Articles by Deepa Mohan

Of the 47 teams that took part in the HSBC Bangalore Bird Race, I am only talking about Team Black Stork.... comprised (in alphabetical order) Gayathri, Mani, Saandip, Uma...and me.We certainly had a wonderful time that day, and we certainly never had any expectations, as bird-sightings are so much a matter of luck! Our list had 123 birds, and I never did photograph most of them. I'm hoping that the others will put up their bird-race photographs up soon! We started at my top favourite birding location, the Bannerghatta Zoo area. A bird that I enjoyed seeing was the handsomeLARGE CUCKOO-SHRIKE:The Zoo…

  When I go for my morning walk around the Mini Forest, it's often dark, and so it's easy to see the magic of the cobwebs that the spiders spin, to catch the insects that are drawn to the light....That's the way the web starts...on some lamps, the creation is quite impressive:In the dark, the filaments of the web seem to be made of light themselves....a light-trap, to catch the unwary, that the predators build of gossamer....just look at the strength of the web, that can trap so much debris and hold it up without breaking!  ⊕

  At our front door, my kolam greets you with good wishes: and when you enter, Surya Narayana is there to bless you with happiness, health, and prosperity:And if you are not too late, you will get "shakkarai pongal" and "ven pongal", to eat, as the puja prasad!Wish everyone a happy Pongal...or, if you are not celebrating it, a happy weekend!  ⊕

  At our front door, my kolam greets you with good wishes: and when you enter, Surya Narayana is there to bless you with happiness, health, and prosperity:And if you are not too late, you will get "shakkarai pongal" and "ven pongal", to eat, as the puja prasad!Wish everyone a happy Pongal...or, if you are not celebrating it, a happy weekend!  ⊕

  Magic Puddles, a learning centre for younger children in J P Nagar, had a 3-day stint of telling the children all about the Harvest Festival.  Nandini talked about how Sankranti is celebrated in Karnataka, and Geetu talked about how it is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.Here are some of the children, listening to the various fact and myths surrounding the festival!Shreya talked about Lohri, as it is celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Many of the children (and adults!) came wearing colourful, festive clothes...and we all joined her in singing one of the Lohri songs!  Sweet Pongal, sugarcane, and…

  Magic Puddles, a learning centre for younger children in J P Nagar, had a 3-day stint of telling the children all about the Harvest Festival.  Nandini talked about how Sankranti is celebrated in Karnataka, and Geetu talked about how it is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.Here are some of the children, listening to the various fact and myths surrounding the festival!Shreya talked about Lohri, as it is celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Many of the children (and adults!) came wearing colourful, festive clothes...and we all joined her in singing one of the Lohri songs!  Sweet Pongal, sugarcane, and…

 Here's the email I got from Santosh: Dear Friends,Running, cycling and exercising has many benefits for a healthy lifestyle and anyone can develop a passion for it. The first step to exercising - running, walking, cycling, swimming etc. is to just get out and do it!! It doesn't matter for how long, how far or how fast - You are already a champion for gritting it out once you start! Welcome to Strides of Hope ( www.stridesofhope.com ) - this is the second edition of the first of its kind ever organized in India - a 48 Hour Endurance Run and…

  It was lovely to see the decorations at Bangalore Club for the New Year. Here's the main building, and the majestic 100-year-old conifers:  Brigadier Hill Annexe was also lit up:  And so was the passage between the two:  ⊕

 Here's the email I got from Santosh: Dear Friends,Running, cycling and exercising has many benefits for a healthy lifestyle and anyone can develop a passion for it. The first step to exercising - running, walking, cycling, swimming etc. is to just get out and do it!! It doesn't matter for how long, how far or how fast - You are already a champion for gritting it out once you start! Welcome to Strides of Hope ( www.stridesofhope.com ) - this is the second edition of the first of its kind ever organized in India - a 48 Hour Endurance Run and…

  It was lovely to see the decorations at Bangalore Club for the New Year. Here's the main building, and the majestic 100-year-old conifers:  Brigadier Hill Annexe was also lit up:  And so was the passage between the two:  ⊕