Of People and Places

  Black-naped Oriole  in Bangalore - watercolor illustration This bird always comes at the same time in the morning and always sits on the same spot on a Ficus tree. On windy, rainy days, she looks just like the vivid fluttering leaves around her. Her striking green and yellow feathers look marvellous in flight. The most recognizable feature is the black band around the nape.  I am assuming it is a she because her wings are greener whereas males are supposed to have more yellowish upperparts. She doesn't stay for long, screeches like someone's throttling her ;D , sometimes ending in a long sneezing sound. She leaves just as quickly as she appears, no dawdling around.  More posts about birds and trees -  An Ashy Prinia on the balcony and hope  Black-crowned night heron at Madiwala lake   Whited breasted water hen in Belgaum The Saptaparni tree in Hoshangabad Fun with Babool tree pods, Bhopal The Baobab trees of Mandu Birds in Belgaum A love letter to th...

Some more sketches from outside Government museum, near Cubbon park. That entire space - with Venkatappa Art gallery, the government museum and the gate to Cubbon Park, close to the bandstand area is really lovely. You should visit sometime.  Read more -  Government museum sketching - 1, Bangalore Government museum sketching - 2, Bangalore

  A doodle - Pink rain lily in Nandi hills Six years ago, when we went to Nandi Hills in May, we were charmed by the wild pink rain lilies that had sprung up in great patches across boulders, small rocks, in between trees and any patch of grass they could find.  They are called rain lilies because they often bloom after a thunderstorm. It's truly delightful when you chance on them unexpectedly. ( My personal favourite is the white one! Which one do you like?)

I met Rajeshwari ( name changed) when I was assisting in the documentation of a project run by an NGO in some of the garment factories of Bengaluru. Shy, dignified,she told me her story of how she was buoyed up in her struggles with her oppressive family by the strong sisterhood that exists among them because of their involvement in the project. Run like a community mobilization project that sensitizes garment workers about sexual health, gender inequality, domestic violence and alcohol abuse - there is an air of empowerment in all the stories I hear from the women, but with a strain of the old oppression. Mulling over it and my experiences through the whole documentation - I wrote this short story - it contains all the women that I met there and other women that I have observed outside of this experience :) Let me know what you think! At the seams Chandrika gazed out the window of the car, her thoughts far away. The view was monotonous, one of Bangalore’s newly...

The beginning of summertime in Bangalore is a treat. The tabebuias are in full blossoms,  their delicate blooms falling down in a soft shower on the streets, kids are looking forward to their summer vacation and all the untold pleasure that it brings. Adults are more relaxed and willing to be wooed by the charm of the season. Even working in this season is a pleasure, all you need is a window to gaze out from time to time, to get into a good mood and feel motivated to work! Cubbon Park is at its best, offering perfect spots for family picnics and boxed lunches, nooks under trees to lie down in and while away time with a good book, or take a nap in the warm grass, hoping the ants won't crawl into your underpants!  I have seen many families, replete with grandparents and little kids get huge tiffin boxes full of mouthwatering biriyani. Puliogare, Chitranna, Sandwiches, Upma, Stuffed parathas,Pulau, Bisibelebath, Bhel, boiled eggs, need I go on? So go out and seize the ...

Every evening, as I board a crowded BTMC bus to get back home I see weary, tired women mindlessly watching stories on Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook. They hold on to handrails, squeeze between what little space is left in the overcrowded bus and stand in contorted positions to look at what other people ( often strangers) are doing with their life.Some catch up on episodes of their favorite series and soaps and comedy shows as our benign service providers auto play them one after the other. Bangalore has enough traffic to make sure you binge watch these episodes and if you find a seat throughout your long journey home, well jackpot! The visuals roll back endlessly without you having to do a thing. I get a disagreeable shiver down my back. What worries me is not the fact that they are constantly on their cellphones but that they are zoned out even when they are watching something, reading something, doing something. Our lives seem to be a distracted blur.  Sometimes, when I am...