Society

Velu is a taxi driver my husband and I know well. He has two sons and a daughter. The good thing is he owns his taxi, he saved up to buy the car. But it means his life is tough--going on long distance assignments at a moment's notice, getting by with little sleep (or sleeping in his vehicle), missing regular meals, being plagued by backache, so on and so forth. But Velu doesn't mind the hard work. As the sole breadwinner, he is used to it. Besides, he wants his children to have a good education. Rani, a mother of…

One thing led to another. I was looking for feedback on sketches of the street life at Russell market and that led to the suggestion: “Why don’t you try meeting Mr.Zaffar Sait? He has been an old resident of the neighbourhood” So, that’s what I did and then couldn’t help but turn it into a post just so that others would have the chance to listen to this story as well. So, here is the account of life in Bangalore in the 50’s as narrated by Mr.Zaffar Sait, who belongs to one of the most well-respected mercantile families of the…

One thing led to another. I was looking for feedback on sketches of the street life at Russell market and that led to the suggestion: “Why don’t you try meeting Mr.Zaffar Sait? He has been an old resident of the neighbourhood” So, that’s what I did and then couldn’t help but turn it into a post just so that others would have the chance to listen to this story as well. So, here is the account of life in Bangalore in the 50’s as narrated by Mr.Zaffar Sait, who belongs to one of the most well-respected mercantile families of the…

As long as I remember, the Shiva Bala Yogo Ashrama has had two locations, one in J P Nagar 3rd Phase, and one on Bannerghatta Road. A couple of years ago, I noticed that the trees in the Ashrama on Bannerghatta Road had been cut down, and the building was no longer being used.  Now it looks as if the building is going to be demolished. I wonder what will come up in its place! This has been a landmark for a long time (the bus stop nearby is still called the "Ashrama" bus stop).  Certainly, the loss of the…

As long as I remember, the Shiva Bala Yogo Ashrama has had two locations, one in J P Nagar 3rd Phase, and one on Bannerghatta Road. A couple of years ago, I noticed that the trees in the Ashrama on Bannerghatta Road had been cut down, and the building was no longer being used.  Now it looks as if the building is going to be demolished. I wonder what will come up in its place! This has been a landmark for a long time (the bus stop nearby is still called the "Ashrama" bus stop).  Certainly, the loss of the…

Increasing the mass appeal of classical music has always proven a challenge globally. Carnatic music is no exception - this last weekend the Ideas Conclave 2014, held by the Arts for Life Foundation at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bengalooru was an all day event titled "Karnatak Music - towards a mass appeal". The public event, brought performers, music editors and writers, organizers, sabha administrators and listeners together to brainstorm ideas and share experiences in making carnatic music accessible and appealing to a wider audience. The sparsely attended event offered numerous actionable ideas and lessons for all those interested in promoting…

Increasing the mass appeal of classical music has always proven a challenge globally. Carnatic music is no exception - this last weekend the Ideas Conclave 2014, held by the Arts for Life Foundation at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Bengalooru was an all day event titled "Karnatak Music - towards a mass appeal". The public event, brought performers, music editors and writers, organizers, sabha administrators and listeners together to brainstorm ideas and share experiences in making carnatic music accessible and appealing to a wider audience. The sparsely attended event offered numerous actionable ideas and lessons for all those interested in promoting…

In several years of visiting the Valley School area, I've passed this abandoned house so many times...but it was only yesterday, when we did "waiting" birding instead of "walking" birding, and when Mark went into the house to explore, that I also decided to walk around and in it. I do not know for whom this house was built. It seems a roomy, spacious house. The rooms seem to be of gracious proportions. The arches outside the house look lovely: In fact, with the date palms they give a slightly Islamic look: Were these sheds, next to the huge banyan…

In several years of visiting the Valley School area, I've passed this abandoned house so many times...but it was only yesterday, when we did "waiting" birding instead of "walking" birding, and when Mark went into the house to explore, that I also decided to walk around and in it. I do not know for whom this house was built. It seems a roomy, spacious house. The rooms seem to be of gracious proportions. The arches outside the house look lovely: In fact, with the date palms they give a slightly Islamic look: Were these sheds, next to the huge banyan…

Who sees these movies? I often see such posters, and I think that they must be soft porn (eg the title, "Sheila I Love You.". But then, the title of the movie, on the left-hand-side poster is, "Maan Karate". I'm very curious to know where movie theatres such as "Ravi" are, and who goes to see movies there! They, must, I feel, be considerably less expensive than going to a movie theatre in a mall. So...even with movie theatres, Bangalore has a wide variety of experiences to offer!