The public works department (PWD) of Karnataka recently took on a 153-year-old part of the Hampi ruins with a bulldozer. It appears that all we have space for in our country today are roads, malls and housing projects. The architecture of a country in a way is its identity, its cultural capsule and when we deface, destroy or […]
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Category: Environment
When Green Turns To Grey
I live in a colony called the National Media Centre in Gurgaon. It is one of the oldest housing societies in Gurgaon….well before the path of supposed progress made its way here with glass fronted buildings and unruly traffic increasing in direct proportion to basic amenities such as water, electricity and roads decreasing. ** A veritable […]
Discovering Chimbai Village, Bandra
Let’s go on a walk down Chimbai Road in Bandra. Through the bylanes, passing some vintage-cute bungalows, till we hit a decrepit bungalow with suspected squatters, take that left and walk till we reach the water’s edge. This is the Chimbai Koli village. Just across the water to the left, across the water you won’t […]
Inside Correa’s Mind
“When an architect builds a glass tower in the middle of the Arabian desert, he justifies his design with a 100 different reasons-except possibly the real one, viz., that he is trying to (unconsciously) recreate for his clients, the mythic imagery of what to them is the quintessential city of the 20th century: Houston, Texas,” […]
The Trinidad Diary
Little did I anticipate the moving adventure that would follow, when I booked a group birding tour, by Caligo Ventures, five days in Trindiad and four in Tobago. It promised rainforests with Trogons, lodging with hummingbirds, turtles, caves and swamps..We were picked up at the Port of Spain airport by an Asa Wright Center […]
At Home With The Earth
Bangalore-based architect Chitra Vishwanath and husband Vishwanath Srikantaiah live in a home that is a rain bowl, a sun catcher and most importantly a living lesson in how to give back to the earth. To say that Chitra and Vishwanath have spearheaded the water-harvesting movement in the South would be an understatement and it […]
Potted Glory
Someone wise once rightly said that, too much of anything is bad! And that applies to rains as well. The rainy season is very important because it helps replenish water resources that provide us with water for drinking and other purposes. However, heavy rains and accompanying thunderstorms or lightnings can have a negative effect […]
Every Drop Counts..
The rainy season is here! Like the poet Samuel Taylor says “Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!” Have you ever wondered why there are constant concerns about availability of water in the future, despite receiving good rainfall? As we all know, part of the rain-water gets collected in ponds, lakes and rivers, […]
A World Within Our World..
Microbes! We may not be able to see them with our naked eyes but they still live with us or even within us. Some of them look beautiful like an art work of a famous artist filled with vibrant colors but some are really disgusting with their not so attractive framework. They are also the biggest killers, according to […]
That Which Creates..
Whatever it is that creates.. makes those grand gestures of flamboyant sunsets and a never before..never again sunrise *** star pepper moon ballet perfectly arched astutely timed rainbows *** and small gestures that we almost miss raindrops on lotus leaves like well picked pearls on an open palm reflecting light colour all of life everything […]
Green History
While listening to well known academician and professor of Environmental Sciences, Mahesh Rangarajan at the release of India’s Environmental History (Permanent Black) that he has edited with Mahesh Rangarajan and K Sivaramakrishnan, I wondered why don’t we have more of these uncomplicated and informal talks on nature, environment and the idea of the much connected human- being. Today only a handful of writers […]
The Letter Mr Benegal Read…
This letter was published on the author’s blog a few days ago and subsequently Mr Shyam Benegal has distanced himself from Vedanta..we publish this piece here to inform more readers why it is important to see through Vedanta’s attempt to mislead the masses with its advertising clout. Dear Mr Shyam Benegal Greetings ! I met you first […]