Pemme Gowda Road
The walls of Pemme Gowda Road in JC Nagar are not just a colourful treat for people who do not keep their eyes on the road, the shapes and figures you find on this stretch have a style of their own.
July 16, 2009
July 15, 2009
JC Nagar Main Road (Munireddypalya)
A typical neighbourhood photo studio in Benglur.
Digital photography hasn't killed neighbourhood studios in India, it has offered the opportunity to offer interesting new services.
And faster than ever before.
The mandatory display board with a fan+celebrity photograph. Dr. Balamuralikrishna in this case.
July 14, 2009
Assaye Road
Creators
Which Nallah? What Drain? JC Nagar to Ulsoor Lake.
Unlike the drain that comes in from Shivajinagar which bypasses the Ulsoor Lake, this drain empties itself into the lake. Ideally, it's only rainwater that should flow through, but in reality there are enough slums and houses on the way emptying sewage and contaminating the water and colouring the lake green.
However, the Assaye Road stretch of the drain is not flanked by homes or scrapyards and just before Ulsoor Lake, the Bengali Association has been allotted a drain side home. These pictures are from the hall by the drain where Ganesha and Durga idols are being made year round in preparation for the festival season.
And like Agujral points out in comments: The idols will end up in Ulsoor lake (not in the dirty drain)
July 13, 2009
July 5, 2009
NH3 - Bombay-Agra Road near Igatpuri
On the road.
Which Main? What Cross? is out of Benglur and will be back on July 14th. Until then, pictures are being updated on Indian Road Romeo, WMWC's Rest of India blog.
July 3, 2009
1st Main, Kalasipalaya
Apply glue
Crumple
Paste
Sandalwood Friday Release Series: Sticky Fingers
Finally caught up with the guy who does one of the most important tasks ahead of a Sandalwood Friday release. For the full (and ongoing) series of life around Sandalwood, click here.
July 2, 2009
1 Road, Ashoknagar
The residents of Ashoknagar offer a coconut to a bone-dry public water tap to please the forces of nature that produce rain.
Meanwhile in Slumdog Maximum Zhopadcity, the residents face the same problem. See Water Woes by Anil P.
July 1, 2009
Pampa Mahakavi Road
A BBMP Pourakarmika seeks the help of a vinyl propaganda poster of the unsuccessful Congress candidate from Bangalore South to repair her rickety trolley.
June 30, 2009
New Pottery Town Road
Three generations of stars stare down at Gandhi Gramam.
Which Nallah? What Drain? Series
New Pottery Town (Gandhi Gramam)
New Pottery Town (Gandhi Gramam)
Gandhi Gramam, is situated on a bend in the drain that flows from Munireddypalya (JC Nagar) to Ulsoor Lake. The drains skirts the Defence land and as it enters the congested New Pottery Town, encroachments narrow and choke the drain. No wonder, a few millimeters of rain and the whole place is waterlogged.
That's also why this place is notorious for its water-borne diseases and the residents have well-worshipped shrines to the Christian and Hindu gods who protect children, who are the first in line when diseases strike.
However, the young and old men here have a different set of heroes. Paintings of their favourite Tamil film heroes spanning 5 decades tower above the steeples and gopurams of this drainside community.
See the full Which Nallah? What Drain? Series. Click here.
June 29, 2009
Pampa Mahakavi Road
There are real people behind these masks
Vignettes from Bangalore Pride 2009 in today's Citizen Matters - Bangalore
Pampa Mahakavi Road, Basavanagudi
Bangalore Pride 2009. The Rainbow Parade
I was just a few hundred metres away from National High School Grounds in Basavanagudi to see the beginning of the Bangalore Pride parade when I heard a song dedication from a man named Indraneel, a father, to his son Indrashish, on Radio One. The song: Ma ka ladla bigad gaya. He said that he hoped his son got his 'hidden' message.
Meanwhile, at the starting point of the Bangalore Pride 2009 parade at National High School ground stands a line of Television OB Vans, and hordes of reporters with microphone and cameras running behind colourfully dressed people, most of them in masks to cover their identity. While there were many who wanted to be interviewed, there were quite a few of them who kept hiding from the cameras.
Fidgeting on the fringe is a young couple, mere boys, holding sweaty hands for comfort and debating if they should join the parade for a long time. They didn't. They were put off by the media attention.
The people participating in the parade occupied a corner of the large school ground where hundreds of children and young men were playing their usual dose of Sunday cricket. They continued with their matches while looking and giggling at the colourful crowd that was congregating. Some of them came over and asked questions. They were handed over leaflets that explained what "Bangalore Pride parade" was all about. A group invited a bunch of expats attending the parade to play cricket with them.
Also watching the show unfold were members of the traditional Brahmin families who live next to the Chowltry (wedding hall) across the road. They watched with interest as the crowd slowly increased to a respectable number.
At the Chowltry, where Soumya was getting married to Abhinand, the guests came out from time to time to see what was happening. And when a group of transsexuals, looking for a urinal went into the chowltry, they were chased away.
Finally, after a delay of about an hour and half, the Bangalore Pride Parade finally started marching to the sound of drums and dancing. A colourful, long flag, held high above their masked faces provided the shade.
Cocooned in the crowd would have been a boy named Indrashish. Marching through the streets of the city among people whom he can call his own. Here he could be himself and not what his father or Bharat Sarkar wants him to be.
June 28, 2009
D Rajgopal Road, Sanjaynagar
Local gossip, national news, sunday morning movie on the tiny television, smell of talcum powder, cheap after-shave, and the sound of the scissors snipping away. The lazy Sunday morning at a barber shop.
June 26, 2009
MM Road, East Ground
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The slogans on the walls of the maidan next to the Bangalore East station reflect the spirit of competition at the football tournament held here each year. The prize money can go up to Rs. 50,000 and the best player even wins what's called the Golden Boot. On holidays, the maidan is packed with different set of friends and teams, of all ages, playing tennis ball cricket and football but on a Friday morning, it's the playground of the local Madrassa.
For more pictures of playgrounds of Bangalore, click here.
June 25, 2009
Sankey Road
Name: Hanumanthappa
From: Yadgir, Gulbarga Dist.
In Benglur for a week.
In Benglur for a week.
It's easy to recognise a person who is new to the city. It's the clothes a person wears and these days you will see a lot of people dressed like Hanumanthappa near construction sites across the city. The men usually wear simple, sweat-soaking, collarless, cotton shirt with a bright coloured band with a simple stitched pattern on the shirt pocket. They are yet to acquire clothes stitched in the city.
According to Hanumanthappa, it doesn't rain enough in his village, called Pulioor in the almost-arid Yadgir Taluk of Gulbarga District. So he's come to Benglur where he has a few family members who work as construction labourers. The 'Biradari' has allowed him to get a job at a construction site, on arrival. And daily wages, which is something agriculture cannot provide. Once he settles down, he plans to go back and bring his wife and son.
June 24, 2009
Dr. Ambedkar Veedi
For Priyank: This is a monsoon shot for you from Bangalore. I think, the winds clear the air off dust and make the sky extra blue. Bangalore has the best skies in June.
June 23, 2009
Off Marigowda Road, Arekempanahalli
The water cycle
Long before the biblical David slew Goliath with a stone, our ancestors are said to have walked across continents with their blunt stone implements and flint stones, burning and killing 'mega fauna'. However, we don't need such old fashioned tools anymore, we just have to use Thomas Crapper's useful invention to kill what remains.
I found this wall in a studio that's housed in a scrapyard, which like all other scrapyards is situated on the banks of a Nullah. This one, the drain that starts from Lalbagh and flows east.
June 22, 2009
Tank Bund Road, Subashnagar
Outside the Kempegowda Bus Station is this Tamilian with an interesting hairstyle. He's originally from near Kollegal and sells toys, perfumes and other things that travellers pick up on their way back home after a trip to Benglur.
June 20, 2009
Hanumanthappa Road, Gandhinagar
People beginning to gather for the snake show outside Sam Fashions. This happens every Friday morning.
Here are some earlier pictures of this Friday ritual (the day of Sandalwood movie release) when the snake charmer hadn't allowed me to take pictures of the snake : Character Artists Around Namma Theatres.
June 19, 2009
June 18, 2009
Dickenson Road
There are said to be 330,000,000 Hindu Gods. Adding 2 more from the Levant will not make much of a difference. However, I'm not so sure if the Pope would approve of the Virgin Mother(in a saree) and her Infant son (in a frock) and the mandatory dots on their foreheads adorning the wall of the roadside Ganapathy Shrine opposite RBANM School on Dickenson Road.
June 17, 2009
June 16, 2009
Church Street
By Toutatis! I have a caste mark on my forehead.
Found it outside a store selling new and second hand books.
June 12, 2009
NR Road + Pottery Road
Translation: "Excess love is injurious to life/health" 
Translation: "Pray for Karnataka"
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