It was a bit of surprise to the 30 plus kids at the Nandana Makkala Dham in the city, when Kannada heroine and “Mangaru Male” fame Pooja Gandhi visited them recently. The actress was in town for launching of a acting school during which she took out time and visited these children who are HIV positives and have no one to look after them.


 The actress mixed up with the children and gifted them a rose each to which all the children were thrilled and joyous. Pooja Gandhi spoke to a few there and also spoke to the people running this orphanage.
Mahantesh R Mali & Mahesh who were present there told her the entire tale of the children from which areas and in what conditions they were brought here. Pooja Gadhi was very touched and she said that she knows a few NGO's in Bangalore and she will help these children in whatever way she can.
As soon as she reached Bangalore she got in touch with a few NGO's there and now has called the representatives for a meeting in Bangalore on Friday.
 Mahantesh R Mali told this blog that the building in which they are currently housed has been sold and now they on the look out for a new place for these children.
 About Nandana Makkala Dhama :
Nandana Makkala Dhama is an initiative of staff of Spandana Network with Mr.Mahantesh R Mali at the helm of affiars. The staffs of the Spandana Network decided to start an orphan home for the HIV positive children feeling their needs in the district. The staffs contributed their one month salary for this noble cause.
Read the complete story on Nandana Makkala Dhama.

There are so many circles and many newly named, but here is why some of the old ones are called so.


 Dharmveer Sambhaji Chowk
Dharmveer Sambhaji Maharaj were staying at the Shambhu Jatti Math during the time of Goa liberation movement. He went to Goa from here only hence the name, Dharmveer Sambhaji Chowk.
 Hemu Kalani Circle (Bhandur Galli – Tahshildar Galli corner)
The circle is named after Hemu Kalani who was hanged by the British. Born in 1924 he was hanged to death by British Commander Lord Richardson in 1943.
On 23-10-1942 Hemu with his friends decided to blow up the train filled with Bristish army men. For that they were removing the fish plates when they were caught. In memory of his great sacrifice for the nation the circle is named after him.

Mallappa Dhanshetti circle ( Ganpat Galli – Khade Bazar Corner)
During the Marshal law imposed at the time of freedom struggle in Solapur, the Collector was caught in mob and Mallappa Dhanshetti saved the collector from the mob but eventually he was hanged to death in May 1930.

Zhenda Chowk (Market)
This is main market (Onion market) in the city where during the freedom struggle and later many political stalwarts have come and spoken and awakened the people to fight against all odds. The Tri color was hoisted in this circle, hence the name Zhenda (Flag) circle.

Azhar ali Mansoor circle (Kacheri road to Grass Market )
Named after the freedom fighter Azhar ali Mansoor.

Kittur Rani Chennamma Circle
Earlier this was known as Rex Talkies Ganpati Circle, after the states reorganization, it was renamed as Kittur Rani Chennamma Circle.

Subhash Chandra circle ( Sheri Galli corner)
Named after Subhash Chandra Bose, this circle was named so by Late. Mr.Mandagi who resided in Anantshyan Galli.

Ganesh Chowk (First Gate)
During the Freedom struggle this particular circle had the Sarwajanik Ganesh festival, hence the name.

Hutatma Circle (Kaveri Cold drinks)
To pay homage to all the people who laid down their lives for the freedom of the country, this circle is named as Hutatma circle and also a monument stands at the circle.

Samyukta Maharashtra Chowk (Khade Bazar Ramdev Galli Corner)
This circle was originally named as Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru circle but as all the meetings of the Sanyukta Maharashtra agitation took place here it was renamed as Samyukta Maharashtra Chowk.

Nargundkar Bhave Chowk ( Maruti Galli – Raviwar Peth corner )
Babasahed Nargundkar of Nargund took and active part in the freedom struggle. He fought hard with the British and was hanged.

Basveshwar Circle (Govaves)

Rajendra Prasad Circle ( Samadevi Galli Corner)
This circle was earlier known as “Bhajji” circle as Mr.Keshkamat of Saraf Galli used to make some lip smacking Bhajji's every evening. Later when Rajendra Prasad become the president of India, it was renamed.

Gogte Circle (Railway Station – congress road- over bridge)
This circle was earlier known as “Jalke” Bunglow corner later RaoShaeb Gogte donated money for its renovation and then it was renamed.

Tilak Chowk (Ramling Khind Galli – Anantshyan Galli corner)
Lokmanya Tilak started the Savrajanik Ganesh festival in Raviwar Peth and he commenced his journey from this circle, hence the name.

Bhagat Singh Circle (Shani temple)

Krantisinh Nana Patil Circle ( Chavat Galli)

MadanMohan Malviya Circle (Kaktives circle)

Karnatak Circle (other side Fort Road)

The current forecast for the next 2-3 days is also not so heartening, where met department forecasts of isolated rain in interior Karnataka.
Normally Belgaum receives about 99 mm of rains in month of June but we have not come near that figure this year.
Temprature also has risen due to this and today it was 26 deg. Celcius.
Less rainfall will be a cause of worry for the farmers as if the rain does not come in the next few days, they might have to re sow.
The monsoons hasnt reached the northern part of India and they are facing the heat with tempratures reaching 48 deg in Rajasthan.
Pray to the lord Monsoons comes back..
“Ye re Ye re Pausa, Tula Deto Paisa ........”

Wipro BPO Solutions Ltd, the BPO division of Wipro India & Belgaum Leadership Academy, an institute providing high quality management education recently announced the launch of an Authorized Training Partner program for the benefit of the job aspirants in Belgaum District. The program intends to expand the resource pool of graduates and undergraduates available in the marketplace through an extended training intervention.
 Job Fair: 21st and 22nd June 2010
 Time: 10.00-17.30
 Address: Belgaum Leadership Academy, Kalasannavar Farms, Teachers Colony, Khasbag, Belgaum
 Contact: 9611406979 (Sameer Majali)
Final year students of any stream may apply — provided they are aged between 18 and 45 and possess good English communication skills.
An orientation session will be on June 21.
 Belgaum Leadership Academy:
 The Belgaum Leadership Academy is dedicated to the cause of imparting Management Education to students in Belgaum District since 2004. The institute has gained considerable repute for the innovative teaching interventions which include 24 & 48 hr marathon sessions and extensive corporate interactions. BLA is proud to have faculty with a great amount of industrial and teaching experience. Together with the in-house faculty they ensure the all round development of the students.
 The Authorized Training Partner program addresses this need for skilled resources by providing training related to interviews and an understanding of the work culture and processes at Wipro BPO. The prospective candidates are assessed by a preliminary interview and those eligible for direct hire by Wipro are given the opportunity to attend the interviews conducted at the BLA campus. The candidates found wanting with reference to the requirements for the said interview and job are provided Free Training at the BLA Campus and subsequently given the interview opportunity.
 The training is provided by well qualified and experienced trainers on an eco-friendly campus conducive to learning. The customized training program addresses the shortfalls of the conventional process of education and improved the communication skills, analytical skills and interpersonal skills of individuals. It gears them up for a progressive, exciting and lucrative career with Wipro.

4,900 KM of state highways to national highways are to upgraded and The Union Ministry of Surface Transport has given its approval.
In Karnataka, five roads have been identified for up-gradation out of which Belgaum-Mehboobnagar (330 KM) is also in the list.
Other roads include Bidar-Srirangapatna, Bangalore-Gouribidnur,Tadas-Shimoga and Kumta-Anantapur.

BelgaumNext organized Run for Development mini marathon was held today in the city. Numerous Belgaumites both young and old were there for the cause of the city. From the 88 year old Chougule to a 3 year old Urvi all were running for a better Belgaum.





The Run was flagged off by Shri Anil Potdar from Chennamma Circle.
The skaters were leading the run with the very young skaters setting an example. After them were the veterans above 60 who have run many marathons.
Many corporates had also sent in their teams for the run. In all it was a successful run to make a beginning.











About BelgaumNext:

Belgaum Next is a people’s endeavour to bridge the gap between good and bad governance on the strength of an open citizen’s platform and is steered by passionate people from across Industry, government, academia and other organizations. The platform stands for one voice that is focused on one agenda: the all round development of our city. Where every voice has weight and no idea is considered too small.

Weekly Saturday market was in existence before 1880- Still this Weekly market is on
Wholesale grain merchants were in Raviwar Peth and even today the same story
Woolen- silk materials sold in Khade Bazar road then – Still the same continues
 Belgaum has about 250 traders chiefly Brahmans, Lingayats, Narvekars, Mardthas, Gujaratisand Marwar Vanis, Parsis, and Musalmans with capitals varying from £500 to £20,000 (Rs. 5000 to
Es. 2,00,000). Some have capital of their own and others trade on borrowed funds. Almost all are independent traders. The chief imports are timber, ironware, glass and other European articles, metal vessels, salt, and coconuts. Timber is bought at the Government stores in Kanara and sold at Belgaum to private persons and Ironware, glassware, and other European articles are brought from Bombay by Vengurla in the fair season and by Poona during the rains ; they are sold to petty dealers and to Brass and copper vessels are brought from Poona and consumers local use ; salt and coconuts are brought from Goa and Vengurla both for local use and to be sent inland.
 The chief exports are of grain, rice & wheat, gram, millet, and pulses, and of cloth waistcloths and womens robes.
Grain is bought by grain by merchants at Belgaum from petty corn dealers and growers and sent to Goa and Vengurla. The waistcloths (Dhotis) and robes (Sarees) are brought by cloth merchants from local weavers.
The chief industry is cotton weaving with a yearly turnover valued at about £11,500 (Rs. 1,15,000). The making of -carpets and copper vessels and spinning and dyeing raw silk are the only other industries. Oil-pressing is a very thriving calling in Belgaum and several of the well-off Telis let bullock carriages called dhamnis or Sarvats on hire. Belgaum has seven tanneries to the south of the cantonment near the distillery ; six dyers in indigo, and twenty-two in safflower or kusumba. There are two lime kilns and two small tile kilns to the south of the town.
The municipal vegetable market in the heart of the town was built by the municipality in 1866 at a cost of about £760 (Rs. 7600). The market has fifty-two stalls which yield a yearly rent- of about
£120 (Rs. 1200). The stalls are arranged in the form of a square enclosing an open space which is occupied by cloth merchants on the Saturday weekly market. All round on the outside of the market is an open space which is occupied by squatters who come daily with vegetables and on Saturday by people from the neighboring villages who come with small quantities of grain. Beyond it is a further open space where cart men are allowed to stand with their grain and wood carts.
At the Saturday weekly market all kinds of grain, country cloth, groceries, firewood, grass, earthen vessels, and vegetables are brought from the villages within a radius of twenty miles from Belgaum and exposed for sale. Cattle and timber market is also held on Saturday in an empty plot of ground
to the east of the town and fort where milch buffaloes and cows, he- buffaloes and bullocks, ponies, timber, rafters, and bamboos are sold.
The other municipal markets are the mutton market and slaughter house built in 1872 at a cost of £41 6 (Rs. 4160) and yielding a yearly income of £70 (Rs. 700) ; a fish market built in 1872 at a cost of £102 10s. (Rs. 1025) and yielding a yearly revenue of £4 (Rs.40) a beef market built in 1873 at a cost of £124 14s. (Rs. 1247) and yielding £15 (Rs. 150) a second slaughter-house yielding £18
(Rs. 180); and a cart stand built in 1875 at a cost of £347 (Rs. 3470) and yielding £40 (Rs. 400).
 Besides the special market room provided by the municipality, both sides of the Khade Bazar road are occupied by shops of Narvekars, Bohoras, and Marwaris where groceries, woolen and silk cloths, English piece-goods, and oilman's stores are sold.
The Bhendi Bdzar has a few cloth merchants' shops where hand loom waistcloths, turbans, and women's robes are sold. In the same street ready-made native clothing iron and brassware and confectionery are sold at a few shops. All the wholesale grain and salt merchants live and have their shops in the Aditvar (Raviwar) Peth.

The Shivaganga Roller Skating Club's rink in Khasbag, Belgaum on Wednesday witnessed a moment of honor when Indian roller skaters not only broke the existing world record in non-stop inline hockey.
Thirty-two skaters from Belgaum and across the country accomplished the task in the presence of international referees Mayne Chow and Andrew Spongle (both from Hong Kong) representing the Federation of International Roller Sports.
It all bega on on Tuesday at 2.25 p.m and with a goal at 3.25 p.m. on Wednesday the previous record was borken. A.D. Sharma, who is also a senior official from Department of Sports, Government of Haryana, declared to have broken the world record.
The players continued to be at the rink and played till 8.30 p.m. and set a new world record of playing for 30 hours non-stop.
Playing 30 hours non-stop under natural rainfall is a new category in itself for a record.
Amit Sharma, Gurpreet, Gurjap, Gurnazar, Prabjot, Aakash, Gaurav Bhattal, Jaspreet, Rajesh Singh, Babli Singh, Reekhansh, Surender Pal Sodhi, Mohit Yadav, Kapil Gehlot, Nikhil Chindak, Aniket, Atul Sharma, Wayne Chow, Anshul Sood, Sourab Duggal, Ankit Chindak, Anuradha Sood, Andre Spongle, Manpreet, Jitender Singh, Anjali Singh, Kiran, Siddiqui, Ankit, Navraj and Sammerai participated in the event.

Here is a quick vie of the new Inox Chandan from the inside.

Sameer Siddique, Ratheesh Kumar and Aadil Bandukwala(Belgaum) flagged off their Tantalizing India trip today at 6pm from Bangalore.
The trio plan to cover pan India 16000 kms in 18 days thus breaking the previous record of 19 days plus.
The trio has got good corporate support for the trip and sponsors were present to flag them off.


The will now take this route
Bangalore (Karnataka) – Vellore – Chennai (Tamil Nadu) – Puducherry (Puducherry) – Madurai (Tamil Nadu) – Thiruvananthapuram – Kochi – Kozhikode (Kerala) – Mangalore – Karwar (Karnataka) – Panaji – Mapusa (Goa) – Belgaum (Karnataka) and plan to reach Belgaum in about 40 hours time.
They will face a lot of bad weather as they enter Kerala as the Met dept. has warned for heavy to very heavy showers in the next 48 hours in the Kerala, Konkan & Goa regions.

Noted English author Manohar Malgonkar ages 97 passed away yesterday at his bungalow named Burbusa in remote Jabalpet in Joida, Uttara Kannada district.
Born in a Royal family on July 12 ,1913. He graduated from Bombay University in English and Sanskrit. He served in the Maratha Light Infantry, in counter-intelligence, and on the Army's General Staff during the Second World War, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He later took to business and farming. He owned and operated manganese mines near Jagalbet.
Malgonkar has to his credit eight novels and nearly 50 stories. He has also been an acclaimed writer of non-fiction and history. For several years Manohar Malgonkar’s weekly column covering a wide range of topics featured in Indian newspapers including The Statesman and Deccan Herald.
He had a very good connection with Belgaum and often visited the city.
He wrote five English novels: Distant Drum (1960), Combat of Shadows (1962), The Princes (1963), A Bend in the Ganges (1964), and The Devil's Wind (1972). His works of history are Kanhoji Angrey (1959), Puars of Dewas Senior (1962), and Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur (1971). He wrote scripts for movies,short stories and many newspaper articles.

Belgaum needs new solutions. New ways of thinking. A proactive approach on the many challenges that the city faces in its drive to be a modern city on par with other cities in the world. Going by recent developments: the size of the city and its population of over 7 lacs; the fact that it will hold political relevance as the winter capital of the state; the funds being allocated to the city from centre sponsored schemes such as JnURM; the assurance of funds from the chief minister and the collections on the corporation taxes, the city is looking at a corpus of close to 800 crores, which would be invested in urban development in the near future.
A key area of focus that BelgaumNext will bring to fore would be on the issue of better infrastructure systems that will play a critical role in Belgaum’s development, since it constitutes the backbone, the nerves and arteries of the urban system. The planned infrastructure systems must ensure the adequate provision of water, energy and transport services, and the effective removal of waste water and solid wastes, so that we can have a healthy living environment. When we have good transportation systems, we will be less inclined to use our own vehicles. When we have better roads and connectivity, we will be more productive and also face less congestion and pollution. With a stable system of power and power generation, the dependency on utilizing fossil fuel generators would reduce. If homes and commercial zones are designed well, then there will be better utilization of available energy with a lighter footprint on the environment.
Belgaum’s sustainable development is not a one-time goal – it will be an ongoing process in which the harmony between society, economy and environment will be ensured at all times.
Unfortunately, the establishment has been equating so called development with superficial work such as maintenance of roads that at times do not need attention. There is a gross misuse of funds in the name of development. With BelgaumNext, we aim to build awareness and put the spotlight on such misappropriation of public money with an idea to and to initiate an open and frank two way discussion on the issues prevalent.
The Agenda
Our agenda is to ensure sustainable development. So what is sustainable development? The most popular definition of sustainable development could be described as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet theirs”. Though there are different views and interpretations, it could be loosely defined as an ideal system with a set of wishful characteristics. Our idea of sustainable development isn’t limited only to infrastructure. We plan to have initiatives across sectors such as Infrastructure, Education, Healthcare, Power & Utilities, Waste management and Environment. We aim to achieve our objectives by creating a participatory dialogue that includes people from across industry, government and the academia. The resulting directions would form the blueprint or the actionable paths to work on.

Rains have been welcomed by all farmers and citizens as well. But the rain also brought it with itself the problem of water logging in various areas.
Globe theater road was full of water, other low lying areas were also drowned in the first rains, tough no heavy damages were reported.
In the next few days similar rains are expected by the met dept.
Happy Rains and enjoy the monsoons.