Society

The high decibel sound emanating from the fighter planes, the stunning aerial displays and the ballet of the moving aircrafts —all these have brightened up the Bengaluru skies, as the 10th edition of Aero India has entered its fourth day at Air Force Station in Yelahanka. After the successful completion of the previous nine editions, Asia’s premier air show Aero India-2015 has been organised in Bengaluru yet again. Scheduled from February 18th to 22nd, Aero India, which includes the aircraft show and an exhibition, has everything to offer for aviation enthusiasts. Demonstrations and mind blowing stunts by civil and military…

“Pussaaaaa! Vaammaa, paal kukkeyn!” (“Come here, drink some milk!”), aththi called out gently and sweetly. Ms Feline Attitude (FA) gave her a disdainful look, tossed her head as only the callously cold of her species could and would, flicked the tip of her tail, and walked away in what Wodehouse would have called 'a marked manner'. But let me rewind a bit. On the west of our house, with a stone slab compound wall separating the property from ours, was the home of Sri Thirumale. With his family lived an elderly lady (his mother, if I recall rightly), whom we all called aththi. Aththi was a very…

Go! Make a Difference (GO!MAD) is a four day fun and fundraising cycle trip from Bengaluru to Gudalur in the Nilgiris, kick starting on February 19th 2015. All one needs is a cycle, the ability to pedal 80 km every day and a big heart! The idea is not to win any race, but to enjoy the experience, soak up the local culture and raise much needed funds. All facilities from accommodation, food, support vehicles and medical help will be taken care of by the Gudalur family. While the tour promises to be physically challenging, it will also offer participants a…

Prema, a resident Richmond town, who feeds street dogs everyday. Pic : Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran Murderers, rapists, racists, eve-teasers, corrupt traffic police, misbehaving auto-drivers and obnoxious bus-conductors of Bengaluru are all well-documented by the media. Media chooses to chase only a few faces of the society, leaving people in a crisis of faith about the humanity and hospitality left in the city. However there are hundred unseen faces in the society which need exposure. Working as a Senior Engineering manager in a multinational company during weekdays, 34-year-old Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran is a passionate photographer, roaming the city streets…

The Flower Show organised by the Horticultural Society at Lalbagh for the Republic Day, as usual, stole the hearts of visitors. The main attraction this time was Red Fort, which was created using three lakhs flowers. Musical instruments made of flowers set up around the Band Stand were an added attraction. This time, tickets were sold online for the show. However, long queues were seen in front of Lalbagh, as people did not see any advantage in going for online ticketing. The show this time had air surveilance through drones, which proved efficient, when a fire was reportedly spotted by…

Her story is of grit and determination. The tag of physical disability did not deter her from reaching her goals. She was often at the receiving end when the society suppressed and discriminated her for being a dwarf. However, nothing could hamper her spirit and the dream to achieve big. It is the life story of Lakshmipradha Srinivasan, a doctor who hails from Palakkad in Kerala and a resident of Bengaluru. She was a victim of Achondroplasia which has resulted in dwarfness. Today, at the age of 34, Lakshmipradha’s height is 3’9 ft, which is considered as an abnormal growth…

Moves are often not momentous when they happen. In hindsight, many of them turn out to have been keys that opened doors to rich treasures. Moving from N R Colony (to where auto drivers still balk at plying!) to Jayanagar in 1963-64, on the shores of the Lakes Yediyur (yes, plural), is a vague memory for me. Most of life in the new house, however, is as fresh in memory as if it were only yesterday. Well, day before. The north-facing house was owned by film personality Chi. Sadashivaiah (1908-1982), or some close relative of his. It was set in…

The fruit and vegetable market at Nagarthpet. Pic: Aruna L I had a sneak peek into old Bangalore through a heritage walk organised by www.unhurried.in and I am so glad that someone is taking the initiative to let us all know about the heritage of the city we live in. I had heard of such walks in the temple town of Madurai, which is basically for foodies, but I could not be part of it when I went to Madurai. It is great that something like it has started in our own sweet little Bangalore. There is so much to Bangalore that we are…

A press note from Bangalore Traffic Police details the plan for new year eve on MG Road and nearby areas. Here are the excerpts: A large number of people, motorists as well as pedestrians, traditionally throng MG Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road, St.Marks Road and Church Street on the New Year’s Eve. In the interest of public safety and convenience it is necessary to restrict and regulate the movement of vehicular traffic and parking of vehicles on MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, St Marks Road, Rest House road and Residency road on the night intervening between 31/12/2014 and 02/01/2015.…

“Sekaaaaaaarrr ... Go to the market and get me kottamalli for four annas,” amma called. Kottamalli is coriander, you know. Living near the Yediyur lake, the Lake Titicaca (so called because of all the caca that used to flow into it whenever it rained—I kid you not, that was a limnologist's, if that's the word I want, dream lake!) of Jayanagar, Bangalore, had many advantages. It's all geography, hon. We were right by the main road on which the various vegetable vendors from the south of Bangalore carried their fresh produce from the previous afternoon to the Krishna Rajendra Market—a.k.a.…