Articles by Deepa Mohan

 I decided to visit my friends Ganu and Hema, and their daughter, Janani, who's recently come home for good, after having done her Masters' degree at Pittsburgh. They always put up a lovely display for Navarathri:A "kolu" or "golu" is supposed to be a representation of the universe, so anything you wish to can be put in....human beings, animals, gods, flowers....Here's an idol which is half Ganesha, half Hanuman, that I've never seen before:These dolls/figures are often sold in "sets". Here's a beautiful set of Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, on the shores near Chennai:There is also a lovely seascape painting to…

 On Sunday, 25th September 2011, discerning lovers of music flocked to Ravindra Kalakshetra, to attend the Radio Sangeet Sammelan.The Carnatic music program by Smts. Ranjani and Gayathri was followed by a flute recital by Sri Ronu Mojumdar.The foyer was beautifully decorated with this "AIR" floral rangoli.An enjoyable evening for everyone, followed by distribution of sweets by K C Das! ⊕

Anyone who has developed an interest in forests and wildlife would have heard of the author, Kenneth Anderson. His stories of the forests are legion, and are still selling briskly everywhere. (Fresh stocks have just arrived at Landmark bookstore in the Forum.)Many people do accuse Anderson of exaggerating for effect, and say that he over-dramatised the wild. But perhaps he did so to make a better story, and to attract more people towards both his tales and to wildlife.Unfortunately, though, an author who is at least as entertaining as Ruskin Bond, or James Corbett, rests now in a grave in…

‘*A Call in the Rainforest*' This film documents and examines the impact of human induced changes on one Lion-tailed Macaque sub-population, in the Valparai Range of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The *Lion-tailed Macaque* (Macaca silenus) is an endangered species according to the IUCN Redlist. The total number of mature Lion-tailed Macaques is estimated to be less than 2500. The duration of the Film is 18 and half minutes long, and is shot with Canon 1D Mark IV (DSLR). It is a full HD movie. Date : 1st Oct 2011 (Saturday) Venue : *Alliance Francaise** De Bangalore* (Near Cantonment Railway Station)…

  Where does "kolam" or "rangoli" fit in? Art? Tradition? Culture? Hospitality? ...All of the above it seems to me!  Here's a lovely rangoli in front of my friend Alamelu Ramaswamy's home: It's such lovely patterns that invited the passerby to enter, and feel at home...Rangoli is one of the traditions that I love. ⊕

The world celebrates Car-Free Day on September 22.... Bangalore can also join in. We welcome you to play your role as a citizen of Bangalore: · Please do not use car on Sept 22nd · Use public transport for one day · Explore the possibility of car pooling from/to your area⊕

Sep 30th to Oct 4th, at Lalbagh, every morning from 7.30 am to 10 am. Register before 25th September! A fun event that will teach participants to observe and record.⊕

  As you turn in at Anand Rao Circle, the name of a camera shop, that's frequented by most of the photography community in Bangalore, comes into view: Jayesh Patel, the proprietor, had a shop in Chickpet, and opened this new outlet in Anand Rao Circle a while ago. Here's the shop facade at Brigade Plaza:Inside, especially on Saturdays, it's a scene of hectic activity, as photographic equipment is bought, and sold, in large quantities.Jayesh is very knowledgeable about cameras, and I have found his word to be his bond. He has always offered cameras and associated equipment at very competitive prices.…

Eugene Ionesco, a Romanian/French playwright, was one of the pioneers of the Theatre of the Absurd, along with such playwrights as Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet and Harold Pinter. Since he uses gibberish and parody and, sometimes, non sequitors (Latin for "it does not follow." It is most often used as a noun to describe illogical statements) as the basis of his plays, it was a fairly difficult task for the group to stage the play. In "The Bald Soprano", too, one has to use the words "allegedly" and "apparently" very often. The excellent brochure that  Little Jasmine, the theatre group…

It is always pleasant to go to a play which is for children, and even more so when it is being staged to celebrate something good. In this case, it was the play, "Robi's Garden", which was an original play by Bangalore Little Theatre (BLT), to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Association for the Mentally Challenged (AMC).BLT was founded in 1960, and is the city's oldest theatre society. In 2006, BLT set up a separate Academy of Theatre Arts. BLT has a strong programme for children's theatre, and usually stages a major production every year in the August/September period.…