Articles by Sharath Bhat

A kitchen counter at a small, but popular South Indian restaurant in the city. It's so popular, the place draws more than a thousand people every day. The food is tasty, the rates are comfortable and it's open from six thirty in the morning, till a convenient hour in the evening. But what's that rag doing in the picture? That rag must have been bright yellow when it was bought. Now it's dirty brown in colour, because of one good reason - it's dirty. And you'd be pleased to know that it is used to wipe the plates dry after…

It was the first time I was actually testing out the walking track here and believe me, this was refreshing. The walking surface is a wee bit rough but who cares, with the kind of visual panorama that unfolds as you take that long curve half-way around the lake. Your starting point is near the Foto Flash outlet and you can go right up to the Gurudwara, where you turn around for the return journey. I couldn't time my stretch, because I was stopping every five minutes to take a picture. The evenings at the lake front can also get…

This is one of the main entry points to where I live near Richards Town. It's a small residential layout, off Lazar Road. This view is nice and flattering - peaceful, green, orderly - to show what a nice looking community this could be.Here's a view from the other end of the road, where one vacant site has been used as a dumping ground for years. What typically happens to any site where the owner could be stationed elsewhere and doesn't really make an appearance.At this location, the build-up is close to nine feet from road level. A lot of…

Meet Susheel Alexander Samuel – 22 years old and in his final year of mechanical engineering. From this picture, you're probably wondering what's familiar with the hairstyle... Ghajini? No…and that’s a long story. Susheel Alexander Samuel (pic: Sharath Bhat) As a teenager, Susheel was everything parents put on their wish-list. He was diligent, thoughtful, obedient and totally responsible – even when it came to riding his bike. He would always wear a helmet, even if he was just going down the road. So do bad things really happen to good people? It was 23rd February 2005 - Susheel had just…

Years ago, Cooke Town was full of old bungalows built during the "burra sahib" days. Lots of garden space, verandahs with trellis panels, spacious bedrooms, high ceilings, four-blade punkahs, windows with framed-glass shutters... I could go on and on and on.But things are fast changing out here, with large bungalows making way for apartment blocks. Inevitable, with elderly couples living alone and their children settled abroad. But unlike elsewhere in the city, apartments here try and retain the old world charm associated with local British colonies - especially Cooke Town, Richards Town, Cox Town and Frazer Town.The picture you see…

While most of us voice visible concern when trees are cut indiscriminately, what are we doing about trees crying out for help, as a result of sheer neglect and apathy ? Just look at these pictures*. The next time we have strong winds in the city or heavy rains, some of these trees will just snap horizontal and keel over. So let's not go overboard only about trees being cut. Let's look around for trees that have their days numbered. I don't know if official machinery can kick in here, but I'm sure we can look around in our own…

Meet Prakash Michael. 56 years old, freelance graphic designer and an alumnus of the JJ School of Art. Prakash runs a graphic design studio in Bangalore and is one of the most resourceful art directors I have met or worked with. Prakash MichaelWay back, when there was no desktop publishing or Photoshop, Prakash did the layouts, assembled his artworks and somewhere down the line, nipped into his dark room to print bromides of b&w logos and images. A true one-stop shop in drawing board publishing.Over the years, the end-to-end responsibilities of freelance became a serious limiting factor. "I just didn't…

Traffic flows smoothly out here. Pics : Sharath Bhat Meet Srinivasalu Naidu - a self-appointed traffic regulator who stations himself at a narrow by-lane off Millers Road in Benson Town - a little before the railway overbridge near Coles Park. If you come in from the Cantonment Station and go past Nandidurga Road, you'll find this narrow by-lane that takes you to Benson Road or Pottery Road. With two-way traffic, this stretch can get tricky - and that's where Srinivasulu comes in. He regulates a steady stream of cars and bikes, with a practiced hand and business-like authority. Without someone…

I had always wondered what life was like on the inside, at Karunashraya. If I had gone there as a copywriter on a project, I would go around with the team, look inside the wards, talk to some of the patients and ask for a 'brief' as we normally do, before we start a project.But then, all roads led to Karunashraya when my mother drifted into a terminal stage of cancer - far too gone even for a miracle cure. I would now get an insider's perspective on Karunashraya - as a caregiver to a patient.View from the walk-ways, around…

I've been taking a closer look at "No Smoking" signs in town from a designer's perspective. Yes, there is a need to be loud and clear - at least till the message sinks in, and people don't look for an ashtray the moment they walk into a restaurant. Sign at Coffee Day near Lavelle Road And if they are going to be big and bold, can't they be a little more interesting? Some of the signs I've seen are so bold, that they come close to rapping you on the knuckles. So, if you run a business that requires you…