Society

  Here's what I just wrote to the egroup (bngbirds) of the Bird Watchers' Field Club of Bangalore just now:  Hi everyone,I'll be writing about the very enjoyable 2nd Sunday birding outing, especially with the children and teachers of Sri Vani School of Magadi Road....but before that, I have to tell you about events that unfolded just after we dispersed.When going back, I realized that the "birding bag" I carry (binocs, bird book, water bottle, camera, sketch pad) had been mislaid, and we narrowed it down to the area where we had seen the Spotted Owlet (near the Bamboo thicket). When we…

One doesn't always get an opportunity to do something extraordinary. When you do, you've got to grab it! This is what we did when we saw the Puttenahalli Lake dying. We campaigned and lobbied for the BBMP to rejuvenate the lake. This is what PNLIT did when we saw the Mahindra Spark the Rise announcement inviting projects ("Sparks") for a competitive funding. We submitted "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" as a template for reviving lakes with active public participation. Click here to vote. Pic: PNLIT The many activities and events we conduct, such as the Children's Day Nature…

One doesn't always get an opportunity to do something extraordinary. When you do, you've got to grab it! This is what we did when we saw the Puttenahalli Lake dying. We campaigned and lobbied for the BBMP to rejuvenate the lake. This is what PNLIT did when we saw the Mahindra Spark the Rise announcement inviting projects ("Sparks") for a competitive funding. We submitted "PNLIT - Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to its pristine glory" as a template for reviving lakes with active public participation. Click here to vote. Pic: PNLIT The many activities and events we conduct, such as the Children's Day Nature…

Jayalakshmi and her husband are the founders of Basavangudi based Asha Dollmakers which highlight tradition as well as creativity during weddings. According to old Mysore wedding traditions, it is considered auspicious to give dry coconut, roasted chana, jaggery and arishina-kumkuma (turmeric and vermilion) to the bride during Vara pooje, a function to welcome the groom to the wedding. Over the years, innovations have led to creative figurines dressed to look like traditional dolls.Wedding contractors and marriage halls place bulk orders with individuals or small-scale units producing such figurines. Although the price varies depending on customer specifications and quantity, the cost…

Jayalakshmi and her husband are the founders of Basavangudi based Asha Dollmakers which highlight tradition as well as creativity during weddings. According to old Mysore wedding traditions, it is considered auspicious to give dry coconut, roasted chana, jaggery and arishina-kumkuma (turmeric and vermilion) to the bride during Vara pooje, a function to welcome the groom to the wedding. Over the years, innovations have led to creative figurines dressed to look like traditional dolls.Wedding contractors and marriage halls place bulk orders with individuals or small-scale units producing such figurines. Although the price varies depending on customer specifications and quantity, the cost…

When we come across a unique not for profit organisation, social campaign or initiative, we may be interested in knowing more about its regular activities and achievements. But do we try to find out why and how it started? Irrespective of their size and successes, many civil society organisations (CSO's) or non-governmental organisations (NGO's) have a distinct personal story behind them. Some organisations like Sangama (helps sexual minorities) or the Association of People with Disabilities (APD - supports disabled persons) were started to highlight and counter the challenges or discrimination that an individual or a community experiences and assist them.…

When we come across a unique not for profit organisation, social campaign or initiative, we may be interested in knowing more about its regular activities and achievements. But do we try to find out why and how it started? Irrespective of their size and successes, many civil society organisations (CSO's) or non-governmental organisations (NGO's) have a distinct personal story behind them. Some organisations like Sangama (helps sexual minorities) or the Association of People with Disabilities (APD - supports disabled persons) were started to highlight and counter the challenges or discrimination that an individual or a community experiences and assist them.…

 An unusual play: "The Water Station" is a theatre production co-produced by The Japan Foundation, a Japanese government cultural agency, and Theatre Roots & Wings, Kerala. It is written by an award-winning Japanese playwright Shogo Ohta, and directed by Sankar Venkateswaran, with an all-India castselected by auditions across the country.The play will be premiered in Ranga Shankara, Bangalore on 29 & 30 November 2011, and is set to tour several cities in India and Southeast Asian countries including Colombo and Jaffna, Sri anka in 2012.Synopsis of the Play"The Water Station" is a two-hour, wordless performance. Walking through a barren andscape, eighteen…

 An unusual play: "The Water Station" is a theatre production co-produced by The Japan Foundation, a Japanese government cultural agency, and Theatre Roots & Wings, Kerala. It is written by an award-winning Japanese playwright Shogo Ohta, and directed by Sankar Venkateswaran, with an all-India castselected by auditions across the country.The play will be premiered in Ranga Shankara, Bangalore on 29 & 30 November 2011, and is set to tour several cities in India and Southeast Asian countries including Colombo and Jaffna, Sri anka in 2012.Synopsis of the Play"The Water Station" is a two-hour, wordless performance. Walking through a barren andscape, eighteen…

 A memorable meeting... On the 6th of November,2011, I was privileged to be at a gathering of some of eminent birdwatchers of Bangalore. The gracious host was none other than the doyen of birdwatching in Bangalore, Zafar Futehally who has been instrumental in popularizing birding as a hobby in our city; ironically, the hobbby seems to be catching on in ever-increasing numbers as the number of species of birds in the City's shrinking parks and vanishing lakes are steadily decreasing.Here's Zafar Sahib, whose long years of service to ornithology cannot be understated: Several other eminent ornithologists and scientists, all of whom share…