optical store thrived. In 1971, the optical store was shifted to the present Devaraja Market building and this store was run by Sadiq’s father Gul Mohammed Sait, son of late Abubakar Ismail Sait. The store had already become famous by then for not only selling corrective lenses and frames but also for selling sunglasses to actors and film crew during film shootings.

Sadiq recalls his father selling sunglasses to actors Dr. Rajkumar, Dwarakish, Srinath, Amrish Puri, Jitendra, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Prem Chopra. The store had also supplied spectacles to the members of the Mysore royal family during the regime of Krishnaraja Wadiyar and Chamaraja Wadiyar, he added.

Sadiq says, in the early days of the business, glasses and lenses were manufactured in their factory which was discontinued after 2005 as plastic lenses came to the market and the demand for glass lenses came down.

“Earlier there were no eye hospitals and only Ismail Optical was testing eyes. Employees of the Railway Department were being sent to the stores for eye testing. All was well untill the building caught fire in 1977 and the store was gutted. It was later renovated and by that time, many eye testing centres had come up,” Sadiq revealed.

Now, Ismail Optical & Co. has 12 branches across Mysuru City which are managed by Sadiq and his brothers. They have also expanded to Kodagu and have a branch at Gonikoppal.

Over the years, Sadiq says they have managed to constantly increase the choices for their customers. “Carl Zeiss glasses from Germany, Altan frames and Crooks lenses from England are imported. We deal with a variety of frames and lenses from across the globe so our customers have choices. We also have qualified and trained staff to repair these frames,” Sadiq said.

When asked about the common complaint about buying sunglasses — fakes, Sadiq says it is very difficult for a common man to differentiate and hence it is best to purchase such sunglasses from an authorised store or dealer and added with a smile, “may be like you get a second opinion from a doctor for health, you may need to get a second opinion about the authenticity of your glasses from an authorised dealer like us,” he said.

Ismail Optical still has eye testing and an in-house eye testing clinic. “Our mission is to provide quality vision to Mysureans and we hope to set up an eye hospital soon to help achieve a cataract-free  Mysuru,” says Sadiq.

Innovative – ‘Dial a Spex’

Ismail Optical has also been innovative in their service. In 2016, a unique service called ‘Dial a Spex’ was introduced where a customer could dial for an appointment with an eye specialist and a mobile van, with eye testing equipment and a doctor, would then reach the customer’s doorstep. Once the spectacle is ready, it would be delivered to the patient. This service turned out to be useful during the pandemic.

Awards

The Optical store has won many awards for being the best opticals in Mysuru. In 1996, it won an award for being the Best Optical Store in South India; Best Optical Store in Karnataka Award in 2003 and it bagged the Mysore Excellence Award — Excellent Opticians in Mysore in 2018.

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The 82-year-old Rajappan has shot nearly 400 feature films

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Film-making requires a wide array of professionals to work in harmony as they bring a narrative to life on-screen. A film’s cameraman is responsible for operating the camera and capturing the film’s footage. Cinematography, the art and technology of motion-picture photography involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters and film stock; the camera angle and movements and the integration of any special effects.

They know which cameras to use in which conditions and consider the composition, framing and movement of a shot. Camera operators with a lot of experience have their own editorial eye and often offer up shots and ideas to the producer/ director.

Meet 82-year-old M.S. Rajappan of Mysuru, who has shot nearly 400 feature films and has produced about 350 advertising shorts and documentaries. He has also shot a documentary of late writer R.K. Narayan for the BBC in 1989 and a brief interview of President V.V. Giri with World Literature Crusade President Dr. Jack McAlister, which was shot at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 1970.

From well-known special effects cameraman D.S. Kotnis to veteran cameraman Kishen Saigal, Rajappan has worked as an assistant cameraman, operative cameraman and chief cameraman for 400 films in various languages.

Now, Rajappan stays at his humble abode in J.P. Nagar, Mysuru and leads a quiet life with his wife Sathyaprema, a retired staff of JSS College. Sathyaprema is the daughter of late B. Mallaraje Urs, who was an engineer and an award-winning author and is the niece of educationist late Jayalakshammani, who was the Vice-Chancellor of Karnatak University, Dharwad (February 1974-January 1975).

Rajappan’s only daughter M.R. Radika (Chitra) is married to M.C. Rajanikanthraj Urs, Sales Manager at Hewlett Packard (HP), In-Charge of South-East Asian Countries, based in Singapore. The couple is blessed with a daughter Lakshmi.

Recalling his journey as a cameraman, Rajappan told Star of Mysore that he was born to an agrarian family of Mudavesseril in Kumbalangi village near Kochi in Kerala, where he completed his school and college education.

“As I had a passion for film journalism, I started writing articles on contemporary cinemas and many journals began to publish my articles which were widely acclaimed. Well-known film director Ramu Kariat encouraged me and on his advice, I decided to shoot in any motion picture studio, which led me to Premier Studios in Mysore,” Rajappan recalled.

After arriving at Premier Studios in 1955, Rajappan joined as an assistant cameraman to veteran special effects cameraman D.S. Kotnis, cousin of legendary Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis.

“Later, I got an opportunity to work under 40 well-known Indian, British and Hollywood cameramen. I had the rare opportunity to work under Hollywood cameraman Gownther and special effects cameraman Mitt Rice for MGM film ‘Maya,’ a jungle thriller in English which was shot with four Panavision camera units in different locations in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Staring at death

Though Rajappan could not recollect many incidents during his career due to age factor, he said there were two or three incidents that he could never forget.

During his first assignment as an operative cameraman for Tamil movie ‘Yanai Pagan,’ a jungle thriller, with B. Saroja Devi and Uday Kumar in lead roles, which was shot in Ooty and dense forests of Mudumalai, the photography director had asked him to take shots of wildlife in its habitat. After mounting the camera on an elephant’s back, he along with his assistant and the mahout set out into the forest and began shooting.

“As we were moving to shoot a big herd of bison, all of a sudden a lone tusker charged at us and our elephant began to shake vigorously, which could have resulted in us falling down from the elephant. But fortunately, there was a trench with wild growth inside at a few feet of distance from us and the tusker stopped in front of it. I saw death face-to-face for the first time,” he said.

Snake encounter

In another incident, during the shooting of the Kannada movie ‘Hoysala’, directed by veteran director C.V. Shivashankar, the location of the shooting was a dilapidated temple with statues of hooded snakes, which was covered with creepers and bushes in the dense forest near Mudigere in Chikkamagalur.

“When I was adjusting the camera, a snake with its hood open appeared all of a sudden and came near the camera. The crew including the director ran away and stood at a distance calling me to leave the camera and run away. But to my surprise, within seconds, a dozen snakes surrounded my camera and I was still holding the camera handle out of fear and not knowing what to do. Fortunately, all the snakes retreated after holding a sort of peaceful protest and the shooting for the day was cancelled,” Rajappan added.

In 1965, Rajappan started his own firm ‘Movie International’ and became a pioneer in the field of production of advertising films and documentaries. The then owner of Premier Studios, M.N. Basavarajaiah had helped Rajappan. “Basavarajaiah even stood as a guarantee for the        advance payment from clients,” he recalled.

“Though I am a cinematographer and short filmmaker, I also worked as a freelance film journalist for many years. I worked as a Mysore correspondent of ‘Movie Land,’ a popular English weekly published from Chennai. I was also elected as the President of Mysore City Film Journalists Association for two terms,” he signed off.

The post Life through Lens appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Rare RD 350 HT added to cricket legend’s large collection

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Mysore/Mysuru: Former Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni has a large collection of cars and bikes at his Ranchi home. The latest addition is a Yamaha RD 350 HT bike built by restoration expert from Mysuru Syed Jadeer Husnain. The mean machine was delivered to Dhoni last month.

This competition green-coloured bike may be the 34th or 35th RD 350 bike Dhoni has, Syed said. The all-new paint looks fantastic with white contrast that gives it a rich tone.

A resident of Manti at Belavatha in Mysuru, Syed restores RD 350 bikes. In fact, he restored one gold-coloured RD 350 for himself and he took both the bikes to Ranchi to show his craftsmanship. “Now, the gold RD 350 carries Dhoni’s autograph on the fuel tank which makes it a priceless bike in my own collection,” Syed told SOM.

 “I am a fan of Yamaha RD-350 and I try to make the best of that bike to find true pleasure. By profession I am a building construction contractor but I love to live my dream,” Syed said.

Chance to meet Dhoni

On how he met Dhoni, Syed said that a close friend of his, who was in touch with Dhoni’s friend, shared the contact. “I had a restored RD 350 HT bike then which was the 19th bike that was rolled out in India and one of the best projects we had completed. My friend told me to contact Dhoni and get the bike included in his collection since it was a collector’s item. But it did not materialise,” he revealed.

After upgrading the next bike to the 1973 model as per US specification with minute detailing such as colour, seat shape and installation of disc brakes, Syed sent the photos of the competition green bike to Dhoni’s friend, who in turn showed it to Dhoni.

 “Dhoni liked the photos and wished to see the vehicle in his farm house at Ranchi. This particular RD 350 was my own project bike which was built to US specification which is entirely different from the Indian Rajdoot specifications. After the project was successfully completed, we discussed it with Dhoni’s friend and the meeting with the legend happened,” Syed explained.

Painstaking process

On the restoration process, Syed said that he and his team first checked the bike for broken, damaged and worn out parts before replacing them. “The spare parts are restored before disassembling the bike so that it can be easily painted and fixed without any problems. Then the bike was disassembled and was divided to different teams for mechanical works, engine overhauling, painting and chrome-plating. New parts were sourced from different parts of India,” he explained.

“Everything was done to make the bike a perfect beast and was assembled. This bike was restored in six months but the process of collecting spares started six months ago,” Syed said.

Syed has different teams to work on his projects. “I try to make the best bike and people who work with me on my projects are all specialists. We specialise in two-stroke engines like Yamaha RX series, Suzuki Shogun and Shaolin,” Syed said.

After the message that Dhoni wanted to see the bike, Syed and his team had the challenge of covering the bikes with packing materials to prevent scratches while being transported in a train. He, along with his wife’s younger brother and a mechanic, boarded a train to Ranchi in November. 

A dream come true

“Dhoni is a fantastic gentleman who spared his time to look at our creations. I got goose bumps when he came in front of me. When we started discussing, I fumbled for words and I admired his passion and interest. He showed me his huge collection. For me it was like a dream come true to meet him in person,” Syed said.

Later, Dhoni took the bikes for a spin. “His eyebrows rose after the rides said it all,” revealed Syed. Dhoni later autographed the gold-coloured RD 350 tank. The cricketer also signed a few posters and posed with Syed for photos.

Yamaha RD 350 was one of the most powerful two-wheelers in the late 1980s and also India’s first performance-oriented bike. It had a 347 cc two-stroke twin cylinder engine that was de-tuned for the Indian markets to produce lesser power of about 30.5 bhp on the High Torque (HT) version and 27 bhp on the Low Torque (LT) version.

‘Race Derived’

The RD 350 from Japan was introduced in the Indian markets under the name Yamaha Rajdoot RD 350 by the Escorts Group from 1983 to 1989. Despite the common notion, RD stands for ‘Race Derived’ and not Rajdoot. It was given the name ‘Rapid Death’ because of the frequent fatal accidents because of its power.

The RD could go 0-100 in about 7 seconds and reached a top speed of around 160 kmph in the top gear. It had a price tag of Rs. 18,000 when it was launched in 1983 and Rs. 30,000 by the time it discontinued, which was expensive then.  A well maintained RD 350 bike will now cost between Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 2.5 lakh, if at all it is available.

The post Bike restored in city impresses M.S. Dhoni appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Complete journey in three days, 17 hours

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Two friends from the Heritage City of Mysuru —Chaitanya and Sagar Avina — have attempted to make it to the Indian Book of Records after riding on two bikes from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in three days and 17 hours.

Chaitanya is pursuing his final year BCA at Vidya Vikas College while Sagar Avina, a Karate black belt and Vice-President of Akhila Karnataka Nela Jala Parisara Samrakshana Vedike, completed his degree last year. The duo left Mysuru on June 25 and reached Kashmir on July 10. 

For the record attempt, Chaitanya and Sagar left Kashmir on July 11 at about 9 pm on Hero XPulse 200 and Bajaj Pulsar NS200 bikes and reached Kanyakumari on July 15 at about 2 pm, covering a distance of about 3,700 kilometres.

“The bikers’ paradise, Ladakh trip started from Manali with a plan to reach Sarchu crossing the most beautiful Atal tunnel and Rohtang Pass. Crossing so many hard paths, we were able to find a shelter in the freezing cold weather at Zingzing, a few kilometres before Sarchu. The difficult ride was in Uttarakhand. It was raining heavily since six hours and we had to ride at a speed of between 30 and 40 kms. We experienced difficulties in Uttar Pradesh too,” said Chaitanya.

Travelling an average 900 kilometres a day, the duo did not sleep during the record attempt, but instead took rest for about two to three hours during nights at roadside dhabas and continued with their journey. 

“Sometimes, we could not find a place to rest. We had carried a tent which we used to pitch in petrol bunks and refreshed ourselves before taking rest for some time and resuming the bike journey,” Chaitanya disclosed.

Recalling an incident, he said that while riding in Jammu, the antenna fixed to his bike which was carrying the National Flag brushed against another vehicle during a traffic jam, causing a commotion. But a traveller from Punjab intervened and sorted out the issue, he added.

Breakdowns

Riding from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, one has to be ready to face breakdown of vehicles and hence these riders had carried brake pads, clutch units, throttle cables, chain lubes and puncture kits including emergency tools. “The first breakdown was in Ladak, where the clutch plate was burnt while crossing a stream. The journey resumed after I replaced the burnt clutch plates. The second breakdown took place in Agra, when the brake pads of the rear wheel got damaged. After that, there were no issues till we reached Kanyakumari,” Chaitanya sighed.  

He said that the record attempt has been accepted and verified by the Indian Book of Records and they are yet to receive the Certificate.

The post Two friends from city Ride from Kashmir to Kanyakumari on a record attempt appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Over 30 bikers to proceed towards Bandipur on Intl. Jawa Day tomorrow

By S. Kenneth Shishir 

Motorcycles that once ruled Indian roads drew every onlooker’s attention every second Sunday of July that is celebrated as the ‘International Jawa Day’ where groups of bikers vroomed around designated roads of their cities. They were no ordinary bikes, but motorcycles which every young Indian wanted to own in the early 60s.

Incidentally, the second Sunday of July falls tomorrow (July 11). However, there will be no rally as such as the Police have denied permission owing to COVID-19 pandemic. Last year too, there was no such rally, thanks to the pandemic and if a city dweller can recall, the last rally was held in 2019. 

Every year, the vintage era of Yezdis and Jawas was brought alive when a group of youths, under the banner ‘Jawa Friends Club’ rode the bikes on the city roads. This year, however, a group of 30 Jawa enthusiasts will proceed towards a long drive to Bandipur and come back after a short picnic of sorts. They will start from Bandipalya Ring Road at 8 am and touch Bandipur Tiger Reserve Gate and  return to Mysuru. 

The tough bike was manufactured in India by Ideal Jawa (India) Limited aka Jawa. Commercial production of the motorcycles in India began in the 1960s with technical collaboration with Jawa Limited of former Czechoslovakia. 

 The first Jawa rolled out of Czechoslovakia in 1929 and it made its Indian debut through the efforts of F.K. Irani at Ideal Jawa which started importing them to Mysuru around the mid-1940s. Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd. manufactured the most sought-after two-wheelers in the 60s and 70s at its factory in Yadavagiri. The land that stood abandoned after the factory stopped production in 1981 was auctioned in 2001.

Standing tall for its tagline ‘The forever bike that offers forever value,’ the Yezdi was and is still popular amongst bike enthusiasts. Though not many of these bikes are seen on the roads these days, there are people who have preserved them with utmost care and ride them for sheer pleasure.

 There are many bikers from Mysuru, Bengaluru and Kodagu who own good old Jawa and Yezdi bikes — Jawa Colt, Jawa Jet, CL 2 and Jawa 350, Yezdi 250, Yezdi Roadking, Yezdi Classic and Yezdi Monarch among others. The mileage of these bikes is less, but the comfort in riding the bike makes all other factors redundant, say riders. Spares are difficult to come by and most of what is available turns out to be fake.  

 Khizer of Jawa Friends Club said that there will be no rally within the city but they, in a group of over 30, would proceed towards Bandipur. “Every annual rally, apart from being a display show of the mean machines, was also a platform for Jawa bike enthusiasts to interact with some of the oldest riders and employees of the then Ideal Jawa factory. This year, however, that’s not possible,” he said.

‘My bike is like my family member’

Prahalad Cheluve Urs, who owns a 1995 Roadking, said that his bike was like his family member who requires attention and regular care. Just like regular health check-ups for human beings, these bikes too need regular maintenance, he said.

 “I took part in International Jawa Day rallies for four years from 2014 and have even sponsored a few events. Due to hectic work schedule, I have stopped participating. But I take my Roadking for city rides and even to work,” he added.

‘I tune bikes of many outstation riders’

Wajid, one of the Jawa mechanics in the city, said that the craze for this bike is still alive and kicking. “I began repairing Jawa and Yezdi bikes in 1978 and I have regular customers, who come from Chamarajanagar, K.R. Nagar, Kodagu, Chikkamagalur and other places to get their bikes repaired or toned up. Due to the current pandemic situation, my garage was closed but I used to repair bikes at the customers’ homes itself as many Yezdi bike owners do not want to keep their prized possessions idle,” he said.

Wajid said that there is no dearth for spares as they are being manufactured and available at many spare parts shops.

The post No Jawa revving on city roads this year appeared first on Star of Mysore.

• ‘Looks’ matter a lot in adoption of animals at Mysuru Zoo
• No takers for Hippos

By S. Kenneth Shishir 

Which animal is most sought-after for adoption? No prizes for guessing. It is either tiger or elephant. Because, these two are the most popular animals in people’s mind and also visually appealing. Also, they figure quite prominently in Hindu mythology along with other animals. But what about Hippo?

It seems so as while everyone wants to adopt big cats, elephants, giraffe etc., there are no takers for the poor Hippos. The Zoo employees say the Hippo has no takers because most people find it visually unappealing and also it does not have any presence in Indian mythology. So for many, it is like a foreign animal. 

To add to its woes, the Hippo is not seen in the wild in India, so people and children have not seen it when they go on a forest safari. Because of this, nobody has much information about this unique animal, unless they catch a show on Hippos on National Geographic or Discovery Channels, says Dr. Madan Kompal, the Zoo Veterinarian.

Speaking of Hippo being unique, Dr. Madan said, they are one of the toughest animals, most aggressive when agitated, have powerful jaws and give birth in water. 

Dr. Madan adds, “many consider Hippo to be a close relative of the elephant, but it is actually a close relative of a whale. In Kannada, it is called ‘Neeru Kudure’ (water horse) and not ‘Neeru Aane’  (water elephant).”

He further adds that though Hippos spend most of their time in water, they cannot breathe underwater and have to come to the surface for intake of air. They sleep with their heads under the water and have to resurface every three to five minutes to breathe. The process of resurfacing and breathing is automatic, which means a Hippo which is sleeping underwater will resurface and breathe without waking up or this process is done by them unconsciously.

Dr. Madan finally adds saying “I hope people appreciate this unique animal and adopt it.” 

Hippo…?

Hippo in ancient Greek translates to “river horse” yet modern science linked the animals to pigs. The most recent studies have found they are more closely related to whales.

Mysuru Zoo has five male and four female Hippos aged between three and 45 years. They mostly remain submerged in water to remain cool and once they are out of water, they secrete an oily red substance (which is mistaken as blood) that acts as a moisturiser to protect themselves from germs. In the wild, Hippos forage for food during night and considering their enormous size, their food intake is relatively low.

Another interesting fact is Hippos give birth in water and give milk to the newborn calf underwater. In the wild, Hippos live for around 40 years, while in captivity they tend to live longer and may reach up to 50 years.

Hippo manure available

Dr. Madan Kompal said that Hippo dung was helping the Zoo in manufacturing vermicompost which is sold to the public.

The post Hippooo? Nooo! appeared first on Star of Mysore.

What it takes to feed carnivores, omnivores, frugivores, insectivores, foliavores and nectavores

By S. Kenneth Shishir

One might think feeding a Zoo is easy. But Zoo keepers say that a lot of planning and preparation goes into animal diets. With more than 100 species of animals, reptiles and birds residing at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens or Mysuru Zoo, there are some interesting food requirements which need to be provided and catered for. Carnivores, omnivores, frugivorous, insectivores, foliavores, nectavores, combinations of the above and others all need to be considered.

Food preparation and supply is a time-consuming and expensive portion of having a large animal collection. Individual needs for each species is carefully assessed and reassessed on an ongoing basis. Throughout the day, Zoo keepers distribute the food on feeding tours and provide supplementary meals.

It’s not always possible to feed the animals what they would eat in the wild. The tigers, for example, can’t be fed deer meat, so they get beef. Zoo nutritionists analyse each animal’s diet from its native habitat, including the vitamin and mineral content. Then they try to come up with a replacement that has all the same properties.

Some animals, coming from the wild or other Zoos, have to be trained to eat foods other than what they’re used to, and it can take a while for diet planners to come up with a nutritious diet that the animal likes, or recognises as food. Some animals are just plain picky eaters, such as birds or snakes that show a preference for certain live mice or insects.

The role food plays in an animal’s life is important, too. If, in the wild, an animal normally spends all day hunting or foraging for food, then it needs to do the same at the Zoo. The Mysuru Zoo is the first Zoo in the country to have a vermin-compost unit, in-house meal worm and super worm production units and a live feed breeding unit.

Disease-free nutritious food

Maintaining the animals, birds and reptiles is a tremendous task especially to ensure their health for which disease-free nutritious food is required, says Mysuru Zoo Executive Director Ajit M. Kulkarni. The Zoo spends about Rs. 6 crore to Rs. 6.5 crore annually only on animal food without compromising on quality.

There are five types of food namely meat (beef, prawns, fish and poultry), fodder, green fodder, grains, fruits and vegetables and bread, milk and eggs and these are tendered from suppliers through e-tenders. Meat is procured from a licensed slaughter house daily and the animals are first certified by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Veterinarian and then slaughtered. Carcasses are then brought to the Zoo where the veterinarian certifies whether it is fit for feeding.

Food as per body weight

The carcass is then weighed and distributed among carnivores according to their body weight. For example, the meat given to a tiger weighs one tenth of its body weight. If the animal is pregnant or has given birth or in need of more food, the food needed is calculated and then given. Also, the quantity of the food varies on the condition of the animal. Before feeding, their food is once again checked by the respective animal-keepers, Kulkarni explains.

Every Tuesday is a fasting day for carnivorous animals or whenever slaughter houses are closed. For example, if the slaughter house is closed on Thursday, meat is fed to animals on Tuesday and Thursday will be a fasting day. A day’s fasting enables animals to keep good health.

Dry rations – grains, pulses, busa, oil cakes, brawn, and poultry feed, jaggery, salt etc. are supplied once in 15 days and they are stored in a rodent-proof and moist-proof store room. Best grade fruits and vegetables fit for human consumption is procured from HOPCOMS and even if there is a minor quality issue, items are sent back and replaced.

Though bread is not a main diet, it is procured to feed animals in case of oral medication and a diet chart is maintained for each animal (sex-wise and health-wise). Water is drawn from bore wells and every enclosure has a water connection.

During summer, primates (chimps, monkeys etc.) are fed with high-water-containing fruits to cope with dehydration and salt balance. Dry fruits such as almonds, grapes, raisins, cashew etc. are given during winter to withstand cold. Pheasants and small primates are fed with super worm and meal worm which are in-house production. Rats and mice are also bred at the live feed breeding unit.

Store and kitchen

The Mysuru Zoo has a kitchen and a store in one of the oldest buildings on the premises. A new building with separate sections — with financial assistance from Central Zoo Authority — has been constructed. There is separate provision to store foodgrains, kitchen, and record room and computerised weighing bridge for accurate weighing and documentation. The store is rodent-proof and moist-free.

Different agencies have been fixed to supply food on tender basis and supplies are obtained through government organisations for certain items. Indents are placed to supply food as per prescribed diet charts. Proper cleaning before distribution of food in a systematic manner is ensured. The store functions under the direct supervision of Range Forest Officer and checked by Assistant Director and Deputy Director. Proper sanitation and good hygiene is maintained in the kitchen and store.

Zoo  Assistant  Director and  Head of the Veterinary Section Dr. K.R. Ramesh says, utmost importance is given to ensure that good quality food is given to animals. Various tests are conducted after procuring food items and only after they find food items fit for animal consumption, it is distributed.

Citing an example, Dr. Ramesh says after the certified carcass is brought to the Zoo store, it is evaluated once again at the Zoo and periodically, samples are sent to Institute of Animal Health & Veterinary Biologicals (IAH&VB) Lab in Bengaluru for testing. “If we are not happy with the meat quality, we reject it right away and then a sample is sent to the Lab,” he explains.

There are 151 species and each specie has its own diet chart based on the observations made by the animal-keepers and food is distributed accordingly, maintaining the natural feeding habit of each species. There are many insectivorous and they are fed with insects produced in-house. Some primates like to feed on grasshoppers which are procured from agricultural fields.

Meal worm and super worm breeding unit

Mysuru Zoo is first in the country to establish meal worm and super worm breeding unit 10 years ago and the technology is much sought after by other zoos. At the unit, eggs of beetles are kept in trays, which then hatches and mini worms emerge from it.

The mini worms are then separated and put into another tray along with food, where it develops into large worms and then into pupae from where young beetles emerge to grow into adults. The whole process takes about 45 to 50 days.

Live Feed Breeding Unit

The Live Feed Breeding Unit was established more than 20 years ago where mice, rats and rabbits are bred.

Also, chicken eggs are hatched. The young ones, after a few days, are separated according to sizes and these are fed to reptiles and the size of the prey is decided based on the length and age of the snake. The units are maintained by Krishna and his team.

The post Feeding a Zoo! appeared first on Star of Mysore.