A friend of ours has just moved to a place near Hosur and I guess you
can see why. There’s a picturesque lake skirting his backyard.
Just imagine, a place to call home, with a lake attached.
Straight out of a dream sequence.
I didn’t have my regular camera with me and these pictures were taken with
my N72. Not bad at all.
Today, Environment Support Group, which is working in many ways for the commons of Bangalore and Karnataka, organized a lecture on ‘Rethinking the Indian city, reclaiming its Commons” by Professor Michael Goldman.
Here’s the background about Prof. Goldman that ESG gave in their invitation mail:
“Prof. Michael Goldman is a McKnight Presidential Fellow and professor of Sociology and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, USA. He is the editor of Privatizing Nature: Political Struggle for the Global Commons (Rutgers University Press and Pluto Press), and the author of Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization (Yale University Press 2005; Orient Longman India 2006; Kyoto University Press [in Japanese] 2008), based on a decade-long ethnography of the World Bank. He is currently conducting research in Bangalore on the project,“Bangalore: The Making of a World City,”focusing on the transformations of land, government,and citizenship taking place under liberalization.”
Here’s Leo Saldanha of ESG, introducing Professor Goldman:
Here’s a message from a friend, about a meeting I consider it important to attend:
There will be a meeting at Environment Support Group (ESG) at 3.30 pm tomorrow (Sat. 5th), to discuss and strategise on two very important issues concerning the city.
1)The BBMP has touted a road-widening program on 91 roads ( to be extended to 123) of Bangalore. Since the announcement of the scheme, ESG and Hasiru Usiru have been opposing the project, as it is irrational and against all basic principles of design and planning.
If you did a double take on the title, I wouldn’t blame you. The similarity with my earlier post aside, I can assure you that what follows in this post will make you even more aghast.
On my way home after a filling lunch yesterday, I came across the culmination of Durga Pooja celebrations by our Bengali brethren. Couldn’t help but screech to a halt to take pictures of the event. The first of the idols were arriving at the ‘Kalyani’ section of Ulsoor lake for immersion. There was lots of dancing and merrymaking. More revelry was visible than an occasion that called for piety or devotion. Is this what our festivals have come to? Anyway, thats another issue for discussioni. Meanwhile, here’s a first hand look at the events yesterday (pls. excuse me for not setting the right date in the digicam) followed by pictures taken today that reveal the extent of the devastating effect of these immersions.
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Chitra’s post on Sankey Tank inspired me to write about Hebbal Lake. And the timing was just perfect, as I had visited the lake only 3 days ago. A bunch of us had gone there to try our luck in photographing birds. We did not find too many birds that day, but still managed to catch a few of them through the camera.
Morning at Hebbal Lake
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View of the Sankey Tank
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Are you suffering from a water shortage? Do you think you are living in an arid area? No problem! Just approach ICICI Bank!
They will need no guarantors but will give you as many Lakes as you wish!
I have seen the amount, “lakh” (as one One lakh…that’s one followed by five zeroes) being spelt as lac or sometimes even lack…but this is the first time money has become an actual water body!
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A couple enjoying a private moment by the lake
So, we didn’t want to let go of the weekend without a few selfish shots of the city. Anita, friend and photographer, and I, really didn’t know where to head for and finally decided to shoot some unsuspecting lives around the nearby Ulsoor Lake. But it wasn’t as busy as we had expected. The only people lurking around at seven thirty were the couples in love; and only a few. The full moon was the day before and the one in front of us played hide and seek with the clouds.
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Ganesha habba is here. In case you happen to live around a lake, make yourself an honorory custodian of the lake and ensure that the immersion rituals do not end up polluting the lake.
Lake development authority, bangalore has an appeal in all the newspapers requesting people to celebrate the festival in a more responsible, environment- conscious way. The guidelines include:
Buying idols of clay which dissolve easily in water.
Not to use painted idols or immerse them in lakes as the toxic substances in the paint get deposited on the tank bed. They also have the potential to penetrate the soil and contaminate the ground water in the surrounding areas causing serious trouble to public health. It reduces the survival of Fish and other aquatic life.
People can actually dissolve the idol in a bucket of clay and then pour the water out in their gardens which is a favourable form of disposal than using the lakes.
Not to let flowers and nirmalyas wash into lakes as they will decay and pollute the water too.
Finally, it costs the state exchequer lakhs of rupees to restore the lakes after the festival which we can actually avoid by being more conscious.
Not too tough to follow if we care for our environment and realise the importance of ground water to our health. Please spread the message around.
Wishes for a very happy Ganesh Chaturti to all Bangaloreans!
Whether I am feeling bored or stressed or sad or just want to energise my system, I just take a drive to the nursery and the lake inside the Lalbagh Botanical Garden and when I come back I can’t remember ever having been unhappy.
The nursery is always well stocked with blooming plants of various hues - roses, hollyhocks, dahlias, chrysanthemums and marigolds. Apart from the cool air redolent with the smell of the plants and flowers, they play soothing music all through the day. And some of the tress in the nursery are really old and on a bright sunny day you look up and watch the leaves quiver in the breeze like tiny sheets of gold Iit has to be seen to be appreciated. well there are parts of the nursery where you will smell cowdung and other manure but if you are a earthy person like me you’d love that too! And the nursery caters to all your horticultural requirements - the pesticides, fertilisers, pots, moss sticks and what not apart from the plants and what’s best, everything is priced so reasonably.
After the delightful experience of the sights, smells and sounds in the nursery, head toward the lake which is to the left of the Glass house. or just ask anyone where the lake is. There are benches on the path bordering the lake where you could sit and watch the placid water or some birds swooping down on the trees in the island or watch ducklings swim behind the mother duck like a bunch of obedient kids. Tune your ears to the bird calls or just to hear the wind rustle against the leaves. When you decide it is time to leave, take a walk on the bridge just for the fun of it and the head towards any other part of the garden. A word of warning though. If you plan to eat something there, you will attract beggars, sometimes a naughty monkey and the crows.
A sure and simple way to work all the stress out of your system and on your drive back you will surprise yourself by humming your favorite tune.
