Articles by Sharath Bhat

A kitchen counter at a small, but popular South Indian restaurant in the city. It's so popular, the place draws more than a thousand people every day. The food is tasty, the rates are comfortable and it's open from six thirty in the morning, till a convenient hour in the evening. But what's that rag doing in the picture? That rag must have been bright yellow when it was bought. Now it's dirty brown in colour, because of one good reason - it's dirty. And you'd be pleased to know that it is used to wipe the plates dry after…

A kitchen counter at a small, but popular South Indian restaurant in the city. It's so popular, the place draws more than a thousand people every day. The food is tasty, the rates are comfortable and it's open from six thirty in the morning, till a convenient hour in the evening. But what's that rag doing in the picture? That rag must have been bright yellow when it was bought. Now it's dirty brown in colour, because of one good reason - it's dirty. And you'd be pleased to know that it is used to wipe the plates dry after…

It was the first time I was actually testing out the walking track here and believe me, this was refreshing. The walking surface is a wee bit rough but who cares, with the kind of visual panorama that unfolds as you take that long curve half-way around the lake. Your starting point is near the Foto Flash outlet and you can go right up to the Gurudwara, where you turn around for the return journey. I couldn't time my stretch, because I was stopping every five minutes to take a picture. The evenings at the lake front can also get…

It was the first time I was actually testing out the walking track here and believe me, this was refreshing. The walking surface is a wee bit rough but who cares, with the kind of visual panorama that unfolds as you take that long curve half-way around the lake. Your starting point is near the Foto Flash outlet and you can go right up to the Gurudwara, where you turn around for the return journey. I couldn't time my stretch, because I was stopping every five minutes to take a picture. The evenings at the lake front can also get…

This is one of the main entry points to where I live near Richards Town. It's a small residential layout, off Lazar Road. This view is nice and flattering - peaceful, green, orderly - to show what a nice looking community this could be.Here's a view from the other end of the road, where one vacant site has been used as a dumping ground for years. What typically happens to any site where the owner could be stationed elsewhere and doesn't really make an appearance.At this location, the build-up is close to nine feet from road level. A lot of…

This is one of the main entry points to where I live near Richards Town. It's a small residential layout, off Lazar Road. This view is nice and flattering - peaceful, green, orderly - to show what a nice looking community this could be.Here's a view from the other end of the road, where one vacant site has been used as a dumping ground for years. What typically happens to any site where the owner could be stationed elsewhere and doesn't really make an appearance.At this location, the build-up is close to nine feet from road level. A lot of…

Years ago, Cooke Town was full of old bungalows built during the "burra sahib" days. Lots of garden space, verandahs with trellis panels, spacious bedrooms, high ceilings, four-blade punkahs, windows with framed-glass shutters... I could go on and on and on.But things are fast changing out here, with large bungalows making way for apartment blocks. Inevitable, with elderly couples living alone and their children settled abroad. But unlike elsewhere in the city, apartments here try and retain the old world charm associated with local British colonies - especially Cooke Town, Richards Town, Cox Town and Frazer Town.The picture you see…

Years ago, Cooke Town was full of old bungalows built during the "burra sahib" days. Lots of garden space, verandahs with trellis panels, spacious bedrooms, high ceilings, four-blade punkahs, windows with framed-glass shutters... I could go on and on and on.But things are fast changing out here, with large bungalows making way for apartment blocks. Inevitable, with elderly couples living alone and their children settled abroad. But unlike elsewhere in the city, apartments here try and retain the old world charm associated with local British colonies - especially Cooke Town, Richards Town, Cox Town and Frazer Town.The picture you see…

While most of us voice visible concern when trees are cut indiscriminately, what are we doing about trees crying out for help, as a result of sheer neglect and apathy ? Just look at these pictures*. The next time we have strong winds in the city or heavy rains, some of these trees will just snap horizontal and keel over. So let's not go overboard only about trees being cut. Let's look around for trees that have their days numbered. I don't know if official machinery can kick in here, but I'm sure we can look around in our own…

While most of us voice visible concern when trees are cut indiscriminately, what are we doing about trees crying out for help, as a result of sheer neglect and apathy ? Just look at these pictures*. The next time we have strong winds in the city or heavy rains, some of these trees will just snap horizontal and keel over. So let's not go overboard only about trees being cut. Let's look around for trees that have their days numbered. I don't know if official machinery can kick in here, but I'm sure we can look around in our own…