GENRE: Features

You've cribbed, you've ranted, you've tolerated, you've praised (even if rarely) aspects of our city, Bengaluru. Here's an opportunity to let everyone hear what you think about the way our city is changing. PNLIT and Saaphalya Pramukha Trust are organizing an open discussion on how the city echoes with the many sweeping changes brought about by time and people.    Leading the discussion will be Ms Bhargavi S. Rao, Trustee, Environment Support Group (ESG), Bengaluru and Mr G.V. Dasarathi who promotes sustainable transport (cycling, walking, using a bus).    Venue: Gazebo, Puttenahalli Lake, Near MLR Convention Centre, JP Nagar 7th…

Being a parent these days is tough. Kids today are so opinionated or pampered that they not only choose what c­­lothes to buy/wear, but also invariably decide what is cooked at home! And you’re not alone. When you talk to other parents at school, park or playground, the topic inevitably turns to foods and vegetables that kids will not eat. That means slowly but surely they are missing from the parents’ plate too — eventually. After all, which parent wants to spend more time making another dish?  The tendency is to eat what the kids eat, and the dishes that…

Haseena was attacked with acid in 1999. She lost her eyes forever, her body suffered severe damage, which stole her right to live like all of us. Her attacker spent only five years in jail, and has faded away from public memory. However, Haseena refused to go down in life. She took up a computer course and learnt to stand on her won feet. Now she’s employed, and helping other visually impaired become self-reliant. Haseena narrates her story to Citizen Matters. Over to Haseena. I was born and brought up in this beautiful city of Bangalore, where my parents and…

Ramzan or Ramadan is the holy month of blessings which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. This is believed to be the month that the Koran was first revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad. During this, the followers of Islamic religion fast from sunrise to sunset. The purpose of fasting is to teach self-discipline, patience and spirituality and encourage charitable works. This year Ramzan will be observed till 7 August 2013, followed by Eid-al-Fitr on 8 August. The meals consumed after or before the fast or ‘roza’ is basically categorised into the pre-dawn meal, known as ‘Suhoor/Suhur’ and…

Who doesn’t love monsoons? The smell of wet earth, watching the raindrops, ducking for cover when you realise that you didn’t pack your umbrella or sharing an umbrella with a friend and getting half-drenched in the process! There’s nothing like reaching home and unwinding with a steaming cup of chai or kaapi along with a nice hot snack. While it won’t hurt to occasionally give into your temptations and sink your teeth into those crisp onion or mensinkai (chilies) bajjis , for all those who are looking for healthy snack options that you can munch on those rainy days, here…

"Life being very short, and the quiet hours of it few, we ought to waste none of them in reading valueless books", said John Ruskin in Sesame and Lillies in 1865. What Ruskin told us around 150 years back is still valid. Do you agree? How many of us feel happy when a specific book has made such an impression that it is etched into our souls. A school textbook, an article from a magazine, an Enid Blyton story, a Jane Austen novel or even a grandma's lullaby or anything that has helped us in comprehending the intricacies of life…

  The BMTC bus commuters finally have something to cheer about. They can now check the buses on the routes they want, and keep the exact amount of change ready, thanks to the BMTC website that provides every possible information that's helpful for a commuter. The website, mybmtc.com, launched early this May, is user-friendly with attractive features. The information process system is at par with the needs of the urban and sub-urban areas. The website has both English and Kannada languages. All the bus stations have been listed along with the contact numbers for major stations like Kempegowda (Majestic), Shivajinagar…

Gone are the days when security and surveilence depended on security guards, thanks to the technical advancement. CCTV camera industry is a booming business today, with every shop, showroom, mall, apartment and office complex and hotel investing in electronic modes of security. A small yet significant part of this growing industry in Bangalore is Sadiya Sarwar. Daughter of an automobile engineer and a mother of two, Sadiya started her business in the year 2007. She credits her father for having taught her the ways of this field. “The year I started my company, C2i solutions, the CCTV camera business was…

I had taken the children of the Sindhi School, in Malleswaram, on a nature trail to the Bannerghatta Zoo area, and it was they who spotted this very interesting-looking caterpillar, and asked me what it was. “Looks as if the caterpillar has also packed a lot of lunch for a picnic in the Zoo!” joked one of the children. The reality, as I found out, was very, very different... this caterpillar was actually carrying its own death on its back, not its food!   A variety of wasps called ‘Braconids,’ deposit their eggs on the backs of certain caterpillars, like…

Atul Chitnis was a technologist, open source evangelist and organiser of FOSS.in. For more, check Wikipedia or even better, his own description. Here are some memories by those who knew him, those who were close to him, reflecting on his different facets. Sandhya Mendonca, a journalist and media entrepreneur writes: I have known Atul Chitnis for over 15 to 17 years. Though our acquaintance happened because of his messianic zeal for getting Indian IT going in the way that benefitted users, I am not going to dwell on his credentials as an open source guru; others are more qualified to…