Marvels of Mysore and more

Marvels of Mysore & more, a unique contemporary book on Mysore, was released by Tourism Minister Anand Singh here today. The book that was released in time for the famed Dasara festival is published by Raintree Media and supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka.




L to R Arvind Jadhav Tourism Secretary, Sandhya Mendonca Raintreemedia, Anand Singh Tourism Minister, Satyavathi Tourism Director

Releasing the book, Mr.Singh said, “Mysore is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in India. The city has preserved its rich cultural heritage over the years and continues to enrich the lives of Kannadigas. A contemporary book like this serves an important purpose of giving accurate information with good photographs for the benefit of readers here and from all over the world. This book is an international edition and we are sure it will be much appreciated.”

Written by Sandhya Mendonca and Anita Rao Kashi, with principal photography by Asha Thadani, Marvels of Mysore & more is a factual photobook on contemporary Mysore. The book celebrates the captivating sights and enduring charm of this heritage city.

Sandhya Mendonca, MD & Editor-in Chief, Raintree Media who has published the book said, “Marvels of Mysore & more is a contemporary book on Mysore. There are several books on this historic city that talk only about its heritage or are just guides. As the title suggests, the publication has more to offer: this book is an all-in-one: a photobook, a travel guide and a memoir of the historic city and the region around it.

Mysore and the region around it offer endless delights for locals and visitors alike and this book has descriptive information about the cultural history and the wonders of nature in the area. The contents of the book include the festival of Dasara, the colourful folk dances, the heritage buildings, the modern developments and the vast cultural diversity in this part of Karnataka. Marvels of Mysore & more shows the reader what to see, what to do, where to stay, what to buy in this city, and in the interesting tourist trail starting from Bangalore through Melkote, Ranganathittu and other places all the way to Kodagu.”

Praise for Marvels of Mysore & more

“Combination of a coffee table book with marvellous pictures and an efficient guide for tourists to Mysore and its environs.” - Shashi Deshpande, Author

“Mysore’s splendorous syncretism tingles each of our senses. Its sights, the palaces, hills, lakes, gardens, sanctuaries, are a balm for sore eyes. From the thunder of temple bells to the soft strains of Carnatic singers, its sounds take us back in space and time. It smells of the ancient and the modern through flowers and coffee, sandalwood and incense sticks. From the Mysore Pak to the Masala Dosa (and everything else in between), its taste has conquered tongues. And, as a walker’s paradise, it welcomes you to touch and feel its royal and colonial past. Sandhya Mendonca and Anita Rao Kashi open the window to see and sample the myriad marvels of India’s most beautiful city.” Krishna Prasad, Editor-in-Chief, Outlook

Best Of India Press Release

MEDIA RELEASE
11.10.2012
Bangalore
BEST OF INDIA
International Business atlas & coffee table book launched

Mr. Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman, Happiest Minds, released the
BEST OF INDIA, part of the international BEST OF series of books, here today. He said, “The Best of India book is like a breath of fresh air. In an age of cynicism where we are bombarded with so much negativity, it is a pleasant change to have a publication which focuses on ‘positives’ and success stories.” Congratulating the Publisher & Editor –in-chief Sandhya Mendonca, Mr. Soota said, “The Best of India reinforces the India story and itself will lead to further success for the country as others pick up the message.”

Mr. Soota, who is a former President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and former President of Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology, has also written the foreword for the book. Speakers at the event included experts who have written articles in the book: SG Vasudev on Indian art, Prathibha Prahlad on dance and Prasad Bidapa about the evolution of India’s fashion consciousness.

BEST OF INDIA showcases 62 key businesses across various verticals that drive its trade and commerce. With an aesthetic blend of beautiful photographs and cogent text, it is a microcosm of Indian success stories. This elegant copper embossed coffee table book highlights the economic and cultural dynamism of India.

The elegant book also includes valuable perspectives from well-known personalities like Suhel Seth on Brand India, Ashutosh Gowariker on cinema, Rashid Khan on music, Shanta Gokhale on theatre, K Satchidanandan on literature and Sanjeev Kapoor on cuisine.

Sandhya Mendonca, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of GVP India & Raintree Media, said, “The BEST OF INDIA is a comprehensive and compelling study of the great Indian success story. It examines the various qualities that contribute to the success of homegrown Indian companies – visionary leadership, focus on innovation, knowledge driven systems, agility, value for people, customers and partners’ customers. The book celebrates the success of sustainable companies and business models and looks to offer inspiration through the individual philosophies that power their growth.”

The book is published by Bangalore-based Global Village Publications India (GVP India) and Raintree Media, in partnership with the World Trade Centre Mumbai and the All India Association of Industries, key players in the Indian economy who promote multilateral trade and industry exchanges. It is edited by Sandhya Mendonca with principal photography by Asha Thadani.

The fourth in the India series of ‘Best of…’ books, the BEST OF INDIA vol 1 had an international launch, along with the BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA vol 7. The book was released by His Excellency, the High Commissioner of India to South Africa Virendra Gupta at the Future of Trade Africa 2012 inJohannesburg on July 16.

Facebook bookstore:
Raintree Media also announced the launch of the first facebook bookstore in India in collaboration with Bangalore-based Exprestore, India’s first f-commerce company.

Aditya Mendonca, Director, Digital division, Raintree Media said, “Facebook users can order titles published by Raintree Media & GVPI from the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia. F-commerce is a way by which facebook users can shop for merchandise from their favourite pages without leaving the network at any point during their transaction.”Ashish Agarwal, CEO and founder of Exprestore, said, “Facebook commerce is all set to change to way Indians shop online, compared to e-commerce.”


BEST OF INDIA

Branding a Nation and its people
Pages: 232
ISBN: 978-81-90776127
MRP: Rs. 3000/-
Published by: Global Village Publications India
Cover: Hard bound
Edited by Sandhya Mendonca

The book is available in leading bookstores and online on flipkart.com and on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia.

About Sandhya Mendonca

CEO & Editor -in- Chief of Global Village Publications India &Raintree Media Pvt Ltd

A seasoned journalist who has worked with prestigious publications until she became a media entrepreneur, Sandhya exemplifies the convergence of skills needed for both roles that she plays in the company. She is a post-graduate in Political Science and has a PGD in Public Relations. With a keen eye for detail, she heads the editorial team and specialises in incisive copy. She has a yen for travel which she uses to put to good use by opening up new territories for the growing the GVP footprint.


About the ‘Best of…’ series
BEST OF INDIA is published by Global Village Publications India (GVP India) Pvt Ltd, in partnership with Raintree Media, under license from Global Village Partnerships, Dubai that is the worldwide franchisor for the ‘Best of…’ series of publications.
Earlier editions in the ‘Best of…’ India series include Best of Bangalore, Best of Chennai and Best of Goa. Please view e-books at www.gvpedia.com | www.proudlyasia.com

Praise for the BEST OF INDIA vol 1

“I would like to compliment your effort to showcase the growth and success of our country.”– KV Kamath, Non executive Chairman, ICICI Bank Ltd

“The book is well brought out.” - Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Aut

Praise for Best of Bangalore vol 1


“Best of Bangalore is an excellent book and captures very accurately
what makes Bangalore unique - young, aspirational, meritocratic and
truly the Intellectual Capital of India. This is an outstanding book.”
- NandanNilekani, Aadhar Unique Identification Authority of India

Praise for Best of Chennai vol 1

“Best of Chennai captures the essence of the city through articles and photographs.” - The Hindu

“This is something I would be happy to buy and distribute among my friends, especially when I travel overseas. It would be a nice way for my friends from overseas to get to know about my city Chennai.” - Ramesh Krishnan, legendary tennis champion

Praise for Best of Goa vol 1

“Best of Goa covers the nuances that give the state its exceptional quality.”
– NavhindTimes

“Here we have a high-end book by a sensitive group of persons….it not only transmits the flavour of Goa to the reader but also eloquently expresses the richness of its culture and its society…” - The Herald

MEDIA CONTACT:


HemaBhaskaran: +91 9845562370


1112.hema@gmail.com

Best of India Launch Coverage

Best of India's Bangalore launch  was featured in the following publications .

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/book-launch-tomorrow/article3982991.ece


http://dnasyndication.com/dna/dna_english_news_and_features/Coffee-table-book-launched/DNBAN61747


http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=6&edcode=860009&eddate=2012-10-12


http://www.buzzintown.com/bangalore/event--book-launch-best-india/id--685025.html

Best of India Bangalore Launch

http://www.thisweekbangalore.com/?p=15846



Sandhya Mendonca ,MD Raintree Media & Ashok Soota , Executive Chairman , Happiest Minds with the Best of India







from L-R Prathibha Prahlad, SG Vasudev, Ashok Soota, Prasad Bidapa and Sandhya Mendonca at the launch of BEST OF INDIA book

Mr. Ashok Soota, Executive Chairman, Happiest Minds, released the BEST OF INDIA, part of the international BEST OF series of books, here today. He said, “The Best of India book is like a breath of fresh air. In an age of cynicism where we are bombarded with so much negativity, it is a pleasant change to have a publication which focuses on ‘positives’ and success stories.” Congratulating the Publisher & Editor –in-chief Sandhya Mendonca, Mr. Soota said, “The Best of India reinforces the India story and itself will lead to further success for the country as others pick up the message.”

Mr. Soota, who is a former President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and former President of Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology, has also written the foreword for the book. Speakers at the event included experts who have written articles in the book: SG Vasudev on Indian art, Prathibha Prahlad on dance and Prasad Bidapa about the evolution of India’s fashion consciousness.


BEST OF INDIA showcases 62 key businesses across various verticals that drive its trade and commerce. With an aesthetic blend of beautiful photographs and cogent text, it is a microcosm of Indian success stories. This elegant copper embossed coffee table book highlights the economic and cultural dynamism of India.

The elegant book also includes valuable perspectives from well-known personalities like Suhel Seth on Brand India, Ashutosh Gowariker on cinema, Rashid Khan on music,Shanta Gokhale on theatre, K Satchidanandan on literature and Sanjeev Kapoor on cuisine.

Sandhya Mendonca, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of GVP India & Raintree Media, said, “The BEST OF INDIA is a comprehensive and compelling study of the great Indian success story. It examines the various qualities that contribute to the success of homegrown Indian companies – visionary leadership, focus on innovation, knowledge driven systems, agility, value for people, customers and partners’ customers. The book celebrates the success of sustainable companies and business models and looks to offer inspiration through the individual philosophies that power their growth.”

The book is published by Bangalore-based Global Village Publications India (GVP India) and Raintree Media, in partnership with the World Trade Centre Mumbai and the All India Association of Industries, key players in the Indian economy who promote multilateral trade and industry exchanges. It is edited by Sandhya Mendonca with principal photography by Asha Thadani.

The fourth in the India series of ‘Best of…’ books, the BEST OF INDIA vol 1 had an international launch, along with the BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA vol 7. The book was released byHis Excellency, the High Commissioner of India to South Africa Virendra Gupta at the Future of Trade Africa 2012 inJohannesburg on July 16.
Facebook bookstore:

Raintree Media also announced the launch of the first facebook bookstore in India in collaboration with Bangalore-based Exprestore, India’s first f-commerce company.

Aditya Mendonca, Director, Digital division, Raintree Media said, “Facebook users can order titles published by Raintree Media & GVPI from the facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia. F-commerce is a way by which facebook users can shop for merchandise from their favourite pages without leaving the network at any point during their transaction.”Ashish Agarwal, CEO and founder of Exprestore, said, “Facebook commerce is all set to change to way Indians shop online, compared to e-commerce.”



BEST OF INDIA
Branding a Nation and its people
Pages: 232
ISBN: 978-81-90776127
MRP: Rs. 3000/-
Published by: Global Village Publications India
Cover: Hard bound
Edited by Sandhya Mendonca
The book is available in leading bookstores and online on flipkart.com and on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raintreemedia.

In God’s own country

Exotic Surya Samudra in Kovalam is the destination for the perfect vacation. 

By Sandhya Mendonca

I was longing for the panorama of soothing green countryside, blue skies and waters; the sensual feel of soft sand and the balmy sea air. I was pining for Goa, not having visited it for over three months.

And there, out of the blue, came an invitation from an old friend to visit God’s own country. Rather foolishly, I demurred at first – we have been burning the midnight oil at work to get another book off to the printers- but I was persuaded to take a break. The universe must have ordained it.

It was a typical day in Kerala when I arrived, with a bundh having shut down everything. But cabs to the airport were permitted to ply, and I began soaking in the sight of the emerald green foliage on the ride to Kovalam. I was still unprepared for the sight that met me at my destination.

Suryasamudra – the name had evoked a magical image and I had heard that it was fabulous; yet, I was rendered speechless by its beauty. As locations go, one can’t ask for anything better. 

The resort sits above a natural cove with a wonderful view of the pristine blue waters and the skies. Gentle waves lap at the softest sand and banks of coconut palms adding a delightful fringe.

The palette of colours is breathtaking. I had my camera out in seconds, clicking away at a recumbent stone Ganesha (who looked like he had just had a relaxing spa treatment), the cleverly landscaped garden and walkways.

A Planter’s chair in the verandah outside my cottage, was the spot to stretch out and look at the pristine beauty of nature that the skilful architects have showcased.

The interiors sent me into another round of rapture with the pretty four-poster bed and bright silk cushions, and the charming semi-open bath area. Half of it had no roof and when a light drizzle began later in the day, I perched on the granite sill to enjoy the sight and sound of the rain.

That was later; I must confess that initially, despite the overwhelming beauty around me, I found it difficult to relax. I was too restless to read, too keyed up to nap, the mid-day sun made it too hot for the beach.

On the spur of the moment, I changed into my swimsuit and headed to the infinity pool. An inspired choice, if I ever made one. The temperature was just right, and a few lazy laps were enough to get me in the vacation mode. 

I hung on to the side, getting my fill of the stunning view of the sea and the cove. A lone eagle swooped down occasionally as I floated on my back and rejoiced in the moment.

 I really needed nothing more, but of course there was a fabulous repast – a plantain leaf meal in the local fashion for lunch. Then came a tantalizing Thai dinner; the next morning it was idiappams for breakfast and a brilliant pasta for lunch.

A visit to the Sri Padmanabha Swami temple, a kathakali show, a boat ride through the backwaters and a spa treatment –there was time for all this without feeling rushed. 

There must be something in the air in Kovalam for sure. That, and the simple, genuine warmth of the staff at Suryasamudra, (owned by Niraamaya Private Retreats), puts it at the top of my list of favourite getaways.

The Cool UNK

My Bangalore  September 22

The Radha Thomas ensemble brings jazz bebop Indian
flavoured music to Goa from Bangalore.

THE COOL UNK

By Sandhya Mendonca

Doing different things and doing them well is Radha Thomas’s signature tune. I have known this spunky woman for over 15 years and always marvelled at how she can make music, write and
develop business for a publishing house with equal passion.

And now The Radha Thomas ensemble, the enigmatically named UNK, has released its first album ‘I only have eyes for you’ and is on a four -city tour to promote it. “I have been waiting for this my whole life”, says Radha Thomas, gratification coursing from her husky voice.


She is one of the early cool group of Indian musicians who skillfully adapted their training in Indian classical music to jazz. As a teenager, she was the headliner for the rock n roll band Human Bondage, India’s most popular band in the late 70s.

She trained with Kumar Gandharva at the Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya in New Delhi subsequently she learnt Drupad from Ustad Farid Ud Din Dagar of the famed Dagar Brothers before taking to jazz.

After performing at several European jazz festivals, she moved to New York.
 Here she worked the jazz club circuit for 20 years, playing at hotspots like Sweet Basil, The Bottom Line, Alice Tully Hall with musicians as John Scofield, Randy Brecker,Michael Brecker, John Faddis, Alex Blake, David Liebman, John Abercrombie, Ryo Kawasaki, Joe Farrell and others.

Back in Bangalore, she’s been performing at various clubs and festivals and holding a challenging day job as Senior Vice President of Business Development with Explocity. She recently finished writing the first of a humorous trilogy called, ‘Men On My Mind’.
She has released three albums earlier, but this is the one that is truly her own. As composer-singer-songwriter, she collaborated with yet another talented pianist from Bangalore, Aman Mahajan.
Educated in Berkelee, and a composer and arranger himself  Mahajan is the perfect counterpoint for the collaboration, with Thomas bringing in the rich maturity of experience.

Backed by a bunch of gifted musicians Max Littlewood on the sax, Mishko M’ba on bass, Ramjee Chandran on the guitar and Suresh Bascara on the drums, ‘I only have eyes…’ makes for pleasantly
soothing listening.
The flavour is a fusion of jazz, Latin, bebop, hip-hop and Indian; with Radha’s voice soaring and dropping with mellifluous smoothness. The songs include originals by Radha Thomas,Aman Mahajan, Suresh Shottam; Radha has written new lyrics to melodies like Brazilian Luiz Antonio’s Menina Moca and has reinterpreted standards like Herbie Hancock & Jon Hendricks ‘Watermelon Man’. There’s a charming video of Thomas
and Mahajan performing Watermelon Man on youtube; it moves from funky to dreamy nostalgia and leaves you humming for quite a while.

UNK  performed on Friday, September 22 in Goa at The Sol.
A must-see show

You can find the Original Article at the Oheraldo , Goa September 22nd 2012  , Saturday , Page 6

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=7017&boxid=2433109&uid=&dat=9/22/2012

A tribute to a time that was

By Aditya Mendonca / Raintree Media Features

Delicate, haunting and evocative, Shibu Arakkal challenges himself and the viewer with his new photographs

  Artistic inspirations emerge from the most unexpected places and for Shibu Arakkal’s latest series ‘Finding Nowhere’, it stemmed from several visits he made to the countryside and lay dormant until he could not ignore that they told a story on their own.  

Shot entirely in monochrome on a film camera, the photographs capture the vanishing landscape of a rapidly growing city. It’s a tale that speaks of the artist finding shelter in the hamlet of Magadi; a town situated an hour away from Bangalore. “Whenever I tire of shooting in the city and the same old urban chaos and scenarios, I like to drive across the countryside hunting for something new and different. But look around you – Bangalore’s surroundings have all yielded to buildings!” he exclaims in frustrated disgust.

When a friend first recommended Magadi, Shibu was incredulous as Magadi Road is one of the worst traffic zones, but he was persuaded to visit the town which has become more of a hamlet really as time seems to have forgotten it. He says, “Magadi to me is such a place, one of retrospection, of things very real and of recluse. And if solace of a fading world does find you along the way, then I suppose it is somehow apposite”. 

Over the years, it became an oft-visited site for him, as the drive is very scenic and he took many photographs in and around Magadi. It slowly dawned on him that there was a series emerging from his random photos. 

Finding Nowhere is a series of 21 photographs, shot entirely on film in the old school photography black & white style. Shibu’s favourite palette is sepia. He shot the entire series on a Diana F + camera by Lomography. The plastic-bodied box camera costs just $30 and has a cult status. Using 120 roll film, most versions take 16 photographs per roll in a non-standard format of 4.2cm square using a simple plastic meniscus lens. The plastic lens helps give a diffused view adding to the romantic atmosphere of the picture. Shibu has many quirky toys; among his favourite is the Lens Baby (a freaky tilt and shift lens).  

Though Shibu has a frenzied love affair with the digital world, having picked up on Photoshop very early, when nobody wanted to touch digital manipulation, back in 98, he is puritanical when it comes to shooting with film. “Shooting in black and white is where the challenge lies “. The tone and lighting are where it all happens, even after 18 years of experience, there is so much one can learn from them, black and white leaves room for a lot of interpretation “ 

A freelance professional photographer since 1994, his travels include countries such as England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Greece, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, UAE, China, Singapore, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal and many parts of India. His works have been awarded prestigious international awards. His previous exhibitions have focused on ‘philosophies’ (‘Themes’ sound a bit shallow, he says) on the differences between the line and the curve, Skin (human), Absence (exploration of), space and architecture of the Eiffel Tower.

A tribute to Shibu, who incidentally is the son of eminent painter Yusuf Arakall, come from Jnanapith award winning writer, the multi-talented Girish Karnad, who says, “These photographs by Shibu Arakkal of Magadi village catch the majestic contours of desolation, almost making silence visible. The perfect stillness which he has captured in the rocks, temple ponds, and deliquescent walls, all haunted by their desolation, in turn transform the viewer into elements of the photographed moment, breathless in anticipation of the next shift in the light”. 

You can find the Original article at  Oheraldo  Goa , August 30 , 2012 ,Thursday . Page 9 

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6620&boxid=23827946&uid=&dat=8/30/2012

 

Mr Adi Godrej, President, Confederation of Indian Industry and Chairman, Godrej Group, is in the BEST OF INDIA

http://www.proudlyasia.com/India/Godrej.aspx
http://issuu.com/svengvp/docs/best-of-india-vol-1/107

Cycling around in Bangalore

In a city where traffic delays, pollution and road rage are all too common, we have a few beacons of hope who choose to use cycles as their primary mode of transport.

Cycles are the most eco friendly way of getting around a congested, traffic jam prone city. There have been a few organisations which have been working day and night to make Bangalore a more cycle friendly city. Among these organisations is ATCAG, which is running a pilot project in Bangalore.

ATCAG docking station at MG road, Bangalore

Their project is based on the Automated Bicycle Sharing System for Govt. of Karnataka, supported by Directorate of Urban Land Transport and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. The pilot consists of just 3 docking stations comprising of 9 bicycles located in Central Business Districts around Bangalore. The idea behind the pilot is to get the people accustomed to the concept of Bicycle Sharing and also familiarize them with the operation of this automated transport infrastructure.

ATCAG currently does not charge anything for the use of these cycles, but will slowly graduate towards a nominal fee on an hourly basis. The response so far has been great and ATCAG has been in constant conversation with the Bangalore planning commission to chalk out specific cycling zones and lanes, all across the city. This project is currently underway and all the citizens of Bangalore are awaiting its completion with baited breath. ATCAG is also planning to install several docking stations across private campuses in hopes of reducing the carbon footprint of Bangalore’s many MNC’s.

Bike sharing process

Another organisation working towards making Bangalore cycle friendly is “The art of bicycle tours” team. Thanks to their efforts now even tourists are encouraged to use this eco friendly way to enjoy the city. Pankaj Mangal from the art of bicycle tours offers tours around Bangalore and a few other cities in India.

One of their most popular tours is the Passage to India tour. This tour takes you through heritage sites, picturesque country side roads and ends with a visit to Channapatna, a quaint little toy town that is famous for their exquisite craftsmanship.

Pit stop en route 'Passage to India' tour

When asked his views on cycling and the city, Pankaj Mangal said “Cycling could be a solution to all city problems like air pollution, noise pollution, traffic jams, health problems etc. It is a perfect antidote to a hectic city life. The current government has increased the import duty on bicycles by 30% which is highly absurd. The government should work towards promoting cycling in a city by offering income tax rebate for people who cycle to work, building cycling lanes and reducing import duty to 0% on international bicycles.”

Cycling is one of the oldest and most efficient modes of transport. You can easily weave in and out of traffic, give your credit card a breather from the increasing fuel prices and even lose a few kilos on your way to work. In today’s world of technology and modernization this wheel turning simpleton is the way to go.




By Akshaya Kapur/ Raintree Media Features/ www.raintreemedia.com


Read the story on the Goa Herald:


                                                 

In Pursuit of Passion

Art can boost tourism a lot more than tacky ads. Anyone who views Ganesh Doddamani’s richly textured images of Hampi would go there in a jiffy.

It is odd how contrary advice can be. A professor in the Davanagere art college told Ganesh Doddamani,“ Work on creating one good painting instead of ten bad pieces.”

Soon after, Doddamani visited an art mela in Bangalore and was stunned to see the skills on display by art students from Kolkata. Feeling that he could never learn to paint as well if he stayed on in his college, he dropped out and went to artist Shambhu Das in Kolkata.

Das told the young man that he wanted guru dakshina, and with great trepidation, Doddamani asked him what it entailed. “ I want 500 works of water colour from you”. Thrilled with the answer, Doddamani promptly set about painting. He soon realised that he could not paint more than three a day and that it would take him the whole year that he had planned to spend in Kolkata to complete 500 pieces.

He explained this to the master who replied, “ Exactly, by the time you are done with 500 pieces, you won’t need a master.” This was completely at variance with his earlier professor’s words but was the best advice anyone can get for any work. Practice does make perfect.

Hampi

I met Doddamani at Art Bengaluru – a fabulous concept where various art galleries display fairly affordable art across genres in a public space. Of all the artworks on display, his oil paintings of Hampi shone with a radiant charm.

He told me that he had quit his job as an exhibition assistant at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum as the bosses did not want him to exhibit his works. Two years on, he’s quite happy with the decision. “An artist’s life is always a struggle but my works are selling fairly well and I manage”, he says.

His whole life has been a pursuit of passion. He had decided that he would study art even while he was in school; after early disappointments he joined Shantiniketan for his master’s degree.

“It changed my life. The peace and calm I experienced in that atmosphere, especially after visiting Gurudev’s meditation spot inspired me to paint the face of the Buddha. It was immediately bought by a local businessman who told me that the image gave him a sense of serenity whenever he looked at it”.

Doddamani has focused on painting only the visage of the Buddha with an attendant motif of flowers. “We recognise a person by their face and it is the Buddha’s calm face that I want people to look at when they enter a room”.

In complete contrast to the soft, minute transferred pastel colours of his Buddha series, the Hampi paintings have thick strong applications with warm and vibrant results. “I hail from Ramdurg, just about three hours from Hampi and I have visited it very often. I had long thought of painting it but the burst of creativity happened only recently”.

The focus in his artworks is not so much on the famed architecture of the place but the play of light and shade. “Each time I visit Hampi, I see it anew”, he says.

His paintings created a surge of interest from our group to revisit Hampi and it struck me that the tourism department ought to use artworks to entice visitors to the heritage city of Hampi rather than tacky ads. Would that be asking for too much?

By Sandhya Mendonca (Sandhya Mendonca writes a weekly column for the Herald Goa)



Read the story on the Goa Herald

Varun Agarwal 25 and living it

Varun Agarwal is a young entrepreneur who has three companies and written his success story in his debut book that is already on its second print-run in less than three months and has sold 20,000 copies.


By Aditya Mendonca/Raintree Media features/www.raintreemedia.com

25 year old Varun Agarwal has a BE in Tele-Communications and currently runs three start-ups; Alma Mater (India's premier memorabilia company for top schools and colleges, retails online on their e-store. Their facebook page currently has over 171,000 fans), Reticular (Social Media Marketing Agency) and Last Minute Films (an Independent production company)
His debut novel titled, ‘How I braved Anu Aunty & co-founded a million dollar company’ is a hit!

His story is filled with humour, it talks about his popular start-up Alma Mater, and how he started his company with his partner Rohn Malhotra. You run into his friends , his mom , the girl he has the biggest crush on , growing up in pub city of India and yes, Anu Aunty who stands between him and his goal .
It’s got the perfect mix of how anybody fresh out of college has got dreams floating around and had to face certain obstacles before reaching the initial taste of success.
The book connects more with people who’ve grown up in Bangalore.
It’s got a chilling, goose bump reality scene and different vibe from the usual books we see hitting the market. A true reminder of the many hurdles, the Indian youth go through to start their journey to entrepreneurial success.

Here’s an interview with Varun.

Is Anu Aunty a social fad or a weapon of destruction?
She was a constant weapon of destruction, who now is a social fad.
How did the idea come up of writing your first book , based on reality ?I used to write blogs on the Alma Mater facebook page, they got famous, and somebody suggested that I write a book.
I ended up writing the book in 7 days, put it together and send it to Rupa Publishers.
One month later it was ready.
It’s very good to fail, because unless you fail, one never succeeds.
Indian society encourages one not to fail, but I disagree .I’ve learnt the most from my failures.

How I braved Anu Aunty and co –founded a million dollar company - The movie, do we see it soon? The movie is in the works, though I can’t give anymore details about it.

What advice would you give fellow entrepreneurs?
I would simply say take the leap and then think. Most ideas fizzle out because everyone spends hours just thinking about them and not doing anything .So if you have an idea just go for it.
Don’t aim at being just an entrepreneur. Rather aim at having a killer idea and having the passion and the will to execute it.

“It’s a fun read & very addictive “says Singer &  Writer Riccha Paul

This book is a reminder to our massive youth population, that if you stay focused and passionate about your dreams, you are likely to succeed. This book might well be a handbook for Indian youth to learn the ropes from the new Indian whiz kid.
You could get a really good deal if you order it from the official facebook page of the book - facebook.com/anuauntybook.

Read the story on the Goa Heraldo




You can also find the article at

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=6387&boxid=45623968&uid=&dat=8/13/2012