GENRE: Features

Dressed in white and khaki attire, he lets the vehicles at the Anna Rotary junction (under the Gemini flyover) pass towards Nungambakkam. It is 1 pm on a weekday and the mercury level is high. Perspiration trickles down the forehead of the serious-faced traffic cop, who stops a two-wheeler and penalises the rider for not wearing a helmet. Meet C Palani,  a stern, dark-skinned, 48-year-old Traffic Sub-Inspector from the E3 Teynampet Police Station who has manned traffic at various spots over a 10-km stretch in Teynampet, a busy area that is in proximity to the AIADMK office and the Chief…

If you’re somewhere around Manyata tech park, you may hear the chirping of birds amidst all the honking and din of heavy vehicles. Adjacent to the tech park, a small internal road will take you to five mini forests, spread across 7850 sq m. All of these have been created by the residents of Manyata Residency nearby. These parks are the only lung spaces in the otherwise traffic-choked, congested area that houses many high-rise apartments and commercial establishments. How it all started As we face the ill-effects of global warming, we need to stop cutting down trees and plant more…

The locality of Chintadripet in Chennai is known for its popular fish market and also as a hub of electrical goods. With the river Cooum forming a horse-shoe shaped boundary to this locality and with only two entry points from Egmore and Anna Salai, this tiny neighbourhood is a storehouse of history. An early morning walk conducted by Madras Inherited -- an initiative of a group of architects and researchers seeking to unravel hidden architectural gems through heritage walks -- unveiled the treasures of this forgotten neighbourhood in Chennai. Chintadripet was originally called 'Chinna tari pettai,' which translates to 'a…

Kaikondrahalli Kere Habba entered its 6th edition this year. The Kere Habba has typically been a day long series of events from sunrise to sunset. It celebrates the gorgeous Kaikondrahalli Lake that is spread over 48 acres, 23 guntas on Sarjapur Road. Once a dumpyard, this lake has been a bio-diverse ecosystem for the last few years. The lake's rejuvenation was taken up by BBMP few years back with the help and efforts of local citizens. The lake has become home to myriad species of resident and migratory birds and other creatures.  To celebrate the lake, this year, a variety…

Splashes of water welcome you when you enter the rather silent Conran Smith Nagar, Purasaiwakkam. Follow the sharp whiff of detergent, and you will reach the grounds of the traditional washer community, who have been in the profession for over a century. As I enter the narrow lanes of the Dhobi Khana Housing Board, frothy streams of water  trickling down lead me to the maze of flogging stones with three compartments, blue drums and paraphernalia. It is only 5.10 am, but the men, women and children are already up for the day and will work till 1 pm. They make their…

Bembala is a Bengaluru-based organisation – an initiative of the citizens group, Whitefield Rising– is a free and confidential volunteer-run support center for women and children who face abuse or violence. The alarming rise of violence against women and children is of critical concern for Bengaluru today. A group art show “Oorja” will be held at The Art Corridor Taj West End, Bengaluru from 23rd Feb to 2nd March 2020 in association with Mr. M G Doddamani. “Oorja” or Energy in Sanskrit is the defining expression of the human spirit, that energy or life force which inspires and unifies us to reach…

Chennai's Kannagi Nagar district is all set to be transformed into the city's first art district. A clamorous locality based off OMR Road, it is one of the largest conglomeration of settlements in the city. "We wanted to bring art out of the museums and galleries and put it into daily spaces," says Dr Alby John, the Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) Greater Chennai Corporation, "Art is not just exclusive but has also been exclusionary. It has been confined to people who belong to certain socio-economic strata of the society and we wanted everyone to experience art and the artists." He…

‘Ambition’ sounds a rather lofty and serious word for 16-year-old S Harika*, a student of Class XI of the Corporation School, New Washermanpet. Hailing from a low-income family, Harika saw no point in nurturing ambitions, for she was almost sure that they would not be fulfilled. Today, however, she aims to become a doctor and is working hard to achieve the goal. The change in Harika and many others like her can be attributed to a pilot project by an organisation called EngenderedCo, which is trying to improve labour force participation rates among women in India. The organisation works with…

Bengaluru may not be the Indian city with the most number of trees, but it certainly has a wide diversity of flowering and avenue trees. Our city also has many species that attain enormous size or height, such as the Akasha Mallige, Silver Oak, Aruacarias, Rain Trees and the African Tulip. Some of these giants simply arrest our senses by their sheer size and majestic bearing as they stand guard over street corners, traffic islands or small lanes. What makes many of them unique is that they are rarely found in cities, and would be more at home in jungles.…

It was a little past 8 am on a weekday. The two-lane Perumbakkam Main Road bustled with office-goers rushing past in their cars, students waiting at the bus stop and many others thronging the roadside tea shops. The large Sholinganallur marshland (which is part of Pallikaranai marshland) is bisected by the road, yet disconnected from all the busy activity. The marsh provides a picturesque view of birds roosting on the trees, hovering for prey and flying off to the nearby water bodies.  With binoculars around his neck and an office bag by his side, Deepak Venkatachalam squints his eyes to spot…