About Amrith

Amrit N. Shetty is an IT professional working with a multinational company. He has worked with various IT companies including ones in Austin, Dublin and Edinburgh. Besides writing, Amrit enjoys reading and watching movies. This is his debut novel.He lives in Delhi with his wife. Read his blog at http://amritshetty.blogspot.com/

The following is an excerpt from the book. You should be able to find the book in an leading bookstore.

Rajni blew her hair away from her face.
My heart skipped a beat.
‘I love you!’ I blurted out.
Her cheeks turned a deep pink.
I could sense that her anger had completely disappeared.

Anup, a happy-go-lucky boy next door, finds himself a misfit in an IT company. On the bright side, he has great friends in office—Chetan, Subbu and Parag—to help him out of sticky situations. Also, in the same office is the love of his life, Rajni. But Rajni’s strict family and her paranoia of tongue-wagging colleagues play villain in their love story forcing him to be satisfied with clandestine meetings, secret phone conversations and emails. Just as Anup decides to turn over a new leaf, sinister happenings at work force him to take some life-changing decisions—to quit his job and pursue his long-cherished dream of becoming a writer; and also, to marry Rajni.

2)Ora rampe kodapana dombudu bechcha athund pand Doctornadeg konopege. Doctorda panpege” kodapanogu jwara barondu undu “. Doctor thelthd, panper” avek bal kattd uggel japudala” Illag bathth rampe anchene malpuve, Kodapana chandi aad chappe aapundu.Rampanna gu kushi apundu. Sumaar dinordu bokka rampanna bodedig jwara barpundu, apaga aar bodedina kekkilgu ballu kattud uggel gu japudave. Bokka…..

1½ kgs chicken
2 tsp ghee
2 onions sliced
3 green chillies
2 big tomatos
2 potatoes (if needed)
1 inch ginger pcs
3 pcs garlic
1 pc cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 cardmom
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 pinch of methi powder
3 tsp kasoori methi
3 tsp tomato paste

Method:

In a non stick dish, add 2 tsp ghee and fry sliced onions till golden brown, add chicken.Add cardmom, cinnmon stick and cloves. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Then add chopped tomatos, green chillies, ginger and garlic,potatos and all masala powders mentioned above with tomato paste diluted in water, stir well and cook for sometime. Tasty red kasoori methi chicken curry is ready.

Dr Shetty’s dream is to make cardiac surgery reasonable and affordable, by creating a chain of heart hospitals in every state in India, where more and more children are treated. A few years ago, Dr Shetty recalls, when the Blessed Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack Dr Shetty was put in charge of her heart care. One day, Mother, who at that point of time was convalescing in the intensive care unit of the hospital, saw Dr Shetty examining a blue baby. After a few minutes of thought she turned towards him and said; “Now I know why you are here. To relieve the agony of children with heart disease, God sent you to this world to fix it”. Dr Shetty claims, this is the best definition ever given of a paediatric cardiac surgeon and perhaps the best compliment that he has ever received.

When you do your work without expecting anything in return, just for the joy of brining happiness to others, that’s when you’ll realize it is not your hands, which do the job, it is the hands of God, he states.

Dr Shetty wants to associate with people with love and compassion. 50 Year-old handsome looking Dr Shetty is a proud Mangalorean who is such a great personality in the medical field.

Education and Qualification:

• MBBS from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
• MS (General Surgery) from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
• Trained in Cardiac Surgery at West Midlands Cardio-Thoracic Rotation Program between Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry and East Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham followed by appointment at Cardio-Thoracic unit, Guys Hospital, London from 1983 to 1989
• Professor of International Health – University of Minnesota Medical School, USA
• Professor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore

Contribution to Cardiac surgery

In 1990, Dr. Shetty became the first surgeon in India to venture into Neonatal open heart surgery by performing open-heart surgery on a 9-day-old baby.

He performed Asia’s first dynamic cardio-myoplasty operation to strengthen the weak heart muscle using the chest wall muscle.

For the first time in India, he used a left ventricular assist device to temporarily support a failing heart.
He is one of the few surgeons in the world to use a microchip camera to perform keyhole heart surgery.
He has one of the largest experiences in the world in performing bypass-grafting operation on a beating heart.
Dr. Shetty and his team made Narayana Hrudayalaya a post graduate training institute by conducting various training programs to train adult and paediatric cardiologists and surgeons along with cardiac anaesthetists and inten

The coastal districts of Karnataka, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada, collectively known as Tulu Nadu have always been unique from the rest of Karnataka. Rituals like Bhuta Kola, Nagaradhane (snake worship) have given an identity, distinct from other parts of Karnataka.

Among the religious beliefs of South India, the spirit worship of appears to be the most primitive one. This complex system of rituals and beliefs can be traced back to the tribal era. The music and narratives, dances and dialogues, trances and oracles reflects the socio-economic orders, thought patterns, artistic achievements and socio-cultural values enshrined in the rustic societies of different regions.

Among the religious beliefs of South India, the spirit worship of appears to be the most primitive one. This complex system of rituals and beliefs can be traced back to the tribal era. The music and narratives, dances and dialogues, trances and oracles reflects the socio-economic orders, thought patterns, artistic achievements and socio-cultural values enshrined in the rustic societies of different regions.

The most important aspect of Bhuta Kola is possession, trance and the dialogue of the possessed impersonator with the devotees. The Bhuta impersonator behaves like an incarnation of concerned spirit, listening, solving, warning, comforting the problems of the devotees. He acts like a healer and solves the legal and judicial problems of the village.

Yakshagana is a dance drama popular in tulunadu and Malenadu regions of Karnataka. It is believed to have evolved from pre-classical music and theatre. Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga and Kasaragod district of Kerala. Yakshagana is gaining popularity in Bengaluru since a few years. It has drawn comparisons to the Western tradition of opera. Actors wear costumes and enact various roles. Traditionally, Yakshagana would go on all night. It is sometimes simply called as Aataā in both Kannada and Tulu, meaning “play”.Yaksha-gana literally means the song (gana) of a Yaksha. Yakshas were an exotic tribe mentioned in the Sanskrit literature of ancient India.

Yakshagana consists of a Himmela (background musicians) and a Mummela (dance and dialog group) which together perform a Yakshaga Prasanga. Himmela consisting of Bhagawata who is also the facilitator (singer), Maddale, Harmonium for drone (Pungi was used earlier) and Chande (loud drums). The music is based on pre-Karnataka Sangeetha Ragas characterised by melodic patterns called Mattu and Yakshagana Tala. Yakshagana Talas are believed to be based on the groves which later have evolved into Karnataka Sangeetha Talas. Both Yakshagana Raga and Yakshagana Tala have some folk influence. A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of several fixed compositions on drums called Abbara or Peetike, for up to an hour before the ‘actors’ get on the stage. The actors wear resplendent costumes, head-dresses, and face paints which they paint themselves.

A performance usually depicts a story from the Hindu epics and puranas. It consists of a narrator (Baghawatha) who either narrates the story by singing or sings precomposed dialogs of a character, backed by musicians playing on traditional musical instruments as the actors dance to the music, with actions that portray the story as it is being narrated. All the components of Yakshagana, music, dance and dialog are improvised. Depending on the ability and scholarship of the actors, variation in dance and amount of dialog may change. It is not uncommon for actors to get into philosophical debates or arguments without going out of the framework of the character being enacted.

Tiger Dance is a unique form of folk dance in Dakshina kannada that fascinates the young and the old alike. Since tiger is considered as the favored carrier of Goddess Sharada (the deity in whose honor Dussera is celebrated), this dance is performed during the Dussera celebration. It is also performed during other festivals like Krishna Janmasthami.

There are more than 50 troupes who perform this famed folk dance. Popular and probably the oldest one among them is the Kesari friends circle group headed by Bajilkeri Kamalaksha. The Mangalorean style is distinctive by its body paint, the satin chaddi or knicker and the headgear which is made of papier-mache and adorned with raw wool – the ‘fur’ of the Tiger.

The grand Hulivesha performance  is preceded by a long body painting session. Several layers of paint is applied on the artist’s body carefully. Each layer is applied such that the end result reflects the grandeur of the carnivore. Typically the body colour is layered with yellow and black colour with occasional touching of red near the mouth. During this period which lasts several hours the artist stands erect so that the paint doesn’t get distorted.

Hulivesha is accompanied by the familiar drumbeat which can be heard from very far off places. On hearing the beat, herds of children flock to place where the dance is being performed and start moving with the troupe. Every child in Kudla can play the popular Hulivesha drum rhythm (of course with their mouth). We wish we could play it here.

During the dance the artists perform many heroic acts which depicts the power of the carnivore. ‘Killing sheep’ is one the famous acts performed. A skillful tiger dancer is expected to kill  a sheep, which means the artist holds the sheep by his teeth toss it in the air and throw it away. The sheep is not actually killed and it is only a ritual. Many such acts are performed, some of the popular ones being picking the note with his mouth by bending backwards, swinging the mace etc.

A typical troupe consists of 7-15 members. But there are troupes of much larger sizes also. The formal dance begins with a Ganesh pooja following the Navarathri festival. The tiger dance occupies a prominent place throughout the Dussera procession. It is a tribute to the royal cat which is the favored carrier of many gods and goddesses.

Mage : Pappa yenk kannadka Bodu.

Amme : daaye maga.

Mage : Yenk Doorada vastu thojujji

Amme : (Showing the Sun) Avu yenchina maga.

Mage : Soorye

Amme : Aat doora thojini yavujja? Nanala yet doora thuvodu…???

Kaluve:: Yan kandiji ayene korni.

Police:: Aye nik yepa korni ?

Kaluve:: Yan bisathi thojanaga!!!!!!

Ramapanna aa suddi kendh… Lilli gu cricket gobbere invitation korper..

Ramapanna maata cricket dress padondu picth gh barper.

Lilli first ball.. Baari jordh baltond battud bowl malpuver… Ramapannag bowl tojune ijji!!!

Lilli second ball malpuver.. Avula rampannagh tojji..

Third baal paadnaga.. Umpire.. Jorudh.. “NO BALL” nd panper..

Aik ramapanna gh kopa bath’dh… :”undu yenchina No ball .. Ninna ammade… Suruta radd baal olundu..Avulaa no ball”