LEISURE

First  it was Madras Day, then Madras Week. And now some say it should be Madras Month. And if that were to be accepted, today would be the first day of Madras Month! Happy birthday month to namma Madras! It has been reasonably established that 22 August 1639 was the day Andrew Cogan and Francis Day of the East India Company, purchased the village of Madrasapattinam from Damarla Venkatapathy, Nayak of Vandavasi, owing allegiance to the Vijayanagara kings. First, a trading post was established at the site. In 1640 the foundations of Fort St George were laid, and the rest,…

If you happened to pass by the State Archaeological Museum in Bengaluru on any day between May 18th and 21st, you would probably have been in for a pleasant surprise. In observance of International Museum Day (May 18th), the venue was host to a variety of informative and interactive events and activities over the weekend--from story-telling sessions to creative writing workshops, bringing together a diverse audience and fostering new connections and relationships not often associated with the Indian museum space. These events were funded by Karnataka Tourism and organised by city-based organisation ReReeti, which seeks to revitalize museums, enabling them…

‘Nurture your green patch' is an initiative from Wipro to grow and harvest vegetables and other plants. It is an opportunity for employees to showcase and learn horticulture at the workplace. Supported by the Sustainability and Facilities team, the Community Garden is flourishing at the Electronic City (EC4) campus of Wipro. Living in urban spaces, we seem to be moving further away from natural environments. A large part of our lives is spent indoors staring at gadjets. Some of us are lucky to have found a favourite nature-spot around where we live and work to help us relax, unwind and…

Peak summer is yet to hit Chennai, but the sun is blazing and thanks to the failed winter rains and depleting reservoir levels, residents in many parts of the city have already begun to feel the scarcity of water. For those, who have their gardens and plants to look after, the act of balancing water conservation with plant management is a tricky challenge. Here are a few tips that may see you through the season: 1. Plan growing varieties based on seasons and climates. That way we can cut down on the varieties that demand a lot of water. 2. Use water from…

Rains in Bengaluru summer bring the greatest joy in us, they also create traffic woes, and have people stranded all over the place, often creating utter chaos. A recent spell of torrential rain reminded me of a day when I had gone to Ridhani's production unit and was going to be late from work. A perfect sunny summery morning had changed to a dark cloudy afternoon and within an hour or so, it started pouring - so much so that in about two hours there was waterlogging and severe traffic jams along the way. It was around 8.30 pm and…

Several blooms to delight the senses! A walk in Lalbagh is always something that will bring a lot of joy. I decided to capture some of the blossoms that appealed to my eyes, my nose, my touch, and sometimes, as they rustled in the morning breeze, to my ears, too! Some of them are quite uncommon trees that I have not yet seen outside the park. The Purple Bauhinia (Bauhinia blakena) and the Cabbage Bark Tree (Andira inermis) can be seen in the garden. These are the flowers of the Cabbage Bark Tree (Andira inermis). Pic: Deepa Mohan The beauty…

Food is something that connects easily with everyone. Manorama Joshi spreaks about Malnad cusine and their effort to get people in Bengaluru to sample their cusine during the Malnad Mela for the past 10 years.

After living in one of the most livable cities in the world - Melbourne - I became passionate about the cities’ phenomena. I have strived to discover more active ways to live in a the city, an appetite that has led me to intern with Oorvani Foundation. I chose to study urban governance - a domain echoing its object complexity - at SciencesPo Paris. I find great joy in contemplating the city and hope to use this blog as a place to convey my thoughts over the next six months. Bangalore, or Bengaluru, has doubled in size in about a…

What is Lalbagh flower show? Every year in January and August, a flower show is organised in Lalbagh, the majestic central park in Bengaluru, to celebrate Republic Day and Independence Day. In addition to the thematic display of flowers across the garden, this time the Glass House has been decked up with a floral replica of Gol Gumbaz, the largest dome in India, a monument built by Adil Shah, the erstwhile king of Bijapur. Four lakh roses in four colours would be used for this. There are also dozens of stands with artisan crafts, spices, coffee, books, purses, scarves, seeds,…

So what do you get when you have an eager reader with a ticking mind and time on her hands! - A Book Club! Reading has always been a pleasant diversion for me. In the 70s, during my childhood, (as for many children who spent their childhood in the 70s),  Enid Blyton took me through adventures, fantasies, enchanted lands and the most fascinating journeys across places that I could only fancy going to. This progressed, as one would imagine, to Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew mysteries and Mills and Boons. However, as the years rolled by, studies, marriage, children and work…