GENRE: Features

Puttenahalli Lake played host to the first ever public science show, by children, on Sunday 15th Dec 2013. The event was conducted by Merry Go Learn (an IIT/IIM alumni initiative), in association with Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT). Students from Standards 1 to 8 who are attending sessions at Merry Go Learn, applied concepts of science and maths to perform interesting experiments, that left many in the audience, parents included, absolutely amazed. The show included a quiz, a do it yourself stall with children making their own kaleidoscopes and an exciting treasure hunt. Apart from creating awareness through practical…

The cancellation of the much awaited event, the fortnight-long Bangalore Book Fair, this year is a reflection of the state government’s inability to understand that good reading habits are important for its denizens. The fair at Palace Grounds was cancelled at the last-minute after the state Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) discovered a legal point on the venue in the light of the long-running battle between the heirs of the erstwhile Mysore rulers and the government on the ownership of Bangalore Palace Grounds. The purpose of any book fair is to create awareness about book culture in the…

PNLIT, in association with Merry Go Learn, invites you to the FIRST EVER SCIENCE SHOW conducted by students - an environment awareness initiative.  A never before opportunity for 4-13 year olds to - * Get involved with a range of exciting performances - be it helping Sherlock Holmes decipher invisible clues, playing with vibrations to create amazing sounds or watching jaw-dropping chemical reactions in a giant toothpaste* Participate in quizzes and win exciting prizes* Get their hands dirty with science - make their own kaleidoscopes, floating rings, lava lamps and much more.Students in the age group 4-13 years and their parents…

“Happiness is infectious, when you feel happy; people around you will surely be infected. Infect more people and make the world a happy home.” – Kemmy Nola One of the most stressful places to be in Bengaluru is at a traffic signal - bumper-to-bumper traffic, road rage, and to top it all, a bumpy ride, considering the state of the roads. Everybody is impatient; everybody wants to just get to their destination on time. Tempers flare, horns blare and there is a prevailing state of tension. Can anything be done to diffuse this tension? Good news Bangalore – there’s a bunch…

While aiming for the sun high up in the sky, we tend to stamp on the flowers at our feet. - Anonymous We continue to mix waste, violate laws and lead 'respectable' lives. But these people, who help reduce the trash in our mega-city Bengaluru, are looked down upon for being migrant and poor. Be it ragpickers, sweepers or garbage collectors, they are part of the system too. But their stories are never told. Mohammad Khan (name changed on request) has a long and grey beard that seems to represent his 60 years of experience. Dressed usually in ragged trousers…

Consider this scene: During the day, I had noticed a particular large leaved sprig on my curry leaves plant and when making dinner went up to my terrace in the dark to pluck it. Got to the plant, plucked the sprig and started walking away when I realized that (a) it smelt “funny” and not exactly like curry leaves and (b) it was HEAVY. Looked closely in the dark to find a LARGE caterpillar sitting on it. Think of the caterpillar from that children’s favourite book – “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, the one that looked like it had definitely overeaten.…

Bangalore Gayana Samaja is one of the oldest institutions, promoting classical arts, in the city. The 45th annual conference of the Samaja concluded in the last week of October. For Carnatic music buffs, this was a week-long feast of lecture-demonstrations (lec-dems as they're refered to) in the morning and concerts every evening.  Each year, the conference also bestows the prestigious 'Sangeetha Kalaratna' award on a musician. This year's recipient was the violinist Mysore Mahadevappa. The second concert of this year's conference was by T V Shankaranarayanan (TVS) on Monday, October 21. Sankarnarayan's vocal recital was marked with rich classicism and…

Every one of us who’s been to a Bharatanatyam dance recital would have heard a tillana. Tillanas are recognisable due to their use of rhythmic syllables such as ta ka dhimi, takita jham jham. In fact, the word tillana itself is onomatopoeic. Tillanas in addition to their rhythmic syllables or jathis also have a few lines of lyrics or sahitya. The sahitya appears in the charanam or the last part of the composition. A lecture demonstration (lec-dem) on the tillanas of Veena Seshanna was held on Wednesday, October 23, during the annual conference of the Bangalore Gayana Samaja. Mysore Subramanya,…

As one walks into Silverend, Mohan and Priya Mascarenhas' 130-year-old heritage home,  the greenery around envelopes you. The fragrance of the flowering plants and the carefully laid out beds makes one halt in one's tracks to take in the breathtaking array of Nature's bounty that surrounds along the tiled pathway leading to the home. The soft sounds of wind chimes, the birds chirping and butterflies hovering around the flowers  take you to a bygone era. You will wonder if this is indeed a home in Urban Bengaluru. Silverend has also won awards for the Best Old Home from the Urban Arts Commission. Unconventional atractive designs…

November First is the date on which Karnataka was formed in 1956.