City: Bengaluru

It is an 11.2 acre plush green landscape. A few huts have sprouted here and there. Encroachments. Pigs and cows graze along quietly. Apart from the piles of garbage strewn in certain portions, the Meistripalya kere (also known as Jakkasandra Lake) is a vital open space for residents of Koramangala. Meistripalya kere is a vital open space for residents of Koramangala. Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal. It is to protect this very lung space that the residents of Koramangala fought for years. Their efforts finally bore fruit in February 2010 after the Supreme Court ruled in their favour to protect this land…

The parking lot with space for 60 cars on the terrace of Jayanagar's Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC), opposite the 4th block shopping complex is lying unused. At 3.30 pm on a weekday afternoon the lot was empty. Empty parking lot on a weekday in Jayanagar one of the busiest areas in the city. Pic: Subramaniam Vincent. Jayanagar is one of the busiest commercial areas in the city. There is space for around 60 cars and 20 bikes in this facility, says the BMTC, which runs the centre. For a car, the charges are Rs 20 for 4 hours.…

Commercial Street is one of the oldest and busiest shopping areas of Bangalore. Known for its eclectic shopping destinations and food joints, Commercial Street is best explored by foot. Aptly located in the heart of the city with ample parking space, this area is the most sought after by youngsters and families alike. With early monsoon setting in, don't let your shopping spree be dampened by the rains. Opt for plastic jumper boots - they are in vogue this season and keep your feet clean. You can also opt for simple yet pretty plastic chappals in various colors. An umbrella…

Just about 10 years ago “open kitchen” was a fad. My architect wanted to put atleast a “half wall” between the kitchen and the living room and I had to put my foot down to have my kitchen my way. Now that we have moved on and live in an independent house with quite a big open kitchen, it sees like this architecture has become more of a norm.At the time I had just returned from the US, I felt an open kitchen made a statement. An open kitchen meant that a lady of the house is not tucked away…

Public memory, it is said, is short. And yet, almost four months after the Carlton tower fire accident, the family members of the victims and the survivors continue to tirelessly work towards spreading awareness on fire safety, through the group 'Beyond Carlton'.Recently, one of the members of Beyond Carlton, Uday Vijayan, addressed some employees of Sasken, a city-based communications technology major, on fire safety. This was at a fire safety awareness programme for Sasken employees conducted by the company in association with Janaagraha and Civil Defence. Vijayan, who lost his son Akhil, on that tragic February 23rd evening at Carlton…

Today, we hear a lot of buzz words: environment, eco-friendly, go-green and so on. Eco-consciousness needs to be inculcated into our next generation and the best way to instill values into our children is through right schooling.Let me narrate the sterling example that my school set in the early 1960's. This was St Thomas School, at Mandir Marg, in Delhi. Our principal was an enlightened lady, who, through many practices followed by the school, inspired all of us to be aware of our environment, not be wasteful and to respect the dignity of labour. We all wore uniforms made of…

The Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) has received a high rating in a survey carried out by the Airport Councils International (ACI), an international association of the world's airports. On a scale of five, BIA has received a score of 4.2 in the first quarter of 2010 alone.The 24/7 Airport Operations Control Center plays a crucial role in coordinating between various departments to ensure smooth operations. Pic courtesy: BIAL The survey is carried out by speaking to passengers every month of the year.Bengaluru International Airport Limited's (BIAL) Director (Operations) Hari Marar says that airports generally score around 3.5 in their first…

 The gentleman was spotted in Malleswaram area. Pic: Srikanth Parthasarathy.Pic: Srikanth Parthasarathy.‹ › $(document).ready(function(){ $('.carousel .carousel-inner .item').first().attr('class', 'active item');});⊕

"In Mexico an air conditioner is called a politician because it makes a lot of noise but doesn't work very well." - Len Deighton (English writer, b. 1929) Lack of participation and involvement, personality clashes, petty politics taking precedence over real issues and an inability to come together to address pressing problems effectively. Sounds like the Indian Parliament or State Legislative Assembly? Guess again. This could be a lot closer to you than you think. Apartment Owners Associations are statutory bodies comprising all the owners of apartments in a particular building / complex, and tasked with running the day to…

During my summer holidays, I visited Mysore, a lovely place with exceptionally amazing monuments, enormous palaces.  Mysore is a major tourist attraction in Karnataka and when my cousin visited from Delhi, we decided to go see this historic city.  I love going on such trips; so with my heart pounding with great excitement and anticipation, we began our trip and it turned out to be one of the most glorious and action-packed ones that I have had so far.The first place we visited in Mysore was the beautiful Mysore Palace, belonging to the Wodeyar Dynasty. We were astounded by its…