Society

If the Bandstand at Cubbon Park could talk, it sure would have a lot to say. It would probably tell you about how it started off, as all bandstands do, as a space for outdoor concerts / musical performances. It would narrate to you tales of long lost glory, of how it was a location where the royal family was entertained by musicians, and how, the people of Bangalore got an opportunity to witness memorable recitals by prominent artists, when the city was well and truly able to live up to its name of being the Garden city, much before…

Standing in front of the High Court, facing the street with the din of the traffic passing through, it is hard to imagine the life here in late 19th Century. No smoke-spewing vehicles, no harried traffic police and not even the huge imposing Vidhana Soudha. The Cubbon Park was a sprawling green area with the barracks on one side and the imposing Residency (present Raj Bhavan) on the other. Officers of the Secretariat would ride through the lush green park environs on horse carriages and enter the Mysore public offices (present High Court) for their everyday work. The entire area…

Business Iron ore transportation trucks hit by slump The steep fall in demand for iron ore has affected the resale value of trucks used for their transportation. Earlier these trucks had a resale value of Rs.13-15 lakhs. Now they are available for Rs.8-10 lakhs. Trucks owners are now feeling the heat as income from ore transportation has fallen drastically. More than 12,000 trucks were involved in this business during 2004-2008 when iron ore was in huge demand. (Prajavani, Monday, Nov 3) Onion prices to increase further Onion growers have reason to smile and buyers have to reason to cry. The…

The cessation of the heavy monsoon rains seemed to herald a smooth run for the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival. Bright sunshine greeted us as we walked to Ranga Shankara on 31st October, the first day of the Festival, as we ordered some of Anju's delicious snacks and took a leisurely turn around the foyer, taking in the beautiful decorations, and the priceless photographs from the Company Theatre era, the period between the 19th century to mid 20th century. The opening play Nati Binodini dealt with one of the stars of that era, and her fearless expose of the exploitation women…

"If I were pregnant, I'd surely have a miscarriage", is the thought that I have everyday when I'm on my Kinetic Honda on Bangalore roads. The bumps and potholes on the road jiggle my fat enough that I never feel the need for a workout. Coming back to Bangalore after five years provided a shock to my entire system. The place had changed! No more was it a sleepy town and when someone told me that Jayanagar still reminded them of OLD Bangalore, I chuckled away to myself.I believe from the depths of my heart that you should not swear…

It was a hectic day, and walking out of Leela on old air-port road with my husband, discussing the interview I had just then finished for an upcoming BPO in Bangalore only made me feel exhausted and wanting to go home and hit the sack. The traffic at 7:30 PM and the blinding vehicle headlights made it difficult for us to walk, cross the road an wait for an auto. any people were already standing here and there, competing with each other to hail an auto. One empty auto came our way, making all of us rush towards him, only…

The last week of October saw the entire country celebrating the festival of lights. Diwali brings people together and marks the beginning of the Indian winter.People decorate their houses with candles, Diyas and Lanterns, also known as Kandils. The markets are filled with gift shops, laden with a selection of gifts to suit all budgets. This is the time for the sweet shops to highlight their creativity and come up with different flavors for the festive season.The sound of crackers start increasing as the evening draws closer. While boom-boom crackers still hold kids and young people in thrall, some elders…

Bangalore is referred to as the Bean Town (benda kaalooru in Kannada) by parts of the English Press. Legend has it that a king called it by that name when he strayed into a village selling boiled beans. While this name is basically a fun name, some of the sobriquets it has acquired do no justice to either the mood or the history of the city. Some journalist with an overdose of imagination saw some retired people going for a walk in a leafy suburb and termed it a pensioner's paradise. IT spokesmen, who like to believe that it all…

Ranga Shankara is organising a seminar on Company Theatre at 6 pm on 3rd November as part of the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival '08, which pays tribute to this golden era of Indian theatre.Speakers at the seminar include,Amal Allana, renowned director and Chairperson of the National School of Drama, who will speak on gender impersonation in Company Nataka and reflect on the phenomenon in her own plays.Nissar Allana, renowned stage designer and author of Painted Scenaries: Backdrops of the 19th Century Marathi Sangeet Natak, who will speak on the subject of his book, the sceneries of the Marathi stageProf. Ramakrishna…

Few know that the Bandstand in Cubbon park was the hub of cultural activities in Bangalore in the 60's. The likes of Ilaiyaraaja had performed there. After a long gap Prakruthi, a non-profit organisation run by the duo M S Prasad and Praveen D Rao, took it upon itself to bring Kannada and its musical legacy back into the limelight, and revive the magic of bandstand and Cubbon park. The revival started on 5th October this year and many musical recitals and shows have been held there every Sunday between 5 and 7 PM since then. Performances by popular Kannada…