Raja Rajeshwari Nagar

‘Self rule’ outside Bengaluru since 1960; Janapada Seva Trust’s Gandhian success story

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janapada seva trust

By Aratrika Dey The real India resides in the villages. Just three hours drive from Bengaluru stands Melukote where one organisation has been applying Gandhian principles to create an equitable society and promote sustainable living. From rehabilitating abandoned children, sustaining livelihoods of dozens of families, educating the local children and adults, and restoring local forests, … Read more

Don’t feed pigeons; their poop can cause more than 60 diseases

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pigeons

By Chandrima Mazumdar  Residents, unaware of the health hazards, are unwittingly feeding pigeons that frequent the Swabhimaana Park in Sector 3, HSR Layout. The other neighbourhoods in Bengaluru are no exception either. However, while feeding the birds is a noble deed, having them around in the neighbourhood is counter-productive. According to scientists, pigeon poop is … Read more

Subdued Deepawali and rains keep air pollution at bay in Bangalore

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Subdued Deepawali and rains keep air pollution at bay in Bangalore 1

By Qamar ZJ While North India had ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ air pollution ratings, Bangalore recorded ‘moderate’ to ‘satisfactory’ pollution levels during and after Deepawali (Diwali in North India). This was partly due to subdued celebrations and November 15 evening rains that brought down the pollution loads. North India more polluted than South India If … Read more

Non-Green firecrackers flood the city despite ban 

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firecrackers

By Aratrika Dey Quite a few shops are found to be selling non-green firecrackers in the city, despite the Karnataka government ban on the sale of non-green merchandise. Initially, the ban included firecrackers of all grades. However, it was altered to allow only green crackers to be sold to the public.  Vendors have been caught … Read more

City’s footpaths invaded by vehicles 

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bangalore footpaths

By Aratrika Dey Bengalureans have increasingly taken to social media to voice their frustrations regarding the persisting problem of footpath encroachment by cars and two-wheelers. In several places, the footpaths can be seen lined with rows after rows of two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Vehicle users are getting away with parking in ‘no-parking’ zones. The city lacks … Read more

Cough, talk, breathe: Help IISc’s diagnostic tool to identify COVID-19

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COVID-19

By Aratrika Dey A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is working on a tool to diagnose people. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has allowed them to collect data  for possible deployment in the future. The eight-member team headed by Dr Sriram Ganapathy have named this sound-based initiative Project … Read more

COVID-19: A city yoga instructor on how to build immunity with breathing

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yoga trainer anshu vyas

By Anshu Vyas Seetharaman COVID-19 has brought spirituality back into our lives, and yoga is one such form. Pranayama is made of two words: ‘Prana’ and ‘ayama’. Prana is the life force; it is more than just the breath. Ayama is to regulate. Pranayama means to regulate breathing, which is the life force. It is … Read more

Cycle lane on Outer Ring Road encroached by motorcyclists

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cycle lane

Originally tweeted by Rahul Kumar (@rahulcomp24) on November 10, 2020 By Aratrika Dey The city’s cyclists breathed a sigh of relief as a dedicated pop-up lane on Outer Ring Road was designed for them, without the fear of being hit by passing vehicles. But their happiness is shortlived as motorcyclists are invading their safe spaces. … Read more

Crowds throng Chickpet, violating social distancing norm

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chickpet

Originally tweeted by womanjari (@ManjariR) on November 10, 2020. By Chandrima Mazumdar Amid the ongoing pandemic, a video showing the crowded Chickpet area in Majestic has gone viral. The 26-second clip shows the crowded street with people violating the social distancing rules. While most were seen wearing masks, some people did not wear their masks … Read more

Know your neighbour: This beauty queen healed herself through yoga, and now runs a yoga school

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Prathima David

By Chandrima Mazumdar From fat to fit, from winning a national beauty pageant to quitting her corporate job and becoming a yoga trainer, Prathima David’s work-life balance instantly inspires you. She faced two major accidents, and only yoga came to her rescue. She struggled with weight issues and lost 37 kilos, thanks to yoga again. … Read more

Dengue & COVID-19 can be a deadly cocktail: The near-death experience of a young survivor in Bangalore

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dengue

By Nagashree N About two months ago, I was admitted to the hospital because I had tested positive for both dengue and COVID-19. Thankfully, I am more or less fine now but it will still take me a month to recover completely. How it started For more than six months since the pandemic, I had … Read more

COVID-19: How scuba diving lessons are helping me during the pandemic

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Neha Contractor

By Neha Contractor In May 2020, I returned to Bangalore from the Andamans as the island was shutting down due to COVID-19. Before this, I had quit my corporate job and spent all of 2019 learning more about the ocean and teaching scuba. I was able to dive whenever I could. On my days off, … Read more