City: Bengaluru

Street play is one of the most basic forms of theatre. It is truly theatre of and for the masses. No special stages, elaborate sets, props, or costumes are required, no time is wasted, no special environment is created, and no fee is paid-yet, street theatre can speak directly to the heart of the viewer. The energy and vitality of performing in a public environment to a public audience also makes street play the perfect vehicle for political protest and propaganda. In India, the name of Safdar Hashmi is synonymous with political street theatre. The Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival 2011,…

Saving fuel is necessary not only to save money but to reduce pollution. Here are few important tips to see how we can save fuel and be more happier as we reduce our spending and remain calm while driving. 1. Fuel at night or early morning: This is a phenomenon we often do not realise. We refuel petrol/diesel when the tank gets to the reserve. Oil expands with the rise in temperature. This expansion causes lesser energy generation, if fueled in hot time of the day. The fuel will burn faster than what you imagine. Best time to fuel the…

The Ranga Shankara Theatre Fest 2011 had a political theme- all the events including seminars, film screenings, plays and platform performances have a political thread running through them. But then, who can get more political than Badal Sircar, the doyen of anti-establishment theatre in our country? Pic Courtesy: Ranga Shankara The Rangshila theatre group from Mumbai staged Sircar's "Teesveen Shatabdi" or "Thirtieth Century," on 21 October, a fascinating play about the moral aspects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. This is one of Sircar's early plays written in 1966. A time when the echoes…

KEB layout in BTM 1st stage has only one park - until about two years ago this park had a play area which catered to children from the layout and surroundings. But the children's park was demolished by the BBMP in January 2009, to build a road through the park. The road was built to aid traffic and parking for a Sai Baba temple opposite the park. There are about 50 children residing in the layout, who mostly play on the roads as their play area in the park was demolished. Pic: Navya P K Children in the layout now…

After dogged perseverance with the BMTC for 17 years, Kuvempunagar (BTM) Resident's Welfare Association (KRWA), finally succeeded in getting a new bus route the area. The route became operational from 6th August this year. The new bus route, 25N, will begin near 14th Corss, 7th Main in 2nd Stage BTM Layout and proceed to Majestic and vice-versa at an average interval of one hour fifteen minutes. A bus stop was constructed by BBMP councillor GNR Babu, to provide shelter for those waiting for the bus. It was inaugurated a few weeks ago. Padmakshi (right) with other committee member of KRWA.…

Every minute 3 people die, somewhere in India, because of cardiovascular diseases, namely heart attack and stroke* The sad part is - they need not die. According to a paper published in Current Science journal in 2009 hypertension or High Blood pressure is responsible for 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all deaths due to heart attack. Tragically, in majority of cases , patients are unaware of their high blood pressure. Hypertension is called the silent killer .If not treated properly, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and eye complications. How to prevent…

When the siren of the first ever Metro train of the city resounded from the tracks of MG Road station on Thursday at 4 pm, hundreds of people were looking up from the queue outside the station. Snaking outwards to both sides of the station, the queue was getting longer with more people joining in every minute. Visitors with their tokens at the ticket checking counters in Metro station. Pic Navya P K As the first train was leaving the station, operators waved to the crowd below. There were loud shout outs from the public, even as some voiced their…

Yet another accident at the junction of 24 th Main  and 22 nd Cross in HSR Layout Sector 2 , Parangipalaya area on Wednesday, 19 October.This  time a pregnant woman, Chandrakala was killed  by a reckless speeding car. In this accident, an auto rickshaw driver and a couple of other pedestrians, it is learnt, were also injured. Hawkers on footpath and haphazard parking a bane to pedestrians. Pic: Brig R S Murthy Two years ago a senior Army Officer  was hit and died at around the same spot. Every day pedestrians are at a risk of being hit by chaotic…

The Water Hackathon Bangalore will kick off with a dinner and reception event on today, 21st October at the Ista Hotel off MG Road Bangalore. The event will include presentations by experts in the water sector and the IT sector. Teams of hackers will identify the problems in the water sector they want to address using the mobile technology of their choice. The coding will then begin on the morning of Saturday, 22 October at the Electronic City Campus of the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B).  Pic Courtesy: IIHS The teams will hack through the night of Saturday…

Even after making her home in Koramangla, dust-free, Shilpa Rao, 55, a teacher at an international school, suffered from persistent allergic reactions. Her doctor suggested that the problem might lie in her mattress and she needs to get it cleaned. She contacted ‘Clean Fanatic', a company specialising in cleaning mattresses. Shilpa says that after the cleaning, her wheezing has reduced considerably. Cleaning in progress at the Prabhakarans' home in Banaswadi. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi Brothers Anuroop and Sanjay Prabhakaran, 34 and 38, who live in Banaswadi, too opted for the service after constant allergic reactions to dust. "We thought it…