Received this mail about a great initiative – do pitch in for your areas!

The Government Civil Defense department (the dept. which runs the area Surakasha Mita scheme) has requested our support for a tree-planting drive set-to kick off this month.

The group Hasiru Usiru is set to help them in their ambitious plan to plant 50,000 saplings. The planting will happen in the next couple of weeks since the roots of tree saplings register MAXIMUM growth during end June to mid September.

We need volunteers to help in this drive. If you are interested, please contact Sheshadri – 98455 68182, prepress555@rediffmail.com or Santosh Min – 99860 37010 , santhosh_b_min@yahoo.com

The area wise planting has been planned as follows –

1. Bangalore University. 20,000 saplings
Each and every one of them are endemic like terminalia arjuna, mitragyna parviflora, Hebbiduru ,thespesia populnea etc for lakesides. albizzia procera , Gmelina arborea, putranjeeva for plains.Ficus racemosa (atti mara) and pride of india for valleys, also fancy species like saraca ashoka and of course honge jackfruit nerle etc…

2.Arekere. 10,000 saplings including bamboos and pride of india for lakeside for below areas we had to include exotics like tabebuia,mahogany, jacaranda coz no choice.

3. Rajarajeshwarinagar . 10,000 saplings

4. Jayanagar 2000 saplings.

5. KPTCL Layout, Sarjapur road , 2000 saplings

6. D J Halli 6000 and Ulsoor lake and the homeguards campus.
approx figures.

If you live around or close by, do contact the numbers mentioned!

Do you long for the feel of the rain brushing against you!! Do you relish being out when it rains? And to top it up do you enjoy bit of a history that goes around the Hoysala Dynasty along the monsoon? You might have to call Arun to book your seat for a tour called “Tour of Less Known Hoysala Kingdom” Next weekend…yes you read it right, next weekend…
Tariff
* 2 days and 1 night
* Rs.3,850 per person, all inclusive on twin sharing basis
Tariff includes all meals, transportation from Bangalore in AC vehicle, stay at a spacious and comfortable resort inside a coffee estate and guided tour at all destinations.
Itinerary
* Pickup from MG Road on Saturday ( July 4th 2009) morning at 6.30am
* Stay at a resort near Belur
* Return to Bangalore by Sunday night (Drop off at home)
Places Covered
* The temple with four shrines at Doddagaddavelli
* Belur
* Halebeedu
* Ancient town of Dwarasamudra spread around Halebeedu
* Hulikere Tank
* Belavadi Temple
More details are here, Please email at arunchs @ yahoo d.o.t com or call Arun/Lakshmi at 9880006460 / 9902070689 to register for the tour, or for any questions….

You love traveling, you like to write.
Combine both to create a niche paying hobby.

The Travel Writing Workshop
With a hands on session on Travel Photography

- Classroom sessions on April 18th, 19th and 26th (9:30 AM to 5 PM)
- Local destination assignments (to be done at your leisure) from 20th to 25th .
- Venue: iReboot, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Since enrollment in the workshops is limited, please register early.
To reserve your space in a workshop, a full
payment is required at the time of registration.

To register online, please download the registration form from here :
http://www.ireboot.in/index.php?page=contact

To register in person, please call 9886295353

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Want to run but don’t know how to start? Or perhaps you already have been running for a while but now want to increase your pace and stamina?

Help is at hand with training programs devised by Dr Rajat Chauhan of Back2Fitness and Santhosh P.

Details of the running programs are here.

This initiative was started to fill the vacuum of holistic running training programs for all, from beginners to very elite. Their goal is to provide you professional and expert help in getting you to the finish line injury free and help you reach your potential. While providing this to you within the bigger Runner’s High community, they make sure that personal attention to your well being is not lost.

The team has a vast experience in
1. Running
2. Coaching
3. Sports & Exercise Medicine (injury prevention & management)
4. Fitness for running

Dr Rajat Chauhan is an MBBS, MSc Sports & Exercise Medicine and one of the very few Musculo-Skeletal Medicine specialists in India. He also has about 24 years of running experience. Santhosh is a part of Team Asha in Bangalore and an avid runner, his longest distance being 160 kms at the Bangalore Ultra in 2008. You can find out more about him here.

Many runners have already benifited from the program with personal best timings at the Mumbai and the Auroville marathons.

For more details you can get in touch with drrajatchauhan at gmail.com or visit this link.

There’s more to namma Bengaluru, we have many names for our city of Bangalore, be it Garden city, Pub city, IT city but the very essence of Bangalore remians the same. The city has not changed but its people and the perceptions definitely have. One of the famous places here has been Cubbon Park, the place that acts like a much needed lung space for the city. That now needs you!!

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The treesforfree 3rd annual celebration starts at 5:00 PM on 8th November. There will be a show on environment by school students, and various other programs.

The place to reach for all these activities is: St. Charles High School, St. Thomas Town, Near Frazer Town, Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Please come, along with your friends, family and colleagues, and pass on the message to all.
This google map link will provide you directions. Contact Janet at 9845449703, if you need any more information.

TOTO AWARDS 2009

CREATIVE WRITING

CALL FOR ENTRIES

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites entries for its fourth annual TOTO awards for Indian creative writers in English. Two cash awards of Rs. 25,000 each will be given in January, 2009.

BUT: Entries are only invited from young people — over the age of 18, and who have not celebrated their 30th birthday before January 1, 2009.

ALSO: The spirit of the Toto Awards is to identify promise and encourage young talent. Therefore, do not submit an entry if you are already an established writer.

TFA is looking for entries in three genres –– short plays, short stories and poetry.

The submissions should not exceed 7,500 words. You can submit any combination of your writing in the above genres, as long as the entire submission is within the stipulated word limit.

Entries should reach TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) by 4 October, 2008 at the latest. There will be no extension of the submission date.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens, 8th Block, 47th Cross, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560 082

Phone: 080-26990549

Entries should be sent in soft e-mail copy to totofundsthearts@yahoo.com as well in hard copy form to the above address. Please address queries to the same e-mail ID.

THE FINE PRINT:

Entries must be accompanied by a signed statement confirming the applicant’s date of birth, whether the applicant’s work has been published in print (give details), and also affirming that the submitted work is original. Please ensure that the hard copy does not carry your name on it. Submitted entries will be given code numbers to protect applicants’ identities from the jury during the judging process.

Submitted material will not be returned.

The decision of the TFA jury is final and cannot be contested in any forum.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) is a not-for-profit public trust set up in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films.

- Celebrations of the 6th International Jawa Yezdi Day on 13th July at Cubbon Park, Bangalore at 7am

The International Jawa CZ Yezdi Day is an annual celebration of those 250 cc Jawa & Yezdi bikes that were sold in India from 1960 to 1997. They are popular for their reliability and low maintenance costs. They were manufactured at the Ideal Jawa factory in Mysore.

To commemorate the 6th International Jawa-Yezdi Day, the Jawa – Yezdi Club of Bangalore is organizing a rally. The following is the route: Cubbon Park – MG Rd – Brigade Rd – Richmond Circle – Lalbagh – Corporation Circle – Mysore Rd – Chennapattana Coffee Day and back

Get-together at 7.00am
Flag Off at 8.00am (Sharp)

For more info, pls contact: Lokesh-9880033994; Sam-99451 44774; Brian-9886101005

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA), Bangalore, is holding a 3-day creative writing workshop from
July 25 to 27 (Friday to Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm). Renowned poet, playwright and publisher Keki Daruwalla from New Delhi and poet and novelist Anjum Hasan from Bangalore will conduct the workshop. Those under 35 but over 18 may apply by sending in a maximum of three poems and/or a short story of no more than 3,500 words. Please note that the workshop will cover both poetry and fiction. The last date for submissions is July 15.

The workshop will include discussions on the two genres, discussion of work submitted, as well as on-the-spot assignments.

Venue:  Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, 466, 9^th Cross, Jayanagar  1st Block, Bangalore 560011

Dates and Timing: 25–27 July, 10 am to 5 pm

Fee: Rs 1,400, inclusive of lunch, tea and snacks

Note:  All submissions will be screened by the facilitators before acceptance. A maximum of 10–12 participants will be chosen. Outstation applicants will have to make their own travel and lodging arrangements. For further information please write to tfaindia@yahoo.com or call 09880623357 between 10 am and 5 pm, Monday to Saturday.

So I’ve been going for Bharat Thakur’s yoga classes for a few months now and it’s made quite a difference to my health. I’ve increased my flexibility and stamina over this time. A lot of people also lose weight through the exercises. Mine though has been less significant (mainly because I like my meals too much!).

Anyway, though Bharat Thakur doesn’t personally come and teach you (sadly :-) the instructors are pretty good. Right now, JP Nagar, Koramangala and Indiranagar are some of the areas where the classes are being held.

If you want to come for a trial class, the timings are:
Morning: 6.00-7.00, 7.00 to 8.00
Evening: 6.00-7.00, 7.00 to 8.00

These are the batches at Koramangala. The other venues might have different timings.

You can also get one trial class, but do be prepared to sweat it out because the exercises are slightly improvised and are faster paced than the other yoga schools. So you might find the class slightly more strenous, but in the long run it’s a good way to burn your calories and get fit!

To come in for a trial class and for the current fee structure, call Ramshad: 9480336648.