Column: Bangaloreans

About 30 years ago, one of my colleagues was transferred to Calcutta. A year later he came to his hometown on a holiday and it was shocking to hear his experience about the notorious traffic jams of Calcutta. Sitting in the peaceful and slow city of Bangalore we could not envisage those serious traffic jams. But then, we had no clue that we would be experiencing such jams right here very soon! Pictures of a beautiful bungalow from different angle Pic: Sudha Narasimhachar.When I used to go to work on MG Road then, I used to leave home (Yelahanka Satellite…

Whenever I read about child prodigies, I invariably wonder if the child has been allowed to be a child or forced to achieve things by the parents or teachers. And in many cases, my apprehension proves to be right! Fame-hungry parents often push children towards extraordinary achievements, robbing them of a normal childhood in the process. Many such tragic stories of child achievers abound, especially in the world of advertising and cinema. The children lose their innocence and start talking like depressed adults very early in life. I went to Master Nischay Bhargav’s house with the same apprehensions but was…

‘Ananya’ is familiar to most music lovers of Bangalore, especially North Bangalore. It is located in a very peaceful corner of the city, off 4th Main Road, Malleshwaram between 12th and 13th Cross. An inconspicuous small board that hangs right opposite the Malleshwaram Boys’ High School identifies Ananya. Dr Raghavendra is totally publicity shy. He says he formed the trust not for people who craved for publicity, but “… to tap, encourage and nurture young and upcoming music artists and create a small music community that can entertain the masses”. R V Raghavendra. Pic: Ananya Trust. Raghavendra’s interest in music…

The soft rhythms of the tabla greet visitors at ‘Sriram’, the simple residence of Pandit Ravindra Yavagal at Jakkur, Bangalore. The living room is stacked with trophies, mementoes and citations in every nook and corner. The ambience reflects the simplicity of Karnataka’s famous tabalchi, and his passion for this classical art. Tabla exponent Pandit Ravindra Yavagal.Starting bright and early 49 year old Ravindra Yavagal, a Staff Tabla Vidwan of All India Radio since 1981, is the youngest son of Late Ramachandra Yavagal. In an era when parents did not have to study child psychology to bring up dozens of children,…

What can be more soothing for a person, in the latter part of life, than to sit back and reminisce on bygone days? Some people are indeed lucky to be blessed with very special memories, and Ramadevi is one such person who has had the fortune of meeting literary stalwarts in her lifetime. Today, at 78, golden memories and thousands of books are her best companions. Her life is full of interesting happenings but she modestly dismisses them, saying that she has achieved nothing that deserves to be written about. Writer Ramadevi at her residence (pic:author) On entering her simple…