bengaluru

Yes, we are talking about the jamuns, the ooty apples and the lychees who made a colourful entry on fruit carts recently. Pause on your way back home to pick them up else you may miss out this season! ⊕

Once upon a time, not so long ago, our city with its salubrious climate, smooth roads and countless trees made it a pensioners’ paradise. Indeed, Bengaluru had at least two other names as well – The Garden City and the City of Lakes. All this changed within the last three decades or so. The tree cover has been blown and the lakes are vanishing. If in the 1830s there were an incredible 19,800 lakes and tanks, by the 1960s the number dwindled to 280 and reduced further by 1990 to less than 80. They vanished as quickly as the population…

Schools have reopened and the market is flooded with ‘Back to School' offers. The Jayanagar 4th block shopping complex takes the cake for all copycat products. Apart from having a great variety they also are the cheapest. Big Bazaar comes in close at second as they have standard products at reasonable prices. Chain stores such as Landmark, Crossword and Staples sell branded and higher priced products. Spoilt for choices. Pic: Smit Zaveri School bags Jayanagar 4th block complex- Children's bags and Backpacks start from Rs 200 Big bazaar- canvas and polyester bags - Rs 349 to Rs 999. Staples -…

Those of us living along the periphery of the town are a blessed lot - a couple of kilometers from home brings us to a very pretty, quiet, unrushed and refreshing countryside.   Its all those things - pretty, quiet, unrushed and refreshing - at least in part, because of the lack of traffic around there, so let's keep it like that. Instead, pick up a cycle and ride! We're in a city with really pleasant mornings, global warming notwithstanding. Especially now, with the summer behind us, early mornings and gentle showers are a great way to start a weekend.…

Richards Park has the proud privilege of being probably the only park in Bangalore to have a Band playing at the Bandstand year after year. Come December the Richards Town Residents Association (RTRA) invites the Army, Police and Air Force Bands to play at the majestic Wheeler Pavilion set up in the early 1900's at the heart of Richards Park. Wheeler Pavilion Residents of the area, young and old, turn up in large numbers to attend this musical evening. Bringing back memories of the days of the British, many old timers recollect the days when Indians and dogs were not…

The Richards Town Residents Association (RTRA) held an Appreciation Ceremony for the Civil Defence at Richards Park recently to launch a campaign of greening Richards Town with five hundred free saplings from the Civil Defence Division 40. Maj Gen John planting the first sapling. The 40th and 41st Civil Defence divisions were formally inaugurated under the Directorate of Home Guards, Civil Defence and Fire and Emergency Service in October 2009. Area 40 includes Fraser Town and D J Halli, The campaign was launched by Jija Madhavan Hari Singh, DGP, Home Guards and Fire Services; Major General T M John (retired),…

There is a Tiger in our backyards, yes that's right, and not only in our backyards but chances are that you would have encountered one as you walked down the road preoccupied with the business at hand. But there is no need to panic as I am only referring to The Striped Tiger Butterfly, Danaus genutia. Adult Striped Tiger butterfly Pic: Vikram Nanjappa I have often come across them at the Indian Christian Cemetery on Hosur Road while waiting for my daughter to finish school and have even seen them from my balcony at home. I live on the ground…

The weather, friendly people and great coffee at any random darshini - these are the reasons I proffer to folks when they ask for the secret that Bangalore became, and continues to stay, home for us. To that list, add the fast spreading delights from the small little Nondescript "Hot-chips" Shop (the NHS) in practically every neighbourhood. It goes amazingly well with Bisibele bath, sandwiches, burgers, regular dal-rice or just a cricket match on the telly. Packets disappear in a jiffy, and you really cannot stop at one. Cholesterol, fat and other such demons are momentarily swept under handily available…

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has notified the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. In Bengaluru, the ban will be in effect from today.Banning thin plastic bags and charging consumers is only the first step. BBMP has announced plans to setup waste segregation and plastic collection centres in ward. Some points covered by the centre's notification.• Plastic carry bags shall either be white or only with those pigments and colourants which are in conformity with the bar prescribed by  the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). • Plastic carry bags shall not be less than 40 microns in thickness.…

It was a preventable fire that took nine lives and injured scores of others. On February 23rd, the Beyond Carlton trust, co-founded by a parent of one of nine who died in the Carlton Towers fire, conducted its memorial service at Manipal Hospital Auditorium. Shankar Bidari should have attended this memorial service. Not just in honour of the people who lost their lives, but in honour of the high-minded notification he issued in March 2010, just a week after the tragedy. Bidari in an exercise of police power unseen in Bangalore till then, had asked owners and leasers of all…