GENRE: Features

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…

Waterbody near the entrance of Vishranthi. Pic courtesy: Silver Talkies Greenery and a sense of tranquillity invited us in, as we entered the grounds of Vishranthi, a home for seniors located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The fresh smell of ripened mangoes merged with the cacophony of students and children learning in the background, as part of Vishranthi’s orphanage and vocational training centre. The ‘Pizza Grannies,’ as the founders of Vishranthi —  Padma Srinivasan and Jayalakshmi Srinivasan — are popularly known, are warm and welcoming. As we sipped on mango juice (from their own garden), they began to tell us the story…

Over the last few months, several jobs related to the rejuvenation of Allalasandra Lake have progressed. Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA), the association that has been working closely with the BBMP for this lake has had multiple meetings with Government officials and BWSSB for stoppage of sewage entering  the lake through storm water drains. The short term solution in place is a huge sand bund to stop sewage entering the lake. For the long term, BWSSB has agreed to provide a mini Sewage Treatment Plant for which the DPR work is going on. Pics courtesy Jagadeesh, YUVA The horticulture and pathway…

In a symphony of horns and beeps, cars, buses and motorcycles bullet past the populated Springfields apartment complex, the enormous Wipro campus, and the multitude of schools that dot the famous Sarjapur Road. It turns from a mellow street at night into a hub of pandemonium we witness during the day. Narrow and long, it stretches on for kilometers, providing access to thousands of residential complexes and immense corporate offices. Smaller streets branch out of the main spine of Sarjapur Road like tributaries, spreading to Electronic City and Marathahalli. As it trails away from Bangalore city, it dissolves into the…

On Saturday 21st Jun 2014, a group of fourteen young employees from WPA World Class Services (India), Koramangala spent a couple of hours out in the sun at Puttenahalli Lake, away from the air-conditioned rooms of their office. Many had come from the east of Bangalore, volunteering their time, to help with the upkeep of the lake area.    After a brief introduction by PNLIT trustee Nupur Jain, they set to work to clean up the long stretch along the Nataraja Layout - Coconut Grove side, guided by our neighbourhood volunteer Rekha George. They were an enthusiastic group with everyone looking for the…

Namma Bengaluru leads the way when it comes to civic initiatives towards solving problems. You cannot see this level of awareness among citizens in any other city in India. This amazing city, which is a melting pot of activism and civic action, is constantly changing, with its proactive citizens bringing up various initiatives. This series will track such initiatives in Bengaluru, that arise hope and inspire people. Featured below are some of the initiatives in Bengaluru that have showed the way in how waste can be managed better or made use in better way. They follow focussed, simple ways to…

Take a walk around Narasipura 2 Lake in the late evening and you will not miss hearing the brilliant Narasipura Amphibian Harmonic Orchestra! Yes, with the recent rains, the frogs and toads are out and about. While the "Life Cycle of the Frog" is commonly taught in school, how many of us actually know beyond the spawn, the tadpole and its shrinking tail?     An important part of the food chain, frogs and toads are considered to be very good environmental indicators. This means that having frogs and toads in an area tells us that the environment is healthy for them,…

Chennai-based Dr Ruffles is extremely popular with children. His treatment has helped several non-verbal children with autism to speak up, aided those with attention deficit disorder and other learning disabilities to improve their performance in school, and even resolved complex behavioural issues in many of his little patients. Quite incredibly, though, the good doctor has accomplished all this without so much as uttering a single word or writing out a prescription. Indeed, he has become the hugely successful therapist he is by simply being himself – a non-judgmental, attentive and very affectionate dog! Ruffles is the resident ‘doctor’ at the…