Deepa's Jottings

  Here are some of the common butterflies that one can see around us, right now. One of the good places I look for them is the Reserve Forest in the MICO Arikere Layout; but quite often, I find these beauties in the gardens nearby, too!SNOW FLATLEMON PANSYCOMMON ROSEBARONETBARONET closed wingCOMMON CASTORTAWNY COSTERPALMFLYCOMMON PIERROTPLUM JUDY:CRIMSON ROSE mating:And, just to wind up, a beautiful beetle, too.JEWEL BUGI keep looking around me as I walk in the residential lanes of our city....these lovely creatures provide spots of colour and beauty to my day. ⊕

  It was unusual to find the ATM closed, yet with a queue in front of it, so I looked..and found that the ATM cash was being refilled. Here's the procedure. The cash is taken by two or three young men into the ATM, which is then shut (but not locked, because the men might need to come out). The vending machines are opened up and the cash drawers exposed.   The suitcase at the side was full of cash, and the young men took out the bundles, snapped the paper bindings, and filled up the open drawers of the…

When I go to Ranga Shankara to see a play, I go with an open mind...as I often say, I go, not knowing if it will be "fair play" or "foul play"! Recently (7th of October) I went to watch the interpretation of Hamlet, staged by the Mumbai troupe, Cinematograph. And I saw one of the best productions I have seen in the recent past. The cast in one of the scenes. Pic: Author It's always a difficult exercise to make a comic interpretation of a tragedy...it could work, or fall so flat that it might become a worse tragedy…

 On Vijaya Dashami Day, the Casa Ansal Apartment Owners' Association (CAAOA) organized a Garba and Dandiya evening.    Several of the residents put up food and clothing stalls, at which the sales were brisk.  The effigy of Ravana...representing the powers of evil and darkness...was kept ready to set on fire at the end of the evening.   The ladies participated enthusiastically in the Dandiya ras, wearing traditional Gujarati garb.   Here are one of the apartment buildings senior residents, who are connoisseurs of music and dance, who were enjoying themselves that evening!  "The sense of community gets fostered by such cultural events," remarked Mrs. Alamelu, one…

On the 14th of October 2011, Citizen Matters organized a meeting of several of the writers who contribute to the magazine. From 4 pm onwards, people started trickling in, and after a round of self-introductions, people got to discussing the various issues that faced the city of Bangalore...prime among them being, of course, civil administration. While this was going on, tea, coffee and snacks were being served: Several of the writers gave their inputs: And along with Padma and Meera, Subbu moderated the meeting, and elicited responses and inputs of various kinds from the authors. Many of the contributors came…

We are sure everyone is aware of the flood in Orissa and the Earthquake in Sikkim. Hundreds of lives have been lost, livelihood destroyed and people have lost everything and have been taking refuge in relief shelters. As learnt from people who have been volunteering in the area, the extent of damage is immense. Orissa: Water is continuing to surge from the river Mahanadi and its tributaries and creating havoc in Orissa. More than 3000 villages have been marooned by this flood. Many districts have been severely hit and all communication channels to these pockets had been disrupted. About 10…

 I decided to visit my friends Ganu and Hema, and their daughter, Janani, who's recently come home for good, after having done her Masters' degree at Pittsburgh. They always put up a lovely display for Navarathri:A "kolu" or "golu" is supposed to be a representation of the universe, so anything you wish to can be put in....human beings, animals, gods, flowers....Here's an idol which is half Ganesha, half Hanuman, that I've never seen before:These dolls/figures are often sold in "sets". Here's a beautiful set of Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram, on the shores near Chennai:There is also a lovely seascape painting to…

 On Sunday, 25th September 2011, discerning lovers of music flocked to Ravindra Kalakshetra, to attend the Radio Sangeet Sammelan.The Carnatic music program by Smts. Ranjani and Gayathri was followed by a flute recital by Sri Ronu Mojumdar.The foyer was beautifully decorated with this "AIR" floral rangoli.An enjoyable evening for everyone, followed by distribution of sweets by K C Das! ⊕

Anyone who has developed an interest in forests and wildlife would have heard of the author, Kenneth Anderson. His stories of the forests are legion, and are still selling briskly everywhere. (Fresh stocks have just arrived at Landmark bookstore in the Forum.)Many people do accuse Anderson of exaggerating for effect, and say that he over-dramatised the wild. But perhaps he did so to make a better story, and to attract more people towards both his tales and to wildlife.Unfortunately, though, an author who is at least as entertaining as Ruskin Bond, or James Corbett, rests now in a grave in…

‘*A Call in the Rainforest*' This film documents and examines the impact of human induced changes on one Lion-tailed Macaque sub-population, in the Valparai Range of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The *Lion-tailed Macaque* (Macaca silenus) is an endangered species according to the IUCN Redlist. The total number of mature Lion-tailed Macaques is estimated to be less than 2500. The duration of the Film is 18 and half minutes long, and is shot with Canon 1D Mark IV (DSLR). It is a full HD movie. Date : 1st Oct 2011 (Saturday) Venue : *Alliance Francaise** De Bangalore* (Near Cantonment Railway Station)…