Asutosh, Author at Cycle Tour India

How is the life of a person who regularly offers services at ISCON?

2 Comments / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISCON) is known for its Hare Krishna movement. Concepts in Bhagavad Gita is the central theme of education to the disciples who worship Krisha as the highest form of God. The practice of mantra meditation also known as the Kirtan is a prominent part of worship. Founded in 1966 in New York by Swami Prabhupada, ISCON has received a wide audience appeal with 800 centres in India and many centres located all over the world.

My first experience with ISCON came when I was in Bangalore. A beautiful temple located on the hilltop serves as a tourist location offering tasty Prasad. Every Bangalorean would have visited the place at least once. Entering the place, subconsciously I could sense that I was being subtly requested to enrol to their programs. Being a staunch atheist back then, I figured that ISCON was not the place for me to visit.

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The man who converted 5 acres of government land into a forest and lives in it

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

“There is no law for doing good. There is only law for doing bad”
This statement quoted by Mr Devito Nagaraj from the remote village of Heddur, Shivamogga district, Karnataka, sums it all up. If somebody wants to do good, the law shouldn’t stop them from doing so. Law is only for those who do bad and not for the ones who do good.

A veteran all-India traveller on foot, Mr Devito Nagaraj, lives in a mud house that he has built with his own hands in the middle of a 5-acre government land, which he has converted into a forest.

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How is the life of a common man environmental activist in India

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

We get to hear about environmental activists in the news and papers. These people are either renowned scientists or other recognized personalities in various fields of life. A spark of interest and a great deal of understanding about the current issues in society makes these people vocal about it.

While recognized figures in the field are heard through media, a common man environmental activist almost always goes unrecognized.

It is extremely difficult to be vocal about issues that the government themselves are involved in. Addressing them is close to impossible if one does not have the power to. The interest of a common man is the last thing anybody including society cares about.

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The lesser known facts about Yakshagana performances in Karnataka

3 Comments / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

Yakshagana is the dance-drama theatre play of south India, especially endemic to Karnataka. Its art style is influenced by the bhakti movement during which music was incorporated into stories drawn from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Bhagavad Geeta.

These performances are held in a season called the Pattanaje, which lasts from November till May end (Read this article).

There are several Yakshagana teams from different mandalis (teams) that are carried out in this festive season. These performances take place every single day during the season at different places in the state.

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How is the life of people living in remote places of conserved forests in Karnataka?

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

There are people living in remote locations in Karnataka such as the forest range of Kudremukh. These people settled down at these remote locations as much as a hundred years back and formed tiny pockets of settlements. They continue to thrive to date, if not grow.

Houses here are located in such remote conditions that mobile phones have been under use only around 3 years back, as one wouldn’t receive coverage from any network operator.

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How is the life of a rural Udupi-based cook?

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

The first thing that comes to the mind of people when we speak about Udupi is the chain of restaurants that are located all around Karnataka and even outside. Famously called Udupi Bhattaru (Udupi cooks), these people are known for their ability to cook tasty food.

If you have lived in Bangalore, you will know by now that there are countless Udupi-based restaurants in the city. The chefs and cooks for all these restaurants come from remote places in the Udupi district to make a living.

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8 – Interesting facts about Dakshina Kannada district nobody knows about

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

Dakshina Kannada is the district with the highest literacy rates in Karnataka, with Mangalore, the capital city as well, ranking 1 in the state. It is also the most religiously diverse district in the state. While Tulu is the most widely spoken language here, it has immense diversity with regard to the number of languages and their derived dialects. This is partly also because of the diverse ethnic groups residing in the location.

The majority of the people residing in Dakshina Kannada also called the Tulu Nadu, are the Tuluvas. This is followed by the Konkani people, Brahmins, Holeyas, Muslims, Mangalorean Catholics, and Arebhashe Gowdas. Each of these separate ethnic groups has its sub-sections with both the Tuluvas and the Brahmins having 6 sub-sections each.

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7 Interesting facts about Kodagu/coorg district nobody knows about

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

The first thing that crosses the mind of people when they speak about the Kodagu district is the tourist locations one can visit. Located just 250 Km away from Bangalore, Madikeri is a weekend getaway place for many Bangaloreans. The place where parents take kids during summer holidays and people from all over the country come to soak in the beautiful view of the mountains and enjoy the cool weather.

Apart from being a tourist location, did you know that the Kodagu district (formerly called Coorg state until 1956 before merging with the Mysore state) was an independent state until 1956? Did you know that the district has the least population amongst all districts in Karnataka? Did you know that Coorgis are majorly agriculturalists but also belong to the warrior clan?

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Who are the Hakki Pikki tribals of India? How is life of the hakki pikki tribals?

1 Comment / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

Of the large number of tribals relocated from forests to main lands by the government, the Hakki Pikki tribals are one of them, who have settled in southern parts of India. These people are specialists at catching birds and have honed in on the art for ages.

They speak in a language of their own called the Adivasi language. The language is close to Gujarati but does not have a script of its own. Neither do these people know where they descended from. Right now, there are about 20 colonies of roughly 100 families each, located around southern parts of India, especially Karnataka, Andra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.

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Why are farmers turning to commercial cropping and forgetting local crops in south Karnataka?

2 Comments / Karnataka, People / Asutosh

Traditional cropping has been followed for ages in India, providing a wide variety of crops and yields that are endemic to specific regions of the state. Most of these crops do not have much commercial value but serve as nutritious food to the locals.

Maize, pulses, oil seeds, and a wide variety of millets, are the traditional crops of Karnataka. If you happen to go to a village, you get to have local cuisines prepared using the above. Jowar muddhe (Smushed local corn dish), uchellu pudi (Niger seed powder), and pulse sambar, are some of them.

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