Articles by Deepa Mohan

After getting her car stuck in dug-up areas of Bangalore roads, my friend KV yielded the wheel of her car to me. We were going to visit the Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple in Basavanagudi. What happened as we turned the last blind corner to the temple felt like a sheer accident at the time, but in hindsight, appears to be a deliberately designed racket. An auto driver came too close to me and hit the right-hand-side wing mirror. I was irritated at his driving, but since we were four ladies (my friend K V, her mother, her aunt, another friend, J…

Rohini Kini of  Bums On The Saddle has created this procedural guidance in case your cycle has been stolen. You need to do some preparatory work, so get the details of your cycle now and keep them safely in case you ever need them. Spring into action immediately! Check around the area in case the thief has stashed the bike to pick it up later. File an FIR with the police (more details below). Record identifying features on the report – accessories, photographs and the frame number! Register your bike as stolen on the BOTS Stolen Bike registry. Visit shops in your…

It's quite unusual to go to review a play that's been running for some time, but I did just that on the 23rd of January, as I went to watch "The Incredible Mullah Nasruddin" at Ranga Shankara. This was their 13th show. The play is a production by the "AHA!" children's theatre wing of Ranga Shankara. The main protaganist is Mullah Nasruddin, who, in this version, comes from Arabia to India to garner wisdom, and undergoes various experiences, depicted in 21 short vignettes. The play had several features unusual in children's theatre. For one, there was a blue turban that…

Vinay Sreenivasa posts in Hasiru Usiru group: Tree Felling in Kanataka is governed by the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976. Section 8 (1) of the act states: With effect on and from the appointed day, notwithstanding any custom, usage, contract or law for the time being in force,  no person shall fell any tree or cause any tree to be felled in any land, whether in his  ownership or occupancy or otherwise, except with the previous permission of the  Tree Officer Thus, whether the tree is in private land or government land, the permission of the Tree Officer is essential before a tree…

A butterfly hunter in Lalbagh, 20th December 2013   Vinyasa U writes:"Suhas S Sapthagiri has noticed a person (a foreigner by the looks of him)  killing butterflies in Lalbagh, Bangalore, on 20th December 2013.Whatever  the reason  may be (perhaps he wants to collect butterflies)... killing butterflies can not be accepted; India is no longer`Butterfly collectors' paradise' as almost all Indian butterflies are under threat, and some are critically endangered."

Reading of Children's Fantasy Novel   Venue: Atta Galata Time: 4.30 pm   The Book: Building on influences from Asia, Africa and the ancient language of Sanskrit, Janaki Murali takes on readers on a phantasmagorical journey. Dive deep into the bowels of a volcano in the Bay of Bengal and meet the fire-breathing Mrigas, shape-shifting Bahulas, four-headed Gufiyas and the special unugly Gulu. Watch them as they employ insects of espionage and wield weapons of fantasy.See a whole new world through the eyes of three earthlings who learn to stand united after losing a parent, and are pulled into a chain reaction that…

Harish Bhat writes:   I travel to Silk Board almost every other day via Bus and then take an auto to Koramangala. There are at least 4-5 autos parked below the flyover almost all the time. And, I've to haggle with 2 of them (they ask for INR 40-50 for an INR 30 fare distance), before one good guy decides to charge meter fare.   But today was not most of those days. Today, at 1:20 PM I decided to do something about it. There were 7 of them and I went ahead and asked each of them. 4 of them…

Gubbi Labs as Part of Path Of Mahanadhi River Exploration Initiative Brings in the Cycle Exploration Tour to Kaveri River       Visit the Battle Field of Anglo Mysore WarsThe British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Sri Rangapatna and storming the citadel killing Tippu Sultan in Action. We will explore history and visit the places of all important historical places – Sri Ranganatha Temple , Jumma Masjid and the Daria Daulat Gardens, Captain Baey’s Dungeon.   Cycle to Visit the Birds of Ranganathittu Cycle Ride will enable you to see the avian life…

Recently, I had an occasion to travel on a couple of very long journeys (Bangalore to Guwahati and back, and Bangalore to Ahmedabad and back). The Indian Railways had just raised the price of all food and beverages sold on the trains. I'll take one example, where I found that vendors are resorting to unethical practices, and cheating passengers of their money. We were told that tea and coffee were now to cost Rs.10, and though we grumbled, there is really no alternative to the vendors on the train, and we paid up. We were surprised, the next day, to…

Anvitha S writes: The sightings of fruit eating bats hanging dead on power lines have become increasingly common nowadays. These bats are victims of the poor electric wiring system of our country. In most cases they get caught in the power lines while flying to a tree that has either grown through a power line or is very close to it.   An electrocuted bat hangs from the electric wires. Pic: Anvitha S. I happened to see one such electrocuted bat in August. There was a fruiting fig tree very close to a power line in Hampinagar. It used to…