LEISURE

Pankaj Kothari is a well-known Bangalore caterer, and once a year, he brings Kaushik Kothari and his orchestra, the Golden Greats, to Bangalore to stage Rang De Basanti, which stages several evenings of old Hindi film hits, with sumptous dinner being included in the ticket price as well.We went to the show on Monday night and were treated to a medley of rousing songs, patriotic numbers, and mellifluous duets, and several haunting old immortal songs. The dinner that precedes the show is always amazing; there are varieties of pasta, pizza, chaat, and salads as well as the regular food items…

For the past few years, Chitra Kala Parishath (CKP) has been organizing an annual art event, Chitra Santhe (Art Fair) in and around the CKP campus and its environs. It has become a fairly important event in the art scene of the city.This year, the gate of CKP was beautifully decorated as usual:The slogan of the Santhe highlighted the symbiotic relationship between artists and their patrons....CKP also used the opportunity to hightlight some of the other initiatives they are carrying out, such as ICKPAC, the art conservation effort:The range of geographical locations represented at the Santhe was phenomenal, and there…

Pankaj Kothari is a well-known Bangalore caterer, and once a year, he brings Kaushik Kothari and his orchestra, the Golden Greats, to Bangalore to stage Rang De Basanti, which stages several evenings of old Hindi film hits, with sumptous dinner being included in the ticket price as well.We went to the show on Monday night and were treated to a medley of rousing songs, patriotic numbers, and mellifluous duets, and several haunting old immortal songs. The dinner that precedes the show is always amazing; there are varieties of pasta, pizza, chaat, and salads as well as the regular food items…

For the past few years, Chitra Kala Parishath (CKP) has been organizing an annual art event, Chitra Santhe (Art Fair) in and around the CKP campus and its environs. It has become a fairly important event in the art scene of the city.This year, the gate of CKP was beautifully decorated as usual:The slogan of the Santhe highlighted the symbiotic relationship between artists and their patrons....CKP also used the opportunity to hightlight some of the other initiatives they are carrying out, such as ICKPAC, the art conservation effort:The range of geographical locations represented at the Santhe was phenomenal, and there…

I went to M G Road on work for Clean and Green today, and decided to visit India Coffee House as well....This part of Bangalore heritage seems doomed to go into the history pages soon. Here's a waiter in the familiar uniform, that I have seen in both Kolkata and here:Several of the waiters have been working in this co-operative for many years, and the chances of their finding another job seem bleak. Bangalore will be the poorer for losing out such parts of what it has been, in the name of commercial development. I still see the demolished top…

I went to M G Road on work for Clean and Green today, and decided to visit India Coffee House as well....This part of Bangalore heritage seems doomed to go into the history pages soon. Here's a waiter in the familiar uniform, that I have seen in both Kolkata and here:Several of the waiters have been working in this co-operative for many years, and the chances of their finding another job seem bleak. Bangalore will be the poorer for losing out such parts of what it has been, in the name of commercial development. I still see the demolished top…

We were participating the Bangalore Bird Race, and had gone to Madivala Lake right at the end to see what water birds we could spot; but a "kite" (not a Black or Brahminy Kite!) caught my eye....The backlit kite, soaring above everyday cares, while yet tethered to the ground, against the liquid gold of the evening sky, seemed a metaphor for all of us in this city...we are tied down to our commitments and our various problems, but once in a while, we can fly above them and enjoy our place in the sun....And it was lovely to see that…

We were participating the Bangalore Bird Race, and had gone to Madivala Lake right at the end to see what water birds we could spot; but a "kite" (not a Black or Brahminy Kite!) caught my eye....The backlit kite, soaring above everyday cares, while yet tethered to the ground, against the liquid gold of the evening sky, seemed a metaphor for all of us in this city...we are tied down to our commitments and our various problems, but once in a while, we can fly above them and enjoy our place in the sun....And it was lovely to see that…

A friend of mine called up this morning and said that as he was passing Tilak Nagar, he saw a sign which said, "Tipu's Secular Army". That tickled me as much as it did him! Is this new secular army a new political party? Or are we finding secularism in unexpected places now? Can anyone shed any light on this army? ⊕

A friend of mine called up this morning and said that as he was passing Tilak Nagar, he saw a sign which said, "Tipu's Secular Army". That tickled me as much as it did him! Is this new secular army a new political party? Or are we finding secularism in unexpected places now? Can anyone shed any light on this army? ⊕