Latest news with #Shankara
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- New Indian Express
Kerala Royal Enfield bikers go on a 'Bullets against Bullet' ride retracing Adi Shankaracharya's trail from Kalady to Kashmir
Over 1,200 years ago, a young monk from Kerala travelled from Kalady to Kashmir, propagating the oneness of existence, or what he termed Advaita. That ancient route traversed by Adi Shankaracharya was retraced recently by a team of 52 bikers who rode from Kalady to the Line of Control (LoC) as a homage to the lives lost in the Pahalgam attack and a message against terrorism. The bikers, who joined forces from across Kerala, rode under the motto 'Bullets against Bullet'. For the bullet that terrorists showered on tourists in Pahalgam, here were the bikers' own Royal Enfield Bullets. The two-week ride was flagged off on June 1 by Kochi City Police Commissioner Putta Vimaladitya, who also heads the state's anti-terrorism squad. 'The idea came up after my friend R Ramanand, director of the Abhinava Gupta Institute of Advanced Studies, Vagamon, posted on Facebook about how the Pahalgam attack would soon be forgotten after the initial hubbub. The post got a lot of support, which encouraged him to take the idea forward and form the 'Bullets against Bullet' team,' says Mani Karthik, a startup consultant, who was coordinated the core group and the planning of the journey. 'Some of us were researching the links between Kashmir and Kerala's tantric traditions. Also, Shankaracharya's influence in Kashmir is still revered. That's how we decided to follow Shankara's footsteps and named our mission 'Shankara to Sharda'. The Sharda here refers to the ancient Sharda Peeth, now in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where Shankaracharya had travelled to in 7th century AD. We have restricted access to that place, and hence, our destination was the Yatri Sharda Peeth very close to the LoC, near the Kishanganga river.' Planning the journey wasn't without challenges. 'Our discussion group was infiltrated by stray social media users from as far as Pakistan, and agenda-driven individuals who tried to mar healthy conversations,' says Mani, who left a career in the US to settle in Kochi and guide NRIs keen on migrating and investing back home. 'We had to weed them out and plan carefully. Only our core group knew the route map. Everyone who wished to join was verified. We finalised 52 riders, including 10 women and a trans individual. Among us were techies, a temple priest, a farmer, and even a 76-year-old.' The 'biker priest' in the team was Praveen P M from Thiruvananthapuram, who rode with his wife Renjini and their five-year-old son Badrinath as pillion. 'We have done several such bike jaunts,' says Renjini. 'But this is the longest we have done.' The team faced many hurdles along the way. 'The summer blaze in some places was horrifying. When it got too sultry and humid, Badrinath, who rode on the bike with us otherwise, would switch to one of the two cars that accompanied the team as support vehicle. At times, there were delays when a bike broke down or a rider fell ill,' she recalls. Mani adds, 'On the leg from Nagpur to Guna through a forest stretch, we rode long into the night and couldn't find food. But through it all, we felt a higher power guiding us. Often, someone would appear just when we needed help. Other Royal Enfield bikers, whom we networked with, assisted us in finding service stations throughout the journey. People who came to know of our mission welcomed us warmly. In Hyderabad, we were treated to a five-star lunch. Our accommodation was mostly in auditoriums, ashrams, or sometimes open grounds.'
New Indian Express
16-06-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
IIHR creates millionaire farmers
HIREHALLI(TUMAKURU): Four humble farmers of Tumakuru district, with just one unique plant each inherited from their forefathers, had never imagined that these plants would make them millionaires. This will be sweet to the ears of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had promised to double the income of farmers. Courtesy, the Central Horticultural Experiment Station(CHES), Hirehalli, of the ICAR-IIHR which has scripted the farmer-led conservation efforts. The 'lucky' farmers were projected as role models at a workshop -- 'Linking Biodiversity for Livelihood Security through Protection of Farmers' Varieties in Fruit Crops' -- at CHES on Sunday. The event was part of an effort to promote protection and sustainable utilisation of traditional fruit crop diversity. The jackfruit varieties, 'Siddu' and 'Shankara', tamarind 'Lakshmana' and jamun 'Nirantara Kumar jamun' were identified and supported with technical intervention to demonstrate how unique they were in terms of taste and medicinal value among others. These unique plants are being multiplied through grafting and have been commercialised. They have sold millions over the years. Through a benefit-sharing model, ICAR-IIHR paid SS Paramesha (Siddu) Rs 1 crore over five years, Shankaraiah (Shankara) Rs 21 lakh over 2 years and Lakshamanappa (Lakshmana tamarind) Rs 6.5 lakh over one year. The farmers on their own have also marketed their saplings to hit a jackpot and Paramesha has earned over Rs 5 crore. Soon, IIHR will give 'Nirantara Kumar jamun' farmer his share.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Time of India
Foresters directed to file charges against tree felling
Shivamogga: Forest minister Eshwar B Khandre has directed foresters to file charges against the felling of a tree and the pruning of another in front of a shop. Environmental activists staged a dharna outside the establishment after discovering the same. Following the minister's directive, Shankara, RFO of Shivamogga, filed an FIR under sections 33, 62, and 80 of the Karnataka Forest Act-1963. Territorial DCF Shivashankar said that an FIR was registered regarding the overnight felling of trees along the BH Road in the city, adjacent to a hotel, following environmentalists' protest against the unauthorised tree felling. Activist Tyagaraj Mityantha told TOI: "On Tuesday night, after Kadu Badami (Indian almond) trees were chopped, someone questioned it and alerted me overnight. They stopped it and escaped." He noted this was not an isolated incident, despite environmentalists' conservation efforts. He also cited previous protests in the same jurisdiction that yielded no results. According to him, tree felling occurs throughout the city, with inadequate legal consequences. The current penalty is merely Rs 500. He advocated for the Shivamogga City Corporation to implement a comprehensive tree survey.
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Business Standard
06-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
This smallcap stock soars 68% in 1 month; zooms 105% from March low
Share price of Shankara Building Products today Shares of Shankara Building Products hit an over six-year high of ₹965, as they rallied 5 per cent on the BSE in Friday's intra-day trade. The stock price of this smallcap company was trading at its highest level since November 2018. It had hit a record high of ₹2,365 on December 5, 2017. In the past one month, Shankara Building Products has outperformed the market by surging 68 per cent, as compared to 1.9 per cent rise in the BSE Sensex. The stock has bounced back from its March low and zoomed 105 per cent from a level of ₹470 on the BSE. At 01:44 PM; Shankara Building Products was quoting 2 per cent higher at ₹936.90, as against 0.86 per cent rise in the BSE Sensex. A combined around 270,000 shares changed hands on the NSE and BSE. Shankara Building Q4 & FY25 performance The company's steel division posted its highest-ever quarterly and annual volumes, with March quarter (Q4) volumes reaching 2.58 lakh tonnes - a robust 33 per cent year-on-year (YOY) increase. For the full year, Shankara exceeded its ambitious target of 0.8 million tonnes by achieving 8.43 lakh tonnes, reflecting a 5% outperformance. On the Non-Steel front, the company continued its growth trajectory, reporting a 20 per cent YoY increase in Q4 and an impressive 26 per cent growth for the full year, driven by good performance in CP & Sanitaryware as well as PVC Pipes & Fittings. These achievements are particularly significant given the backdrop of lower steel prices and a subdued building materials market. Looking ahead, Shankara remains optimistic, aiming to cross the 1 million tonne mark in steel volumes in FY26 while further strengthening its Non-Steel business. Shankara Building's demerger plan Shankara Building Products had proposed a demerger of its core business which is retail and trading of building material into its wholly-owned subsidiary Shankara Buildpro Limited. The company said it felt the need for the demerger to focus better on its many diverse businesses and thereby unlock greater value for the stakeholders. Shankara today is engaged in multiple activities like manufacturing of steel tubes and cold rolled strips, manufacturing color coated profiles for roofing and other sections for general engineering applications. These activities are housed in multiple subsidiaries. The core business of Shankara is organized retailing and distribution of steel products and numerous building materials. The demerger will result in two entities. Shankara Building Products which will be the legacy company housing the three subsidiaries which are manufacturing entities. The second entity will be Shankara Buildpro which will carry out the current core business of retailing of steel and other building materials. As per the scheme of arrangement it is proposed that the existing shareholders of Shankara Building Products will be allotted 1:1 shares in the resultant entity. The process is expected to be completed by H1FY26. Shankara's management on future outlook The Indian economy is poised to grow at 6.3 per cent for the year 2026. There is an overhang of reciprocal trade tariffs by the US on the global trade and how it will affect the trade and India specifically is not yet known. But despite global uncertainties and downward revisions in growth forecasts for other large economies, India is set to maintain its leadership in global economic growth. However, the current war-like situation with our neighbor could hinder smooth growth in the current fiscal. Shankara grew 30 per cent by volume in steel, which is 90 per cent of the company's business and about 30 per cent by revenue in the non-steel segment in the financial year ended March 31, 2025. The real estate and building industry is witnessing reasonable demand in residential and in the commercial sector. This augurs well for the company. The company hopes to sustain a favourable growth momentum in the coming year. Healthy relationships with suppliers such as JSW Steel Ltd, Steel Authority of India Ltd, AM/NS India, Uttam Value Steel Ltd, APL Apollo Tubes Ltd, Jaquar & Co, Kohler India Corporation Pvt Ltd, ROCA Bathroom Products Pvt Ltd, Somani Ceramics Ltd, Kajaria Ceramics Ltd and Cera Sanitaryware Ltd enable the group to offer a diverse range of building materials and provides a competitive edge, according to CRISIL Ratings. About Shankara Building Products Shankara Building Products is one of the largest omni channel market places for building products. The company deals with a large variety of steel material, construction, plumbing and sanitary items, flooring, electrical, roofing and other related products. The company's retail stores operate under the name "Shankara Buildpro". The company has 138 fulfilment centres which include 92 retail stores, 32 warehouses and 14 processing units spread across all of South India including Goa and Puducherry. The company has tied up with leading brands for all product categories. JSW, SAIL, APL Apollo, AMNS etc. for steel products. Nippon Paints for painting solutions, water proofing and numerous construction chemicals and related products. Jaquar, Kohler, Parryware and other leading brands for plumbing and bathroom solutions. Kajaria, Somany, Nitco and multiple brands for tiling and surface applications. Shankara also has tied-up with Grindwell Norton Ltd, HP Landmark, Aqua Star for roofing and fabrications accessories
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Kaalapatthar' OTT release: Find out where to watch Kannada action drama
The Kannada action drama 'Kaalapatthar,' directed by debutant Vikky Varun, hit theatres on September 13, 2024, and has recently found its way online. The film is a story set in the drought-stricken village of Moodalapura in North Karnataka. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now OTT details The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video as of May 30, 2025, with the viewers able to rent the film. Apart from it, the film is also available on SunNXT. Vikky Varun on social media wrote, "My film Kaalapatthar is now streaming on Prime Video! A journey of love, duty, and intense action — brought to life with passion and dedication." About the film 'Kaalapatthar' centers on Shankara played by Vikky Varun, an army cook whose life takes an unexpected turn when his village honors him with a statue made of black stone (kaalapatthar) to celebrate his bravery during a terrorist attack. Though hailed as a hero, Shankara soon realizes that this sudden fame brings unforeseen challenges, stirring unrest in the village. The harsh realities of water scarcity and political manipulation add layers to the story, as local leaders exploit both the drought and Shankara's newfound status to control the villagers. Dhanya Ramkumar plays Ganga, a schoolteacher and Shankara's love interest, who acts as his voice of reason amid the growing turmoil. The film also features veteran actors T.S. Nagabharana, Achyuth Kumar, Sampath Maitreya, Rajesh Nataranga, and others in key supporting roles. The film's screenplay, penned by D. Satya Prakash, delves deep into human emotions and the complexities of ego and obsession, drawing subtle metaphors inspired by mythology and psychology. The story's realistic take on human behavior and societal issues has been praised for its thoughtful execution. The music of the film is composed by Anoop Seelin.
