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A newly opened museum traces the history of traffic management by the Bengaluru police starting from the late 19th century.

Traffic, like the weather, has become a conversation starter in Bengaluru, a city notorious for its congestion. For a population of 1.4 crore, there are 1.2 crore vehicles in the city, the most traffic-dense in the country and ranked the third slowest city in the world.

With over 44,000 junctions, 432 of them are signalled, over 9,000 cameras watch over the city’s traffic, monitored at the high-tech Traffic Management Centre (TMC) and over 95% of the cases booked for violations are through contactless enforcement. The traffic police in their white shirts and khaki pants, the most ubiquitous persons on the city’s streets make up 30% of the city’s police force, highest for any Indian city.

Ever wondered when Bengaluru, once known to be a sleepy town and a pensioner’s paradise, got its first traffic policeman on the street? As early as the 1880s. And how has the Bengaluru Traffic Police evolved from there to the Artificial Intelligence powered traffic management and enforcement today?

Over a century

Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has now opened a museum and an experience centre at the TMC, Infantry Road, detailing the evolution of traffic management in the city, from the 1880s to today, showcasing several photographs, archival materials, police uniforms, enforcement devices, bikes used by the traffic police in the city over the past century.

Though Captain E.D. Gompertz, first SP, Bangalore town, managed traffic across the whole town in the end of the 19th century, it was in 1908, with the enactment of Mysore Police Act, that traffic duties were for the first time entrusted to the civil police. They were asked to regulate traffic on the streets, ensure the public observed the rules of the road, prevent obstruction or nuisance committed by road users and keep the roads safe. The police had to also ensure that the vehicles carried and used lights between “half an hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise.” In 1930, a separate traffic division was created within Bangalore Police.

Days of hand signals

Then the police wore khaki shorts, and the first traffic signals were manual, where a traffic policeman stood on a two-foot-high pedestal at a circle and managed traffic through hand signals; umbrellas were introduced only in 1970. The first traffic signal was put up at N.R. Square in 1964, a year after B.N. Garudachar became the first DCP (Traffic) in the newly formed Bangalore Police Commissionerate.

The first traffic signal in the country with a timer was adopted at Cauvery Theatre junction in 1999. In the 1950s itself, many roads like Royan Road, Avenue Road, Chickpet, Cottonpet and Commercial Street were designated one way.

Earlier, the traffic police were not authorised to collect fines on the spot when they caught violators. There used to be mobile courts in police vans stationed across the city, where one had to go and pay the fine to get their vehicles back. From there, we have now progressed to contactless enforcement through cameras that spot the violations and auto-generate challans.

The traffic museum has on display the various devices the police have historically used to book violators, from the large radars to check speeding, alcometers, challan-vending machines, including Blackberry phones to body-worn cameras being used now. A walk through the museum convinces one that BTP has always been an early adopter of technology and has stayed ahead of the curve.

Traffic experience centre

Housed in the museum is one-of-its-kind the state-of-the-art Traffic Experience Centre which offers an interactive experience, showcasing the technological evolution of traffic policing and road safety in the city. You can even test your driving skills through simulated traffic scenarios for hands-on learning. A real-time digital model of Bengaluru traffic on a video wall is a wonder to interact with. There are also several interactive quizzes and games on road safety for the children and adults alike.

M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), whose initiative the museum is, said that there was no record keeping of the history of BTP and they had to work with not only the State government but multiple newspapers including The Hindu to access their archives, source reports and photographs documenting the history of BTP.

“While celebrating the legacy of BTP, the initiative aims to use interactive displays and fun exhibits to help citizens understand the science and effort behind traffic management and inspire visitors, especially students, to appreciate and support traffic regulations and the people who enforce them,” he said.

The museum will be open for the public between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all working days.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

HAL expects its Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) to be the main attraction at its pavilion.

For the first time, a full scale model of India’s fifth-generation fighter jet Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be on display at the upcoming Aero India.

The 1:1 model of AMCA will be placed at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) India pavilion.

AMCA was designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency while HAL will be the production agency. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the project for the design and development. The first prototype of the aircraft is expected to roll out in the coming years.

HAL expects its Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) to be the main attraction at its pavilion along with a functional full-scale engineering demonstrator of Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior at the upcoming Aero India 2025.

The Bengaluru-headquartered PSU’s would showcase its indigenous products and technologies centred on the theme ‘Innovate. Collaborate. Lead’ at the air show beginning on February 10 at the Air Force Station at Yelahanka.

“HAL’s indigenously designed and developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) will be at the centre stage. Various innovative products conceived and developed by HAL R&D divisions in the area of avionics, mechanical systems, engines and aerospace for manned and unmanned aircraft will also be the highlight at the HAL stall,” said Dr. D. K. Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL.

The major attractions at its indoor pavilion (HALL-E) will be the LUH, Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT)-40 Simulator, scaled models of LCA Mk1A fighter, LCA Mk1 Trainer, Hindustan Jet Trainer (HJT)-36, HTT-40, LCH and ALH Mk IV. The scaled models of Hindustan 228 and its amphibian variant will also be displayed.

The outdoor display adjacent to HAL stall will feature the LCA Mk 1A and HJT 36. HTT-40, LCA Mk 1 Trainer, Hindustan 228, Do-228 and LUH will be on static display.

The flying display will witness a unique LCA Mk 1A formation, HJT 36, HTT-40 and LUH.

According to HAL, the central theme of the India pavilion is ‘Flight of Self Reliance’. A functional full-scale engineering demonstrator of Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) Warrior will be the highlight of the India pavilion along with Advanced Light Helicopter Next Generation (ALH NG) and RUAV. ALH NG will be placed in front of the India Pavilion to signify HAL’s entry into civil aviation.

There will also be sections for new technologies and future marquee products.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The festival, which will conclude on February 8, has performers from across India, besides Sri Lanka and Russia.

“I had no idea Bengaluru and Karnataka had so many theatre troupes. I got to meet people from close to 30 different theatre troupes due to the exhibition put up here. My classmates and I were surprised to see that there are so many teams that have been around for more than 50 years. It was a treat to watch folk artistes perform Krishna Parijatha,” said 20-year-old Ananya K., a theatre student from a popular college in the city at theatre festival Bhrangam, 2025.

Bharangam or BRM — short for Bharat Rang Mahotsav – International Theatre Festival of India, is one among the most anticipated events for theatre communities across the country. Organised by the National School of Drama (NSD), this year marks NSD’s 25th year hosting Bharangam, which is happening across several cities in India and abroad. Kicked off on January 28, the festival is on till February 16, across 13 cities in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka featuring 123 productions by 110 Indian groups, and 10 foreign groups, in 13 different languages.

In Bengaluru, the event started on February 1 in collaboration with Karnataka Nataka Academy and the Kannada and Culture Department, Government of Karnataka. It will go on till February 8 at Kalagrama, at Mallatahalli. The Bengaluru version of the festival is hosting about 1,500 artistes and has seen a footfall of close to 5,000 people on most of the days of the festival.

The festival venue in Bengaluru is marked by an infectious enthusiasm. Likith Sharma, a visitor at the festival, said, “I never realised Bengaluru and Karnataka had such a vast theatre community… Also I had never watched a play in a different language or by a foreign group. Through this festival I got to watch The Marriage of Balzaimnov, a Russian play, and I can not wait to watch the play from Sri Lanka.“ 

BRM 2025 features international theatre groups participating hailing from Russia, Italy, Germany, Norway, Czech Republic, Nepal, Taiwan, Spain, and Sri Lanka. In the Bengaluru edition, the festival is featuring eight plays from across the country, besides Sri Lanka and Russia.

In a release, Chittaranjan Tripathy, Director, National School of Drama said, “Bharat Rang Mahotsav has become a quintessential theatre festival on the global stage with its expansive approach. It has not only served as a platform for theatre performances from around the world but has also offered opportunities for the amalgamation of various traditional performing art forms. Additionally, it has facilitated knowledge-sharing and idea-exchange among individuals from the dramatic arts and other creative fields.” He said they aim to broaden the scope of this festival further, and extend it to other continents.

A full circle

Speaking to The Hindu, Meeta Mishra, senior theatre person and coordinator, NSD, said that 25 years of Bharangam feels like a full circle. “The festival has happened every year since its inception, except for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many years ago, NSD’s current director Chittaranjan Tripathy had directed a play called Taj Mahal Ka Tender, which became quite popular, and is still running. This year the same play with a new set of actors is being presented at the festival, after 25 years. This feels complete now.” What stands out in this year’s festival is that there are plays by close to 23 women directors, she added.

“After almost two decades the festival is being hosted at Bengaluru. Shashidar Adapa who is a well know production designer from Bengaluru, has transformed the whole look of Kalagrama with the decor, set and exhibitions which should not be missed,” Mishra added.  

Cultural heritage

Nagaraj Murthy, Chairman, Karnataka Nataka Academy, said that hosting the festival has been an honour for the Academy, and an opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Bengaluru and Karnataka. “Every day we have managed to showcase the folk forms of Karnataka. Radha Nata, a form under Doddata, was showcased recently. We also had Yakshagana and Krishna Parijata, another form of folk theatre. We had artistes who presented the company style theatre form,” he said.  

Murthy added that the festival is not just focusing on presenting productions but also making it more educative for young theatre practitioners, “Every day we are hosting poets from across the state who come and present their work and have a discussion with the audience through Kavi Goshti. We also have Janapada artistes conducting workshops for children and seminars by theatre scholars for theatre artistes. Book stalls by well-known publishers, and exhibitions by 45 theatre troupes from across Karnataka and majorly from Bengaluru who are showcasing their work through these exhibitions. Every evening, we have theatre troupes volunteering to present Ranagageete (theatre songs), which is a new experience for theatre makers coming from other states. We are also honouring teams that have been in the community for more than 50 years like Samudaya, Spandana, Benaka, Kalagangotri and more, which many young artistes need to know about. These teams have contributed a lot to Kannada theatre over the years.”

Murthy said that what stands out in this festival is that thousands of artists are participating, and many are working through day and night without seeking payments. “When we went to the Chief Minister with the idea of a Ranga Parishe or an exhibition, he was thrilled with the idea and immediately gave us a nod to go ahead. While NSD is taking care of logistics and accommodation, the Kannada and Culture Department has willingly offered to incur majority of the expenses, which is close to a crore. From equipment to print material everything has been provided by the department. However, it is the ethics and commitment to theatre that troupes from across the state have. Many artistes are volunteering and contributing to the festival without a fee. Even the 45 exhibitions put up by the troupes has been at their own expense,” he explained.   

For theatre students 

Veena Sharma, Centre Director, NSD, Bengaluru, said that his has been a great exchange programme for the students. “The NSD Bengaluru students got to interact with the students from a drama school from Russia. Both the students presented their work to each other, and the Russian students were thrilled to know that Indian theatre is beyond just the Natya Shastra. Our students got an opportunity to discuss the Russian’s style of theatre and how they work majorly on body movements,” she said.

Sharma added that apart from the exchanges, all the students from NSD Bengaluru are actively participating in the festival. “The students are performing Jasma Odan, a play directed by B. Jayashree on February 8, they rehease through the first half of the day, and during the second half they are actively participating in the events and also helping with management of the festival,” she added.

The schedule for the Bengaluru edition of the festival going on at the Mallatahalli campus of NSD is available at https://brm.nsd.gov.in/bengaluru-schedule/

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

While Subramaniam was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, Nag received the Padma Bhushan.

Violin maestro L Subramaniam (77), veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag (76), and music composer Ricky Kej (43) are among the nine Padma award winners from Karnataka announced by the Union Government on the eve of Republic Day on Saturday.

While Subramaniam was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award, Nag received the Padma Bhushan. Their awards are for their contributions in the field of art. Author and journalist A Surya Prakash was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contributions in the field of literature, education and journalism.

Martial arts coach Hassan Raghu (Art), business icon Prashanth Prakash (Trade and Industry), music composer Ricky Kej (Art), Oncologist Dr Vijayalakshmi Deshamane (Medicine), master puppeteer of Togalu Gombeyaata (leather puppetry) Bhimavva Shillekyatar (Art) and Gondhali folk maestro Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar (Art) are the six Padma Shri award winners from Karnataka.

Indumati Deshmani, sister of Dr Vijayalakshmi, told The New Sunday Express, “Our mother used to sell vegetables by visiting houses while our father was a freedom fighter and labourer in MSK Mills.

Dr Vijayalakshmi used to assist my mother in selling vegetables.” Indumati is a lecturer at PDA College of Engineering in Kalaburagi.

Recalling their childhood days, Indumati said, “Though our parents were not educated and were poor, they took all efforts to give us a good education. Dr Vijayalakshmi is an oncologist and was the former director of Kidwai Cancer Hospital. Now she runs an orphanage in Bengaluru. She did not marry to serve the people more. We five sisters are PhD holders, and our brother is an advocate in Kalaburagi.”

Bhimavva Shillekyatar (96) has been conferred the Padma Shri for preserving and nurturing the rural art form of Togalu Gombeyaata. Bhimavva, though not educated, has preserved the art form that has been passed down through generations. This is the only family in the entire Koppal district that has been performing leather puppetry for hundreds of years.

Bhimavva, who mastered puppetry at the age of 14, primarily performs shows based on mythological stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata and has been active for the last 70 years. Apart from performing across the country, she has taken the art to 12 other countries, including Japan, Germany, USA, France and Saudi Arabia.

To keep the art alive, Bhimavva continues to train the youth in this art form through workshops. A proud Bhimavva said that the award was due to blessings of the God and that the honour is not for any one individual but to puppetry and to all the artistes involved in keeping it alive.

Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar (84), a folk artiste of Bagalkot district, has received the Padma Shri. He is one of the few artistes who is still preserving the folk art of ‘Gondhali’. Sugatekar has been involved in this folk art since his childhood.

“He was only 17 when he started learning Gondhali. He became so fascinated by it that he turned it into a passion and profession. It has continued till date with the same intensity,” said Sachin Sugatekar, the veteran artiste’s grandson.

Known as the ‘Bhishma’ of Gondhali music and storytelling, the artiste has reportedly sung more than 1,000 Gondhali songs and narrated over 150 stories. He has also trained more than 1,000 students.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)