Guhantara

Here is a cool place to rest your heels in the vicinity of Bangalore. Guhantara or cave resort is unique not only in its naming convention but also in its interior. The concept of the place as the name suggests is cave. It’s won few awards for the architectural splendor. Located in Kanakapura this resort is an ideal getaway for family, corporate or group of friends. Accommodation is also available for people who wish to breakaway from the city arc lights and rest in serene surroundings of Guhantara. Some of the facilities available here are multi-cuisine food court, well equipped bar, ayurvedic massage and spa, etc. Activities like rain dance, billiards, table tennis, tunnel trekking, cultural programs and many more are available. Special packages for 1 or 2 days are customized for corporate outings. For more details about Guhantara log onto http://www.guhantara.com/ or contact their sales office located in JP Nagar: 080 28432464/65/66
So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head towards the caves to dance in the rain!

Holistic Beauty

The buzzword doing rounds in the beauty arena is “HERBAL”. This phrase is attracting people like magnet towards it. Ayurveda always believed in the philosophy of remedies made from herbal products in a holistic manner. Beauticians like Shahnaz Hussein hailed the benefits of these no side-effect herbal potions. Age-old mixtures prepared by our ancestors to enhance beauty in natural way have now caught the present generations’ attention like never before.

Aruna Babu is a beautician with over 30yrs experience in the field of herbal beauty treatments. She provides various services like body massage, facial, hair treatment, specific skin treatments, etc. Her forte is the products she uses for these treatments. All of them have natural homemade ingredients which she takes special care to prepare herself. No chemicals are used for any products hence there is no risk of side effects.

Aruna inspects each customer individually for checking their skin tone, hair type before getting into the actual treatment. She is also a qualified Acupuncture and Reiki master. Hence she incorporates these into the massages and helps customer relieve of problems like back pain, neck pain, etc. She ensures that after the treatment the customer is rejuvenated and charged without any regret of treating the skin to harmful chemicals. She also sells homemade creams, oils, soaps, and face packs, all prepared with natural ingredients like milk, turmeric, fruits, etc. All the treatments are nominally charged and some may require more than one sitting for the result to be seen.

Aruna can be contacted at:
No.734, 12th cross,
22nd main, JP Nagar 2nd Phase
Bangalore- 78
Ph: 26586459

Taaza Masala Soda

Taaza Masala Soda or TMS for slang is the hotspot for the students of BMS Engineering College, Bangalore. Located in the vicinity of BMS Engineering College in Basavangudi this small eatery is a favorite among the college goers. Apart from the college crowd other people also frequent here to bite into the tasty parathas and snacks.

This place is the brainchild of a housewife, famously known as “Aunty” among the crowd. Initially it started of as a place serving nearly 50 varieties of chilled sodas like the common masala soda, sweet lime soda and some special arrays like strawberry, litchi, mint, etc. To this, a collection of mouthwatering parathas were added. Again a range of nearly 20 to 30 parathas are served here with curds and salad as accompaniments. Since this joint is located close to the hostel of BMS College it is a blessing for the students who find the food served here filling and light on the stomach.

More appetizing items were added to the menu like the scrumptious veg frankies, sandwiches, delicious pastries like blackforest cake, chocolate mousse, cookies, icecreams, etc. All the items are homemade and healthy. People flock here from day break till the wee hours to catch on some sizzling gossip and of course indulge in all the yummy fares. Even takeaway facility is available here. The prices of all the items are quite nominal. A meal comprising of 2 parathas and a masala soda will come up to around Rs.30

So next time you visit Gandhibazar or Basavangudi don’t forget to find an excuse to drop in at TMS and then SMS your friends about it.

Mango Bhel

Started on a humble cart this chat outlet owned by Seena has now found its place in a small shop in JP Nagar 3rd phase. Dishing out a variety of unique mouthwatering chats this place is a favorite among young and the old. One of Seena’s sought after chats are the flavorful Mango bhel. It is a pleasing mixture of puffed rice, groundnuts, and chopped onions, host of tasty frills, few chatpata sauces and of course the grated raw mango which makes this bhel totally different from the ordinary ones. Other popular specialties here include papad masala, tomato puri, moong dhal masala, peanut masala, timepass masala, nippat puri and lot more.

Seena used to sell a selected few chat items on the by lanes of JP Nagar. His tasty blend of chats used to attract many people and his popularity grew everyday. His business boomed and he was able to shift his base to a small shop near Sri Ramana Maharishi Blind School in JP Nagar 3rd Phase. Seena prepares chats with ease and élan. His small outlet is very clean and tidy. As his orders increased Seena hired few helping hands to assist him especially during the evenings.
It’s become an adda for many youngsters who flock here to tickle their taste buds by gorging nearly 2 or 3 different varieties easily and indulge in some peppery talks. Seena serves everybody with a smile and makes the waiting time as pleasant as possible. Some people are so addicted to Seena’s preparations that they place the order and wait patiently or come back after a while to dig into the zesty chats. Years of experience has made him whip up the savories in a jiffy although few items like tikki puri, dahi puri may take some time. All the chats are served on clean paper and banana leaf plates along with plastic spoons. Water and soft drinks are available to wash down the tangy stuff. Those who would like to add a dash of sweetness alongside their chats can choose from a small selection of readymade sweets sold here.

Another unique feature of this shop is that chats are packed for people who like to relish it at the comfort of their home. The packing is done in a very smart way such that the chats remain fresh and not lose its flavor for a long time. For bhel to remain crisp the ingredients are packed separately if one wishes so that one can mix it later on. The prices for all the items are very nominal.

So what are you waiting for? Gather your buddies and head towards M.A.R chats to enjoy a tangy evening of chatpata chats.

M.A.R chats is located at:
No.126, 3rd cross,
J.P Nagar 3rd Phase,
Bangalore - 78

Belaku Vriddhashrama

Belaku Vriddhashrama is a lovely and peaceful home for orphan women and has been considered as one of the best old-age homes in Bangalore. The discipline, the way of life and the services rendered to the inmates of this old-age home has been appreciated by one and all. The highlight of this Vriddhashrama is that it provides all the services to the inmates free of cost.

Belaku which means Light does not consider the old-age home as merely a feeding center for the aged people. It wants to give a new image to the concept of the old-age home. The plight and living conditions of these orphan old women is heart touching. Along with basic facilities they need peace and happiness at this crucial stage of life. Belaku considers the service it is undertaking as the most holy and essential one to be done to the orphan women.

The inmates of this ashram although old physically, possess rich, knowledge filled experiences and talents. Hence without neglecting or ignoring them one should appreciate their golden moments. Only then it would be a great contribution to the society. With this aim and object Belaku Vriddhashrama is serving the needy orphan women. Belaku expects the same kind of help and cooperation from the public and join hands with them in treading this path of service.

What can Public do?
· Donate woolen sweaters, blankets, shawls, carpets, walking sticks, spectacles
· Donate toiletries and groceries
· Donate food items like bread, buns, fruits, horlicks, etc.
· Bear Rs.800/- towards the monthly medical expenditure
· Bear Rs.1000/- towards the monthly milk expenditure
· Bear the expenditure of one day feeding
· Join the endowment scheme

Details of feeding:
· Breakfast – Rs.100
· Lunch – Rs.250
· Milk – Rs.100
· Dinner – Rs.250
· Meal for full day – Rs.700

Meeting Schedule:
Everyday between 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm public can meet these elderly people to exchange pleasantries and thoughts which would bring lot of joy to these people. Spending some warm moments with these aged friends would be as precious as donating monetary benefits to the ashram.

Belaku is located at:
“Mayura”, No. 1966/B, South End ‘D’ Road,
9th Block, Jayanagar, (Near Ragigudda temple),
Bangalore – 69
Ph: 26494588

Kalanjali

Kalanjali is a one stop place to expertise in diverse forms of art like singing, dancing, learning musical instruments, etc. As the name itself suggests it is a destination for people with a creative bent of mind. Housed in a beautifully designed structure Kalanjali (located in JP Nagar 3rd phase) enables students to pursue varied interests in art under one roof. Some of the courses offered here are:

• Carnatic classical vocal music
• Hindustani vocal music
• Light music vocal
• Kathak dance
• Carnatic Tabla, Flute, Harmonium, Veena
• Sitar, Guitar, Keyboard
• Painting, sketching, craft classes
• Clay modeling and painting
  

Apart from these, summer classes are held for children and theatre workshop by noted theatre personality Arjun Sajnani is held once in a year. From small kids to aged elders, people flock here to learn the various art forms with lot of enthusiasm. Exams are also conducted as per the syllabus for that particular subject like music and certificates are given. People who want to just learn these classes as a hobby can skip the exam courses. Classes are held usually once or twice a week for each category making it convenient even for working people to attend so that they can take a break from their hectic work and pursue some creative hobbies.

Once in a year during the auspicious occasion of Guru Poornima, as a gesture to offer salutation to the gurus, Kalanjali organizes its annual fest. This occasion provides an opportunity to all the Kalanjali students to showcase their talents in a packed auditorium. The works of students in the category of painting and other crafts are exhibited during this event. Due to the large number of students this program is held for 2 days to cover the performances of all the students.

All said and done if one has the thirst for learning the Kalas (art) then quench it at “KALANJALI”.

By the SENIORS for the PUBLIC - ANANDAVANA

A long stretch of tall trees, unkempt rock benches, and muddy paths, aptly named Miniforest is located in JP Nagar 3rd phase. It consists of 3 blocks. All are lined with beautiful majestic trees planted ages back when this part of JP Nagar was still a remote area and not many frequented these lovely woods. As the surrounding areas saw phases of developments the Miniforest also underwent few changes. But the 3rd block of the Miniforest saw drastic change. This modification was not done overnight. This was possible due to the combined efforts of a group of senior citizens who took small steps of progress with lot of vigor and enthusiasm. This task is even more commendable since it was done voluntarily without any interference from the government.
Firstly the mud path was transformed into a neat walking track with well maintained lawn, plants and of course the trees throughout. Cement benches was placed at convenient locations. With the aid of few corporate companies (which are coincidently located at the vicinity of the park) a kid’s play area was also included in this well planned forest turned park which was christened as “ANANDAVANA” (Park of happiness).
Some of the unique features of this park are:

• Writing boards where thoughts, general knowledge information, announcements, etc. are written on daily basis
• Granite laid corner dedicated for doing pranayama and meditation known as “Yoga Kendra”
• A corner dedicated for cardio exercises with few gym equipments to use
• Supply of various news dailies to engage the people at the “chat corner”
• Drinking water
• Tall lamps laid at regular intervals throughout the park which is switched on till the wee hours of night aiding people to enjoy their post dinner walk
• The entrance of the park is lighted attractively in a arch format
• Latest addition are speakers installed at regular intervals in the park which plays soft, soothing music in the mornings and evenings making the visit to this park a rejuvenating experience

Apart from these features the senior citizens who maintain this park with great love and care have also been organizing cultural evenings once in a month at the “Yoga Kendra”. Famous artists like Sangeeta Katti have graced this place to perform. Usually this is held during the Sundays for around 2hrs with a good turnaround of people to enjoy the concert. Some people sponsor coffee and biscuits voluntarily during these shows.
Even activities like free medical checkups, sale of literary books and handouts are undertaken here. This park serves many purposes for people of all age groups. Working people in the vicinity of the park frequent here to take a break from their hectic schedule or simply stroll around after the heavy lunch, elderly people visit for walk and catch up with their buddies, kids enjoy playing in the merry-go-round, swing and slide , ladies of course indulge in gossip along with their evening walk. To add some glamour, celebrities like Girish Karnad also frequent this park at times.
To make all this happen was not a smooth ride for the group. They had to face some hurdles and are still facing whenever something new has to be incorporated. But they never feared or retraced their steps back, instead went ahead with determination to make whatever they aspired happen and are still going strong in this path. The public also has joined hands in small way by contributing whatever they can on monthly basis voluntarily for the development of this park.
Hats-off to this group of senior citizens who are striving hard everyday to maintain the cleanliness, discipline and beauty of this park with lots of concern and dedication. True to its name it is a pleasure to unwind at “ANANDAVANA”, gazing at the greenery and listening to the gentle music and twittering of birds.