GENRE: Features

Being fit is the new mantra and Yoga is making a comeback. Currently young women in the age group of 20 to 35 are especially taking to Yoga.There are a variety of yoga styles, some modified to suit modern needs are available for all age groups to suit different fitness needs. Yoga practice. Pic: a1000yoga Pradeep Govinda, CEO Due North Yoga Pvt. Ltd, operating a1000yoga group of studios, says, “We have low intensity styles like, Hatha Yoga, Iyengar yoga and Sivananda yoga; we teach high intensity styles like power, Hot and Mysore Ashtanga Vinyasa. Higher practices like Pranayama and Meditation…

Hot food is definitely tempting, what if it is smoking hot? A bed of minced meat cutlet with boiled vegetables with some great sauce and maybe mashed potatoes on the side, sizzling away at your table?That would be a Sizzler. The sizzling platter! Pic: Wikimedia Commons Though the roots of Sizzlers are associated with seafood being served on a sizzling platter, there have been several variations with time. There are even vegetarian sizzlers now.Non-vegetarians have several options to choose from. Steaks, chicken, mutton, pork, and of course - the original seafood. The meat is usually minced and made into a…

Recently BBMP, decided that it would put up an “adventure sports hub” on the hillocks of Turahalli forest on Kanakapura road. Nature lovers who regularly trek to the  forest decided it was time to protest.Old-timers of Bangalore will recollect Turahalli as a lovely forest, set with hillocks, where everyone could go, and did.Over a period of years, the pressure of population in Bangalore has meant that the once pristine forest has been “developed” into various layouts. All that remains is just a couple of hillocks. These are beloved to nature lovers, cyclists who organise downhill runs here, rock-climbers for whom…

I have been following rafiki, a theatre group, from the time when they used to stage the plays of Athol Fugard, South African playwright and novelist.They stage plays with ideological contexts and started working with children in the field of theatre, too. I have seen their struggles and their hard times, and so it was with even more satisfaction than usual that I noted that they collaborating with “Toto Funds the Arts” (TFA) to stage an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s work at Ranga Shankara, on September 6th and 7th, 2012. A scene from Rafiki's play. Pic: Nitye Sood At first,…

On 8th September every year tens of thousands of people throng the St Mary's Church to celebrate St Mary's feast. This 130 year old church has been attracting devotees since its inception. History of the churchIt is said that christians from Tamil Nadu came down here during the 17th Century and built a small village, ‘Bili akki palli.' Thus named for the white rice they cultivated and also a number of white birds were found in those rice fields. The people, in order to practice their religion, built a hut and named it ‘Chapel of Kannakai Madha.' Eventually this became…

Commercial Street, the fashion street of Bangalore turned even more colourful on Sunday the September 2nd. Around 100 participants shortlisted from an earlier preliminary competition gathered to display their talents in the art of Rangoli.Jyothi Kanagal, a participant. Pic: C R Sridhar‹ › $(document).ready(function(){ $('.carousel .carousel-inner .item').first().attr('class', 'active item');});The event was the grand finale of ‘Ranga Rang,’ the Rangoli Utsav organised as a part of the 50th Bengaluru Ganesha Utsava celebrations by Shri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, Basavanagudi. The main objective of this initiative was to nurture the artistic talents.The winner will walk away with 100 grams of gold.Participants, largely women,…

Craving for some peace and solitude? Then Shivagange, is the place for you. It is just 60 kilometers from Bangalore. This hill which is 1368 meters high offers complete rejuvenation of mind and body with its ancient cave temples and steady trek right to the hill top with man made steps and railings for support. At the top you are guaranteed breathtaking panoramic views of the entire surroundings. Panoramic view. Pic: Usha Hariprasad Colorful legends, mythological gods, cave temples and innumerable spring water fountains are what greet you when you start your climb on this rocky hill. Some of the…

Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda, brought home India's first silver medal in Paralympic Games in the men's High Jump F42 held in London. 24-year-old Girisha managed to jump over a height of 1.74 metres despite an impairment in his left leg. He took part in a three week long pre-games training camp at Basildon Sporting Village, which was sponsored by the Government of India. The rest of the time, he practised on his own. Girisha H N - Paralympics silver medal winner. Pic: Samarthanam A small town boy hailing from Hassan district in rural Karnataka, he trained with the Sports Authority of…

If you are craving for a good scrumptious meal yet with less spices, Bengali cuisine is the right thing to try. The food, originating from West Bengal, predominantly has fish, vegetables and lentils, and is mostly served with rice, Luchi or pooris or parathas. Generally mustard oil is used for preparation, and sometimes, even sunflower oil. The key spices that bring a different flavor are cumin, fennel, fenugreek, kalonji and black mustard seeds, usually referred to as Phoron. This mixture of spices is generally used for preparation of vegetables and fish. Maach curry. Pic: Wikimedia commons A large number of…

Ganesh Chathurthi marks the start of the Hindu festive season of the year. How about starting it on an eco-friendly note? Ganesh idol made out of clay. Pic: ecoexist Every year, the rivers and lakes get polluted because of the chemicals used in making Ganesha idols. In order to be sympathetic towards nature, a large number of people are moving towards eco-friendly Ganesha idols that are made of clay. Ecoexist is a group that encourages the concept of eco-friendly products and you can book your eco-friendly, hand-sculpted clay ganesha from their website - www.e-coexist.com. The clay Ganesh idols are biodegradable.…