Basavanagudi

  As you go around the city, don't forget to see the flowers of spring and summer, in all their glory.....here they are:Tabebuia argentea (or Tacoma argentea), the Golden Bell or Trumpet: Couroupita guianensis, the Cannonball tree (Nagalinga):The flower has a faint and lovely smell:Milletia ovalifolia, Moulmein Rosewood:Grevillea robusta, Silver Oak:Ceiba pentandra, a variety of Silk-Cotton:In this tree,the silk-cotton has burst through the pods:Tabebuia rosea, the Pink Poui:Erythrina indica, the Indian Coral Tree:Jacaranda mimosaefolia, the Jacaranda:Firmiana colorata, Coloured Sterculia (this is not a very common tree though)Plumeria species, Frangipani:, Colville's Glory:Spathodea campanulata, the African Tulip:Check out my Nature Guru (S.Karthikeyan)'s list…

Gudiya Sambhrama held at Hanumanth nagar , Anjaneya temple on the 13th of March 2011 was organised by Heritage Centre, a non-profitable organization. This performance was part of a series of performances spread over a period of four months at various temples of Bangalore.  Rukmini Vijay Kumar performing Bharathnatyam. Pic: Veena Basavarajaiah It was a delight to see all the children sitting in the front row with their attention glued to a puppet show instead of a television set on a sunday evening. The show presented by Dhaatu puppet theatre on the story of Bhakta Prahalada with colorful properties and puppets had the…

A very old, traditional eatery in the heart of Basavanagudi, in the middle of Gandhi Bazar, is Vidyarthi Bhavan We went there this Sunday, and the most popular dish seems to be their masala dosa. This is an incredibly heavy dish to eat, being practically deep-fried, with oil and ghee and "kempu chutney"being smeared inside the dosa, and with a filling of potato palya. These dosas are served by the waiters on plates that are stacked, eight or nine deep, on their arms! Here are some of us, waiting patiently for a table..even at 10 am on a Sunday, the…

  "NAVILAADAVARU" A Kannada film realized by a small group of enthusiasts, produced with just Rs 35,000. After the screening there will be an interaction / discussion on the film.  www.samvaada.com hopes to develop meaningful discussion on this. Seminar Topic: "Navilaadavaru in the context of Endhiran" Date: Sunday 28th Nov 2010, 11am - 2pm @Surana College Auditorium, South End Main Road, Basavangudi, Bangalore. Speakers Include: U R AnanthaMurthy (Noted writer)G B Harish (Writer, Professor, Tumkur University)John Devaraj (Activist)Kesari Harvu (Film Maker, Bhumigita Fame, Theatre Person)David Bond (Film Enthusiast)Shekharpoorna (Film Critic, Editor, kannadasaahithya.com web journal) Special Guests: Lahari Velu (Proprietor, Lahari Audio)Narendra Babu (Film Maker, ‘kabbaddi' fame)  Media Partners TAURIANwww.kannadasaahitya.comLahari Music Contact…

There have been recent discussions related to Gandhi Bazaar on converting the Gandhi Bazaar Road to a pedestrian only zone. This note looks at what needs to be considered before making changes to a bazaar road. The first thing to look at is who uses the road. The user groups in a street bazaar may consist of the 'shoppers' who come for a specific purpose; the 'strollers' who come to be in the lively space; the 'shop-owners', who depend on the activity for their economic sustenance and the 'hawkers' who are the informal counterparts. When does the need arise to…

One of the oldest bazaars, Gandhi Bazaar which is frequented by thousands and which is also a popular meeting point for the residents of Basvangudi, is today a bustling, noisy, chaotic 'thoroughfare', unsafe for shoppers. Thanks to heavy traffic. BMTC buses, trucks, and ‘all wheelers' make it a point to speed their way. Mowing down shoppers, making it a hazard for pedestrians. During festival time it is most dangerous and annoying.Shopping is also leisure time activity and the area is a social meeting point, especially for senior citizens and women with children. Shopping is meant to be pleasure and fun,…

Imagine you are in a time capsule. You open the door and peer out to see the Bengaluru city, especially the Gavipuram-Gandhibazaar area at different periods in time.Circa 1540: Work going on at Kempambudhi. Kempegowdaru is building a huge lake for the settlement here which later comes to be called Kempambudhi lake. He visits the Gavi (cave) Gangadeshwara temple and prays to the lord.1900s: Basavanagudi is a spacious settlement for the pete people with huge roads and wide open spaces. A little beyond are the some villages in Gavipuram. There are a few who venture into this area. It's a…

In 2004-05, four underpasses/ flyovers were thrust upon the citizens of Basavanagudi. V V Road flyover built against intense public opinion, has less than 30 per cent utilisation even today. R K Ashrama Circle flyover was scrapped due to BJP's opposition. R V Road underpass was overtaken by Metro work. An underpass at Gandhi Bazaar Circle was opposed by the traders and a quid-pro-quo was reached with them that the underpass will be shifted to Tagore Circle and the traders will not oppose. This can be verified.In 2006, when the Chief Minister came to start this bypass-work, the local public…

I went to Basavanagudi and was saddened to find that one more landmark, Cauvery Petrol Pump, had quite literally bitten the dust....In conjunction with BBMP's new policy of not planting any more trees, we are going to have a treeless, desert city of roads alone...⊕

Ever looked for an indulgent dish to devour at the end of a week that was beset with mundane meals? If yes, then Vidyarthi Bhavan's legendary ghee soaked Dosa fits that bill.Located amidst the clamour of the crowd at Gandhi Bazaar, this restaurant could be hard to find if you went "looking" for it. However, if you went "asking" for it, you'd be adding to the Vidyarthi Bhavan's waiting queue in no time - a testament to the popularity of this long standing restaurant. Dosa with chutney at Vidyarthi Bhavan. Pic: S K Shivashankar.This restaurant has been garnering the admiration…