GENRE: Features

Report by Usha Rajagopalan   The morning of the Kere Habba on 21st Feb. saw over 30 volunteers coming as early as 7 a.m. and setting to work stringing festoons between trees, paper lanterns, sticking event posters, and more. Almost ALL the decorative items were "home made" by children and adults. Snehadhara Foundation did likewise with sketches and artefacts painstakingly done by their children. Many hands made for quick work and it was all done in a couple of hours. It was time for a sumptuous breakfast made and served fondly by Krishna, South City and Pavithra from Brigade Millennium.    Volunteers…

The Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Karnataka along with Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) is organizing 'Janapada Suggi'  an initiative to promote the rural folk culture of Karnataka. The program will take place at the Allalasandra Lake (Yelahanka) gate entrance on Saturday, 28th February, 6 p.m. onwards.   This is the first time that a program on this scale is being organised in Yelahanka. While urban folks will get to learn about folk art, the event will also provide an opportunity for rural artists and troupes to showcase their art.   Awesome entertainment is assured! Be there with your…

  Sincere thanks to our neighbourhood clean-up crew at Puttenahalli Lake, 15th Feb 2015 (Pic: Vishnupriya)  A glimpse of Snehadhara Foundation's work in progress - getting ready for its role at Puttenahalli Kere Habba.  A few enthusiasts did the bird count at our lake during the Bangalore Bird Count last weekend. Despite the several constraints, natural and man made, we are happy to report that as many as 28 species were spotted at our lake. If you would like to spot these birds and/learn basics of photography, please join the exclusive session for beginners at the Puttenahalli Kere Habba 3:30…

PNLIT takes great pleasure in hosting "Lake Alive: Puttenahalli Kere Habba 2015" on Saturday 21st February. The festivities will start from 3 p.m. and go on till 7 p.m.Location: Puttenahalli Lake, JP Nagar 7th Phase (next to MLR Convention Centre, Brigade Millennium) "Kere Habba" is an initiative of the Namma Bengaluru Foundation to promote conservation of lakes. Partnering PNLIT in this event is Arghyam's India Water Portal.  The first Kere Habba that was held at Kaikondrahalli Lake in January was attended by over 3000 citizens.  Entry is free and open to all. There will be food and other items available on sale. Donations to PNLIT, exempt u/s 80G, are welcome.  Visitors can…

The app released by Government of Karnataka has a lot of scope for improvement. The ambitious mobile governance project of the State government, Karnataka One, which was also touted as one of the world's largest multi-mode mobile governance platforms, has not met the expectations of the people. Even after almost two months of launching, the mobile app that intends to offer easy access to various government and private services, is yet to evolve as a comprehensive mobile governance system. During its launch on December 8, the government had boasted that the app will provide 637 government (both Central and State)…

3.30 am, KR Market complex. Seethamma, in her sixties, is busy dealing with her customers, with a huge pile of jasmine and marigold in front of her. She has been selling flowers for the past 40 years, commuting all the way from Doddaballapur every day. Her customers are street-side vendors who sell stringed flowers by the mola or make garlands out of it. Even as dawn is hours away, Krishna Rajendra Market (KR Market), also known as City Market, is already bustling with activity. Flower and vegetable vendors visit the market in the wee hours of the morning, to offload…

On January 14th in Bengaluru, Hebbal dipped to the minimum temperature of the day at 6.04 am, Electronic City felt the minimum temperature at 6.18 am. Vidyaranyapura recorded the lowest temperature at 6.24 am, and Jayanagar as late as 7.10 am. Despite Hebbal being located only 16 km from Jayanagar, there was a significant difference of 1 hour 6 minutes when both areas recorded minimum temperature. The same is true for rain too. It doesn't rain in Whitefield, when it does in Jayanagar. So the preparedness is different for Whitefield and Jayanagar for a rainy day predicted by Meteorological Department.…

Most of us shudder at the sight of spiders, but they are really fascinating creatures. Did you know that most spiders are solitary... and cannibalistic? Many female spiders eat the males after mating! However, there are some spiders that are more sociable. One variety called Social Spiders, spin whole "apartment" complexes, which can cover large areas, like long stretches of this barbed wire fence: Or over plants, as you can see here: However, there is another group of spiders which are commonly called Harvestmen or Daddy Long-legs (they have long, thin legs)! Scientifically their name is Opiliones, but they are also…

Prema, a resident Richmond town, who feeds street dogs everyday. Pic : Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran Murderers, rapists, racists, eve-teasers, corrupt traffic police, misbehaving auto-drivers and obnoxious bus-conductors of Bengaluru are all well-documented by the media. Media chooses to chase only a few faces of the society, leaving people in a crisis of faith about the humanity and hospitality left in the city. However there are hundred unseen faces in the society which need exposure. Working as a Senior Engineering manager in a multinational company during weekdays, 34-year-old Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran is a passionate photographer, roaming the city streets…

Managing all the facilities in an apartment, from water supply to garbage to electricity, is the job of a facility manager, which requires expertise. File pic. Picture this. An apartment complex at the heart of Bengaluru, that has 40 units. The Management Committee for the apartment has three members, all of whom have their own day jobs. One fine summer morning, the motor that supplies water to the complex breaks down. There is a need to purchase a replacement motor quickly. Add to it, the members who do not see eye to eye on anything. By the time they have…