Society

Till last year, I didn’t know who Paul Fernandes was, though I had seen his artwork all over Bangalore, occasionally colourfully covering up a bland restaurant wall or even an old space. I loved his work, without realising it was his work. Then, on a day walking during lunchtime, I stepped into his shop at Richard’s Park and connected all the humourous comic chronicles of 70s Bangalore I had seen strewn around in Bangalore. (And fell in love with a bag, but that’s another story). I stayed, my eyes crinkling with laughter at each of the framed posters.  As I left, I…

The Goethe Institut, Bangalore tells you that it is "50 headphones. 1 synthetic voice. YOUR city." But, when you take the walk, you realise that they've given you this simple definition because there are sometimes no words to define such experiences. What I am about to tell you can't actually tell you much. And yet, I do want to say something, just so that some of you who haven't yet taken the walk, will want to try it. It tells us something we should know about our city and about who we are. To register, you can go to: REMOTE…

The Goethe Institut, Bangalore tells you that it is "50 headphones. 1 synthetic voice. YOUR city." But, when you take the walk, you realise that they've given you this simple definition because there are sometimes no words to define such experiences. What I am about to tell you can't actually tell you much. And yet, I do want to say something, just so that some of you who haven't yet taken the walk, will want to try it. It tells us something we should know about our city and about who we are. To register, you can go to: REMOTE…

All of us have preconceived notions about artists - be they movie actors, theatre personality or musicians. R.K.Padmanabha, carnatic vocalist and composer, defies being cast into any simple mould of a classical musician that we may have. His accessibility and humble demeanour belie the popularity he enjoys in Karnataka, as both a singer and a teacher. His passion to spread the practice of Carnatic music across the state and all ages, is infectious.   “If one can introduce a grandmother to the joys of appreciating classical music, then her grandchild would simply follow suit.” This is Padmanabha's simple philosophy, as…

All of us have preconceived notions about artists - be they movie actors, theatre personality or musicians. R.K.Padmanabha, carnatic vocalist and composer, defies being cast into any simple mould of a classical musician that we may have. His accessibility and humble demeanour belie the popularity he enjoys in Karnataka, as both a singer and a teacher. His passion to spread the practice of Carnatic music across the state and all ages, is infectious.   “If one can introduce a grandmother to the joys of appreciating classical music, then her grandchild would simply follow suit.” This is Padmanabha's simple philosophy, as…

Dad-at-work: Murugan with daughter Sanjana There's a fruitseller who sets up his cart on the road in front of my apartment building. Murugan, for that is his name, is always busy. If he is not working, he is a hands-on dad to his two children--Santosh and Sanjana. Murugan, you see, does with ease, something that most of us struggle to do--manage work and his children. And he performs his childcare duties, alongside work. When his wife Lakshmi goes for her 10 am to 2 pm shift as a domestic help at a nearby house, she leaves their little girl with…

Dad-at-work: Murugan with daughter Sanjana There's a fruitseller who sets up his cart on the road in front of my apartment building. Murugan, for that is his name, is always busy. If he is not working, he is a hands-on dad to his two children--Santosh and Sanjana. Murugan, you see, does with ease, something that most of us struggle to do--manage work and his children. And he performs his childcare duties, alongside work. When his wife Lakshmi goes for her 10 am to 2 pm shift as a domestic help at a nearby house, she leaves their little girl with…

In Feb 2011, The Hindu newspaper carried a news article “Lakes that no one can visit”, based on ATREE’s Mahadevapura Constituency Lakes Report . One of the lakes mentioned in the article was the 4.64 hectare Devarabisanahalli Lake, near Intel office and Adarsh Palm Retreat apartments in Bellandur Ward (south-east Bangalore). ATREE’s report described the lake as “Shrinking water body. Currently completely dry lake, but this is a small lake and can be easily recharged with rain water precipitation if proper dredging is undertaken.” It was also observed that the lake was surrounded by private property with no public access,…

In Feb 2011, The Hindu newspaper carried a news article “Lakes that no one can visit”, based on ATREE’s Mahadevapura Constituency Lakes Report . One of the lakes mentioned in the article was the 4.64 hectare Devarabisanahalli Lake, near Intel office and Adarsh Palm Retreat apartments in Bellandur Ward (south-east Bangalore). ATREE’s report described the lake as “Shrinking water body. Currently completely dry lake, but this is a small lake and can be easily recharged with rain water precipitation if proper dredging is undertaken.” It was also observed that the lake was surrounded by private property with no public access,…

The Kaikondrahalli Lake Monitoring Committee (MAPSAS), along with United Way of Bengaluru and BBMP, is celebrating World Wetlands Day on 2nd February, at Kaikondrahalli Lake. Every year, this day marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention, an “intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources”, in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran.   What is a wetland? A wetland is an area that holds water either permanently or seasonally. The Convention uses a broad definition of the types of wetlands covered in its mission, including lakes and rivers,…