Society

The festive atmosphere of the Dushera/Navarathri season was very apparent at the Durga Puja Pandal on Bannerghatta Road.At NGR Kalyana Mantapa, on Bannerghatta Road, the South Bangalore Cultural Association, under its President, S Lahiri, began the Pujo festivities on Shasthi (sixth day after the new moon), which fell on 2nd October. Several cultural programmes were scheduled for the festivities up the 6th of October, when the idol of Durga was  taken in ceremonial procession for "Bisarjan" or immersion, after the worship. Indrashis De Sarkar, a very active volunteer, says smilingly that this Pujo is as old as his marriage!  He…

Mythri Arun, 32, a homemaker from Banashankari, decided to make her doll display of R K Narayan's 'Malgudi days' more authentic this year. She downloaded the route map of Malgudi town and replicated it at her home. Mythri, who has been setting up the gombe display for the past eight years feels she can live the memories of her grandmother through this. “Every family should follow this; children actually enjoy and learn a lot through these dolls,” she says. Mythri Arun with her Malgudi arrangement. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj.Mythri's Malgudi arrangement, with the clocktower in view. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj.Mythri Arun's Malgudi…

Jayanagar Samyukta Mandal (JSM), has been organising Garba/Dandiya nights for the last 11 years now. “It is specially meant for the Gujaratis, but everyone is welcome”, said Rajesh Parekh, 65, Secretary of JSM. Mesmerizing whirls. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj, Shreyas Nag Women wear splendid traditional and colorful embroidered choli, ghagra and bandini dupattas dazzling with mirror work whereas men wear their special turban and Kedias (kurtas) depicting Krishna’s costume. The dance moves were enchanting with intense and energetic whirls. Am I the best dressed? Pic: Nagashree Gururaj, Shreyas Nag “I have been dancing here for the last two years now, this…

It was an evening that evoked an array of moods as versatile singer M D Pallavi performed at a musical fundraising dinner concert at Taj West End, Racecourse road. She sang compositions of famous poets like G P Rajaratnam, D V Gundappa, Shishunal Sharief, Da Ra Bendre and Chandrashekhar Kambar. The Music was composed by noted composers like Mysore Ananthaswamy and Kalinga Rao. Pallavi mesmerizing the crowds. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi The concert was organized as part of ‘Joy of Giving Week’, from October 2nd to 8th, a national movement that hopes to engage Indians in “acts of giving”, be…

For many years now, I have been following the work of Yours Truly Theatre (YTT), a young Bangalore theatre group. They can be said to have pioneered Interactive Theatre in India. Called "Playback Theatre", it was started in the 1970's in the US, and is now hugely popular across the world. Instead of a fixed script, it is an interaction between the audience and the cast; the performers take the inputs provided by the members of the audience, and stage a scene with their own dramatic interpretation. Playback theatre has three established ways of presenting the stories: Fluids, Stories, and…

When an outstanding actor makes his debut as a director, the audience that has been faithfully following his cinema over the last decades expects much him from. But true blue Pankaj Kapur fans will find themselves disappointed with Mausam. Pic: Film's official website The film tells the story of Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and Aayat (Sonam Kapoor), who fall in love as young adolescents in a village in Punjab. Across time and over different seasons, they battle many quirks of fate and great distances to build a life together. Yet curiously, in a decade that brought the Internet, email and mobile…

Around 80 activists, both men and women protesting Kannada film industry's action during Darshan controversy were manhandled by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) members and plain clothes men claiming to be police. The group of about 80 activists - comprising mostly women and a few men - had assembled in front of the KFCC, Kumara Park East, near Shivananda circle, on Saturday, September 24, holding a silent protest. A man who claimed to be from the police arguing with activists. His credentials could not be verified. Pic: Navya P K Problems started as soon as the group was about…

South Western Railway, Hubli beat Coorg Blues, 4 – 0, on 27th September, in the ongoing ‘A’ Division Hockey Tournament organised by Karnataka State Hockey Association. Nagraj H of SWR scored a hat trick at 28th, 29th and 40th minutes of the game and Kiran Gagade scored a goal in the 50th minute to spur the team to victory. Other match results: RWF Beat BSNL by 5-0:For RWF: Jayaraj.M - 21st min; Ravikumar - 44th min; Sampath S.N – 51st, 56th min; Harjeet - 59th min. ITI Beat SHBHC, Gadag by 2-1 For ITI: Somaiah - 56th min; Rajendra Kumar…

Former football player for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), C K Ranganatha, aged 61, passed away on Monday, 26th September at Vega Hospital in Malleshwaram where he was being treated. He is survived by a wife and two sons. He was cremated atHarishchandraghat at Srirampura the next day. Players from the football fraternity and employees of BHEL paid their respects. Ranganatha, who retired from BHEL earlier in February this year, was a multi-talented sportsman representing BHEL in football, ball badminton and cricket tournaments.  He was instrumental in taking BHEL from ‘B’ Division to ‘A’ Division in 1976. He played for…

For Suthinthran Rao, 39, an entrepreneur, it was a rare chance to play one of his favourite childhood games cricket, after several years. "As children, we played cricket even in mid-May in Chennai. Now, Bangalore city has very less open space left for children to play. I brought my seven year old son to see what he is missing out on." said Rao while he took a break from batting for his team, Himagiri Meadows. Suthinthran Rao and son watching cricket match. Rao was playing at the ApnaComplex Treamis Premier League, a 15-over, tennis ball cricket tournament being played at…