🕰️ A Nostalgic Journey: The 1987 Batch of St. Mary’s High School Belgaum Relives School Days 🕰️

Imagine turning back the clock by 25 years, even just for a day. For many, it's a wishful thought. But for us, the 1987 batch of St. Mary’s High School in Belgaum, this dream became a delightful reality.

It all started with a small Facebook group last year, and soon, the excitement of our approaching Silver Jubilee reunion caught on. We approached the school, and Ms. Jasmine Rubdy, our former science teacher, graciously allowed us to relive a day in our old school routine.

 

On a crisp winter morning, we found ourselves lined up for the school prayers, not on the ground as in the past, but on the school portico. This shift in location didn't dampen our spirits. We then joined a classroom session with some of our now-retired teachers. The classroom buzzed with the same energy, and our teachers' eyes sparkled with a mix of nostalgia and affection, their sternness softened by years.

Lunch under the old banyan trees followed. The school had changed, but these trees remained, a comforting, familiar presence. In the afternoon, we played football under the sun and participated in competitive sports, reliving our youthful exuberance.

The highlight was a special 'passing out' parade for our batch, a ceremony we had missed 25 years ago. This symbolic ritual was deeply moving, a chance to reclaim a missed milestone.

The day culminated with an evening gathering, graced briefly by our former principal, Mr. Guruprem David. Despite his health challenges, his animated wave and presence were a poignant reminder of our shared past.

This reunion wasn't just about memories; it was a bridge connecting our past with the present, a testament to the enduring bonds formed in the hallways of St. Mary’s High School.🏫❤️

Bengaluru, Bangalore, Bengaluru: Imaginations and Their Times

The word Bangalore or Bengaluru evokes different feelings and opinions among different people. While many have lived here and experienced the city first hand but many more by the perception & reputation it has built over the years . I for one belong to the former category and have personally witnessed the massive makeover of the city between 1994 and now. So in that sense a book on the city and its history evinced my interest and I picked it recently.

The 16th century history provides the early backdrop of the city and its founder Kempegowda emerges from the political fog of the Krishnadevaraya’s rule of the period. The early parts of the city, Pete’s (markets) divided on the basis of caste and later the emergence of the British cantonment that heralded the earliest recorded migrations to the city makes for interesting reading. How the early migrations induced language and not class conflicts particularly evokes interest.

Tracing the roots of a city and its various facets spanning a 500 year period is no doubt arduous and this book will disappoint those seeking scholarly depth. However many interesting & informative nuggets on the various aspects of the city can be found here and the book covers in a manner that juggles between documentary, academia, and coffee table reading .

(Other trivia about Bangalore not related to the book)

How did Bengaluru get its name? 

The most famous legend says that Hoysala King Veera Ballala II, on one of his hunting expeditions, stumbled upon an old dwelling where lived an old woman. She served him some boiled beans. Overwhelmed he named the place Benda-kaaluru (the town of boiled beans), which later became Bengaluru when Kempe Gowda-I laid the first stone of the modem city in 1537, starting with the petes, now at the heart of the city. However, facts don't corroborate this story. The Hoysalas ruled between the 10th and the 14th centuries. Kernpegowda lived in the 16th century. But, the very first instance of the name appears in a stone inscription at Begur Nageshwara Temple in South Bengaluru. The stone dates back to 890 AD, the Ganga period. This implies that Bengaluru is at least 1,129 years old. The slab is also proof that a village by such name existed much before the Hoysalas and the Kempegowdas. P V Krishnamurthy, an epigraphist and historian. Says "Kempegowda I is rightly credited for building the infrastructure for Bengaluru and paving the way for today's vibrant cosmopolitan trade town. However, Kern pegowda could not be the founder,"

10 Interesting facts about Bangalore

1. It has the impeccable record of highest growth within a span of 20 years. 

2. Bangalore city has highest number of pubs in Asia. 

3. It has highest number of cigarette smokers in India 

4. Bengaluru  has the highest number of software companies in India - 212, followed by  Hyderabad -108, Pune - 97. Hence called the silicon valley of India. 

5. It has 21 engineering colleges, which is highest in the world in a given city. Bangalore University has 57 engineering colleges affiliated to it, which is highest in the world.

 6. It is the only city in the world to have commercial and defense airport operating from the same strip. 

7. Bangalore has highest number of public sectors and  government organizations in India. 

8. Bangalore University has highest number of students going abroad for higher studies taking the first place from IIT-Kanpur. 

9. The mega city has only 48% of local population (i.e.#Kannadigas). Hence a true cosmopolitan with around 25%  Tamilians, 14%  Telugites, 10% #Keralites, 8%  Europeans, 6% a mixture of all races. 

10. Bangalore  police has the reputation of being second best in India after Delhi. Once a rowdy hub (back in the 1980s) the Bangalore City Police (BCP) have done a remarkable job in cleaning notorious elements like Kotwal Ramachandra, Jairaj, Oil Kumar, Dandupalya Gang among others

20 mind blowing facts about Bangalore a.k.a Bengaluru that you should know

ಕೆಂಪೇಗೌಡ ಕಟ್ಟಿದ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು the Bengaluru that was built by Kempe Gowda.


1. When Kempegowda presented blue print for constructing Bengaluru city to the Vijayanagara King, impressed with the vision & planning, the king not only approved it, but also gave 50000 gold coins(varahas), & six nearby areas of Bengaluru to be included under the new city.


2. Kempegowda had studied 8 years in a Gurukula, in Hesaraghatta before taking the reigns of Yelahanka ruled by his ancestors for decades. Vijayanagar Kings advised Kempegowda to ensure the new city of Bengaluru will be a commercial & dharmic Centre & self sufficient in water requirement.


3. Bhoomi Puja of Bengaluru was done in an area between Domluru & Yelahanka. Havana & Yagna was Conducted by the Gurukula teachers where Kempegowda had studied. Massive Smoke and Vedaghosha had filled the air due to Vedic rituals.


4. East-West line became Chikkapete(retail market), North-South line became Doddapete (wholesale market-current avenue road). Akki,Ragi,Arale & taragu petes for grocery market, ganigara pete for oil, uppara pete for salt, kumbara pete for pottery, Tigalara pete for flower business, Nagarth pete for gold/silver biz, Bale pete for bangles and chain came up.


5. Dharmambudhi lake (bus stand), Kempambudhi lake, Halsuru lake & Yediyuru lake were constructed for mobilizing water for drinking & washing.


6. For Irrigation requirement Kempegowda constructed Sampangi lake (Current indoor stadium).


7. Having studied in Gurukula & being a totally dharmic king, Kempegowda constructed Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple, Basavanagudi’s Big bull -Nandi temple, Doddapete’s Anjaneya temple.


8. Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple, in Gavipura, continues to amaze people with the extraordinary knowledge of astronomy and temple architecture it synthesises to ensure Sun rays fall on the murthy of Lord Shiva on Makarasankranti every year.


9. For protection Kempegowda constructed forts all round Bengaluru. Mahadwaras(main entrances) for these forts were constructed at Yelahanka, Halasuru, Kengeri, & Anekal.


10. Important aspect of Bengaluru, was the design, implementation & interlinking of Raja Kaluves (king canals which exist even today). When a lake was filled with rain water, extra water was fed into other lakes through these King canals, and finally to outside the city.


11. By the quirk of fate, Kempegowda who founded Bengaluru, was arrested and imprisoned at anegondi on charges of treason. The complaints to the Vijayanagar king was given by Channapttana local chieftain. At this time Vijayanagara Kingdom was getting weakened with rebellion.


12. To protect Bengaluru from evil enemies, Kempegowda’s sons constructed watch towers at Lalbagh, Halsuru, Sadashivanagara, and Chamarajapete. It is believed Dharmaraya temples lies at equidistant from these watch towers.


13. Every evening from atop an elevated boulder, bugle sound (KahaLe) was blown to indicate all is well in the city. If the the bugle sound was heard at other times, it indicated threat to the city. This place is today’s Bugle rock in Basavanagudi.


14. King Aliya Ramaraya released Kempegowda from the prison after five years, realising Kempegowda was innocent. Kempegowda returned to Bengaluru on a triumphant note with people giving him a a rousing welcome reception. His popularity had in fact increased after his arrest.


15. Kempegowda was made to sit on a silver swing(vuyyale) & milk abhisheka was performed on him as part of his welcome. The place where this welcome was given to Kempegowda, was called VuyyaLe Kavalu, which in due course has become Vyali Kaval.


16. Kempegowda who was an outstanding visionary, planner, dharmic leader, and a people’s leader whom every Bengalurian must thank, accidentally died in 1569, near Magadi while returning from Kunigal

17. Two of Bengaluru’s famous localities -Basavanagudi and Malleshwaram -were first established as ‘safe, hygienic suburbs’ when the city was affected by the deadly plague in 1898

18. Whitefield was developed as a self-sufficient farming community for Anglo-Indians way back in the year 1880. Today its a bustling IT corridor but in yesteryears had elegant spanish style villa communities. Winston Churchill, the erstwhile Prime Minister of UK, was a regular Visitor at the Waverly Inn in whitefield Bangalore

19. The name 'Bengaluru' was first mentioned in 9th century inscription in a temple in Begur, a small town off the Bangalore-Hosur highway. This was way before the city was discovered by Kempegowda in 1537 AD

20. Bangalore has prehistoric dolmens (miniature stone houses) installed in burial sites to commemorate the dead in areas like Bannerghatta, Devanahalli, and even Lalbagh.

Images of Bangalore

The Sky (Lab) is Falling

A Fiery Summer: Skylab Hysteria in 1979

In the summer of 1979, a kind of hysteria gripped my neighborhood. For an unassuming 8-year-old like me, it felt like the end of the world. The dramatic, apocalyptic thoughts conjured up were reminiscent of the 2012 doomsday predictions. As a member of a small, motley crew of youngsters, I was particularly impressionable.

For days, our group buzzed with excitement and fear about something called 'Skylab' - a massive monster up in space that was supposedly about to come crashing down to Earth in a fiery ball. The catch? Skylab could potentially fall in India, with my hometown of Belgaum being a prime target.

The hysteria was likely fueled by the fact that, until the final hours, nobody (including the Americans) had a clue where Skylab would eventually fall. Its orbital path included some of the world's most populous areas: the U.S., much of Europe, India, and China.

The 77-ton behemoth did come crashing down, but due to a miscalculation, it landed in Western Australia instead of South Africa. The size of this space station - about nine stories tall - had fueled all kinds of wild stories. This was a period with no 24-hour live television or internet streaming. Word of mouth, or rumor in this case, was a powerful tool. Our group made me believe it was time to pray and say our goodbyes.

It's now estimated that the chances of getting hit by debris weighing up to 90 kg from a falling space satellite are 250,000 times more unlikely than winning the lottery. Yet, back then, it seemed like a real and imminent threat.

As I read about a similar event in the newspaper today - a 6-tonne NASA satellite falling to Earth with an unknown destination - I can't help but chuckle at how it’s now considered a non-event. Perhaps the world is much noisier and more turbulent now, and amidst this deluge of information, an event like this doesn't evoke the same kind of awe and wild imagination as it did in the summer of 1979.

The Untouchables

Early last week I met one of the men behind the explosive report of the Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde  on the illegal mining in the state. I was waiting at the Secretariat complex to meet the e-governance head at his office when Vipin Singh ambled by. When I congratulated him, he replied in his characteristic style ‘ Kaahe ka congartulations yaar, itna kharab report niklaa hai’.  Maybe the final report was not satisfactory by his standard but in a short span of time he and his team had uncovered  a large web of illegal activities and their modus operandi  that had robbed the state to the  tune of 13000 odd crores of rupees. What he meant was had they enough time on hand they could have dug deeper like the huge mine  pits that now dot  the landscape  of bellary and the extent of uncovered  loot could have doubled.  But the Ammo on hand was enough for Justice Hegde & he had to fire it before taking the final bow as the Lokayukta.

I had extensively interacted with this career IFS officer during a project execution with the forest dept. At that time he was in Bidar and his territory  was one of the 4 pilot divisions selected for the project. His name then had cropped up several times during my meeting with the Sr officials & I had quickly gathered his  reputation as a sharp no-nonsense IT savvy official in the  dept.  An alumnus of IIT , he had done some excellent work in the e-govenance areas while on deputation, notably setting up the citizen service initiatives like  the BangaloreOne delivery centres.  When I first met him,  I wondered what a guy like him was doing in a far flung place like Bidar ? In his characteristic nonchalant way he replied that it was a conscious decision and he wanted it that way . Maybe  he had opted  to be ‘far from the madding crowd’  after a heavy duty assignment that  had him in the quagmire of  politics ,  and murky administration . ‘Khoon Jalana padta hai’  I recollect he had said about the nature of work. Our interactions over the next couple of days was intensive & meaningful and then I was back in Bangalore. 

Soon  I heard that he was once again recalled to Bangalore to head the state SWAN (state wide area network) initiative. I chuckled at the thought  that hard as wanted to be out of the limelight  it dragged him into it.  Later several times I had passed by his new  office but found it conspicuous by his absence . Strange I felt till the time I saw this recent article in ToI 

It now  emerges that he was one of the 5 people picked by Justice Hegde  to  have a go at the mafia. Exactly the way  Kevin Costner (Eliot Ness) goes about  in the movie ‘the Untouchables’  - a special team of agents handpicked for their courage and incorruptibility, nicknamed by its title. 

And undercover they went about their new assignment while they held to usual official positions on paper . Another official, Bishwajeet Mishra who was a part of this team , and whom I had interacted on few occasions even attended one of my workshop in his official capacity of a DFO . He probed me with some searching questions during the workshop & little did I realize then that he was into something else. 

These officials worked discreetly , put their lives & limbs on the line of fire (and as Justice Hegde mentioned in an interview on NDTV the other day – he even feared for their careers) and away  from the glare & glimmer of limelight.  Unlike Hegde they have not walked into sunset,  they will still be around (for greater things perhaps) but their collective  reputation like the ‘ The Untouchables’  will hopefully be remembered for time to come.