Articles by Pushpa Achanta

Godson Samuel, a pastor from coastal Tamil Nadu, now working in Pune was a student of a lady professor in Bangalore's United Theological College some years ago. Hearteningly, the woman's courage and ability to break the gender barrier seems to have had a positive effect on the young man. In an exhibition titled Women, Leaves and Lent, the priest exhibited some of the exquisite creations that he carved out of dried leaves of the palm tree. The highlight of the theme - a focus on the women who are often missing from Biblical narratives! Here is a peek into this…

At first glance, the store called "Himalayan Dowry An Anti-Dowry Store" seems like any other place dealing in Kashmiri handicrafts, except for its name. Only on enquiring, would one realize that there is more to this outlet situated on M. G. Road. Incidentally, it is in the basement of a building near the office of the Printers (Mysore) Pvt. Ltd. (publishing Deccan Herald, Prajavani, et al). According to the website of the store, it traces its origins to an establishment in Kashmir in the year 1809. This was founded by a great Sufi and healer, Kh. Naqi Ali Shawl from…

The current socio-political (re)awakening nationwide encouraged me to share this piece that I had penned sometime back. I do not recall when and where I first heard the word feminist. But I am certain that it is essential to remember some of the positive contributions that feminism has made to women and society overall. These include the securing of voting rights for women, the right to work outside home, inclusion in anti-discrimination laws, et al. All this was achieved through the relentless and determined efforts of many courageous and committed women and some men, amidst much opposition. And the women's…

"Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose", said someone. But, for many people who often lose the little that they have, freedom is another wor(l)d. And that wor(l)d did not appear on 15th August 1947 or later for the majority who live in India at present. In fact, such a wor(l)d may never exist at all for this majority. So, sometime in mid 2007 some of us in Bangalore and other parts of the country decided that we should support and celebrate ongoing struggles for freedom. From that emerged the idea of a Civil Society Summit (CSS) -…

An interesting way to urge four-wheeler users to burn more calories and less fuel. And of course reduce emissions, traffic, noise et al. Evangelical Social Action Forum, a Bangalore based NGO in association with Healthbridge Foundation of Canada launched their annual campaign to urge car passengers to rest their vehicles for a day at least. Between22nd September (International Car Free Day) and 4th October, 2012, the organizations are having awareness and signature campaigns at different colleges, private firms, malls, apartment complexes, bookstores and other places in Bangalore to approach those who travel by car to consider going by public transport…

  That was how around 40 of us reclaimed our space vociferously and visibly on the roads of Madiwala (South Bangalore) and its environs between 5.00-7.00 pm last Saturday, 4th August. We energetically and emphatically expressed our views against various recent cases of moral policing and sexual assault across India including Guwahati, Mandya (Karnataka) and Mangalore. Ithi (meaning "a start" in Sanskrit), a support forum for women employed in the IT/ITeS industry organized the action which attracted necessary attention from local residents, college students and onlookers some of who joined us. Starting with a stationary protest at a busy corner…

Still from the film (Courtesy: Jobin Andrews) What do places like Electronic City (Bangalore), Cyberabad (Hyderabad) and TIDEL Park (Chennai) have in common? Well, they are parts of large southern Indian metropolises where many information technology (IT) organizations have their offices. And they are sanitized expanses with a few of them also having space for people to reside. Such populations typically comprise those who can afford to or need to live there - i.e., largely IT professionals with or without their families. Further, these areas and their environs give the impression of exclusivity, insulation and wealth except for those pockets…

“I did not know that Bangalore has good Hindi rock bands”, remarked Nandan Kamath. He had just listened to two soulful renditions titled Barsaat and Tum Hi Ho by Indi Graffiti, a four year old band based in the city. This was among the unique acts at the Fete de la Musique 2012 (Festival of Music) organised by Alliance Francaise de Bangalore (AFB) from June 21st to June24th. Comprising of vocalists and guitarists Bharat Rajagopalan, Pearl Mukadam and drummer Glenn Joseph, Indi Graffiti has played to cheering audiences across the city. Altered Scales. Pic: Pushpa Achanta A non-ticketed event, it…

There was a shower That shook a treeA branch broke free And shut out the powerKids gathered noisilyAdults responded quickly The police arrivedThe loggers followedThey sawed the wood But left the leavesTea was servedJokes were sharedKudos were heardPictures were clickedWhile Nature witnessedAll that happenedWill this recur?Will the tree go next?Will that hurt someone?Will anyone help?Don't just wait and watch! 

Vibrant colours, sublime themes, the horse as a symbol of power - these were some of the aspects that stood out in 4 Strokes, an exhibition of paintings by four young Bangalore based artists. On display from 10th to 15th May at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP), the well known school of art on Kumarakrupa road, these works brought out varied interpretations of the subconscious and the visible. Sahan Sarvi has a full time job and growing family but art is still her priority. Her work portrays nature in an aesthetic and realistic manner. Sarvi also is a professional counsellor…