Melody maker
Bangalore: Varnas form the fundamental base for the learning of Carnatic music. The importance of the genre of varnas can be best understood by the fact that all concerts of Carnatic music begin with varnas. As an acknowledgement of its importance in the repertoire of Carnatic music, Lalitha Navile recently brought out Varna Prabodha, a collection of varnas in Kannada.
The author of the book, Lalitha Navile, is a vocalist, composer and musicologist of repute. A child prodigy, Ms Navile has to date given out thousands of concerts and lectures, while also conducted numerous workshops in music. A post-graduate in music, Ms Navile has a good command over several musical instruments like veena, violin and harmonium. She can also sing with ease in most South Indian languages.
Discussing her book Varna Prabodha, Ms Navile says it is the first of its kind in Kannada and that the focus of the varnas featured in the book is on Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati, the gods generally invoked at the beginning of concerts.
“Varna Prabodha is a collection of 16 pieces set to different ragas and talas, each with their own individual features. The book covers Tana varnas of different patterns like Tala Malika, Daru Varna, Graha Bheda Ragamalika Varnas, Manipravala Varnas, varnas in Ghana Ragas, and so on,” says Ms Navile, who also has to her credit many compositions and cassettes.
Chethana Dinesh

Medicine man
Sagar: An agriculturist by profession, Mr Ramesh of Kodluthota village in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district has an interesting hobby. That of collecting herbs. According to him, his interest in ayurvedic medicine, which he also administers to people, sparked his interest in herbs.
Mr Ramesh’s knowledge in ayurvedic medicine is much sought after by the people of the region who flock his house every Sunday and Thursday, when he gives them out to them. According to him, traditional systems of medicine like ayurveda and homeopathy are in great danger due to fast depleting forests. In an effort to revive these traditional systems of medicine, he has started ‘Sampradayika Vaidya Balaga’, an association of people who value them.
Mr Ramesh picks herbs for the medicines he prepares from the nearby forest. His huge collection of herbs is called the ‘Banajalaya Herbal Collection Centre’. Through his herbal collection, Mr Ramesh wants to create awareness among his fellow beings about the need to protect our green cover.
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G Archana Bomnalli