Society

Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira was started way back in 1955 by Sri G Vedanta Iyengar. The institute has since been conducting various music related programmes. It, in fact, celebrated its Thousandth concert day on 13th February 2008. Sri Rama Lalitha Kala MandirAs usual, this year, a series of concerts are being organized for a period of one week, starting 7th February 2009. The venue is Mangala Mantapa, NMKRV College, Jayanagar. While admission is free, seating would be on a first come basis, especially as all the artistes who would be enthralling the audiences with their music are very popular.…

Members of Sri Ram Sene got their share of limelight this fortnight. For beating women, tugging at their clothes, matrimonial threats... And Bangaloreans aren't taking this quietly. On 8th February, students of the Srishti School of Art and Design organised a peace march protesting against this moral policing. With the slogan 'I am an Indian, this is my culture', more than hundred people took to the streets with banners and placards. Students in a peace march against moral policing on Sunday, 8th of Feb (pic: Sastry Vadlamani) The march started from Rest House Road park, through Brigade Road, and ended…

It's not a great time to pick for an evening of theatre.... on a Wednesday evening. First, the traffic. Of all our theatre spaces, Chowdiah is the least well-connected by public transport. Leave alone not being close to any bus stop, it is not even convenient for auto-rickshaws. So, one decides to drive, battling the guilt of using the car for only two people. And one realises that the ‘evening of leisure’ will not begin until the wretched having-cars-autos-and-two-wheelers-squeezing-past drive is over, as also the eternal hunt for that elusive El Dorado, the Parking Space. It took us an hour…

‘Prakruti' simply means ‘Nature'- unrefined, natural, as it is. This is the name of the organisation which was started by MS Prasad, an PR consultant and an event management professional, four years ago. Along with Praveen Rao, a well known figure in the field of music in India and abroad, particularly orchestrization and composing, Prasad started ‘Prakruti' and registered it as a Trust. Audience at a concert at Cubbon Park Bandstand (pic courtesy: Prakruthi) The purpose was to bring music and breathe life into the dead Cubbon Park bandstand. That was almost four months ago and there has been no…

Our last article on Bangalore's history talked about its electrification, the first city in Asia to be electrified. Continuing with our series on Bangalore's development, we will now see how a sleepy town was transformed into a robust city by industrialisation. Mysore Lamps factory at Yeshwantpur (pic: Gopal MS) The medium and large scale industries started to appear in Bangalore in the mid 19th century. We owe much of the origin of the Government Press (operated in Wesleyan Mission Society), which was the first one to start the trend in Bangalore, to Rev. J Garret. Later, he not only set…

Entering Admiral Dawson's residence generates a feeling of stepping into another era. The high wooden gate opens to a driveway, lined on either side by huge trees and colourful hedges. A vintage car stands at the entrance. The bungalow itself is straight out of history - tiled roof, monkey-tops and a small veranda leading to the inner rooms. The antique teak furniture - a small wooden table, a couple of chairs and a pair of sofas - add to the beauty of the place. Plaques and photographs from the Admiral's long and outstanding career in Indian Navy decorate the walls.…

It all started two weeks back, when I received an email from Lokesh about a proposed ride for Jawa / Yezdi bikers on 25th January 2009 to the "Big Banyan Tree". I spoke to my wife about this ride a week back and she agreed to postpone a few important tasks that she had planned for Sunday, letting me go and enjoy my day with buddies, wondering, what these crazy guys do with their bikes every now and then. Line up of beauties at the beauty err beast pageant After so many years of marriage, while continuing to own this…

It was a dull and cloudy afternoon when I was on my way to Jayanagar to meet first-time MLA B.N.Vijaykumar (BJP). I was not too excited about the interview as, like most of us, I was quite sure of getting long winded answers for simple questions. The first impression, as I entered the spic and span office, though, came as a surprise. I expected piles of folders and paper lying on the tables but I was astonished to see this almost paperless office with an executive constantly working on the computer. The grey haired bachelor in his late forties welcomed…

The sprawling Indian Institute of Science right at the centre, a dozen-odd industries, swanky malls, residential layouts, commercial establishments, a bustling vegetable market, high rise hotels, all this and more make Yeshwanthpur a town by itself, interspersing an old world charm with the new. Situated in the northern outskirts of Bangalore, Yeshwanthpur has a number of educational institutions, theatres, hospitals and other amenities. This once half sleepy village has now transformed into a well-planned township as a result of the rapid development of public sector units.Slide show (all photographs by M S Gopal)Wall Art outside Yeshwantpur Junction. Yeshwantpur to Bangalore’s…

Chitra Sante is an 'Art for All' event organized by Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. The event has escalated to national level since its first edition in 2003. Artists from all over India showcase their art works in this one-day event. The event displays affordable art works of all kinds. This year's event had about 1500 stalls, showcasing art works of over 2000 artists of all ages. Photographs were allowed for the first time as a part of this event and got a very good response from the public. A sea of people filled the Kumara Krupa Road from dawn to dusk…