Society

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…

The 84th edition of the Gangamma Jathre (Fair) at Malleswaram drew Bangaloreans in large numbers. The origin of this Jathre can be traced to the rich tradition of worshipping Nada Devathe or local deities in our city. Gangamma is believed to be one of the seven deities of Bengaluru. Gangamma temple. Pic: Sridhar C R Jathre at Gangamma Temple near the famous Kadu Malleshwara Temple was a three day affair that began on 14th May and concluded on 16th May with a grand Karaga procession.During the period of festivity devotees flocked the Gangamma temples in large numbers and offered Ragi…

Dr Prathibha Vinay is a doctorate in botany, and resident of JP Nagar since 1997. From 2002 onwards she has dedicated herself to promoting medicinal plants. She even planted them at JP Nagar's Dhanwantari park. In 2002, she founded TULSI (Treasure and Utilise the Life Sustaining Ingredients of Nature) an NGO that promotes medicinal plants for health and raises awareness on conservation of such plants. Dr Pratibha Vinay at her residence. Pratibha earned her doctorate degree in Palynology-a super speciality in Botany in 1972. Later she was awarded Post Doctoral Fellowship at Bangalore University -Department of Botany in 1973. In…

Groups of people gathered at Freedom Park on Sunday evening, 20 May, where Swarathma was going to play. Though the show started almost forty-five minutes late, the stall selling copies of their second new album ‘Topiwalleh’ and colourful topis, kept people excited.This Bengaluru based folk-rock band has been travelling and they have finished five of their eleven concerts on their ‘Restless Tour’ around India to launch their new album. Having started in Delhi, they travelled to Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and then made their way to the band’s hometown.“The money we've saved from the incessant touring is going back into this…

Shut since 2004 with a pledge by the then Bangalore Mahanagara Palike that a refurbished theatre with state-of-the-art facilities in place would be re-opened, the theatre today lies decrepit.During the visit of then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa  to the damaged site, revival of the theatre in 36 months was promised, but unfortunately the situation remains unchanged and is causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.  The project has been handed over to BDA by BBMP. Concerned authorities must look into the matter at the earliest and accelerate the reconstruction.⊕

“I always knew I would be a writer,” she says sipping her tea. She believes that writing keeps her alive and kicking. By the age of 36, Christina Daniels has authored books like ‘Ginger lemon soda pop’ and ‘I’ll do it my way’. She has worked in Print and Online media. A movie reviewer, and a corporate communicator by profession, she is currently working on a book dedicated to the city that she has seen grow, Bangalore. Christina Daniels holds a BA in communicative english from the Bangalore University and MSc in New Media from London School of Economics and…

Seeing the posters for Hugo, you’d expect something á la The Polar Express. Or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Something right out of your childhood fantasies. If you did, you’re right! Hugo is a magical 2-hour-8-minute long story of the hand-to-mouth life of a little boy, who stumbled on a life changing secret. Film-changing for cinema lovers. Nobody likes to be forgotten. Especially if their work is so tremendous that they are de facto pages in world history. Today, popular names in movie trivia include ‘Deepika Padukone’ or ‘Karan Johar’. Moving to Hollywood, it’s ‘George Clooney’ or ‘Steven Spielberg’…

The aroma of the coconut oil being heated in the pan, the tempting curries and payasam dishes spread across the table is what God's Own Country's food is about. Here are some of the restaurants that serve the best of Kerala cuisine in Namma Bengaluru. Fish Curry. Pic: Kumarakom Prawn pollichathu and Kerala Chicken curry is the biggest draw at Peppers in BTM Layout. The simple ambience with a few abstract paintings on the wall have calming effect and lets you concentrate on the food.Average cost of meal for two is Rs 250. Alcohol is not served. Karimeen. Pic: Kumarakom…

I am a mom. I don’t do me time. Except when I am reading Good Housekeeping or Femina  or one of those million women’s magazines that go blue in the face extolling the virtues of leaving the children behind in the able care of your husband/mother/mother in law/maid and snatching a cup of coffee in the cafe or a massage in the spa. It all sounds quite delicious, having the children out of your hair at least for a while and having some divine smelling promises-to-make-hair-great concoction in it instead.Sounds good? Certainly! Sounds doable? Well it depends on how well…

The movie 3 Idiots has this famous scene that talks about Gujarati cuisine. Watching it again again, my mouth started watering at the mention of Dhokla, Faafda, Thepla, Haandva... I immediately set out find some Gujarati restaurants around Koramangala. Gaanthiya. Pic: Aayush Anand Rajdhani in Koramangala promises to serve the typical Gujarati cuisine. The Gujarati speciality that Rajdhani serves is Masala Khichadi. This is one of the most popular dishes in Gujarat and tastes heavenly. Besides tasting delicious, it is also considered one of the most nutritious and simple dishes to prepare. It is made of a mixture steamed dal…