Winter Mornings...

While everyone enjoyed Deepawali festivities, city is silently slipping in to winter, the mornings are pleasant so are the roads for the walks...

Diya shopping...

Deepawali is all about light, from the small diyas (lamps) to big lanterns everyone seems to indulge themselves in lighting up the house with so many options and varieties that even on the third day of deepawali demand for diya's continue....

The first lamp of Deepawali!

"Deepawali" (also transliterated as "deepaawali") literally means a row of lamps (Sanskrit "deepa" = lamp and "aawaLi" = row, line). In due course, the popular name has shortened to Diwali. This first lamp lit on the first day of deepawali made of wheat flour and kept facing south, the direction of yama, god of deaths to keep out his ‘sight’ on the house respectfully….

H A P P Y D I W A L I . .

Here is wishing all BDP readers and patrons ...

HAPPY DIWALI...

May these thousand lamps of diwali bring lot of of joy and happiness,

Enlighten new opportunities of prosperity,

Cheerful colurs in one's life

and

Like the calmness of the 'jyoti' bring peace to everyone...

Diwali, The Festival of Light..

The festivities have begun; the markets are crowded so are the goodies. The association of diwali with lanterns is so strong that shops are fully loaded with numerous varieties to offer. Just one glimpse on to the shop takes us on a journey of colors, style and patterns…

Warming up !!

It’s been raining almost everyday all through afternoons till late night, the evenings are dark and everyone including these birds were waiting for a good sunlight…a small lake in Cubbon park sees some ducks and a cormorant takes few moments off to enjoy the sunlight …

New clothing@Deepawali...

One important aspect of upcoming Deepawali / Diwali festival is all about new cloths, the buying of new apparels will be high as everyone would want to get into the latest trends and styles... here is one showcase from a traditional designer shop in commercial street...

Urban Philosophy...

Now that the Bangalore Traffic Jams are international gossip topic, here is one urban philosophy right there where it is needed!!

Quick Meals / Breakfast....

Early morning, many street food vendors set their carts to offer hot and cheap options for breakfasts. As the day progresses so does their business catering to hundreds of customers they close the show by early evening … the food is simple and healthy compared to pricing a full rice and curry served as low as Rs 10 ( $0.15 – 0.20 approx) per plate…

Bandstand @ Cubbon Park

Among the famous places in Cubbon Park, band stand remains a preferred choice to visit. The bandstand, in an octagonal shape made with cast-iron, was built in the early part of the 1900s. Before India’s Independence, the British Royal Air Force used to play western band music at the band stand every Saturday evening. Most old timers of the city relate their memories with the Cubbon Park to this historical bandstand. This structure was the gracious venue of music concerts hosted for the erstwhile royal family and later, the people of Bangalore. Many musicians who have performed there later rose to stardom.
Recently, after a gap of four years Prakruti (an event and media planning company. ) is back, reviving the tradition again on Sunday. According to Prasad M.S. convener of Prakruti, whom I met at the bandstand said that musicians have shown interest in performing at the bandstand. The bandstand is booked for the next eight weeks wherein various famous artistes have agreed to give concerts.

Cleaning Cubbon Park...

More and more volunteers are seen taking up good cause of protecting environment and volunteering to clean the city parks making it litter-free. Just participated in one such great event and spent some great time for a good cause. An opportunity to meet few great veterans in the field too…

Wish to join this campaign @ Cubbon Park !! check out...

Changing Landscapes...

More houses, more apartments. More and More constructions are tightening the city, old landscapes are changing, and so are the dynamics of mixing cultures from migrants and locals. Indeed a thing that we all call metropolitan transformation on a fast path...

Pets of the neighbourhood...

I liked the way this one is relaxing in front of perhaps his host house, there are many such adopted pets by the semi-urban residential areas in the city. Despite being strays have many hosts in the area, all houses welcome them and all doors are open when it comes to the resting time. No one owns them nor dis-owns, after all they do guard them all, all through the night!!

Rainy Days…

Past week it is almost certain that evenings will be wet and cold, early evening sky gives the indication and by the time few make it to their homes back from work it starts raining… early mornings are pleasant and cool, making it great for walkers!

Subram Chetty Road...

Green canopies, wide roads! yes, city does have such beautiful roads that make you feel nice and comfortable to walk around. Here is one from Basavangudi called Subram Chetty road having a long row of rain trees...

Diwali Shopping....

shopkeepers continue to get innovative with complex schemes that are advertised to lure customer and make most of the festive buying impulse... here is one shop on commercial street that cought my attention, not sure what they are upto by saying '100% free shopping' may be some catch there for instigating bulk buying....

Local Grocer...

Growing city creates lot of innovative opportunities for entrepreneurs such as this local grocery store, I found one of many while strolling through the by lanes of Kodihalli.

The store has all domestic items and has adapted to deliver them on a phone call from customers staying in nearby residential areas. It serves not only grocery items but other items like drinking water too… helps him get the business (and keeps his cost of delviery low by using a bycycle ...) and helps customers get comfort of buying from home over the phone.

Embroidery Works…

Deepawali festivities include new cloths. The new patterns, colors and styles always blend with tradition. The cloths may be readymade or made to order but they got to undergo rigorous efforts from artisans such as these Zardosi artisans working a small shop in the by-lanes of Commercial Street…

The most ornate and tedious form of Indian Embroidery is the Zardosi workmanship. This form uses metal thread instead of the usual silk or rayon. The fabric, usually silk or velvet, is marked with the pattern and then the craftsman covers the pattern with metal thread embellishing it with stones or beads.

Busy buying....

Deepavali festival is few days ahead and shoppers flock to the markets, a narrow street in shivaji nagar adjecent to commercial street is jammed with lot of visitors who are shopping in nearby area's ...

Go Carting...

The long weekend gave the city some breather as many preferred to venture out on vacation (schools give long vacation for Dasera festivities) yet few preferred racing through the go carting tracks…. Here is one such track near Marathalli in the E-zone club….

Ayudha Pooja…

One may have the latest and greatest brands / gizmo’s but when comes to tradition it all gets aligned perfectly, here Audi A6 being worshipped as part of Ayudha pooja on Dasera day by the owner.

This Ayudha puja is being celebrated since ancient times. The importance of Ayudha Pooja on this occasion may also be due to the fact that on the Vijayadashmi day, Arjuna took back his weapons which he had hidden in a vani tree in order to lead a life in disguise for the promised period of exile. It is believed that one who begins or renovates his learning to work on the Vijayadashmi day will secure a grand success as Arjuna did in Kurukshetra war.
The Ayudha Puja is a worship of whatever implements one may use in one's livelihood. On the preceding evening, it is traditional to place these implements on an altar to the Divine. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of the divine. In India it is customary for one to prostrate before the tools one will use before starting one's work each day; this is an expression of gratitude to God for helping one to fulfill one's duties.

Street markets…

Festivities create such a huge demand for flowers, banana leaves ( used in pooja decorations) that to fulfill the same streets turn into markets, this pavement is full of banana stems and flower garland sellers and expands almost a kilometer long from the market area…

Festive fragrances..

On Dasera festivity list, the flowers are the most essential items. The markets are flooded with colors and fragrances and people are busy buying them everywhere... many villagers bring their produce themselves and pile them on streets / corners due to hte large demand, there are few who book the flowers in advance and get them delivered on the evening before the vijayadashmi day!!

Buy 5 get 5 free...

To capture the spirit of upcoming Dasera, this shop has put up a fancy scheme using a mythological charactor of Ravana, mythical king with ten heads...

DanceJathre...

Few may call it unusual but Dance Jathre (dance festival) organized by Shambhavi School of Dance in Chitrakala Parishat this week end surely was a crowd puller, with little rains in the evening and clouded sky the mood seems to be generally lazy (I choose to sleep away most of the time of this long weekend at home) thus this event must have helped many get their adrenaline flows back into the system...

Double Up!!

Growing demand for the local commute, BMTC buses too have doubled up themselves, despite challenges of narrow roads these double buses do ply effectively ( at the cost of other motorist sometimes) and serve the purpose well....

Selling flowers

She is sitting on a pavement outside a temple to sell flowers to devotees, while she sits there almost a day long under her umbrella protecting her from scorching sun, life is indeed been more demanding.....

Vastrabharana...

A range of Indian sarees displayed in the center of a art gallery of Chitrakala Parishat, housing an exhibition of traditional Indian sarees. Artisans and traders from various parts of the country participated to showcase their expertise and range. A must visit for those who seek interest in the designs, colors and patterns on cotton, silk materials....

More Photos here...

Her priorities....

Life is busy, so many things to do in such a small day!! perhaps her day begins with such exciting ride to carry her kids along. The city is large so does distances, the moped being handy makes ones life bit easier managing distances, a real life chronicle perhaps...

Dial a need!!

Times are changing and so does the way people do the business, dialing for pizza's, groceries and even for Cakes is now so common that one wonders if this service is not made available from your favorite shop...i was glad to see this sign on my favorite eat out!!