GENRE: Features

  James Kingston, is a British freerunner and film stuntman, who visited Bengaluru earlier this month. On his Facebook page, Kingston describes himself as a person 'constantly looking for adventure.' This professional adventurer, travels around the world in search of new heights to scale. Once he is atop a building or a bridge, he shoots a video of the view around him. His adventures have led him to hang off the top of a 250 feet crane in Southhampton, leap from rooftop to rooftop around Cambridge and do a backflip off the 115 metre tall, Moscow bridge. He visited Bangalore to…

Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthmurthy, one of the stalwarts in Kannada literature who got 6th Jnanpith award for Kannada, passed away on Friday, August 22, 2014. This leaves a deep void in Kannada literary world, leaving behind very few independent and fearless voices. He was suffering from diabetes, and his last days saw severe kidney failure which finally proved fatal for him. He was admitted to Manipal Hospital recently. On Friday, August 22nd, his blood pressure levels dropped and he had to be put on ventilator. He was declared dead by the doctors in the evening. Born in the pre-independence era, on…

Graphite India, present in Whitefield, processes graphite daily in huge quantities which releases a large amount of fine graphite soot into the atmosphere. This is fine enough for it to not be very visible, yet is breathed by, not just the Graphite India employees, but, all the daily commuters, residents and businesses around the vicinity of Graphite India. And with ITPL and other business parks in the area, daily commuters are ever increasing (with the current numbers close to almost 1.2 Lakhs per day using the road in front of Graphite India). All these citizens are exposed to this soot.…

Take time to smell the roses this week. Visit the flower show to admire the spectacular recreation of the Mysore Palace, and marvel at the many beautiful flowers on display. Independence Day Flower Show in Lalbagh Botanical Garden has begun on Friday, August 8, 2014, and will continue until Sunday, August 17. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the flower show at the gardens. Click on the slideshow to see photos of this year’s show. The oddly-shaped cockscomb flower with its velvet-like texture. Pic: Christopher LopazeThe walkway from the West Gate entrance toward the Glass House. Pic: Christopher Lopaze…

Frog Identification Workshop hosted by Eco-Edu Date: August 9th and 10th  We will meet the participants at the turning towards the farm on Kanakapura Main Road at 5 PM on the 9th of August and proceed to the farm. The workshop will come to a close at 9 AM on the 10th of August 2014. Venue: Ravagodlu, on Kanakapura Road. The course will be held within the premises of a private farm and its surroundings. The Suvarnamukhi River, which takes birth in Bannerghatta National Park, flows close to the farm. It is also surrounded by agricultural fields and forms an…

A distant view of Biligudda (white hill) across a river. Behind white hill is Karigudda (black hill). Pic:Christopher Martin Lopaze The day after my one-day guided bike tour to rural Bengaluru, my forearms were slightly sunburned, my palms were tender—my fingers were spared fortunately—and my legs and behind were sore; temporary souvenirs I’ve now lost. But the experience is one I shall not forget. I booked a guided bike tour because I wanted to leave the city behind, and see the countryside. Only one other rider, Ray, was on the tour. The total trip distance was about 35 km.  A…

Growing up in the lap of nature influences one’s life in a profound way. One learns to appreciate nature and all its wonders in a more special manner, than someone who has grown up in a town or city. It allows one discover and acknowledge the beauty in the little things that nature has to offer - in the pattern of a dragonfly's wing, in every tiny droplet of rain, in the various moods of the weather. Raviprakash S S is among the lucky ones. As a young boy, growing up in the Malenad region, he was exposed to nature…

A map of Bangalore from 1920s that shows planned localities including Chamrajpet area. Pic courtesy: Wikipedia One of the most iconic and beloved movies in Kannada while growing up was ‘Ganeshana Maduve’. In the opening scene, you have the director giving a voice over set, with a complete sense of irony, to the tune of Punyakoti, a long poem you had to memorize when you were barely nine. The voiceover introduces a vataara, or a colony, based in Ranga Rao Road, which straddles Chamarajpet, Shankarapuram and Basavangudi with the iconic Brahmin’s Coffee Bar, set at a corner. One of the…

Every true Bengaluru resident has heard of the legendary tales of the idli shop across from Lalbagh. Stories of pillow-soft idlis, mouth-watering masala dosas and piping hot coffee served in polished silver cups have spread far and wide. South Indian meals from this hotel chain are also world-famous. Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) has ingrained itself so well in Bangalorean culture that having a meal there has pretty much become a ritual. Yet unbeknownst to many, MTR is steeped in rich history, boiling down to a small village in the heart of Bangalore, called Mavalli, and the perseverance of the Maiya…