Society

Rajeev Gowda (second from left) submitting the Namma Railu petition to the ex-Railway Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge in February 2014. Pic: twitter.com/rajeevgowda Rajeev Gowda is a well-known face in Bangalore. He is the son of M V Venkatappa, who was a Legislative Assembly Speaker and Chairman of the Legislative Council in Karnataka. An academic, Gowda was a professor of Economic and Social Science at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore until recently. He is currently a Rajya Sabha MP, elected from Congress party, representing Karnataka, at the upper house of the Parliament. Rajeev Gowda also started a citizen’s movement, Bengaluru Needs You,…

Waterbody near the entrance of Vishranthi. Pic courtesy: Silver Talkies Greenery and a sense of tranquillity invited us in, as we entered the grounds of Vishranthi, a home for seniors located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The fresh smell of ripened mangoes merged with the cacophony of students and children learning in the background, as part of Vishranthi’s orphanage and vocational training centre. The ‘Pizza Grannies,’ as the founders of Vishranthi —  Padma Srinivasan and Jayalakshmi Srinivasan — are popularly known, are warm and welcoming. As we sipped on mango juice (from their own garden), they began to tell us the story…

Bengaluru has much to offer. That much is clear even to someone who is new to the city. Normally, if you plan to visit all of the major sightseeing locales available, it would take several trips. The Bangalore Rounds bus service makes it easy to condense a planned excursion into a single day-trip for those without much time. It’s the equivalent of marathoning a favorite TV show on Netflix, but instead you can experience sunshine, learn more about the history of the city, and revel in the amazing architectural designs. Although it’s unlikely you’ll be able to visit every landmark…

We were having one of those Saturday nights, where we had a big group of people (from the Quora meetup) who decided to get out for a drink with last minute plans. As expected, we didn't really get a table in most bars and since we were a big group, we were desperate for a bar that seated us. Walking down Church Street in Bengaluru, a friend spotted Alibi, the restobar and it seemed like they had a few tables that would accommodate a large group. My friends and I had a decent time for about the first two hours…

In a symphony of horns and beeps, cars, buses and motorcycles bullet past the populated Springfields apartment complex, the enormous Wipro campus, and the multitude of schools that dot the famous Sarjapur Road. It turns from a mellow street at night into a hub of pandemonium we witness during the day. Narrow and long, it stretches on for kilometers, providing access to thousands of residential complexes and immense corporate offices. Smaller streets branch out of the main spine of Sarjapur Road like tributaries, spreading to Electronic City and Marathahalli. As it trails away from Bangalore city, it dissolves into the…

What does a typical day in Bangalore feel like? One can’t help but think of the traffic, the potholes, the never-ending garbage crisis and the rampant corruption. But there are lovely things about the city too - the trees, the lakes, the melting pot of people from all over, the weather, the work culture... the list is endless. For many old-timers, as well as folks migrating to the city, Bangalore seems to be a near-perfect city. Bangalore is also the state capital, and houses most of the administrative wing of the state. It also has its own municipality - the…

We live in a city that brags of its achievements, of its IT sectors, of its socially aware and educated crowd. For a while now, I lived with thi impression, until an incident that took place on June 19th changed my very perception of the city and its people. It was just another normal day and I was off to meet a friend living less than three kilometers from my place. I commute by rickshaws most of the time, since I don't have my own vehicle. I got into an auto, the drivers earrings and strange looks did not bother me…

  On my way to office, which is located in Bagmane Tech Park, C.V. Raman Nagar, our office cab passed through the streets of Austin Town. On the pedestrian footpath, lay a helpless, old soul, wrapped in torn bits of clothes and plastic. On inquiry, her neighbors revealed that she has been lying in the same place for more than 10 years, all by herself. On December 19th 2012, after office hours, I decided to spend my evening with the elderly citizen. I held her tiny old hand to hear about her life and share her heart. She spoke to me…

Bengaluru has lots of people who want to minimise their waste by preparing their own compost, and growing vegetables from that. Some such people started this wondeful initiative - Oota From Your thota, the organic vegetable gardening fair. The fair is here again. Trees of Bengaluru is pitching in this time. When: Sunday, June 15 Venue: Whitefield Club, Whitefield main road Map: http://goo.gl/2PjU1f Tree walks will be conducted by Trees of Bengaluru. 1)  A season Watch Workshop - 11 AM 2) Tree Walk for kids - 4 PM 3) Tree Walk for adults - 4 PM Here's where you can…

View of the Somanathapura temple from the porch entrance. Pic: Wikimedia Commons The temple at Somanathapura took 58 years to build with 500 sculptors ceaselessly working on it. A true work of art, the Gods come alive in the stones of Somanathapura.  The stone figurines speak to you, be it is the ornately carved temple ceilings, the intricately carved pillars or the heavily sculpted star shaped Trikuta style temple of Somanathapura.  Somanathapura as the name suggests, is not a Shiva temple; it is a famous Hoysala styled Keshava temple. A brief history The temple was constructed in 1268 AD by commander…