Telangana flavours add spice to Hyderabad dining scene

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Clockwise from left: Keema biryani, natukodi pulusu, palamuru pottel kura, nawab marag soup, naali mamsam (Photo: DC/File)
Clockwise from left: Keema biryani, natukodi pulusu, palamuru pottel kura, nawab marag soup, naali mamsam (Photo: DC/File)

Hyderabad:

After bifurcation, Telangana cuisine is fast gaining prominence in the city. New food joints and restaurants specialising in Telangana dishes have come up in the twin cities of late. In certain restaurants, non-vegetarian Telangana dishes, kalchina kura (roast mutton), nalli mamsam vepudi (mutton bone marrow fry), natukodi (country chicken) and pulusu, have become popular, particularly among the techies.

“I like dishes like palamuru pottelu kura (a mutton dish from Mahbubnagar) and nalli mamsam. These dishes are quite different from the regular ones and are my favourites,” said G. Nandu, managing director of a software company at Hitec City, who is one of the customers at Palaramu Grills, Madhapur.

N. Parmesh, chief chef at Palamuru Grills said, “Palamuru kura is a mutton dish that is offered during the Kurumurthi Jatara (annual festival) of Mahbubnagar. We have included it in our special Telangana menu.”

Natukodi kura, a chicken dish, is also one of the favourites among customers. “Though spicy, it is good,” said Riya, an actress dining at the Telangana Food Joint in Hitec City.

A vegetarian dish that is gaining in prominence is ragi sangati combo comprising pulusu, pachadi etc.

Simon, general manager of Colour’s and Flavour Restaurant said, “Though there have been many Telangana dishes, they were confined to food festivals. The latest trend is going to give a boost to Telangana cuisine.”

Suraj Chowdary of Telangana Ruchulu at Secunderabad said, “The veinchina mamsam a mutton dish is a popular item. Meat of male goats is more popular in the region,” he added.

Telangana, an arid region, grows millets and seasonal greens. While the people of Andhra use more chilli in their food, those from Telangana region use chilli and masala in equal proportion.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / August 22nd, 2014

The tale of an unsung doctor

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Ratnam Pillai
Ratnam Pillai

Ratnam Pillai, a Hyderabad-based doctor, worked as medical assistant to Sir Ronald Ross who linked mosquito bite to malaria in 1897. The proud possession for the four grandchildren of Dr. Pillai – Shela, Shirley, Franklin and Samuel – are the medals.

The whole world remembers the contribution of Sir Ronald Ross, the doctor who linked mosquito bite to malaria on August 20, 1897 and won a Nobel Prize for the discovery. A very few, however, know that there was a Hyderabad-based doctor, Ratnam Pillai, who was a medical assistant to Dr. Ross at the military hospital for Indian soldiers in Begumpet during the epochal discovery.

While the contribution of Dr. Pillai was largely left unsung, his grandchildren still cherish his priceless memorabilia, which they could salvage from getting lost in time. Staying in a modest house in West Marredpally, Secunderabad, Dr. Pillai’s grandchildren have been fighting for due recognition to their grandfather’s work for quite some time.

“He did his medicine from Royapuram Medical School in Madras and joined Indian Medical Service as hospital assistant at Military Hospital, Bolaram and later at Begumpet hospital with Dr. Ross. He has served Indian soldiers in the Burmese war and was promoted as Subedar Major,” says his granddaughter, Shela Paupens.

The proud possession for the four grandchildren of Dr. Pillai – Shela, Shirley, Franklin and Samuel – are the medals.

“My grandfather was awarded silver medals by the British Government for his meritorious service. In fact, he also has received an honorary sword for his work. You can clearly see his name written on the edges of these medals,” says a proud Samuel.

RatnamMedalsTELANGANA23aug2014

‘Contribution has gone unnoticed’
Historians point out that the contribution of Indian soldiers and the doctor in malaria research has largely gone unnoticed.

“The hospital was meant for Indian soldiers, who had malaria and the research was done on them. In fact, Dr. Pillai had played a vital role in malaria research, but his contribution was not acknowledged,” says historian Anuradha Reddy.

Interestingly, a large number of members from Tamil-speaking community had migrated to Secunderabad in the early 1800s after the signing of subsidiary alliance between Nizams and the British. “We believe that Dr. Pillai too migrated from Madras to Secunderabad during this period,” she says.

Family memebers of Rathna Pillai, who worked as a deputy under Ronald Ross, showing his medals and Sword of Honour in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Photo: D. Chakravarthy
Family memebers of Rathna Pillai, who worked as a deputy under Ronald Ross, showing his medals and Sword of Honour in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Photo: D. Chakravarthy

The family members too lament lack of recognition.

“When he died in 1943, we were told by our relatives that he was draped in the British flag and laid to rest in Bhoiguda cemetery. We have tried to find the grave, but unfortunately could not succeed. All we have are his medals and accounts of his work with Dr. Ross. The government should commemorate Dr. Pillai’s contribution too,” the grandchildren demand.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by M. Sai Gopal / Hyderabad – August 09th, 2014

100 MW Solar Power Plant Opened at KITS

Science & Technology

Warangal :

Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (TPGENO) Chairman and Managing Director D Prabhakar Rao inaugurated the 100 MW capacity solar power generation plan at Kakatiya Institute of Technology & Sciences (KITS) here on Thursday.

Speaking to media persons, soon after inauguration he said, Telangana needs about 6000 MW power. To meet the present requirement an action plan to import 2000 MW power from neighbouring Chattisgarh state is being prepared, he said. In Bhupalpally, Warangal third phase power generation will soon begin, he further added.

On the occasion Prabhakar Rao appreciated KITS management and advised other engineering colleges in the state to establish solar power plants.

K Venkata Narayana, CMD of Telangana Northern power Distribution Company of Telangana (TSNPDCL) said the government is planning to ensure and continuous power to people.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / August 22nd, 2014

Hyderabad Metro rail alignment shift to protect monuments

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel
Coaches of the Hyderabad Metro (Photo: PTI/File)
Coaches of the Hyderabad Metro (Photo: PTI/File)

Hyderabad:

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that the Hyderabad Metro Rail alignment was being changed to protect Sultan Bazaar, Moazzamjahi market and the Telangana martyrs’ memorial.

He said that the government had already conveyed its decision to L&T.

L&T has requested to alter the Metro Rail route by the Telangana government.

“We have suggested that the Metro route should be diverted towards Kacheguda at Narayanguda to avoid Sultan Bazaar. Besides, we are looking at diverting the Metro to behind the Assembly building to avoid the Telangana martyrs’ memorial. Also, realigning the Moazzamjahi market route is being worked out,” Chief Minister Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao said.

He added that he had had detailed discussions with HMR and L&T officials over realigning the route and they were convinced with the alternatives proposed by the government.

However, the government has softened it’s earlier stand on taking the Metro underground at these localities and has instead pitched for realignment after builder L&T cited huge financial repercussion that would make the project unviable.

Mr Rao blamed the previous government for entering into an agreement with L&T without addressing Sultan Bazaar and other contentious issues. “When I proposed the alternate routes they were convinced. They said that the then government had not brought these issues to their notice, else they would have planned accordingly,” Mr Rao said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / August 18th, 2014

Kakatiya dynasty in the spotlight

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Hyderabad :

The Kakatiya dynasty, which ruled from Warangal from AD 1083-1323, seems to be in the spotlight post bifurcation.

The Golconda fort, where chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will celebrate the Independence Day for the first time in Telangana state, was constructed by the Kakatiya rulers. Built between AD 945-970, the fort has carvings and relief work in stucco, consisting of lions, peacocks, griffins and lotus, at the entrance of Balahisar. This is often cited as evidence of the fort’s original ownership by the Archaelogical Survey of India.

Previously a mud fort, it was Prataparudra, the last Kakatiya king, who fortified it. It was during his tenure itself that the fort was ceded to the Bahmanis in AD 1363 following a defeat. Almost two centuries later, the Golconda fort became the capital of the Qutb Shahi kings, who ruled from AD 1518-1687.

Prataparudra’s grandmother Rani Rudramadevi too has emerged from history into prominence for the new state. The valour of the queen, who ruled from AD 1259-1289 has fascinated poets, writers and historians across generations. No wonder then that her name also figures in the proposed Telangana state song. Her statue is among the several that dot Tank Bund beside Hussainsagar.

Rani Rudramadevi was the daughter of King Ganapathideva, who, incidentally, strengthened the Warangal fort which features in the emblem of the new state. As the king did not have a son, he rechristened Rudramba as Rudradeva through a Putrika ceremony, thus designating her as a ?son’ so that she could be the heir.

The queen’s story is set to be re-told as a Rs 60 crore budget 3D stereoscopic film directed by filmmaker Gunasekhar. Titled ?Rudramadevi – the warrior queen’, the film is being made in Telugu and Tamil and is expected to be released in October. Its shooting began at the Thousand Pillar Temple in Warangal in February 2013.

“I have been working on the script for 10 years to show the glory of the Kakatiya kings. We also consulted historians,” Gunasekhar said, adding that actor Anushka Shetty, who plays the main protagonist, learnt horse-riding and sword-fighting to do justice to the role. “I never knew that Rani Rudramadevi was such a great queen until the story was narrated to me by the director. We are working to show the queen the way she was,” Anushka said.

Incidentally, during the shooting for the film at Rama Naidu Studios in June this year, 1.5 kg of gold ornaments meant for the main actor were reported stolen. However, the case was solved later and the ornaments recovered from an ‘insider’.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / August 14th, 2014

City boy wins silver in Youth Olympics

Records, All, Sports
Ragala Venkata Rahul, who was adjudged ‘best lifter’in the recent Commonwealth Youth and Junior weightlifting championship in Penang (Malaysia). Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
Ragala Venkata Rahul, who was adjudged ‘best lifter’in the recent Commonwealth Youth and Junior weightlifting championship in Penang (Malaysia). Photo: V.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

Ragala Venkata Rahul of Telangana Sports School (Hakimpet) won India’s only medal in the ongoing Youth Olympics in Nanjing (China) when he clinched the silver in the 77 kg category with an effort of 316 kg (141+175), according to Badeti Venkatramaiah, secretary of AP Weightlifting Association, here on Thursday.

The 18-year-old Rahul, who is in the senior national camp as part of preparations for the next month’s Asian Games, also bagged gold medals in the Youth Asian, Junior Asian and Junior Commonwealth championships.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – August 22nd, 2014

‘Entrepreneurs should be dreamers, and they should dream big’

Business & Economy, Nri's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World Opinion
FOR MEET-- Gurram Srinivas Reddy, TEA founder. .PHOTO: BY ARRANGMENT
FOR MEET– Gurram Srinivas Reddy, TEA founder. .PHOTO: BY ARRANGMENT

Entrepreneurship is the buzzword now and Indians, unfortunately, have not made much impact on this front despite possessing sufficient knowledge and making huge strides in the IT sector across the world.

Gurram Srinivas Reddy, a first generation entrepreneur who formed Telugu Entrepreneurs’ Association (TEA) in the U.S. to promote entrepreneurs among Telugus, recently received Excellence Award at the North America Telugu Association (NATA), 2014 meet. A Hyderabadi by heart, he tells R. Ravikanth Reddy that its time engineering colleges provide platform to encourage entrepreneurs among students than just churning out degree holders.

How should engineering or management students go about developing entrepreneurship skills while in college?

First they should offer more courses in entrepreneurship and then conduct workshops by inviting industry experts in chosen fields. Invite first generation entrepreneurs as a motivational speakers and role models.

No, there has to be a paradigm shift in the approach of the educational institutions. An institution can create such environment just like Telugu Entrepreneurs’ Association (TEA) does by inviting open competition for students to prepare business plans, preparing best business practices, inviting bankers and venture capitalists to institutions as judges of those business plans. This will give an opportunity for students to interact with experts. TEA does all these activities as part of fostering entrepreneurship among Telugus around the world on a regular basis.

Entrepreneurs have to be a dreamers and when they dream, they have to dream big. There a big difference between businessmen and entrepreneurs. A businessman always thinks of profit. Most of them are not dreamers and there won’t be much of innovation in what they do. On the other hand, entrepreneurs always come up with new ideas and their approach always deals with improving peoples’ or end users’ lives.

If you take last 20 years, new innovations in Information Technology have helped in improving productivity and changing the loves of end users or customers. There is so much productivity growth in many industry sectors and all this was possible because of the entrepreneurs.

For example, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple, Micheal Dell of Dell computers, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook have several things in common, they all are young and they wanted to change the world using technology to help all the human beings. They also started their entrepreneurial activity at a very young age. They had some idea about their products and they worked on it day and night without giving up. Also, they never lost focus or hope and started developing their products from their garages and they did whatever it took. None of these people have rich background.

All the students must do internship in their chosen industry as part of their course. By doing this, students will have firsthand experience out there in the real world and they will know dos and don’ts of the entrepreneurship.

There is no instant success to anything that we do. One should have a complete belief and trust in himself no matter what they go through. They should just move on. One should have the tenacity, perseverance and stubbornness to make it happen.

The mistake is to not dream, to not have self confidence, discipline, self control, developing skills, and to not have proper role models as they do not read bios of some of these successful entrepreneurs.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by R. Ravikanth Reddy / August 17th, 2014

Saji Thomas named for Arjuna Award

Records, All, Sports
A file Photo of ace rower Saji Thomas in Hyderabad. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
A file Photo of ace rower Saji Thomas in Hyderabad. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

For someone who made the Hussainsagar Lake his ‘second home’ for the last 17 years to pursue his passion for rowing, 35-year-old Saji Thomas had reason to sport a big smile on Tuesday as he was named one of the would-be recipients of the prestigious Arjuna Award for his outstanding contribution to the sport.

“It has been a real struggle over the years. And, I could not have achieved whatever little I did, but for the support of my parents, coaches and the Rowing Federation of India’s officials – the most important of all being CPS Deo Singh Sir,” recalled Saji.

“I had a natural inclination towards water sports coming from Kerala, which even now is full of canals and boats. Once I joined Alleppey Centre for Water Sports under my first coach G. S. Nair, the passion for rowing only doubled,” said the Subedar-Major in EME Centre about his formative years.

“Frankly, it was not a surprise at all. I have been hoping to get this award for the last three years. But, I stopped thinking about it since last year. However my Sir was in touch the officials to see that some justice was done to my achievements,” said the delighted Saji Thomas, winner of two silvers in the last Asian Games.

This indefatigable rower has won 13 international medals in all including the Asian championship in a career spanning from 2001 to 2011. “I am at the fag end of my career now and hence this Award could not have come at a more appropriate time,” Saji said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – August 17th, 2014

AMU Professor Gets SAARC Best Law Teacher Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Eminent academician Faizan Mustafa, who is senior vice-president of city-based NGO Rural Litigation Entitlement Kendra, has been conferred with this year’s prestigious SAARC Best Law Teacher Award.

In a unanimous decision the high-powered jury conferred this award on Mustafa, according to a press statement released by the NGO here today.

The award which carries Rs 1 lakh in cash, a citation and a plaque would be given to Mustafa by the Union Law Minister in Delhi on September 6, in the presence of eminent professors of law, judges and eminent lawyers, it said.

Earlier awardees include leading jurists N R Madhav Menon, Ranbir Singh, G V Ajjappa, V S Mani, Prof. Laxminath and Prof. Mizanur Rehman of Bangladesh’s Dhaka University.

Mustafa is Aligarh Muslim University’s Law Faculty member and is widely respected for his passion for teaching. He introduced several courses such as Intellectual Property Rights, International Human Rights Law and Tourism Laws at AMU.

At NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad where he is presently working as Vice-Chancellor, he designed and taught new courses like Diversity Management Law, Comparative Strict Liability Law, Multiculturalism & Minority Rights.

He is the only academic who has been nominated as member of the National Legal Services Authority, which is headed by the Chief Justice of India.

He is member of several Executive Councils, Academic Councils and General Councils of various universities. He has been member of several search committees for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors.

Noted rights activist Avadhash Kaushal who heads the NGO has suggested that the Uttarakhand government should utilise the services of Mustafa in planning the proposed National Law University of Uttarakhand.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> News / Dehradun – August 19th, 2014

Former MLC Yusuf Qureshi passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

QureshiMPos19aug2014
Hyderabad :

Former MLC and senior Congress leader Yusuf Qureshi passed away here on Friday. He was 71.

Born on August 23, 1943, in a business family, Yusuf Qureshi joined the Congress the Congress party in 1969. He served as the Chairman of AP State Minorities Commission for three years from March 27, 2006. He was an Executive Member of APCC since 2001 till date. He also served as the General Secretary of APCC during 1982-84.

Yusuf Qureshi was member of AP Legislative Council from 1982-85 and was made the chairman of AP State Wakf Board during 1994-97. He extensive toured different countries including UK, USA, Afghanistan, Russia and Turkey. He was considered to be close to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

His wife Dr Saleha Qureshi is a distinguished Gynacologist and former Commissioner of Medical Services, Govt of AP. His son Imtiaz Qureshi is an entrepreneur and daughter Dr Seema, is a general physician practising in the USA.

Qureshi sahab was chairman minorities commission when Mecca masjid bomb blast took place and he was appointed by the most powerful chief minister Dr Ys Rajeshakar Reddy and he inquired and gave an antiGovt and anti police report which proved the more than 200 Muslims youths were held illegally by police and torcherd .

For the first time in Indian history Muslims youths were given compensation by governement and all this credit goes to Mr Qureshi in fact his report was instrumental in getting and now no Muslim boys are held illegally by police any more .

Prominent personalities visited the house to pay their last respects. (INN)

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Hyderabad / Friday – August 15th, 2014