Articles by Ganga Madappa

 Women at the Dodda Maramma temple, waiting to see the other car processions. Pic: Perumal Venkatesan No celebration is complete without fireworks. Pic: Perumal VenkatesanA lady cooks sweet pongal (made using new rice and jaggery) inside the temple campus, to offer to the goddess. This is a common practise across amman (Mariamma) temples in Tamil Nadu too. Pic: Perumal Venkatesan The gully where processions carrying the four idols meet. From here they proceed to the Dodda Maramma temple for the Agni Kunda Puja. Pic: Perumal Venkatesan Young lads dance to the beat of the tamte vaathya. Pic: Perumal Venkatesan Karagattam…

On the morning of May 27th 2015, Benedict Jebakumar found himself caught in traffic on the flyover that connects Silk Board to Bellandur Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru, en route to his office at Eco Space. While one might say that is expected on Bangalore roads, there was one more factor that contributed to the traffic. Spread on the road were nails, many of them, the kind that one would typically find in a cobbler’s shop. Small, black and oh so troublesome! While most commuters waited in their vehicles for the jam to clear up, Benny got off his bike…

World over, June 5th is celebrated as World Environment Day. It’s that time of the year when people across the world come together to talk about the environment and how we need to make a change today, so we can help nurture the planet for tomorrow. In Bangalore, nothing could have said it better than the Parisara Habba. Organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the Parisara Habba, or the Festival of the Environment, is a two-day event held on June 5th and 6th at Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. While KSPCB does organise the event almost every year on…

Forum for Urban Commons and Governance protesting against TenderSURE on April 9th 2015 On April 9th, the Forum for Urban Commons and Governance organised a protest in opposition to the Tender SURE project, citing that there it was approved and being implemented in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner. Their protest was a demand for the democratisation of governance, and to build a socially that was just, and inclusive. Citizen Matters spoke to Meena Artwani, a member of the group to understand their concerns. Here is the text of the interview: Who are the organisations and individuals that are part of…

“Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.”                                                                     - Gillian Anderson, Actress and Philanthropist In the past couple of years, Bangalore has seen various individuals and groups stepping up to further a cause that…

“The tattoo is the mark of the soul. It can act as a window we can see in, or it can be a shield to protect us from those who can see past the surface.” - Author unknown It was the year 2006 when an 18-year-old girl decided to get tattooed. While it had been playing on her mind for sometime, she was yet to decide what she wanted and by whom she would get it done. One fine day, walking down Commercial Street in Bengaluru with a friend, she saw a board that said ‘Tattoos’ and in she went. About…

  “My favourite weather is bird chirping weather.” - Terri Guillemets It is a rather rare occasion when people from around the world get together for a common cause. When it happens, it makes for a marvelous spectacle. The Great Global Backyard Bird Count is one such event, where tens of thousands of people, though separated by geography, are one in spirit. What makes it truly spectacular are the sights that these good folks will be witness to.   This weekend marks the 18th edition of the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Launched by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and…

Managing all the facilities in an apartment, from water supply to garbage to electricity, is the job of a facility manager, which requires expertise. File pic. Picture this. An apartment complex at the heart of Bengaluru, that has 40 units. The Management Committee for the apartment has three members, all of whom have their own day jobs. One fine summer morning, the motor that supplies water to the complex breaks down. There is a need to purchase a replacement motor quickly. Add to it, the members who do not see eye to eye on anything. By the time they have…

Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal First up, let me state that I treat myself like a princess when it comes to commuting. While buses are probably the first choice of transport for most folks in the city, I am yet to make my peace with it. And I have tried, honestly! And at the end of each bus journey, I am put off buses for a couple of months. A couple of days back, a friend was talking about how much she enjoyed the me-time on her commute home from Jakkasandra to Malleswaram and how she manages to get a good amount…

Every year, come Christmas, I get nostalgic. Thanks to my convent school education, it is indeed my most favourite festival in the year. All I really want to do is go back in time, to my school days and relive the wonderful Christmas celebrations we had. Decorating the playroom, lots of carol singing, putting up the nativity play (I have proudly played the part of Joseph on two occasions at least), waiting for Santa (typically the tallest girl from the tenth standard) to distribute gifts and finally, getting a sip of Christmas wine in a one of those really tiny…