bangalore journal

‘.. in a democracy such as ours, people make their own meanings of urban space, in both physical-material and mental-imaginative ways.’ ‘…negotiations contribute to the production of space in the city and any understanding in the changes of urban morphology goes well beyond, or below, the two dimensionality of the map.’– Janaki Nair, in The Promise of the Metropolis: Bangalore’s Twentieth Century.The Bangalore City Corporation (1949) is the result of a union between Bangalore City (the present old city area or pete which was founded in the 16th century) and Cantonment (which was established in the 20th century under the…

Arts and Culture Govt apathy may cost city the NSD regional centre The government's failure to provide suitable a space to the prestigious National Drama School (NSD) may result in the city losing its much hyped regional centre. The centre was sanctioned after activists staged a series of protests. The government has asked them to hold plays in Gurunanak Bhavan in Vasanthnagar (behind the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Comitttee office, near the Karnataka Badminton Association), reluctant to provide land for the centre. Regional director of NSD Suresh Anagalli cautions that all plans of the regional centre may be put on hold…

Most of us who are either buying or selling property find the procedures cumbersome and encounter a range of different certificates and documents required to proceed with a deal. Many of us are unfamiliar with what is required until we face the situation.What is a Khata? What is an occupancy certificate? Who issues it? When and why is it needed? What about the ‘possession certificate’? Former Deputy Commissioner of BBMP (Revenue department) H B S Aradhya answered these questions for Supriya Khandekar of Citizen Matters. What is a Khata?There is no specific mention of the term Khata in the Act…

‘Kote Katti Merdavrella Yenadaru?’ (‘What became of those famous persons who established forts?’) – lines of a popular yesteryear Kannada film song rang in my mind as I glided on the smooth Bellary road towards Devanahalli. Much as I tried to throw it out, the ditty rang louder and I was on the verge of humming it aloud. To my relief, I reached Devanahalli town limits. Tipu Sultan's birthplace. Pic: PD.As you enter the town from Bellary Road, one has to take the first left to reach the fort. Alternatively, cruise down a kilometre ahead on Bellary Road and take…

‘The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings’-International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) Organic - the new mantra of today's well being. It is the name given to food that is grown without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers and emphasizes using renewable resources for conserving soil and water. In addition, organic food is not subjected to radiation treatment and artificial colours and it is not genetically-modified. It includes everything from staple crops such as rice…

Business With rise in prices of raw materials, hotels have jacked up their prices as well. All dishes at the Darshini hotels are to become dearer by Re 1 and by Rs 2 in other hotels. Idly-vada-dosa aficionados are unhappy with this increase, feeling that a raise of 50 paise would have been sufficient. There are an estimated 6000 Darshini hotels in Bangalore (source for numbers not cited). ( Prajavani , Wednesday, July 30 ) City Life Fuel price hike no deterrent for bikers Despite inflation and rise in the cost of fuel, bike craze among the youth remains. More…

ICSE, CBSE, IGCSE, IB, SSLC…If these seem like random combinations of letters to you, you probably do not have a child of school-going age. Most parents would instantly recognize these as abbreviations of the various school boards that exist in Bangalore today. In the quest of the perfect school for their child, parents of children as young as three begin to choose from among the plethora of not just schools but also school boards, each professing a different philosophy and vision. Science is all around us: A biology class at Prakriya. (Pic: Prakriya) With the majority of parents, the preferred…

Bangalore’s face is being reconstituted. Roads are being widened but elected representatives are not consulted on this process. The Oberois are given control of about 160 acres of land around Hebbal Tank and they go on to build a floating restaurant on the lake, denying free access to the lake for the publics. “So what is happening to the ‘commons’? What is this development that is done ostensibly in the name of ‘public good’ but the public is not being consulted?” These were the questions that Leo Saldanha of the Environment Support Group (ESG) raised to Michael Goldman, professor of…

The Udayabhanu Kala Sangha located in Kempegowda Nagar (Basavangudi) is a volunteer-based literary, cultural and social organisation. Founded in 1965 by L Venkatappa and M Narasimha (who also serves as secretary), the 43-year-old organisation had its beginnings in a small reading room. Says Founder-Secretary M Narasimha, “The Sangha started in a small 10X10 rented space, as a public reading room that stocked works of renowned Kannada litterateurs.” Some of these writers like Dr U R Ananthamurthy and Professor Vinayaka Krishna Gokak went on to become future Jnanapeeth awardees and regular contributors to the Sangha’s innumerable publications. Secretary M Narasimha. Pic:…

Colville's Glory is one of the many picture perfect trees in Lalbagh. The tree is named after Sir Charles Colville who was Army Commander-in-chief in Bombay from 1819 to 1825 and subsequently Governor of Mauritius from 1828 to 1834. Colville's Glory tree Pic: MS. Colville's Glory flowers. Pic: MS. Squirrel on flowers of Colville's Glory. Pic: MS. Bojer, an Austrian Botanist, first found a single cultivated tree in 1824 in Madagascar when he mounted a specimen collecting expedition from Mauritius. Further, he described, in 1829, the flamboyant (Delonix regia or Gulmohur) which also he found in Madagascar. Eight of the…