Articles by Deepa Mohan

Is it snowing in Bangalore this winter? No, but something just snowballed into a major event!What started as a simple outing that a few friends wanted to do together has now got all the makings of a major sports fixture. Let's see how the Tour Of Nilgiris (TFN) event that some Bangalore cyclists have put together, grew from small to large..... Pic: Aravind Teki of Bangalore Bikers' ClubThe whole idea was triggered in March of this year, when Ravi Ranjan Kumar, a software engineer, thought of organising a holiday ride for some friends. He posted the idea on Bikezone, one…

Right in the middle of the rush and hustle of St Mark's Road, I spotted it...a "gem of purest ray serene"...but not in the "unfathom'd caves of ocean", but right in the centre of this city of ours.Surrounded by its garden, shaded by its trees, it looked an oasis of unexpected peace in the middle of the explosion of glass, chrome, steel ...and traffic...that is St Mark's Road today.It was like suddenly having a little window opening into the gracious past...I stood for a while admiring the beauty of the building, and then walked on, knowing that I could share…

INTACH, an NGO that is involved in the conservation of our heritage in all forms, has been conducting several heritage walks, named Parichay (Introduction), around several areas of Bangalore. On 30th November, they conducted a walk in the Russell Market area.The Russell Market area is a bustling hub of commercial activity today, and was no less so on Sunday morning. The beginning of the walk was at Adams Square, for which Mohammed Sheriff, a tomato merchant, had a comment. "It's actually Richards Square," he said, pointing to a plaque behind him. "It's called Adams Square because of the famous Adams…

On 12th November 2008, Hasiru Usiru (HU) volunteers, in a symbolic act of protection, tied white ribbons around the trees on Sheshadri Road. The road is slated to be widened, with several 40-50 years old trees along its strength to be felled.Vijay Narnapatti (far left) engaging the members of the Empowered Committer in discussion (12 Nov 08, Sheshadri Road) (pic: Deepa Mohan) As Chairman, Yellappa Reddy, of the Empowered Committee, himself turned up for the inspection of the road, he was met by Vijay Narnapatti, an architect and a HU volunteer. Naranpatti pressed for the cause of retaining as many…

One of the problems that BMTC faces in the construction of bus stops is that the land on which these stops must be sited, belongs to the BBMP. It often runs into rough weather with the construction of bus stops being stalled. So it was a refreshing sight to see a bus stop being constructed on Bannerghatta Road, opposite Shopper's Stop near the Jayadeva flyover: I am not sure if the bus stop will shelter users completely from the elements, but it's still far better than having people stand at unmarked places on the road while waiting for buses!Hopefully, all…

The Ragigudda Temple, Jayanagar 9th Block, is celebrating the Hanumath Jayanthi (birthday of Hanuman or Anjaneya) from the 3rd of December. The area around the temple has been cordonned off to traffic and several stalls have sprung up, making the area a colourful, bustling one now.One man was setting up his bookstall as I walked past:at another bookstall, a policeman on duty was having a look at the books:There were plastic toys (probably Chinese-made ones) for sale:So were clothes:An incredible heap of ceramic items:Some people were setting out template rangoli-pattern plates:When the powder was put through these plates, these beautiful…

I was walking down Jayanagar 9th block when I saw this really beautiful work of art. Its function is to keep people from bumping into the glass, but the artist in the person entrusted with the job was not satisfied with just drawing a cross across the glass. Art..and aesthetics...show up in the most unlikely places... who would think of the glass pane of a building under construction as a canvas for someone's imagination? ⊕

Bangalore has seen the success stories of hundreds of young men and women who have, apparently, taken to information technology like a duck to water. So it is interesting to talk to people who are the ‘other side of the coin', so to speak....who have turned their back on careers in this lucrative field, and are branching out in directions dictated by their hearts, rather than by economic necessity. Amoghavarsha: Wildlife photographer Meet Amoghavarsha JS, a young man who has done just this. "When I finished my Pre-University," he says, "I knew I loved technology, and, so I decided to…

The Valley School area, just off Kanakapura Road, is a beautiful spot, retained as a wilderness by the Valley School authorities,and it's a great way of escaping into the outdoors, even on a weekday morning!The unexpected trip, with three friends, proved to be a real treat, with the light at its warmest, and all the birds (except of course the evil few...more about that later) actually posing in a calm and composed way for us....Here are my friends, C and R, clicking away to glory, and the glory was, the grasses lit up by the morning sun:We were not able…

One of the things I feel very proud about as I travel by the buses of the BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) is the fact that many women conductors are now employed by the organization.I decided to watch, without any intervention, as one such young woman went about her job on the bus that I was travelling by.Here she is:She was quite diligent about asking passengers for their tickets or passes, and unlike some men conductors that I have (alas!) seen, she gave back the necessary change, too, all the time that I watched her.Apart from the regular duty, there…