City: Bengaluru

Most of us at some point or other in our lives have looked up at the sky and wondered, what is that bright star? What are those light streaks in the sky? At the Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS), we want people to get answers to these questions and learn more about our universe.BAS, a registered non-profit organisation, started in 2006 by a group of seven astronomy enthusiasts, has now 70 paid members and hundreds more, part of the e-group. We want to nurture people’s interest in astronomy, one of the few areas of studies that is ancient and yet modern.…

Most of the times, injuries while bursting crackers occur because of no supervision, misuse of crackers, device failure and so on. Injuries may also result from being too close to fireworks when they explode. For example, when you lean over to look more closely if a firework has been lit or if a bottle rocket hits a nearby person. The types of fireworks that generally cause injuries are flower pots or fountains, sparklers, bombs, rockets and sky shots. Precautions and safety measuresBuy fireworks from licensed and reputed manufacturers only. Ask the shopkeeper for his license given by the city police.…

If you happened to be near Brigade Road, Church Street or Mosque Road (Frazer Town) on the evening of September 9th and saw a colourful truck it may have well been the Bangalore Bachao wagon. The brainchild of some students from the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, it is an art intervention about some of the critical environmental issues affecting Bangalore presently. The eight participants loaded the “float on wheels” truck with art material in its open back and drove through the city. Pic credit: Bangalore Bachao group. It highlights the efforts of Hasiru Usiru and its associated…

It’s that time of the year when, everywhere you look, you see gaily wrapped boxes of dry fruits and mithai. With Diwali coming up and plenty of options available, customers are spoilt for choice. Pic: Theresa Varghese. Here's we found in some of the most frequented sweet shops in the city. Adyar Ananda Bhavan, 80 Feet Road, 7th Block, Koramangala A well known name that has people flocking to its many franchises, this outlet always has customers tucking into the tasty snacks and strong coffee it offers. No doubt, Adyar Ananda Bhavan has its loyal clientele but here, the name…

We look at them, we dont care a damn. We drive past them, we dont wait for them to cross; We pay them, but we dont treat them equally.This is the pourakarmikas Working for us everyday, Regardless of their health, nor the weather that day.They clean our surroundings, When they don’t clean theirs.To see them smiling, a rare occasion To make them smile, even more a rarity But the cost, nothing at all Doing this, makes a world of a difference...                                                    Raunak Dembla                                                    St. Joseph's Indian High School, Gopalkrishna, Engineer-in-Chief, BBMP, today flagged off the week-long ‘Pourakarmika Thank…

The smell of sulphur wafting through the air, the night-sky filled with beautiful firework displays, constant sounds of bombs being blown – crackers are an integral part of the hindu festival Diwali, or Deepavali as it is termed in  some parts of south India. The Late A Chelladurai, General Director of the Sivakasi-headquartered Standard Fireworks Ltd., once wrote, “At no time was there or is there a product that has contributed more to relaxation, merriment and enjoyment - both for young and old alike. Let us enjoy fireworks!”  But unlike a decade ago, when this was a sight only during…

Just around three months ago, the state government completed the wards delimitation process. From 100 wards, Bengaluru now has a total of 198. And if you want to know what the boundary of your new ward is, www.bbmpwards.org is a website you can go to.  The homepage of the site states that the site gives “comprehensive information about the composition of BBMP and the delimited wards along with details of localities forming a particular ward”.  The site has been set up by Zoomin Softech Pvt Ltd, an IT solutions company, for the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bangalore district, who is the…

The next time you're on the road at peak traffic time observe this. There'll be a wannabe Michael Schumacher who'll take off like a rocket at the signal, and you'll meet up with him at the next signal. You'll most likely meet up with him at every signal over the next 10 km. Why does this happen, even though he's driving faster than you? This is because of the 'Schumi-Bang effect', a scientific phenomenon caused by the interaction between Schumi's vehicle and Bangalore's roads. Here's the explanation. When traffic signals are close to each other, your average speed depends on…

Citizen Matters was present at the Sneha Sante event, with a spot drawing contest for children and also encouraged visitors of all ages to share their thoughts about the city. Sneha Sante was organised by Bangalore Cares, a non profit group, on 27th and 28th September 2009, at H N Kalakshetra, National College, Jayanagar. The event combined a charity bazaar and a programme of cultural events, Here are some thoughts people shared. A city full of people with good intentions! And it’s great that a lot of them actually carry out their intentions.Maha KumarBe kind to animals it is their…

Take your Form 6 to the Voter Facilitation Centre (VFC) of your Assembly Constituency (AC). Even though your wards may have changed after delimitation, your constituency remains the same. Each AC has one VFC. You can get the address and contact number of your VFC here. Remember, even though there are new wards now, your VFC will remain the same since your AC has not changed.Submit the Form 6 at the VFC with copies of address proof/ID proof.The VFC officials will check if your form has been filled in correctly and then give you an acknowledgment receipt.These forms are then…