Society

Talented and energetic children keen on action. Inspired and excited adolescents eager to share their learnings. A strong and supportive working women's collective. A potent mix for a promising start. And start they did! In amazing style. Singing, dancing, speaking and drawing about the country, society, violence, peace and unity. Generational Shift - an unlettered yet empowered Rukminiamma (a SJS veteran) with her English speaking granddaughter Nisha and friend Vidya, both CYS members (pic: PA)On 26th January 2009, Chaitanya Yuwa Samiti (CYS), a community-based organization and youth wing of Stree Jagruti Samiti, was formally launched at the SJS office, off…

It was the beginning of a new chapter for artists in the city as the Southern Regional Center of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) was inaugurated in Bengaluru on 18th February. Located at the heritage site of Manikyavelu Mansion on Palace Road, the gallery was inaugurated by Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ambika Soni. The event was presided over by leader of Opposition, Government of Karnataka, Mallikharjun Kharge and Minister of Medical Education, Ramachandra Gowda. Spread over 3.5 acres, the gallery has been designed to be a cultural institute. Prof. Rajeev Lochan, Director, NGMA, says, "This gallery…

Soul revival, that's the feeling one was left with at the conclusion of the Biennial dance festival in Bangalore. The first festival in the city with contemporary dance as its theme, Biennial hopes to have two shows annually and justify its name! It was hosted by Attakalari, a trust formed in 1992 by artistes from different disciplines to have a platform for contemporary physical expressions in India. Attakalari Bienniale (pic: Arun Patre) The ten day dance festival (6th February-15th February) hosted shows of dance troupes from India and abroad at multiple locations in Bangalore which included the Chowdiah Hall, JSS…

Business Grapes festival at HOPCOMS The festival of grapes organised by Horticulture Producers Cooperative Marketing Association (HOPCOMS) is attracting large crowds. 'Drakshimela 2009' took off on 4th February and will continue till the end of April. It provides an opportunity for tasting a variety of grapes and their processed goods.The Mela is on in 263 HOPCOMS outlets out of which 239 are in Bangalore. HOPCOMS has the target of selling 750 tonnes of grapes during the festival. A discount of 10 per cent on MRP too has been announced. ( Prajavani , Saturday, 7 Feb ) Volvo bus cost BMTC…

Some of my European friends visited India last year and we met. I was eager and waiting to hear every detail about their brief stay in India. As we ran through photo slides of Rajasthan, Delhi and Mumbai, I heard everyone say "India is magnificent". A little later, small irritations surfaced: from why "people stare" to the "so persistent beggars" and the "unbearable traffic" and the "lack of pubs". It was New Year's time when my friends were in Delhi and it had not been easy for them to find a pub. They could not imagine spending their time in…

A series of marches and human chains were organised Feb 12th across the city, protesting the attacks on women in Mangalore and the subsequent statements of Sri Rama Sene’s Pramod Muthalik. Bengaluru Unites, a protest campaign mooted by Professor Rajeev Gowda of IIMB, saw attendance of thousands as students and professionals took off from classes and work to join hands against moral policing for about an hour on Thursday afternoon. People congregated in more than a dozen locations across the city, from Mount Carmel College, Vasant Nagar to Garden City College, KR Puram, from Manyata Tech Park, Nagavara to Embassy…

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…