LEISURE

If there was one city in  the newly independent India that was a real moviegoer’s delight, it had to be Bangalore.  In the early ‘50s, cinema theatres in Bangalore used to  show films in many languages - Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Few years later, Malayalam and Bengali movies could also be seen in morning shows. In that sense Bangalore was probably the most cosmopolitan town in the country. Such a varied taste in films was a reflection of tolerant  and eclectic mindset  of the natives. May be this was also the way the foundation  for a pan-Indian city…

Five days of work, traffic, noise, short tempered bosses and shorter deadlines. And then the weekend comes, just in time. For some of us, Saturdays and Sundays call for calm afternoon naps.But the rest of us are happy to chill out with movies, malls, hikes, plays, exhibitions, shows and the odd candle making workshop. So how do you know when these events happen?  Many options exist both offline and online. I've attempted to compile a list of websites as well as city newspapers that lists events.The first one is AskLaila. It is a comprehensive site I came across for events.…

"Zapperdockel and the Wock" - Shows on Sep 15 and 16, ‘09Ranga Shankara is proud to bring back "Zapperdockel and the Wock" for five year olds and above! The play premiered at AHA! Fest '09 and was welcomed enthusiastically by both children and adults.The play is directed by Wally and Paul Schmidt of Salz und Pfeffer, Nuremburg, Germany. The music has been composed by Ganesh and Kumaresh and the puppets are by Anurupa Roy of Kat-katha, New Delhi.Practical application of the Laws of Physics, a beautiful story and a brilliant presentation hold children and adults in a thrall. The play…

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS ANNOUNCES 2010 AWARDSTOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites submissions for its sixth annual arts awards for young photographers, writers, musicians and bands. There are five awards to be won - one for music (Rs 50,000), two for photography (Rs 25,000 each), and two for creative writing (Rs 25,000 each).TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS was founded in 2004, in memory of Angirus ‘Toto' Vellani who was intensely passionate about music, literature, films and the arts. Toto's untimely demise spurred his family and friends to create a non-profit foundation that would encourage the young to give expression to their…

Groundbreaking Children's Ride.When are we riding: Sunday, September 6th 2009Starting point: Sarjapur Road.http://quikmaps.com/show/113961 shows the directions from the junction of Outer Ring Road/Sarjapur ring road to the starting point. PLEASE NOTE THE GREEN ARROW IS THE STARTING POINTGathering time: 4:00PMDeparture time: 4:30PMExpected finish time: 6:30PMRide type: All Road Child Friendly RIDEDistance: two circles - one each 3KM and a 5KM circle. We will try to identify some place where we can stop for ice creams or kid-friendly snacks after the event.Number of children: Unknown at this time. (Will circulate this when we are done)NOTE: THIS IS OUR FIRST RIDE. SO…

TOTO AWARDS 2010PHOTOGRAPHYCALL FOR ENTRIESTOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA), in association with TASVEER, invites entries for its third annual TOTO awards for young Indian photographers. Two cash awards of Rs. 25,000 each will be given in January 2010. The spirit of the Toto Awards is to identify promise and encourage young talent. THEREFORE, entries are only invited from young people -- over the age of 18, who will not have celebrated their 30th birthday before 1 January 2010. The submissions should comprise a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 36 images, either in colour or black and white, or…

When you don’t have the time to cook or are not in the mood, yet want to have ghar ka khana, go to Potluck. Of course, Potluck fans know this very well…but so far, only those in the vicinity of Bannerghatta have had the good luck of being able to pop into a homey eatery like this. Now, with an outlet having opened at BTM Layout, Potluck has extended its reach. At Potluck Restaurant. Pic: Theresa Varghese. If you know nothing about Potluck, the brand was launched by five people, all in the software industry, who felt the need to…

In early 2006, many non-profit and community based organizations like SICHREM, ESG, Sangama, OpenSpace, Stree Jagruti Samiti et al and individuals (like yours truly) working with marginalized persons and social issues in and around Bangalore felt the need for an open, informal gathering and expression of life, our spirit and beliefs. The idea crystallized into Namma Jathre, Our Festival signifying that it is an event by and for everyone. When we first held the Jathre at Cubbon Park in November 2006, nearly 40 citizen's groups and 7000 people including the general public participated. This increased to over 40 organizations and…

Most festivals irrespective of religion are these days scrutinised for the impact they have on environment. Ganesh Chaturthi is one such festival. Environmentalists say that the plaster of paris and toxic paints used in making Ganesha idols, when immersed in lakes and pond harm the environment. Cycle Race at National College Grounds. Pic: Deepak. But this unique celebration at National College grounds in Jayanagar was not merely environment friendly but also encouraged the use of cycles which is one of the most humble and powerful solutions to the grave environmental problems we face today.RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), organised a cycle race…

“Places I like”, a photo exhibition that captures the various facets of Bangalore is currently ongoing at Max Mueller Bhavan. It is an outcome of a 3-week workshop conducted in the city by German photographer Stefan Koppelkamm. The objective of the workshop is  to define the personal criteria that determine the “quality of life” in a city with  focus on ‘routine’ and ‘normal’ rather than the unusual. Many city-based amateur and professional photographers are participating in this exhibition. Eagle's eye of the exhibition. Pic: Venkatesan Perumal. “When I first got down at Bangalore’s Kalasipalyam bus stand, it was very unlike…