Blogs

One doesn't always get an opportunity to do something extraordinary. When you do, you've got to grab it! This is what we did when we saw the Puttenahalli Lake dying. We campaigned and lobbied for the BBMP to rejuvenate the lake. This is what PNLIT did when we saw the Mahindra Spark the Rise announcement inviting projects ("Sparks") for a competitive funding. We submitted "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" as a template for reviving lakes with active public participation. Click here to vote. Pic: PNLIT The many activities and events we conduct, such as the Children's Day Nature…

With the soaring gold prices one would want to find a substitute which looks as elegant as the yellow metal. So here it is... the substitute can be Kundan jewellery, silver jewellery, antique and imitation jewellery which looks graceful. Not everybody can shell out `2915 (24 carat gold, as on 29th November) per gram. With the marriage and festival season coming up, these are a few alternatives that you can try at a lower price. Pure silver (gold plated) Italian mesh design set, priced at Rs 13,950, The Gallery, Jayanagar Pic: Nagashree Gururaj Kundan earring with meenakari work, priced at…

 Some innovation.... "Jugaad" means, "innovation", often thinking out-of-the-box. A mode of public transportation, with the engine of a tractor, has already taken on this name in several states of India. On Sunday, as we were heading out for our nature trail on Bannerghatta Road, I spotted this tricycle-cart that had been fitted with a two-wheeler engine, and was puttering along happily! I don't think this gives very environment-friendly emissions, however creative and innovative it is!What a pity that pedal-power is seen by the working people as something too difficult to sustain. I was actually thinking of an initiative to re-introduce cycle-rickshaws....  ⊕

 Apples and Oranges for sale at City market. Pic by Ravi Kaushik. ⊕

Jayalakshmi and her husband are the founders of Basavangudi based Asha Dollmakers which highlight tradition as well as creativity during weddings. According to old Mysore wedding traditions, it is considered auspicious to give dry coconut, roasted chana, jaggery and arishina-kumkuma (turmeric and vermilion) to the bride during Vara pooje, a function to welcome the groom to the wedding. Over the years, innovations have led to creative figurines dressed to look like traditional dolls.Wedding contractors and marriage halls place bulk orders with individuals or small-scale units producing such figurines. Although the price varies depending on customer specifications and quantity, the cost…

When we come across a unique not for profit organisation, social campaign or initiative, we may be interested in knowing more about its regular activities and achievements. But do we try to find out why and how it started? Irrespective of their size and successes, many civil society organisations (CSO's) or non-governmental organisations (NGO's) have a distinct personal story behind them. Some organisations like Sangama (helps sexual minorities) or the Association of People with Disabilities (APD - supports disabled persons) were started to highlight and counter the challenges or discrimination that an individual or a community experiences and assist them.…

 An unusual play: "The Water Station" is a theatre production co-produced by The Japan Foundation, a Japanese government cultural agency, and Theatre Roots & Wings, Kerala. It is written by an award-winning Japanese playwright Shogo Ohta, and directed by Sankar Venkateswaran, with an all-India castselected by auditions across the country.The play will be premiered in Ranga Shankara, Bangalore on 29 & 30 November 2011, and is set to tour several cities in India and Southeast Asian countries including Colombo and Jaffna, Sri anka in 2012.Synopsis of the Play"The Water Station" is a two-hour, wordless performance. Walking through a barren andscape, eighteen…

Very urgent, just 20 hours to go.... Amit Gupta, an Indian entrepreneur in Newyork, a friend and a kind soul needs a bone marrow match for a Peripheral Blood Stem cells donation and you can help.If you live in Bangalore India, chances are you can help not only Amit, but the many, many other people around the world. South Asians have a dramatically lower chance of finding a match in the worldwide bone marrow registries than other populations. While this is a big and often tragic problem, it's one that can be fixed!So what can you do? Get to the nearest…

Flowers for Sale at Basavanagudi. A colourful range of flowers awaits any customer who would have to venture out in the morning while the flowers are still fresh.Pic by Ravi Kaushik.⊕

Who doesn't want to buy new footwear often? But there is such a thing called ‘wallet factor.' Many youngsters cannot afford to spend too much on footwear - so small time footwear shops are an affordable alternative. Flip flops Pic: Nagashree Gururaj I buy sandals sold on the roadside; they are classy and affordable too. I don't like to wear same footwear for a long time, so this is the best deal, I can buy these for just `100", says Shruti Gombi, 22, a student. College students favour these shops the most. "We have all the latest things which customers…