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I am fortunate to live on Cookson Road in east Bangalore. It is well-shaded with an excellent density of roadside trees. My apartment block is in a cul-de-sac and my immediate neighbor is a lady well-known for having the best garden in the city .In front of her bungalow (the last few remaining in the area) is a Lantana bush which is visited by a lot of butterflies, one of which happens to be the Common Banded Awl. The Common Banded Awl belongs to the family of butterflies called Hesperiidae, commonly known as Skippers. This is the third largest family…

The Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) is named after ‘Brahmin', the highest Hindu caste, ‘Hali' the Greek word for 'salt', ‘Astur' - Latin for hawk and ‘Indus' the river from which India is named (which now happens to be in Pakistan !). Also called ‘Garuda' in Karnataka, the vahan or vehicle of Lord Vishnu the Preserver. However the name that most often comes to my mind when I see one is the Ice Cream Cone Bird. Anyone familiar with the bird will know why. Use of pesticides and pollution of lakes in Bangalore pose as threats to birds like this Kite.…

If you are a parent who wants her child to do activities that require her to think and use her imagination, you've probably scoured the market for suitable craft kits. Yes, there's a lot of stuff available but after a point, most seem similar, with instructions that are often hard for kids to follow. It was the search for safe activities and crafts for their kids to do, that drove sisters Anu Parthasarathy and Rupa Vijendran to launch craft kits for children that are not only easy to make but also introduce them to traditional techniques like Channapatna woodwork, terracotta…

Every evening when I walk my dog near Cookson Road (in north Bengaluru) where I live, I see at least four species of butterflies, hear/see five species of birds and of course spot the most commonly seen wild mammal - the squirrel or the three-striped palm squirrel. All this when I am not even looking for wildlife! The three-striped palm squirrel is one of the most commonly found 'wild' creatures in Bengaluru. Pic: Vikram Nanjappa Surprised? Yes, urban areas like Bangalore have a wealth of wildlife. Unfortunately, people living in cities are often unaware of their 'wild' co-habitants. One will…

Note from Ramesh Sivaram:Yesterday, some of the long time residents of Sarjapur Road, Lakshmish and Rajgopal of Swami Vivekanada Sevaabivruddi Samaste, a local NGO based in Kaikondrahalli, and Rajeev Manikoth, another long time resident from nearby Shubh Enclave, planted bamboo saplings at the islands inside Kaikondrahalli lake on Sarjapura Road and Ambalipura lake (adjoining Trinity Meadows and Mantri apartments). Tree planting. pic: Ramesh Sivaram. We are happy report that the saplings planted earlier in the kaikondrahalli island are all doing well. Tree planting. pic: Ramesh Sivaram. ⊕

The various communities in our ward celebrated Independence day with fervour and enthusiasm. Mantri Flora residents had a Saawan Mela after the Independence Day programme, where women participated in various events and put up stalls for food and games. Goonj, an NGO, had a stall where the residents contributed clothes for needy children. The function at Reliable Residency, Haralur started with flag hoisting by a resident and chief guest, Bhaskar Rao, followed by National Anthem. The chief guest spoke a few words about the celebration and words of advice to children to become responsible citizens of our nation,  followed by…

As Bangloreans, we have gotten used to all forms of constructions making our daily life a little more dusty and occasionally annoying. I saw this building under construction at the UB City Complex, and for once the construction site looks quite stylish!Pic by RaviKaushik R⊕

Film actress Ramya has come out in favour of extending deadlines of restaurants and pubs to 2 am (DNA, May 20). Minister Renukacharya raised the issue this year. Extending pub deadlines is one regular topic that comes up every year.But does rest of Bangalore have to shut shop so early?Nothing is open post dinner here! Outsiders term this a sleepy city, where nothing opens before 10 am and everybody closes by 8 pm. Retailers may say there is no crowd after 9 pm. But there are more and more working-couple families who will find it convenient to shop late. They…

Walking into this boutique garden store in Indiranagar is like visiting the terrace garden anyone might have always dreamt of creating. At Sunshine, there are pebbles strewn on the floor, a light green canopy softening the summer sun and beautiful Bonsais in pots, trays and pieces of wood adding to the abundance of green. Pic credit: Sunshine Boutique. If that's the terrace, the entrance to this Indiranagar bungalow is equally verdant with potted plants, colourful figures, bamboo and metal wind chimes, lamps hanging from branches and fountains. Most things are for sale but some aren't, as Veena Nanda, one of…

There are some advantages of being a mother in search of a decent summer camp. You keep your eyes and ears open and in the process discover things for yourself. For instance, had I not stared hard at the huge hoarding on Bannerghatta Road advertising horse riding lessons with that magic word ‘Summer Camp’ attached, I wouldn’t have discovered there was a stable right behind my house! Well almost behind, on Puttenahalli Main Road, JP Nagar 7th Phase to be precise. Having always wanted to ride with the wind in my hair and suchlike (yes, old age makes you confess…