For the love of reading..and reading alone

At the recently concluded Bangalore Literature Festival there were of course a host of luminaries  Gulzar with his soft poetry, Shobha De, with her charming presence, not to mention Chetan Bhagat and many more. A lot of everything was happening almost everyday, while some were just catching up with their friends, some made half hearted attempts at understanding Gulzar's soft tones, while other's enjoyed some of the other sessions, some were chasing tea & coffee, others were running around a bustling Chetan Bhagat..amongst all this, in a quiet corner sat this little boy, with his Agatha Christie. If literary festivals are about the love of reading and imbibing that culture and spreading the message through an action, there could have been none that was better.

Before clicking I asked him, 'May I have a picture?' He nodded his head, in faint irritation at being disturbed and went back to his reading..while the mikes blared..little masters are born perhaps in some such little corners.

Celebrating Manto in Bangalore

An interesting evening being a part of discussions on Sadat Hussain Manto( as a part of his Centenary celebrations) at Alliance Francaise Bangalore, where Girish Karnard was the chief guest. It was lovely to see writers from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh speak in similar hues and discuss writing trends in the sub continent. Sometimes painful too, seeing the expression on the faces of the writers when the writers had to describe pre Pakistan and post Pakistan days..and yet as they sat on the dais none of them looked from different countries. Similarities in thoughts, language and emotions. Interesting inputs on Gazal s written in Kannada language and of course Manto's contribution above all. I saw some people look at me strangely, later realized I was probably the only non Grey haired person in a niche audience of about 60 odd people! An evening when Urdu sounded like music..many a times. Something so timeless about the language & its usage.

A link to a delightful essay by Sadat Hussain Manto on fellow writer Ismat Chugtai

http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/16/21_Manto_IsmatChughtai.pdf

Dastakar Nature Bazar, Bangalore 2012

I was at the Dastakar Nature Bazar today, a wonderful experience, where Srtisans sell their own goods at moderately reasonable prices. It is on for two more days at the E Zone club, Near Marathali bridge, Outer ring road.

I Loved this stall towards the entrance, full of lovely kites with traditional motifs












Stall full of goods made from Elephant poo!



























The pictures above, The one on the left is from the stall that has stuff made from Elephant Poo..little cards, games, casters, etc ..quite interesting. The Picture on the right is a stall from karnataka, the goods here are made from natural fibre. The board that you see is a kind of Ludo that is played in rural Karnataka.

The pictures below, one on the right is another stall from Karnataka with stuff made of Banana fiber, very innovative. The stall in the right is the lovely work of the artisans from Chattisgargh.

The picture ( Right..below) is a part of the Phad painting from Rajasthan. The brown paper that you see is Stamp paper used in the olden days on which painting would be done. Each of them has different paintings. The picture on the right is from a stall that sells bags made of recycled material, I found the one with the Maggi cover quite catchy!

There is something here for everyone in fact, from Clothes to durries to bags to eatables, you name it they have it..the fair is open for 2 more days..take a deko.

There were kids from different schools, a stall from Rajasthan entertained the children with a Puppet show, Unfortunately I got to record only a very small bit of it..was great fun!

New Momo Kiosks in Bangalore

Enterprise is never about big money or big names..often the most innovative ones start really small. In the last 6 months I've noticed a bunch of these mushroom all over a particular area of Bangalore. The target is the ever growing batches of students from the N East India who miss out on their home fare and good quality Momos( which Bangalore was never famous for)

I went up and talked to one of these guys, College students themselves, they said it was just echoing their own feelings ( we want good Momos) that let them to set this up. You'll see these stalls manned by 2-3 people( students) all they have is a table, the steamer for the Momos, some paper plates, spoons & a chair for the guy to sit on. They are usually open around 5 PM to 6..by which time every single Momo is sold out.

Quiet & well behaved, is how their service can be described...Way to go I think & a welcome break for all those who love their Momos.

Mangalore Pearl

( Pork Pepper Fry)

If you are a Costal food freak & looking at eating some fish, try out 'Mangalore Pearl'. Situated in 3 Coles Road, Cleveland Town, Frazer town, Bangalore with a rather nondescript sign board. This place goes by word of mouth and is quite in the heart of the city. Nothing very fancy, but good old world ambiance.

I'm not a Bengali who drools every time you mention 'Fish', but the place is nice, food included. Plus I'm a sucker for Graphiti & the walls are interesting to say the least. The wooden bench type seats add to the charm. A place for a family get-together or buddies from office.

'Mangalore Pearl' serves, Sardines, Pomfret, Squid, Prawns and a host of other sea food. They have Mangalore delicacies, prawns in coconut curry, Masala fish fries, etc. It is recommended that you try out the Mangalorean way and have a Sanna ( A kind of Idly) along with the fish. If you want to have something different try their Squid Butter Garlic or Cocoom Juice, made from a coastal fruit. I found the prices slightly on the higher side. A single serving of fish ( 1 piece of Pomfret & about 2 pieces of Sardines) is anything starting from Rs 250-300. Overall a good experience.

Sleepy on the roads?

Saw this on my rather late morning walk today..the sign close by says 'Scholars hub' indeed..while the so called guard slept happily dreaming & nodding away on the papers I couldn't help chuckle..who needs malls..there s so much to see if U look well

Some 'Tea please' ?

If you are a tea lover in 'Kapi' land and are disappointed by 'Shanti Sagar' s and the 'Sukh Sagar' s then head over to Tea land! For lovers of tea and all that smells( as well as tastes nice) try out 'Infinitea' at Cunningham Road in Bangalore. Situated close to the Kingfisher's office, you can hardly miss it. 'Infinitea', like the name suggests to all the lovers of the language, is a lovely and delightful place where the love of words comes together with exquisite blend of tea from all over the world.

Very tastefully done up with High stools and a little lounge up stairs that go up on a cute winding stair case, the place is abuzz with tea lovers..but hey it also serves great snacks, while you chose a corner to huddle into and read a book.

The walls of 'Infinitea' are a delight to peer over..on the walls are little quotes from 'Alice in wonderland' in the form of photographs or little inscriptions on the walls. Some one actually took the pain to find out all the places in 'Alice in wonderland' that mention tea and put it up in cute lines there! They even have a image of a ' owner of out Moroccan tea point' - A Mr M

The ceiling is high, with long fans, as in the olden days, cool lighting and comfortable seating arrangement. Whether you are spending a lazy afternoon or meeting up with friends ( as I was) the place is perfect for no loud music..no screams kind of ambiance, check it out

Koti Linga ( Near Kolar Gold mines)

Interestingly pooja is performed for a section of the Lingas everyday( the ones shown in the pic- some 100 of them) at 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. by 10 Priests with drums and music. The count of lingas start even before the actual temple entrance ( we started counting from there) Devotees offer their prayers to Lord by installing Lingas in various sizes. Some even have names of those who have placed the Lingas.

Tired of the Bangalore malls, on a whim we drove to the Kolar Gold mines on the weekend. Though the mines were closed, discovered a rather interesting temple called Kotilinga temple, which is situated in the village of Kammasandra, near the Kolar Gold fields. Legend takes the origins of the Koti linga back to the days of the Ramayana, which as the name suggests supposedly has a 1 crore Lingas. The main & the largest Linga is actually quite unimpressive..it looks rather like a Sintex water tank ( just bigger) but the temple as a whole is quite interesting with more Lingas than people ( for a change)

Counting one's blessings

As I took my evening walk yesterday, I saw this old person, sitting on the pavement take out a small pouch tulked preciously into his waist..little coins were studiously kept in neat little stacks, while he counted them again and again..I sat with him and asked what he was doing. He said he was counting his days earnings rather matter of factly...without any expectations. I asked him if he would allow me to add a note to his collection, which I kept beneath his coins..wordlessly he nodded his head, not looking at me. As I was leaving, he gave me a smile, that stayed long after...disturbed evenings..hopefully better mornings.

Crazy Shoppe

Liked this tie..its full of skeleton images!

Some very hip badges and funky art that's sure to be a hit with college goers

That's the shop signboard..it's called MISFITS, situated near Kamnahali ( Kalyan Nagar, near Sukh Sagar- 1st floor)..personally didn't find anything a misfit..just fun

I think I'll reserve my comments for this..:))) but eye catching is all I'll say

These are some of the masks they sell..fun & quirky

Ok so this is a skull mask..You see lots of associated stuff there too to complete the junkie look & scare the hell out of any of your friends

Loads of fun wigs there..depending on what you want to be on your chosen day, a brunette, a blonde..etc, they have it all...Wish I had tried these one but then thought better of it..am quirky enough I guess :))

The entrance to this shop has a skeleton & a cloth banner with a Bob Marley Picture on it..How cool can it get..was Maha khush

Feel a place, feel your travel..minus the guide books

Have travelled so many cities, and yet it is not the monuments that I remember in those places or their grandeur..as much as the sudden joys of discovering an odd scene, a warm smile, a cranky chat..A sudden something that the guide books didn't mention. I still remember while on a trip to Darjeeling, hiking on the mist laden untapped Mirik, steaming ...cabbage wontons, sold by a toothless old lady..still remains fresh in my memory...If I had my way travel books would have only maps and information regarding places to stay..don't carry the baggage of history..see what you will..mould yourself into the place..not through guide books but by feeling it. As usual the odd piece of Bangalore through my lens.

Bangalore flower nurseries

One of the many beautiful sights in Bangalore are these little nurseries in almost every nook and corner of the city. Rarely have I seen so many plant nurseries in any city. It not only shows the people's love for gardening but also the green culture of the people here. This particular nursery is in East Bangalore near Kalyan Nagar. It stores on indoor and outdoor plants, lotus, lillies, geraniums, etc. Lotus are priced at 1500. The store also sells hanging plants and wind chimes. An ideal visit on a bright sunny day.

Interesting Balcony

An interesting balcony that I spotted on one of my walks. The green bottles and the wall art made for a rather unique display. Reminded me of the Voodo practice in the Congo basin of a phenomenon called 'Bottle tree spirits'..The bottles in question are supposed to catch the evil spirit and restrict themfrom entering home.

The Garden Store

The garden store, stocks on everything from Pots, earthen ware, wind chimes, decorative pebbles, plants, Masks, love seats, lamps,etc..A wonderful plcae to be if you are a gareden freak or just love creative knick knacks with an earthy hue

There is this cute little set up of a water body colplete with fishes and running water

The entrance of the store has Buddha figures, stone sculptures, little stone lamps, water falls, etc

Exploring the 'Sunday Sante'- Bangalore

My first 'Sunday Sante' it was a lovely experience..the 'Sunday Sate' has all sorts of people coming together in Bangalore' s Palace grounds to showcase their creativity and stuff..the exhibits ranged from hand painted cushion covers, to exotic plants, to paintings, to hand made shoes..the works

( Pic on left below), Tibetian artefacts, interesting stuf..I like the man's lush growth of moustache better! Pic on right Coloured glass paintings..lovely!

A girl, was selling silk the cushion covers they are lovely. Priced @ 150, 250 & 300 bucks..they really are good. Im the proud owner of two :) The picture on the right shows these antique finsh clock stall. The man claimed theyr were made in 1700's when I popped my eyes & said really? He said a bit here & there ;))

My first 'Sunday Sante' it was a lovely experience, fun crowds, bizzare woman out to catch eyeballs, creative people..all having a great time.

An African young man managed this stall. He told me he made these himself. Very creative paints in the saucers & some on canvas too. Priced at around 1250, these are really good.

The pictures above ( the one on the right) is that of bottle art. Wonderful pieces. They are a treat to the eye. slightly costly but wondahful! The picture on the right was one of my fav stalls. Dressed like a gypsy, the lady makes shoes as well as these knick knacks in jwelerry and other artefacts. I loved the way she presented the whole thing. Each item was decorated with flowers & the Buddh picture in the corner had a bowl of blue petals gracing it..very bohemian yet calm..wo!

These paintings were priced at 8-10,000. Thats the artist you see arranging them. When I asked her the price, she quoted 10,000 and said you can bargain. When i broke into peals of laughter, she gave me a disgusted look! ;)).....The picture on the right showcases a stall that had these cute shoes..all hand printed..they at least looked amazing!!