People have passions and to fulfill it they can do anything for it. Space, stars and astronomy has been a passion for Professor C G Hukkeri who for the passionate love for it started India’s first private planetarium at Ganeshpur, Belgaum at his house.

Named as Asha Kiran Planetarium, School of Astronomy and Audio-Visual Education Research Centre, and it is the first private planetarium in India.

Asha Kiran Planetarium is spread over the top two floors of his four storey’s building in Ganeshpur, where the sky observatory is on the terrace with some dedicated space of R & D as well. Planetarium has the capacity for an audience of 120 persons.

The 40 feet wide sky dome is tilt for a wide angle to look at the sun, moon, stars etc.

Professor C G Hukkeri was a lecturer of Geography and in 1977 when he married to Mrunalini and when on a trip to the Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai, they both dreamt of a planetarium. Mr.Hukkeri later shifted to US as a lecturer of Geography and on Physics and space. Mr.Hukkeri has put his all-hard earned money into this project, which took little more than 12 years to become a reality. His son Ananad, an electrical engineer has also taken active part in the realization of his parents dream project.

This kind of a venture by a private individual should be encouraged and the govt. should think of giving some kind of sops to the planetarium, which will spread the word ahead and create more awareness amongst citizens.

MATCH BETWEEN PVG WARRIOR VS GOSAVI ROYAL HOUNDS

MATCH RESULT: PVG WARRIOR WON BY 23 RUNS

TOSS WON BY: GOSAVI ROYAL HOUNDS & DECIDED TO FIELD

1^ST Innings of PVG WARRIOR Score: 157 FOR 8 IN 20 OVERS

2^nd Innings of GOSAVI ROYAL HOUNDS Score: 134 FOR 9 IN 20 OVERS

MAN OF THE MATCH: DEEPAK CHOUGULE & RAJU BHATKAL.

MATCH BETWEEN: WILLOW WIZARDS Vs BELGAUM SUPER KINGS

MATCH RESULT: BELGAUM SUPER KINGS WON BY 9 WICKETS.

TOSS WON BY: WILLOW WIZARDS & DECIDED to BAT FIRST.

1^ST Innings of WILLOW WIZARDS Score: 106 FOR 10 IN 19.3 OVERS

2^nd Innings of BELGAUM SUPER KINGS Score: 110 FOR 1 IN 13.3 OVERS

MAN OF THE MATCH: RAJSHEKHAR SHANBAL & VINU PRASAD.

Nothing comes cheap (except of liquor now days that too at MRP) vegetables, groceries you name it and prices have risen. On weekend people try to get out this worry by watching a movie and now Big Cinemas Kapeel have hiked prices of tickets as well.

The new prices are Rs.60, 90 & 120 for the Silver, Gold & Platinum classes respectively. Earlier the same was Rs.60, 80 & 100.

One more thing to be observed is that prices may not remain same for all shows and all movies.

See the images for a comparison, Date: Wed 30 December evening show

For Avatar the prices are 60, 80 & 100 and for 3 Idiots 60, 90 & 120. So on the same day same timing almost you pay more for some and less for others, and to the common man this price discrimination is not understood.

On weekends and holidays, the 60, 90 & 120 prices prevail whereas on some other days and some select movies the 60, 80 & 100 will prevail.

In addition, a notable thing mentioned to this blog was that when you go to the counter to book the silver class ticket, we are told it is sold and forced to buy a upper class ticket, and when inside the Silver class is half empty.

“All is well” for Big cinemas but “All is not so well” for common man.