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A running revolution has hit the concrete jungle. Get out of your cloistered cubicles and leap into the open outdoors. That's exactly what many professionals in the city enjoy doing. And what's more? Teams from corporate companies in the city will be at loggerheads with each other at the Urban Stampede. At what will be a relay run, company teams will face off against each other in five kms of hard running. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The only thing I've ever observed about a pond is the fact that pointlessly chucking stones into it and seeing ripples travel is a good pastime. But all that changed when a massive dent in the ground of holding water turned into a classroom at a recent nature camp at Hunsur by Wildlife expert Gerry Martin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The landscape of lushness in Lalbagh will have colour thrown in. Not just a shade or two, but an explosion of hundreds of hues, as the flower show kicks off this afternoon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a child did you ever flip through a storybook just to peek at the pictures first? Fewer the visuals, the more boring the book must be. Did you ever find yourself having arrived at that universal children's conclusion: While a story is a magical thing, half the fun is in how it comes alive through visuals? And what do you know? It's actually a clan of adults who are doodling away to spark a child's imagination. Illustrators of children's books in India may not be festooned with the kind of recognition as word slingers, but their talent is nothing that can be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What if you didn't have to run after your dog anymore. Yet, knew exactly where it was? Even if it jumped over the fence and wandered away chasing a stray or followed the courier delivery boy, what if you could locate it within seconds? This might seem like a fantasy for most owners, yet for over a decade, pet owners have been able to keep an accurate tab on their excited canines. Thanks to GPS microchipping, that can not only carry details like a unique ID number, information on vaccination, pedigree, etc, but can also lead you to your pet if it's lost. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Origami child prodigy Shivaram Narayanan is in town to show us how paper can be more than just that. For most of us, our tryst with origami pretty much ends with the paper planes that we made in school. But luckily for Narayanan, it was different: "My mom spotted my talent when I was around five or six and encouraged me to pursue it." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How can a 16-year-old be an alcoholic? Maybe it's just a phase. She's probably had too much to drink at last night's party and feels miserable. That's all. Alcoholic is certainly not a word. With thoughts like these flitting through my mind, I catch up with Shriya (name changed); young, confident and pretty, she seems as normal as any teenager. With one exception, she is currently the youngest member of Alcoholics Anonymous's Bangalore chapter. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The pitter-patter of raindrops is pure symphony with a glass of fine wine to go with it. But which wine blends with the mood of slight drizzle, and which one will let you enjoy the harsh downpour from the skies? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Leaving Behind, India's first Rockumentary tells the story of the contemporary Indian fusion rock band Indian Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If ads are to be believed, branded hair shampoo is all you need to find true love, a new vessel scrubber can keep your family picture-perfect-happy and a tube of face cream is likely to help you bag your dream job. A tad bit carried away in their effort to persuade us from parting with our money for a particular product, ads do lose track once in a way. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eight years ago, Chitra Devnani, a housewife had steered to alternative medicines to get rid of a persistent back pain. The path led her on to the end of her search. She stumbled on Falun Dafa or Falun Gong, a spiritual practice founded in China. Explaining it further, she says, "I was introduced to this wonderful practice by a lady from Singapore. It is very simple, it involves five sets of exercises. What's refreshing about it is that there are no restrictions; a person can practice it any time he or she wants. If 10 minutes is all you have, you can do one exercise. These are exercises that will give you energy rather than tire you out." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Being labelled mad didn't stop her. While people around were baffled at her decision, she waved goodbye to her moolah-making, comfort churning job in Dubai, at the what she calls 'the pinnacle of her career'. And that, to become a farmer! [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Circa summer of 2007, a sound-packed basement in HSR Layout became the birthplace of the Barracuda Blues Band (BBB). Five guys who vaguely knew each other played then to the walls and emerged three hours later as a band. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There are family members one has the option of choosing. Cute and incurably faithful, getting a dog can be one of the best decisions you'll ever make. While you might want to get the bundle of cuddliness all at once, a little patience and advice from experts can go a long way. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Just another right bend on the road that leads to the Bangalore International Airport will take you to an ordinary village. Chikkajala resembles one of the many hamlets dotting the outskirts of the city. Delve deeper, past the concrete houses near the main road and the true community comes to the fore. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drifting around an art gallery one can sometimes stop at images that are so different that you want to have a chat with the artist on the inspirations and thoughts behind the work. The work of Pakistani artist Mariam Suhail that hangs on the walls of a city gallery, Galleryske is such a collection of redefined art. While the form of the drawings is reminiscent of sketches from our text books, Suhail helps us to view them from a perspective that makes them pieces of contemporary art. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ideal scene of a dog prancing around on lush green lawns or chasing a frisbee or ball across swaying trees or jogging alongside the owner on early morning trots is a sequence of distant dreams, spotted merely on celluloid. Sharing a packed-out apartment with humans, sidewalks lining maddening traffic and parks with 'no pets allowed' signboards forms a more realistic picture of the city's space or lack of it for pet dogs. A debate rages on as Cubbon Park, among the few options for pet owners to walk their dogs braces itself to keep the canines out. While authorities think of pets in parks a nuisance, owners question what choices they have left? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In what sounds like a philosophical discourse, he utters, "Like a priest or an actor, this profession comes calling to you, it's almost like it chooses you and not the other way around." Craig Nealy, without the faintest blotch of doubt, reveals he hasn't regretted his choice to be an architect in the last 35 years. His work proves him right. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Colour spills into an endless span of swaying maize fields. Monks wrapped in crimson hues and braced with umbrellas stride in one direction. School children dressed in neat uniforms totter behind them. Adults don their best chupas or traditional Tibetan costumes and join the flow of the crowd. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Our walls are pretty much dead. Mundane, boring, backdrops to our crammed lives, covered with coats of paint, they are nothing you can pause to appreciate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Countless creases cut through her face. She sits frailly with the open end of her bright blue sari lining her head. Old, uneducated and lonely, she is what true courage looks like. Seventy-year-old Huligemma is among one of the awardees of the Kittur Rani Chennamma awards conferred on outstanding women achievers. Her shivering voice gives out her story in unadulterated Kannada: "I am from Bachigondanahalli in Bellary district. I gave away my agricultural land for a school to be built." Asked what inspired her, she says that she has no children and wanted to see other children study. Huligemma is joined by a clan of selfless and bold women from across the state, who have been honoured like her. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It's a beautiful day. Clouds collect just enough, to make it pleasant and not gloomy. A drizzle sprays down just enough to make you happy and not damp. Lush crops sway in the waves of undulating fields and the world almost looks perfect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"The image is Tibet, but the story is universal," says Siddarath Pillai of Bangalore Film Society, who has singled-out 12 acclaimed and award-winning feature films and documentaries for the festival. Pillai believes that the collage of films will speak to the heart and not just the brain: "There's usually a very narrow representation of Tibet, and it is this cultural stereotype that has to be shattered. The cause always does exist, but Tibet and its people need to be understood better." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I've never spoken to Sunbeam Gregory Motha. But I have spoken to those who knew him. Voices pour from those who've shared seasons and times with him, to reveal an uncommon legend. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

George Mathen is Appupen and Appupen tells stories. Not the sort where you string letters and crowd pages with cliches. Instead, the kind where you pull out your pen and sketch out an entirely new world, precisely called Halahala. Mathen's first full-fledged graphic novel titled Moonwards invites you to scan through the lives of people caught in this new world. Talking about the book, he says, "There are definitely no superheroes in their underwears in the novel. You could say the story revolves around one main character, but there are also many diverse characters in the book." Giving a sneak peek into this allegorical world, Mathen describes its craziness, "There are mad scientists, genetically engineered plants that walk into conveyor belts, a planet made of cheese that's constantly getting smaller as it's being eaten by mice, and machines that come to life with TICTAC syrup." One more fact about the fictional city tumbles out from the author: The official soft drink of Halahala is supacola. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Being a photographer can be a tough one if your model speaks a completely different language. When you ask her to tilt that head stylishly and give you that chic diva look, she'll bark at you. When you ask that good looker to stand absolutely still, showing off those muscles, he'll impatiently dart towards you. But pet photographer Sandeep Atmaram, seems to have figured out his rather unpredictable objects of focus. "I always carry a pack of treats," he says letting out a small secret. But there's a lot more that goes into capturing that perfect memorable portrait, he admits. Atmaram who started his pet store PAWS with Ridhima Coelho last year reveals that the idea of 'PAWtraits' followed a few months after the store. Having been a fine art photographer, he decided to take on new subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Art galleries are a nice place to squander time. You can pause to gawk at every canvas, studying every stroke and interpreting those profound abstracts. But all this art appreciation well knowing, that you won't ever return home with one of these valuables. In empathy to all those art oglers who've retracted from galleries in a deep realisation of their poverty, Veena Raghuraman says, "For years, all I could do when I saw art was salivate. Despite having bought a few pieces here and there, having any recognisable originals on my own wall was out of bounds for me. I just couldn't afford it." But on an encouraging note, Veena reveals that her walls are finally ready for some specials that she will acquire on rent. Spelling out details ,she says: "I've shortlisted eight different pieces of art for my house. I will have these pieces of art for a month to start with. I might keep them for longer if I want to or I may get new pieces." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For someone who wanted to be a landscape architect, Bob Fitts is utterly off the mark. But with 16 albums behind him and churches across the globe packed with his songs, he didn't do too badly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a sobered, unemotional voice she relives the early day of her son's addiction that once came as a shock to Sunita. "He was the kind of boy whom everyone loved, very quiet, he had few friends and almost never caused any trouble. So we had no idea whatsoever that he was into drugs." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If animals could talk, I wonder what Richie would say. Tied to an iron loop attached to the ground, he drops his gloomy head, while I scan his pathetic starved frame. Once a proud puppy to a coveted bloodline of Neapolitan Mastiffs, he'd probably tell us about the high life that his puppy-hood was made of. The designer collars, the servants devoted just to him, the comfy bed, the laid-back saunter through the neighbourhood and the showers of affection from his human family. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stepping through a wooden entrance of SOS Children's Village in Bangalore, one might as well stumble into a fairytale. You find yourself staring at curving pathways leading into the most beautiful village, as the laughter of children resound everywhere. Tucked away in enviable lush surroundings are 16 quaint residences. But the real magic of this 'Children's Village' is the emotional atmosphere it provides. Children who are orphaned, abandoned or whose families cannot take care of them are looked after here. And thankfully, not in the bunk-bed-food-in-the-dormitory kind of way. "Each of our homes is like a separate family with a mother and about 10 children in each. The children grow up alongside each other as brothers and sisters. They go to different schools in the city and there's little difference between normal families and SOS families," explains Maheshaiah MV, the village director. He also throws light on how women who mostly have very few or no family connections or are abandoned, are trained for a fair amount of time - that can be as long as three years, before they are given the role of a 'mother'. Apart from mothers, he also speaks about 'aunts', who support mothers and stay with the children when their mums are away. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"It was such a happy evening. I was back from school, playing with friends outside my house. In the distance, I saw a man being carried by two others. My heart began to race and I prayed desperately. My prayers, like almost always, were never answered," 23-year-old Sheetal sadly narrates an evening when her father had passed out drunk, a memory she can't seem to get out her head. Mulling a bit more, she adds, "Having an alcoholic father can be heartbreaking, it's a very strange place to be. You never know how to react when the man you look up to the most doesn't seem to know what he's doing." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The ban on live music in pubs was just the right time for some to break into song. While gripes and whines about the 'mindless' curb and blaring auto horns pretty much made up the music scene, Arul Baliah and Bushra Shariff, along with a clique of audiophile friends decided to interrupt. And The Live Gig (TLG) was born. As defined by Baliah: "The Live Gig is a community response by musicians, for musicians to demonstrate that music knows no boundaries." Started as an artistic venture from provokE, an artists' collective, TLG has made a trail of live music events happen. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

You know a camp's going to be fun if among the first instructions you receive is, "These are your leech socks and you'll need them most of the time you're here." Wrapped around with frog croaks, bird calls, insect buzzes and typical forest sounds, the Agumbe Rainforest Research Centre (ARRS), a lonely human presence in the swarming rainforests of the Western Ghats was to be the home of our adventure - a herpetology workshop conducted by city reptile expert, Gerry Martin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ninety-four-year-old Srinivasalu hops out of his bed in the men's dormitory and optimistically utters in Kannada: "I don't have any health problems, I am absolutely fit and fine." Having spent 12 years in the Asaktha Poshaka Sabha old age home, he speaks of having been left at the old age home as a distant memory that hardly stings him. "A home for the old is good for us. We have all the facilities we ever need and there's nothing we can complain about." Though he does have some distant relatives visiting him once in a while, he says that he doesn't like mingling with them much, as most relatives feel that senior citizens want money and resources from people and that, he says, isn't true. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For many years, I thought Mayo Hall was just a bus stop; a swarming junction where autos would drop me off before I fade away window shopping on MG Road. A misinformed friend further added to my ignorance by insisting that it was indeed the 'Mayor' Hall, residence of the city's municipal chief. But as it turns out both of us are sacrilegious history know-nothings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fine dining isn't just about what's on your plate, it is also the setting of your rendezvous with food that invites, cajoles and tempts you into a memorable culinary journey.  Bangalore's first ethnic North Indian restaurant Tandoor has more than just food that's worth sampling. The walls and the ceilings of the restaurant are a museum of sorts with exquisite and intricate hand painted frescos. "Painters were flown in from Rajasthan for the purpose", explains Inu Chadda of Tandoor. Revealing what's special about the family of artists who transformed Tandoor, Chadda reveals that the artists are the seventh generation descendents of artists who worked on the Taj Mahal. But the work in the world famous Taj is obviously different from the Shekhawati paintings displayed in Tandoor, he clarifies. The painters worked for a course of a year and two months to complete the floral frescos in the restaurants. A special platform was constructed for the artisans to sleep while they worked on painting the ceilings, explains Chadda. "Dried vegetable paints & stone powder, were used for colour, the brushes used were very small and minute to ensure details and the artists usually worked from 1 am to 11 am," he adds. People often snap pictures of these artistic murals, says Chadda, with many coming back both for regal frescos and the food. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Velvet green manicured lawns, perfect bushes lining a pebbled walkway, flowering plants singled out wisely to add a splash of colour. For many, landscape architects are the clan with a green wand who will blend a bit of nature into otherwise boring concrete edifices. But landscape architects disagree saying that the true nature of their job goes much beyond apparent dressing up of outdoor spaces. They are people who can help our urban spaces be part of the natural environment rather than a hazard to it.  [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Alluring music lilting in the backdrop, a whiff of aromatic spices floating in and food showcased like a masterpiece of art - "Food is an indulgence of the senses, it's a sensuous journey where you see your food, smell it, hear it sizzle and then crunched in your palate, only then is it completely experienced," says Chef Abhijit Saha, director of city restaurant Caperberry, the mastermind behind a first-of-its-kind photo exhibition that pairs fine dining with fine art. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

"We were the last band to play in a pub, before the ban on live music last year," chuckles Rudy Wallang, singer and song writer of Soulmate, a Shillong based blues-rock outfit, that's revisiting the city this weekend. The band that came together in 2003 in the lush, picturesque hills of Shillong has reached the ears of music lovers from all corners of the country with over 500 concerts to their credit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A pinch of drama in life, always helps; so seems to think Bhaskar Gauribidanur. A well known city thespian, Gauribidanur was awakened to the 'power of theatre' when he realised that every person from his theatre workshop felt that he or she had been changed for the better by being part of the performing art. Some felt a shot of confidence, some were more energetic and alive, others picked up interpersonal skills that helped them elsewhere in life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The most read portions of a newspaper have the fewest words. Humour packed doodles take on the most boring to the most depressing pieces of news and poke fun bravely. Celebrating this talent of comic commentary is the country's first and the city's very own - the Indian cartoon gallery. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Owners and builders of these plush living spaces confirm that even in these times of economic downturn, penthouses are not only much in demand, but are also getting plusher than ever. Apart from being the privileged higher-most homes in apartments, these premium spaces are also being jazzed up with various value-adds. Kamal Sagar, principal architect and Director, Total Environment, says that the penthouses in their Windmills of the Mind project in Whitefield have lots of features that set them apart. These penthouse terraces will have beautifully landscaped gardens complete with lawns, bamboos, lily ponds along with luxurious swimming pools. Apart from that Sagar and his team have made sure that these penthouses will be places where one can party in style. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

You can drive into the Jayamahal Palace hotel, but I'd highly recommend a leisurely amble. The peace when one enters the 19 acre property in the heart of city can be quite a discovery. The din of the traffic outside fades as your steps pace up on the walking track. So, by the time you walk up to the heritage hotel, you can appreciate its contrast with rest of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Having spotted just two Pariah kites on my way to Zafar Futehally's residence in Koramangala, I find it hard to believe when he says, "There are more than 350 kinds of birds in the city." Despite a mind flooded with doubts, I decide to trust him. After all, 89-year-old Futehally, nephew of India's legendary ornithologist Salim Ali, has been observing birds for decades. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Gerry is a weird guy; he says things like "Snakes are animals just like your dog or cat and have reason for their behaviour." And worse, he's dead serious about it. A herpetologist (reptile expert) and conservationist from the city, he's determined to get Bangaloreans to see his point of view. According to him, there is a way we can make sense of the creepy, slithering, hissing crawlers and swap irrational fear with awe. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The youngest and the oldest participants at the wheelchair event of the Sunfeast 10K run says transport facilities and ramp access for the disabled must be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Themclones, the New Delhi-based pop-rock band could use some advice from you. Before you catch them live today, stop by their virtual residence and tell them what songs they need to include in their debut album: Love. Hate. Heroes. Won't that be a spoiler?, I enquire. "Not really," assures Prithwish Dev, the band's lead vocalist, "We have one to two minute clips of 17 of our songs on our website and we're counting on fans to pick ten of their favourite songs. These span across the years that we've been playing." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

According to Wikipedia, 'Kitsch' is the German and Yiddish word denoting art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art. But far from its unflattering beginnings of the 19th century, kitsch art today spells absolute cool. Proving the trend is Priyam Malavi of Purpleorange home couture with her 'art on the road' collection. The collection inspired by India's road transport system is a set of five cushions. "The pieces we made are lorry, auto, car, scooter and tempo", says Malavi talking about the funky set. Another kitsch artist whose work is being lapped up enthusiastically in the city is Aarohi Singh. Her decorative 'artwork' portfolio includes boldly painted kettles, buckets and pans. Apart from these, she also does funky furniture for the home. Inspired by everyday, whether the morning newspaper, random conversations, a piece of music, the rain, India as a whole, her paintings are bright pop art images. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A circus always seems like a magical place when you're children: Elephants with caps hit a sixer with their cricket bats, dogs impress with impeccably cute choreography, ferocious canines of the wild tamely obey every instruction of the ring master. But a little peek behind the scenes and one will see a contrasting picture that is nothing to cheer about. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]