Society

Born in Kochi , Muralidhar Rao has been a Bangalorean since 1959 and a resident of Koramangala since 2005. He is a former industrialist himself. He married his passion for writing and civic mindedness and in 2006 co-founded praja.in. It is an online platform to engage in discussions on civic issues. He is also a member of the citizens group ‘Koramangala Initiative ' His wife, Priya Rao, works as a Associate Director-Technical for Indian Spastics Society in Karnataka region. He has a son and a daughter. Excerpts from his interview. You are a regular commentator on civic and commentator issues.…

Two years ago, she spoke to Citizen Matters about the legal battle she fought for the Meistripalya lake. It was her determination to protect and preserve open spaces in Koramangala that saw her through. Citizen Matters caught up with Laila Ollapally, now 57, after two years to hear more from her. She has now moved on to being a mediator at the Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC). Mediation provides a platform for dialogue and cases can be solved through conversations outside court. Laila Olapally - Mediator at BMC. Pic: Laila Olapally Residents are coming together and supporting revival of a lot…

On this day, fans carry a towel with them to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author, as referred to in Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The commemoration was first held in 2001, two weeks after Adams' death on 11 May 2001. As keepers of the faith, and as believers that the solution to all the universe’s problems lies in the number 42, two young startups - Graffiti Collaborative(www.thegraffiti.co), an innovative brand consulting firm, and PoshVine (www.poshvine.com), an online service which provides Bangaloreans insider access to unique dining and culinary experiences - have come together to…

If you stay around Kanakpura Road , you know what a ordeal it is to traverse this road during peak hours. With the Metro construction in full swing, all we are left with is a narrow lane on either side for cars. Buses, jatka vehicles (horse carriages), cement mixtures, autos and lorries. On any normal day, it can take up to 30-45 min to reach the family mart junction from Konanakunte cross. If this weren't enough, we noticed that a huge pandal with loud speakers, lighting arrangement and seating arrangement was done right below the flyover. I believe this is…

Vibrant colours, sublime themes, the horse as a symbol of power - these were some of the aspects that stood out in 4 Strokes, an exhibition of paintings by four young Bangalore based artists. On display from 10th to 15th May at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP), the well known school of art on Kumarakrupa road, these works brought out varied interpretations of the subconscious and the visible. Sahan Sarvi has a full time job and growing family but art is still her priority. Her work portrays nature in an aesthetic and realistic manner. Sarvi also is a professional counsellor…

One traffic laden evening, I was going by bus from Sultanpalya to R.T. Nagar. I told the approaching conductor that I had a pass. He insisted on seeing it- and rightly so. But my lapse spawned a few harrowing minutes! It’s easy to forget courtesy in a crush. Pic: Salonie rego The conductor stared at my dilapidated year-old pass for a long time before showing it to the driver. Both exchanged sniggers and continued staring. Wild thoughts floated in my head. “Has my pass expired? Will I be kicked off? Will they arrest me?” While I was going crazy with…

The Boston Marathon qualifier from namma Bengaluru, who stays in Koramangala for over 21 years now, writes on running and fitness. He is now planning to set up a venture that will primarily focus on educating runners on proper running form. He talks about running, inspiration and what goes into it to be a good runner.   What inspired you to run?Like any other youngster, I was more into team games like football, cricket and so forth. But once I started working, I decided to switch from contact to non-contact sports to minimise injuries and yet get a workout. Running, swimming…

Consider the typical traffic scenario on a "normal" day: A swirl to the left and a turn towards right, cutting lanes at the wink of your eye with regular "predictable" screeching halts, the Indian motorists (number of wheels and size of the vehicles do not matter!) have perfected the art & science of driving and riding. They have the knack of crisscrossing the lanes and by-lanes, with occasional slip ups of course! It is easy to predict a politician's jump from one party to another, but it is well nigh impossible to predict the motorists' intended path! The two wheelers…

We, Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative (MSI), a resident's welfare association, have been short listed for Green Star awards. Finally we are being recognized for the work that MSI has done in the field of waste management. The award is being given by TCS during their 10 k run.The award will be partially based on the number of votes that the association gets. Please click on this link for voting:  Green Star awards. The voting closes on May 27, Sunday.For more information on MSI, visit: We Care For Malleswaram .⊕

Residents of Jayanagar and JP Nagar have a reason to smile. Karnataka’s Home and Transport minister R Ashoka inaugurated the renovated Chandragupta Maurya Playground on Saturday, May 19th, 2012. This playground is in Jayanagar 5th Block in 10th main. This playground, popular as Shalini ground after an old hotel which is demolished now, has a skating rink, net practice space, auditorium, and concrete gallery steps around the playground. This playground will be used for outdoor activities like cricket, football and volleyball among others. Children practicing cricket at newly inaugurated Chandragupta Maurya playground. Pic: Anisha Nair This 6.5 acre playground is…