October 2018

A Letter from the BANA 2019 President, Ashish Shetty

BANA Community,

I hope everyone is having a great return back into the swing of things after a restful summer!

We on the EC team are busy finalizing various venues around the city for what should be an exciting BANA 2019. In addition, we have been trying to make an effort to see as much of the Bunt population out of the NY area as possible. Mid-summer, we attended the Bunts Canada get together in the Greater Toronto Area (the GTA for those in the know), where we enjoyed good company, food and soccer with nearly 100 people.

We also had the pleasure of ending the summer with a few quality days at Camp Nock-a-Mixon in Pennsylvania, which had a good turnout of Bunt youth. Ram and I had both been to the camp many years ago and have great memories – awesome to see that the camp has only gotten nicer over the years (though the food seems to have stayed the same).

Many thanks to all those who attended and to Suhana, Sajini and Pallavi for spearheading the organization of the camp, which was a great mix of fun, culture, spirituality and sports. We even invented a new game called “Gaga ball” which takes place in an octagon and is high intensity. If this sounds vague, it is intentionally so – you need to ask someone who attended to explain exactly what happens!

Lastly, in addition to the new issue of Banavani, please check out Sherin Shetty’s video on the website’s “Media” page, which serves as a nice intro to the Manhattan BANA 2019 – many thanks to Sherin for sharing her creative talents with the community!

Best,

Ashish

A Letter from the BANA 2019 President, Ashish Shetty

BANA Community,

I hope everyone is having a great return back into the swing of things after a restful summer!

We on the EC team are busy finalizing various venues around the city for what should be an exciting BANA 2019. In addition, we have been trying to make an effort to see as much of the Bunt population out of the NY area as possible. Mid-summer, we attended the Bunts Canada get together in the Greater Toronto Area (the GTA for those in the know), where we enjoyed good company, food and soccer with nearly 100 people.

We also had the pleasure of ending the summer with a few quality days at Camp Nock-a-Mixon in Pennsylvania, which had a good turnout of Bunt youth. Ram and I had both been to the camp many years ago and have great memories – awesome to see that the camp has only gotten nicer over the years (though the food seems to have stayed the same).

Many thanks to all those who attended and to Suhana, Sajini and Pallavi for spearheading the organization of the camp, which was a great mix of fun, culture, spirituality and sports. We even invented a new game called “Gaga ball” which takes place in an octagon and is high intensity. If this sounds vague, it is intentionally so – you need to ask someone who attended to explain exactly what happens!

Lastly, in addition to the new issue of Banavani, please check out Sherin Shetty’s video on the website’s “Media” page, which serves as a nice intro to the Manhattan BANA 2019 – many thanks to Sherin for sharing her creative talents with the community!

Best,

Ashish

Coming Soon - Tulu Classes!

It is with great excitement that we announce the upcoming BANA Tulu classes! In the last several months, one of our teams has been putting together a beginner's Tulu curriculum. Soon we will be shooting the lessons and uploading them to our website, so you can learn Tulu from home. Special thanks to Nandan, Sarah, Saumya, Saunna and Ramprasad for all their hard work.

Call for Regional Representatives

At the moment, there are several states which are not officially assigned to a BANA representative. If you reside in one of the states listed below and are interested in taking on the role of representative, please write to us at banavani.ny@gmail.com (note: the specific states grouped in your region will be determined depending on the locations of other volunteers):

Alaska

Arizona

Colorado

Delaware

Florida

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Louisiana

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New Mexico

North Carolina

North Dakota

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Tennessee

Utah

Wisconsin

Wyoming

While the regional representative duties have never been officially defined, generally speaking, reps reach out to members in their region for news, and usually help organize about two official events a year (a summer picnic and Diwali party). If they so choose, reps may of course take it upon themselves to organize more events.

Being a rep is a great way to connect with fellow BANA members throughout the year, rather than once every two years at the convention. We hope you'll consider the opportunity!

Profile of a Town: Bailur, Karnataka

by Ramprasad Hegde

Ever since my teenage years, I have been fortunate enough to visit my family in India on a regular basis. I remember very vividly the bustling cities of Mumbai and Bangalore, with their combination of both traditional Indian culture and western modernization. As a kid growing up close to New York City, Mumbai and Bangalore helped me find some commonality in what I saw growing up versus what was happening almost 8,000 miles across the world. Truth being told though, what I was even more fascinated with was my experience visiting my father’s home, a quiet village called Bailur, India.

Coconut tree farm in Bailur

The state of Karnataka includes approximately thirty districts -- for those of us growing up here in the U.S., you could say that a district is roughly equivalent to a county. One district in particular, called Udupi, can be found in the southwest part of Karnataka. It borders Uttara Kannada to the north, Dakshina Kannada to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, and both Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru to the east. The village of Bailur lies in the southern part of Udupi district, between the city of Udupi on the western coast and Karkala to the east. Bailur is predominantly a farming community, with plentiful fields of rice, coconut, areca nut (betel nut), sugarcane, cashew nut, and pepper.

There is a certain natural beauty that comes with smaller

villages in India. My father’s family home is located in the

middle of a farm off the village’s main road. Similar to other

farming communities in Karnataka, our house is spread far

apart from others, leaving large swaths of lush rice patties

and coconut trees in view as far as the eye can see. In the

morning, expect to wake up to sounds of various wild birds

(as well as the family roosters and cattle), with sightings of

peacocks walking through the maze of palm of trees. This is

not a place to catch up on social media or to watch your

favorite Netflix series, this is a place to enjoy and embrace

a simpler life style. I chose to pick up my favorite book and enjoy the serenity of my surroundings, while later exploring the lands with my family (be careful with this one, we did come across snakes!).

The Gommateshwara St. Lawrence Church

If you decide that you need a bit more action, Bailur does have a growing center with restaurants and shops. Located less than 20 minutes away is the town of Karkala (known as Karla by Tulu-speaking people), with its center full of life through it’s fresh vegetable markets, clothing stores, and much more. Karkala is home to many natural and historic landmarks including the Jain statue of Gommateshwara, Ananthapadmanabha Temple, and St. Lawrence Church. Bailur is also a short ride away from the towns of Manipal and Nitte, both great education hubs for the region.

Get to Know Your Executive Committee

This is a Q&A we will be doing with each of our BANA 2019 EC members. This issue’s Q&A is with Saloni Shetty, Youth Representative.

Where did you grow up?

SS: I have lived in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ since I was born. HH is a small town in the suburbs of NYC.

What are you studying and doing for work?

SS: I am currently an engineering student at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, but I work as a Video Engineer at Meredith Corp. in the financial district of NYC.

What do you think of when you think of BANA?

SS: When I think of BANA, I think of a big family reunion. It’s just a time for everyone to meet-up, and catch-up on each other’s lives while hopefully exploring a new place or giving them a new appreciation for a place they’ve been to a bunch.

What is your favorite BANA memory?

SS: There are too many great memories I have associated with BANA! Some of my favorites would be the little cruise that went on during the first night of Chicago BANA 2003, making friends with a group of kids from different regions after the first Bunt’s Got Talent competition at DC BANA 2011, and the crazy run through dance practices we had in front of all of our Amma’s and Ajja’s for Tristate BANA 2009.

Why did you want to be involved in the EC?

SS: Over the years, I’ve played a more active role in BANA, starting out as a regional Youth Rep for the Tristate region, becoming the Youth Rep for the BOD for the last two years, and then being named the Youth Rep for the EC. I’ve always loved attending BANA functions, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen how difficult it is to plan. This is why so many people are hesitant to take it on, but it also makes it all the more reason to continue it because it shows us how important our culture is to us.

What are your hopes for BANA as it moves forward?

SS: I just hope that people continue to get excited for upcoming BANA Conventions. It’s always been something that my family has looked forward to, not to mention the amount of preparation that typically goes into even attending the convention (dance practices), so I want future generations to feel as excited as we do when we think about BANA. I also hope that BANA continues to be as supportive as it’s been in the past in terms of helping young adults professionally. There are so many people in our community who work every kind of job, so I’ve loved, how over the years, we’ve placed an emphasis on networking with the professionals in our community to ask questions and sort of act as mentors.

News

New England

New England Bunts held their annual picnic on September 8th at the beautiful Dean Park, Shrewsbury, MA. A record setting more than 80 people enjoyed a fun-filled day with great food and outdoor activities. Burlington’s Saritha and Suresh Hegde sponsored the event in memory of Ramesh & Sucharita Hegde who are moving to FL.

California

Nadumaneyalli Yakshagana

Sujana and Shridhara Alva of Pleasanton CA hosted an up, close and personal Yakshagana program at their residence on 11 August 2018. Shri Yakshadeva Mitra Mandali, Beluvai artists who were touring the US converted the ‘rug’ in the living room in to ‘rangasthala’ and demonstrated a nava-rasa packed Sudarshana Vijaya to the Yakshagana abhimanis. The audience were mesmerized by the talent of the himmela and mummela for the two hours. This extraordinary experience was the first full length living room Yaskagana program ever performed.

Performing Arts Fundraising Event by Sania Karir for Project Alive

Sania, daughter of Dr Lata and Vishal Karir, organized a performing arts event to raise funds for Project Alive, a charity organization dedicated to finding a cure for Hunter Syndrome. The event showcased the talents of her and her friends that have dedicated years of time, effort, and passion towards their crafts. The donations were matched equally by Dr Lata's dental practice, California Dental Care, and the event raised a total of $8,245.

Washington, D.C.

Dr. Shekar Shetty, a Beltway (Washington, D.C.) BANA member and a visiting finance professor at a University in Kuwait is the current President of Kuwait Buntara Sangha (BSK). The BSK celebrated its annual event ‘Buntaaayana 2018’ on May 4, 2018. Dr. (Prof.) H. Shantharam Shetty, Pro-chancellor of NITTE University and a well-known orthopedic surgeon, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The cultural event involved ‘Bunta Isiri,’ a colorful show of Bunts’ culture by the Sangha members as well as a Tulu comedy drama, ‘Porludaaye’ performed by Gammath Kalavider of Dubai. Dr. Shekar Shetty also participated in the World Bunts Federation (Gulf region) meeting held in Abu Dhabi on May 12, 2018.