BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA Nestled amidst the verdant landscape of the traditional quarters of Malleshwaram of Bengaluru is the STEM Dance Kampni, which beckons the first-time visitor with an old world charm of an open courtyard, small benches, tiled roof shed and a sturdy iron-clad staircase. As one walks up the flight of stairs one arrives at a landing with two rooms, wooden-frame windows and … Continue reading STEM Dance Kampni
BY RASHMI PATANI An early precursor to the plucked string instrument family was the lute, which originated in India. This instrument made its way to Europe via Constantinople and Sicily. It metamorphosed into the Byzantine Lyra, Roman pandura and the gittern, which developed into the guitar and mandora in Sicily, which passed through Germany, called the mandoer, Spanish – vandola, Italian – mandola. A small … Continue reading The Glorious Mandolin
BY DRISHTI RAKHRA There are many ways in which teaching is possible. The most traditional one — the age-old lecture model, is one we fall back on very easily. This happens for good reasons since the act of teaching is reliant most heavily on communication — how efficient we are, how well we can speak to our students. Everything is reliant on the teacher’s ability … Continue reading The Cultural Flavours Of Food
BY VIBHA MITRA The colours of spring, the change of season to warmer tones of yellow, vermillion and green from the starkness of winters. Holi is symbolic of the victory of good over evil. Holika on the insistence of her brother, Hiranyakashyap tries to kill her nephew, Prahlad who is a pious virtuous kid and opposes his father’s wrongs. Holika gets burnt instead and people … Continue reading Holi Hues
BY VIBHA MITRA I was married into a “Bonedi” Bengali family with regal antecedents. Though we lived in South Calcutta, having come away from the North during the Naxalite movement, most of our relatives still lived there in aristocratic large grandiose homes- the opulence, music, laughter and gaiety of yesterday echoed as the occupants spoke of “those days” with great nostalgia and wistfulness. Unused to … Continue reading The Maimed Mansions Of Calcutta
BY SADIQA PEERBHOY Decades before Messrs Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato and others patted themselves on their corporate backs for creating what they thought was a revolutionary era in home shopping, we had both home shopping and home delivery. And let me tell you, it was a darn sight more pleasant and personal experience. These days, you press a few buttons and what you want is delivered … Continue reading A Succession of Wallas
BY DRISHTI RAKHRA On telling someone that Bangalore’s theatre scene is rife with possibilities, I am always met with a look of polite surprise. Where is this theatre world, they seem to be asking me. The answers to this question are many in number, but perhaps the first one is Rangashankara. Rangashankara is one of the city’s most popular theatres set up by actor Arundathi … Continue reading Revisiting Rangashankara
BY DRISHTI RAKHRA Telling someone that I’m from Bangalore is never easy. The statement of belonging always appears with a little bit of shame. My memory of Bangalore is not steeped in the sharp twists and turns of Kannada, it is not heavy with the experiences of going to landmarks like Lalbagh on weekends or eating breakfast at one of the many efficient darshinis of … Continue reading Remembering Bangalore From Februaries Past
BY NOEL YAXLEY If ever there was a time of the year to conjure up images of the ‘winter blues’ it is January. If Covid restrictions had you reaching for the bottle, how about a spot of Dry January? But for those who truly aspire to reach the heights of ascetic self-denial, how about signing up for Veganuary? For the uninitiated, Veganuary is an annual … Continue reading Veganuary
BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA The exclusive elite ‘Gentlemen’ clubs of Italy were known for their culinary elegance and glamour. Similarly, India’s culinary spread is truly remarkable and we would be enriched with elite patronage and assimilating these items as part of the urbane haute cuisine. The term ‘foodie’ and ‘haute cuisine’ along with ‘fine dining’ has entered our globalised lexicon in urban India for nearly … Continue reading Haute Cuisine Club Style
COUNTRY SQUIRE INDIA 