PEOPLE

Rural idyll is not too far from the city and sometimes almost inside. A relative of mine told me about Mallaiah and his scenic farm just on the periphery of the city and how the land was under threat as the city greedily expands. Mallaiah with family. Pic: Varsha N Achar. Mallaiah lives in a small village called Gongdipura which comes under Kodigehalli taluk, about 5 kms away from Magadi Road-NICE Road junction in Bangalore city. I drove on the narrow road leading to Kodigehalli from the Sunkadkatte main road. Small houses on revenue sites and petty shops dotted on…

A public awareness meeting for Madiwala Lake development was held at Kuvempu Park, 15th Main, BTM Layout, 2nd stage on January 16 th that 6.30 PM. The discussion organised by Kuvempunagar Permanent Resident’s Welfare Association (KPRWA). Around 20 members of the association had participated in the discussion.  V Ganesh, Range Forest Officer of Karnataka Forest department was the chief guest.Ganesh requested the residents to join hands for the Madiwala lake development programme, saying “It is not possible for the authorities alone to save the environment without help from the public”.“South Bangalore doesn’t have a lake. So once the lake is…

Like many other participants, I too would like to add my thanks to the people.....Madhukara, Srihari, Subbu,Swarna (that was in alphabetical order!) and all the others, starting from Sunjoy Monga and HSBC... to the judges who probably had an intense session....who've made the Bangalore Bird Race a very enjoyable event. We had a very tiring, but extremely delightful day...and I think perhaps it's the motivation to spot that extra species which makes us look harder and see more birds. Certainly I peer into the reeds and weeds and foliage with greater concentration on Bird Race days!Here's Subbu speaking at the…

The air was abuzz with excitement and anticipation at Jaaga Creative Common Ground on January 6th evening. The occasion was Lakeview Award for Everyday Achievement (LAEA) held for the first time to recognise the efforts of selfless citizens residing in Shanthinagar, Langford Road, and Richmond Town "for micro-level achievements in making individuals or community life better". German artist Mathias Einhoff. Pic: Venkatesh L. The event was a brainchild of German artist Mathias Einhoff, co-director of Skulpturenpark Berlin_Zentrum and former lecturer at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. He was in the city on a Goethe-sponsored six-week artist residency at Jaaga.…

"[SIC]"AtRanga Shankara , J.P.NagarJan 14th, Thu & Jan15th, Fri (7:30 PM) Telebooking : 9880036611 / 9845017975 (Rs 150/Ticket)Online Booking : www.indianstage.inTicket Outlets : Ranga Shankara & K.C Das, St. Mark's RdABOUT THE PLAY : sic (adv.): thus, so.[sic] takes place primarily in the doorways and shared hallway of three neighbouring apartments. Meet Theo, the desperate & edgy amusement park ride theme music composer, the struggling and ever-broke writer Babette, and Frank, the queer, happy-go-lucky aspiring auctioneer. See them humorously trudge through the haunting morass of everyday drudgery and the biting emptiness of big city life. Watch, as the three of…

As we begin the New Year with our 25th issue, it's time to celebrate as well as reflect. The journey thus far has been enjoyable and rewarding. We have received praise from Bangaloreans, as well as those elsewhere.  With recognition by Mint Business newspaper in 2008 and BBC in 2009, we have been accepted by citizens as well as other media as a credible source of pathbreaking local journalism.Nevertheless challenges remain. As we endeavour to inform, interest, and involve, we too encounter apathy and stonewalling.  Unhelpful government officials, unprofessional ministers and MLAs and even unethical community groups are part of…

I had heard of private antique collectors. However, I hadn’t met one before or fathom the reasons why people have a penchant for collecting old things. Until I met Ramprasad. Holding a beautiful hand crafted vase, Ramprasad explains, “this is a very rare Chinese vase. The style of work is called Cloisonne. It’s more than 200 years old.” Pic: Poornima Dasharathi. Ramprasad has a mechanical engineering background and works in Bosch, India. He has travelled to other countries especially Germany on work. He lives in a middle class colony in Chamarajpet. The house from outside looks like any other cement…

Towns and cities have always been points of attraction to people in rural areas.  There is a big difference between urban lifestyle and rural lifestyle even today, except for the villages very close to the cities.  Towns and cities are the last hopes of people from villages.  Thousands of people migrate from villages to bustling cities to earn their livelihoods, especially when nature disappoints them and their farms fail to meet their basic needs. I have been selling my old newspapers and other waste materials to Madayan, a 35-year-old soft spoken man for the last 15 years.  I have always…

We love them, we hate them, but we cannot ignore them. The ubiquitous yellow and black (now of course they are going green) auto rickshaws are part and parcel of this city. This is the taxi of the middle class. You get the first taste of what is to come when you get off in any of the Bangalore railway stations. If you are not careful you will end up paying Rs 160 from Bangalore Cantonment to Halasuru, even if it is after 6 AM.Random sampling for the sake of this column, tells me that six out ten passengers who…

The recently released Julie and Julia enthralled cinema lovers and foodies equally. The film, in part, shows the determination of an otherwise laidback Julia Child’s (played by Meryl Streep) endeavours to become a Cordon Bleu cook, her resolve to teach American women the art of French cuisine and the difficulties in getting her first recipe book published. Author of six cookbooks and a blog on Anglo Indian cuisine, Bridget White-Kumar is Karnataka’s very own food ambassador. Pic credit: Bridget White-Kumar. For Bridget White-Kumar this story could be termed familiar territory. Author of six cookbooks and a blog on Anglo Indian…