Bangalored!

Aircrashes and tragedies are something no one likes remembering.However,the Indian Airlines (Air Bus A 320) crash in Bangalore on 14th Feb 1990 is something that stands out in my memory as I had visited the crash site a week after the incident.An accident of this nature will get wide media coverage even today but it was a first in those days and its even more big when it happens so close to you. India Today magazine carried out a fantastic coverpage of the actual scene of the crash with a lady running out of the burning flight which is permanently etched in my mind.I am trying to search for this cover page to post it here. Displayed in this post are pictures pulled out from random search in google. Description Controlled flight into terrain during approach. Aircraft hit about 400 meters short of the runway. Four of the seven crew members and 88 of the 139 passengers were killed. Location and date of the crash Date 14/02/1990 Time 13:03 Location Bangalore, India Plane information Seri...

The Premier Hockey League (PHL) founded in 2005 has a team from Bangalore called the "Bangalore Lions".Displayed above is thier official logo.ING Vysya Life Insurance is the official team sponsor the team which is why you will understand the "Lion" part of it.You can purchase the team's merchandise at almost all Adidas exclusive showrooms in Bangalore. As per the official website,the by line of this team:"Representing the IT hub of the nation, they are the trend-setters".The team was earlier known as the "Bangalore Hi-Fliers" in the first edition of PHL. The first edition in 2005,was won by the Hyderabad Sultans.But in 2006 the name change proved lucky as Bangalore Lions won the PHL championship!! A bit more about the hockey league: it is a new domestic field hockey competition introduced in India.The tournament was initiated to revive the sport which lost spectator interest to cricket in recent times.This is a collaboration between Indian ...

I like this idea a lot.I had seen the 360 degree views for major cities like London or New York years back but never thought there could be one on Bangalore.Here is the link where you could view the same.It has all the vital places of Bangalore on video. http://www.bangalorebest.com/360panorama/index.asp

I happened to watch "Saving Private Ryan" for the second time.Thanks to the subtitles,I realised Tom Hanks actually asks for a Bangalore Torpedo in the initial part of the movie (beach scene).After a little bit of research,here's a load of information I found that already exists! Source: Wikipedia >> "A Bangalore torpedo is an explosive charge placed on the end of a long, extendable, tube. It is used by combat engineers to clear obstacles that would otherwise require them to approach directly, possibly under fire. It is sometimes referred to (somewhat inaccurately) as a Bangalore mine or simply a Bangalore. The Bangalore torpedo was adopted by the US Army during World War II as the "M1A1 Bangalore Torpedo". It was widely used by both the U.S. and Commonwealth forces, notably during D-Day. The use of a Bangalore Torpedo to clear a barbed wire barrier is depicted in the D-Day beach invasion scene in the movies Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, and...

"By-two coffee" is a true-blue Bangalorean expression.It simply means sharing a single cup of filter coffee as you cannot afford two.You see,people in Bangalore love to take their cup of coffee as often as they can during the day.This means they can't always shell out the money but are willing to share the expenses with an equally coffee loving person or partner. "By-two coffee" is usually taken when you meet up an old acquaintaince on the street or a daily coffee break with colleagues to the nearest tea/coffee stall.You may not get to see this culture in the posh coffee shops of these days..but do venture out to a government office or a local eatery/darshini,you will definitely not miss this concept in actual practise. Going a bit further on this subject,"by-two coffee" is always served in traditonal steel glasses with a steel katori(small bowl).Go ahead and order for a single cup of coffee which gets served in the small katori with the steel glass u...

As I embark upon reading Sir Winston Churchill's biography(thanks to a fabulous discount at the Strand Book Festival this year),I recollect being told that Britain's most admired leader had visited Bangalore in the 1800's.Here is the article which was published in The Hindu quite a few years back which explains the visit in detail.In case you are going to skip reading the whole article,let me atleast tell you here's what he thought of Bangalore - A"Prison" or "3rd rate watering role"!! P.S: The picture has nothing to do with Churchill in Blore! Article Courtesy: The Hindu "IN October 1896, Winston Churchill reached Bangalore, then not a bustling megapolis but a small, sleepy, cantonment town. He liked the climate: "the sun even at midday is temperate and the mornings and evenings are fresh and cool. He liked the house allotted to him: "a magnificent pink and white stucco palace in the middle of a large and beautiful garden." And ...

Here are some T-shirts dedicated to "Bangalore" city. I personally feel,t-shirts made by Tantra on Blore were the best.It had cartoons and one liners like "swalpa adjust madi",the "pub city" etc.I am however not able to my hands on a copy of this shirt I am talking about. Displayed below is a another one made by Tantra.Its more of a rip off from the popular vodka bottle. Adidas too have come up with a " I love Bangalore" black shirt which was displayed in their windows a few months back.Here is a similar one which you could order online through cafepress or amazon.com. "Bangalore- my world"(below) is created by a city youth.More details in a article from " The Hindu " newspaper.

1) Metroblogging Bangalore : Bangalore's official space in the world's largest network of city focused blogs.This HAS to be the best blog on the city.Everything and anything happening in the city is posted here.Right from the FM stations to latest hotels,local festivals to local transport.Its updated daily and should not be missed! 2) The Bangalore Blog : This blog gives a critical view point on all issues related to the cities growth and infrastructure.Most of the posts are newspaper articles which are already published.It's a good read to keep track of the city's various issues considering the morning newspaper gets just a quick glance. 3) Bangalore Daily Photo : I find this interesting as many of the snaps posted are what I pass by quite often.Its a good blog showcasing Bangalore as one of its residents.The photography isnt spectacular but the range of subjects covered till now is amazing.Only a true blue Bangalorean will understand what I mean! 4) Restaurant revie...

I have always been proud of Bangalore city.One of the reasons is because its been my home for more than twenty years.I have admired and enjoyed its reputation for being a "calm and cool city" and at the same time famous for its institutions and hi-tech achievements.The city always enjoyed a high status reputation in terms of its culture,people,events,climate and intelligence. I hence thought about researching and providing a post which will let you browse through the city,virtually.And what better way than to give you a consolidated list of the various official websites which have a direct connection in the silicon valley of India! Culturally speaking : 1)Bangalore's very own festival - the Bangalore Habba . The city's annual event which aims to create awareness about the dance,music,theatre,literature,fashion and crafts of the state.It hopes to promote the city as a culture capital and not just IT/BT capital.Some of the interesting activities during the event:street...