Bangalore Vibes

Popular Ways to While Away in Kerala

admin — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 04:22:01 +0000

Kerala offers plenty of choices for travellers with its rich array of natural marvels. Boat cruise through tranquil backwaters, seeing wildlife from close quarters, holidaying at the virgin hill stations, the warmth of Ayurvedic treatments are some of the fabulous experiences await you in God’s own country.

Backwaters

A leisurely boat cruise on the backwaters of Kerala is on top of the chart of any tourist visiting Kerala. Backwaters of Kerala is a network of meandering canals, lakes and rivers and this labyrinthine waterways stretches to a length of 900 km, nearly half the length of the state. Hiring a houseboat to take in the beauty of backwaters will be an Ideal option. Houseboats are actually kettuvallams ( country crafts with length of over 60 ft) converted into luxury boats. Alappuzha, Cochin, Kumarakom etc. are some of the most sought after backwater destinations in Kerala.

A boat trip on the backwaters of Alappuzha will also be a great way to see the village life closely. You will see villagers indulged in a variety of activities from fishing to coir-making. If you want to know the taste of rural Kerala, you can visit a riverside eatery to experience the local delicacies such as tapioca and fish curry, Kuttanadan Duck curry etc. Your taste buds are sure to discover something that you never experienced before.

Kumarakom is another sparkling backwater destination. Kumarakom bird sanctuary is a haunt of exotic birds and a boat cruise will help you explore the bird life in Kumarakom. The magical view of slowly fading landscape and leisurely pace of the journey will make you fall in love with the backwaters of Kerala.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is another unique experience Kerala has to offer. Kerala is the only destination in the world where Ayurveda is practiced with utmost dedication. Here, Ayurveda is not just a system of medicine but a way of life. Ayurveda believes in a holistic and wholesome approach to life. This traditional wisdom proposes the perfect harmony of mind, body and soul.

Kerala has many Ayurvedic centers which offer authentic Ayurvedic experience and tourists from across the world visit the state to undergo Ayurvedic therapies. Monsoon is the perfect time for the rejuvenation programmes in Ayurveda. The dust-free atmosphere and ideal temperature will open up the pores in the body to a maximum and make the body most receptive for the therapy. Ayurveda is the most natural way to refresh your body and it will improve your power of resilience and resistance.

Wildlife

Kerala is renowned as much for its bio-diversity as for its natural beauty. Tourists from far and wide reach here for the unique wildlife experience. The land is home to a wide variety of exotic species, some of which are not seen anywhere else in the country. No wonder, the state is listed as one of the most significant bio-diverse regions in the world.

Thekkedy, teeming with exotic fauna and flora, is a popular wildlife destination in Kerala. Thekkady offers you excellent opportunities for watching and photographing wildlife. Periyar Tiger Reserve, the fascinating wildlife sanctuary, is just a half an hour drive from Thekkady. Apart from this, there are fourteen wildlife sanctuaries are snuggled in the evergreen forests of Western Ghats. Neyyar Sanctuary, Peppara wildlife sanctuary, Eravikulam national park etc. are among the most captivating wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala.

Hill Stations

Kerala boasts of a long chain of mist-clad and dense hill stations. Marked by lively streams running through the rocks, dense vegetation and undulating paths, all the hill stations in Kerala offer you a magical experience. Munnar is one of the most sought-after hill stations in Kerala. Drenched in the spice-scented air, Munnar preserves nature in all its pristine charm. Other favourite hill stations in Kerala are Ponmudi, Vagamon and Wayanadu.

Kerala is the perfect getaway from the everyday din of modern life and work pressures. Opt for any of these magical experiences and let your worries take a long vacation.

Invasion 2012 at Bangalore

Ninu — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:59:00 +0000

Invasion 2012 is a music festival on 11^th March 2012 at Palace Grounds Bangalore. Featuring David Guetta, the world’s number 1 DJ, this music festival promises entertainment! Book tickets now on KyaZoonga.com.

David Guetta is performing in India for the first time. Music lovers from near and far will have the time of their lives.

Date: 11 March, 2012 (Sunday)

Time: 03:00 PM

Where: Palace Grounds
Bangalore
Bangalore Website: http://www.kyazoonga.com/Events/Invas…

Phone: 91-22-6566-1000

Email: priyanka.agrawal@kyazoonga.com

Event: Oneday Adventure Outing Trip: Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Water sports activities and Trekking.

g_datt — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Day Schedulde:
6:00 AM: Pick Ups. Mainly 3 points in Bangalore. Start our Journey to Ramanagaram
8:00 AM: Breakfast
8:30-12:30: Adventure Activities – Chimney climbing and Rappelling.
12:30-2:00: Lunch Break.
14:00: Activity – Boating, Kayaking, Team Building Games and Water Rafting.
18:00: Evening Snacks.
19:00: Drops at respective pick up points.

Inclusions: Transport, Activities, Forest Dept Charges, Breakfast, lunch, Snacks.
Exclusions: Personal Expenses, Cool drinks etc.
Package Cost: Best Decided based on the group size.

Photo Adventure Tour

Sreeraj T — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:33:51 +0000

Pixetra Club in Association with iReboot is pleased to announce
a Guided Photo / Adventure tour – Jan 26 -28

Beyond the reach of roads
into the undiscovered territory of Western Ghats

11 kms deep into the dense forest. Not a trace of civilization for miles is the place, the only lights you will ever see is fireflies flitting by. That’s where we hit base camp. Travelling by 4 x 4 jeeps or horseback through the old hunting trail is the only way to get there. Spine-tingling stuff !!

Features of Tour
An escape from concrete jungles into deep rainforests for 3 whole days.
A fleeting few hours to absorb some of the finest examples of period architecture on camera.
A photography expert who’ll guide you to capture some of Karnataka’s darkest kept secrets & finest showcases of Nature, Landscape & Architecture.
Adventure & Fun Activities in the unexplored wilderness – on water & land.
Stream Trails, Tunnel Trails & Hill Trails – all encompassing Nature walks.
The Fun Part – You get to pick from the following Adventure activities:
Quad Biking, Aqua Zorbing on pond, Archery, Oriental Kite Flying, Paintball, JET SKI, BANANA BOAT, WINDSURFING, SPEED BOAT, KAYAKING, WATER TRAMPOLINE
All this and more at a STEAL !!

Dates: 26th, 27th and 28th January 2012.
Venue: Undiscovered territory of Western Ghats
Rates: Pixetra Club Members – Rs.7000/-, Non Members – Rs.7500/-
Online Registration: CLICK HERE

Schedule For Photo Tour
Jan 26th ( Day 1 )
7am : Leave from Bangalore
On day 1 we will be travelling to Belur and Halebeedu (Opportunity to do Architectural photography)
After an entire day of architectural photography, get a good night rest at Sakleshpur.
Jan 27th ( Day 2 )
By 7am we shall leave for the base camp from Belur . The base camp is about 11kms deep into the jungle. We will be going into the jungle in a 4×4 jeep.
From the base camp, we go for hill trails (Opportunity to do Landscape photography) .
Enjoy adventure activities such as Quad Biking, Aqua Zorbing on pond, Archery, Oriental Kite Flying, Paintball.
Jan 28th ( Day 3 )
Go for stream/ tunnel trails (Opportunity to do Nature photography).
Enjoy the adventure activities such as Jet Ski, Banana Boat

GET IN TOUCH RIGHT AWAY TO BOOK YOUR SEAT.
For more details please contact Mr.Sethuraman at +91-9382343437 or sethu@pixetra.com

Sreeraj T — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:00:19 +0000

One of the restaurateurs chanced upon the idea of creating these unusual delicacies, when he was surfing on the Internet for strategies to make his eatery stand out among other city’s food outlets.

A restaurant in Bangalore is witnessing large footfalls, since the debut of their latest delicacy, a gold-plated dosa, which is priced at a whooping Rs. 1,011.

“I wanted to do something in restaurant business, so I thought why can’t we do something different, so when I once saw in a television channel that they are using gold foils for pizzas and ice creams, which cost 1000 dollars, thought why can’t we get this to Bangalore and use it on something else?” said Chandan Lokesh, owner of the restaurant.

Priced at an exorbitant rate, the dish is roasted crisp with a hint of olive oil and has a filling of mashed potatoes, in addition to the gold foil for the finishing touch.

The restaurant also serves a dosa covered with a silver foil, at an affordable price of Rs. 151.

According to media reports, the marketing strategy by owners has made the gold dosa a huge success.

“I got to know about this through my friends that they sell gold dosa over here and I wanted to try it. After I tried it, I liked it so much that I am eating it for the fourth time and I want others also to come and try here and this is ISO certified dosa, it’s really good for the health,” said Nagashree, a resident.

The owners have planned to patent the gold dosa in the future.

Published by ANI

An amazing experience worth sharing

Soumya — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:54:43 +0000

Hi Bangalore! Here is something that I must share with you.
Maintaining a car is definitely something all car owners dread about. While factors like the increasing cost of fuel cannot be controlled, we can definitely do something about cutting the cleaning costs. Every week I spend almost the entire Saturday at the garage near my home to get my car cleaned. Though I take the car at about 11am, I have to wait for at least 2-3 hours before it is my turn. Also, the garage has consistently increased the car wash prices over the last year. Considering all these drawbacks, I decided to find out if there was an economical way to ensure my car stays clean. I also wanted a solution that did not require me to compromise time with my family every Saturday. When I was looking for the most viable solutions, I came across a company called MadCustoms (I must say the name is quite a crowd puller ). The company has advertised about a new set of car wash products that did not require the use of any water. Now, this increased my curiosity even further and this is when I decided to explore more to see if their services can be of any use to me.
When I went to their website, it just displayed a message telling the design was in progress and the click on the ‘Like’ button took me to their FaceBook page. I must commend the company about the extensive information they relay about the products through their videos and photos. I started looking through the videos on their page for information and unearthed all that I needed. They have a video by some person called Frank who shares his excitement about his waterless car wash products coming to India through MadCustoms. The products seem to be from CroftGate and Maddy from MadCustoms is bringing them to India so we can play our part in reducing the consumption of water for cleaning cars. After getting all the information I needed, I called Maddy to know if they could provide the solution to my problem.
We decided to meet the following weekend. I must say Maddy is an impressive person. Right from his passion about cars to his excitement about curbing the use of water to reduce negative impact on the environment, every aspect seemed to be pretty contagious. He spoke to me about the three important products his company has for people like me who want to keep their cars clean, reduce the impact on the environment and also spend time with their family. I am by nature a very cautious person and do not fall for marketing talk without a good demonstration. Therefore, I asked Maddy to clean my car using the products so I could see the difference before I purchase it from him. He readily agreed and for the next hour he used these products to restore the sheen of my car. At the end of the hour, I must say I was totally impressed!! I have never seen my car gleam so much over the last few years. And this shine even without the use of water!
I was so impressed with the products that I bought a set not just for myself, but also my brother and in-laws so they can benefit from it too. I have been using it for the last two weeks and I have to tell you that my Saturdays are no more at the local garage. I spend quality time with the family and friends. The waterless car wash products by MadCustoms is something I would recommend to everybody who loves their car, their money and also time with their family.
If you want to know more about this company, you can visit these links that I found very helpful:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Md-Cuom/116745361729016

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CroftgateUSA-India/283064555064546

http://youtu.be/d30GkTXeNck

Scuba diving & Sight seeing – Andaman Islands (20 Jan to 29 Jan 2012)

Giri — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:33:00 +0000

TAG INDIA is planning a 9 day trip to Andaman islands. 26th Jan is a holiday (hence 4 days leave can give you 9 days vacation) and flight tickets are not that expensive now. January is a great time to scuba dive in Andamans so dont miss this opportunity.Interested participants can get open water certification and certified drivers can try new forms of diving like wreck diving, night diving, nitrox diving, drift diving, underwater nature diving etc.

Please ensure that you book your travel tickets (Train + Flight + Bus) for Andaman soon. Approximate travel charge if booked now is approximately INR 17,000.Cost & details of the trip will be shared soon.

Train Detail:
BANGALORE CY JN(SBC) To: CHENNAI CENTRAL(MAS)
Train No. & Name: 12658 / CHENNAI MAIL Date of Journey: 20/1/2012 Class: 2A Departure: 22:45

Flight Detail:
Chennai – Port Blair Journey Time : 2hr 00min Kingfisher Red IT – 3633 Departure: 09:45 Sat 21 Jan 12
Port Blair – Chennai Journey Time : 2hr 00min Kingfisher Red IT – 3634 Departure: 12:15 Sun 29 Jan 12

Bus Detail:
CHENNAI CENTRAL to BANGALORE
VRL Travels Non A/C Seater/Sleeper (2+1) Date of Journey: 29/1/2012 Departure: 22:15

Tentative Itinerary

Jan 20 Night train to Chennai
Jan 21 Chennai to Port Blair, transfer to Havelock island
Jan 22 OWC theory + fun dives + Snorkeling
Jan 23 OWC Confined water + fun dives + Snorkeling
Jan 24 OWC dives + fun dives + Snorkeling
Jan 25 OWC dives + fun dives + Snorkeling
Jan 26 Check-out, transfer to Port Blair, evening sight seeing
Jan 27 Sight Seeing
Jan 28 Sight Seeing
Jan 29 Return to Chennai, Night train/bus to Bangalore

Photos of our previous trips (http://www.facebook.com/groups/27403929678/photos/).

Regards,
TAG INDIA team
www.tagindia.net
info@tagindia.net
+91-9900216172

You Are Cheated Everytime You Fuel Up In Bangalore

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:45:32 +0000

Unless you are in some really good luck or are very observant, you are cheated every time you drive into a pump in Bangalore to fill up your vehicle. I had noticed this earlier on my previous visits to Bangalore, but it seems to have become very rampant in recent times. I hope this article helps you guys out there to be aware of the fraud that happens and save your hard earned money from being looted shamelessly.

Have you ever gone to a petrol pump in Bangalore and you are given petrol in two stages? When you ask for Rs. 1000 of petrol, the pump attendant fills up for Rs. 200 and stops. Then gives you a convenient excuse that he did not hear you or did not pay attention and continues to fill up for the remaining Rs. 800?

If this has happened to you, you have been most certainly cheated by the pump attendant. How?

Modus Operandi (How?)

When the attendent stops at Rs. 200, you have received Rs. 200 of fuel in your tank. Then he continues to pour fuel up to Rs. 800 and tells you that 200+800=1000, you have actually received only another Rs. 600 of fuel as the meter had not been reset after the first stage of filling up. In the process, you have lost Rs. 200 worth of petrol and since we never ask for the bill, the pump attendant has pocketed your hard earned money.

I have personally noticed that this scam goes on very commonly in Bangalore and the attendants cleverly divert your attention by asking casual questions like “cash or card payment sir?” or even to the extent that “Sir, your money/purse/mobile has fallen down” or such diversion tactics while the person filling up your tank does his thing.

How to protect yourself?

Be vigilant and keep your eyes on the meter. Dead spot on the meter.
Always ask for the computerized bill which comes out of the fuel pump.
Pay only after you are fueled up, refuse to pay upfront to the attendant, this might be slower, but more foolproof.
If you are not from Bangalore or have a outstation vehicle, learning some basic Kannada for “fill up for Rs. X”, “fill it fast”, “I need bill” or related sentences which might help you pass off as a local person.
Don’t be shy – If you notice that you are being cheated - question, shout, get angry and threaten to bring the police, ask for pump owner, convey to the other customers around in the pump that fraud is happening in this pump and ask them to fill up somewhere else. It is your money!

Create awareness

Please share this article on facebook, twitter, orkut or any online network you are active in, tell your network, email your friends and lets stop this bloody daylight robbery that is happening on a daily basis on almost every pump in the city. Do let me know if you have thoughts on this fraud in Bangalore in the comments below.

Act now to stop this bloody daylight robbery.

Unique opportunity for Bengalureans to say ‘Thank You’ to the real stars of our city

soppnoxseo — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:06:29 +0000

Bengaluru October 31st, 2011: The Namma Bengaluru Awards instituted with the objective of recognizing extra-ordinary contributions to Bengaluru by ordinary citizens of the city, launched Namma Bengaluru Awards 2011 today. In its third consecutive year, it is the first of its kind in India where citizens of the city nominate their real heroes.
Over the last many years Bengaluru City has seen unprecedented growth – with a consequent loss of culture, heritage and most importantly the sense of belonging in our proud and heritage-rich city. It is time to bring back the sense of belonging in the city and therefore would be very appropriate to recognize those in the various government, Civic agencies, NGOs, RWAs, Corporates and citizens that have been working to keep the spirit of Bengaluru alive despite the growth challenges.
Launched in 2009, Namma Bengaluru Awards urges the citizens of Bangalore to nominate their heroes and exemplary individuals or organizations who have contributed and made a difference to the city with their selfless service. The awards, over the last two years, have become an instrument for citizens to say ‘Thank You’ to the real stars of our city. It has evoked considerable interest and enthusiasm among Bengalureans whose overwhelming response resulted in more than 14,000 nominations in 2010.
With its focus on heritage and deep rooted concept of Neighbourhoods, Bangalore boasts of abundant stories of committed and self-less individuals and organizations who have worked for their sheer love and commitment to the city. The Namma Bengaluru Awards provides a unique platform to Bangaloreans to recognize and nominate such individuals, organizations and honour them.
Every citizen of the city – be it a school or college students, resident, RWAs, media, employees etc can participate in the awards. For example, School students can nominate their teachers, College students can nominate their professors, Residents can nominate their Resident Welfare Associations, Bus commuters can nominate the Bus driver / conductor, Patients can nominate Nurses / Doctors, Citizens can nominate their local Police constable or Police Inspector, Residents of a ward / constituency can nominate their Councillors, MLAs or MP, RWAs can nominate the Pourakarmikas who keep their area clean, Employees can nominate their organizations etc.
In short, the Namma Bengaluru Awards are an opportunity for the citizens to express their gratitude and honour the services of the individuals and institutions working selflessly and dedicated to make a positive contribution to our city without seeking recognition or returns
The uniqueness of the Namma Bengaluru Awards is in its concept and simplicity. Any Bengalurean can nominate any individual for the Award and the winner of the award is selected on the quality of work done and not by the number of nominations received. Even one single nomination by the citizen can help decide the winner.
Namma Bengaluru Awards, 2011 will be adjudged by an eminent panel of jury members consisting of eminent personalities such as Former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, Dr Anil Menon, Padmashree Anitha Reddy, Mr Ashok Kamath, Mr Ashok Soota, Dr Ashwin Mahesh,
Mr K Jairaj, Mr R K Misra, Major Gen Nanjappa, Mr Pradeep Kar, Mr Prithvi Reddy, Dr Ruth Manorama, Mr Sajan Poovayya, Prof GS Siddalingaiah, Ms Subhashini Vasanth, Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Ms Vasanthi Hariprakash, Ms Victoria D Souza, Mr Vinod Hayagriv, Mr HS Balram and Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

NGO’s supports Namma Bengaluru Award Winners
Bangalore Cares and Samhita Social Ventures, two non-governmental organisations have joined hands with the Namma Bengaluru Foundation to provide unconditional support to Namma Bengaluru Award winners and will partner with them and guide them to execute their noble ideas and help them in scaling up their initiatives.

NBA 2011 – Categories
This year’s awards will be conferred in 7 primary categories. They are:
• Citizen
• Government Employee
• Elected Representative
• Social Entrepreneur
• Group/Organisation
• Government Organisation
• Namma Bengalurean of the year Award
Let us pay tribute to unsung heroes
Mr. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Namma Bengaluru Awards Jury said “At a time, when citizens are being buffeted by news every day of corruption and increasingly feel let down, Benglureans have a reason to be proud – Proud of its heroes who are devoted to our city and its residents. On our part as Bengalureans, it is important that we recognize, salute, respect and be inspired by these heroes for their extra ordinary contributions to the society.
Send in your nomination
Nomination forms are free and are widely distributed across the city at various outlets. Nominations forms can be collected and submitted at select Coffee day outlets, Foodworld, Cuppa outlets. It is also available online at http://www.namma-bengaluru.org
Internationally renowned audit and process firm KPMG have been appointed as advisors to ensure transparency in the process of nomination and selection of the winners.
About Namma Bengaluru Awards
The Namma Bengaluru Awards were instituted with an aim to recognize extra-ordinary contributions to Bengaluru by ordinary citizens of the city and perhaps is the first of its kind in India where citizens of the city vote nominate their choice for winners. Last year Awards evoked tremendous interest and enthusiasm among Benga lureans and over 14,000 nominations were received for 8 categories. Namma Bengaluru Foundation
About
NBF is built on the pillars of Responsible Advocacy, Creative Partnership and Constructive Activism. It will partner with citizens, civic organizations, NGOs, RWAs and other stakeholders in the common objective of drawing up a blueprint for a better developed, well planned and well administered city. Namma Bengaluru Foundation believes that citizens need to come together in order to make a real difference in society. Namma Bengaluru Foundation’s mission is to create a strong platform for a true people’s movement built around the issues of governance, planning, infrastructure and administration.
For more details visit : http://namma-bengaluru.org/nbf/online_nomination_form.aspx

Xceed, All India Robotics, Programming and Quiz Challenge of Kurukshetra 2012

kmark — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:04:47 +0000

Are you a geek??? Are you the one who thinks robots are the future and is the panacea for all our problems??? Is code crunching your cup of tea????? Think you have it in you to brace our motley of challenging problem statements and tough competitors????? And do you thing February is too long a wait?????

Xceed is back! And it’s at your doorstep!

The most awaited series of this curtain raiser event of kurukshetra 2012 will take off at Bangalore this December and will mark its flag posts soon at Hyderabad, Delhi and Tanjore. So, here’s a chance for bots to gear up for challenge, the business minds to display their geek quotient, the programmers to get ready for the battle of their brains and for all tech savvy and the fun loving to feel the culmination of excitement.

And what’s more! Apart from winning a prize money of 20000 INR the winners will get the opportunity to compete with some of the most talented minds of the nation at the Grand Finale held at Kurukshetra 2012!

The Events to be held:

1) Robotix – K!ck , AutoBot - Manual and autonomous robotix challenge
2) BIZ Quiz
3) X-Code - An onsite programming competition sponsored by Global Scholar

Website : http://kurukshetra.org.in/2012/#!/Events/Xceed/Xceed.k

Time: Dec 3rd 9 a.m.

Venue: RVCE, Bangalore

Or contact
<+91-97171-25353>

Xceed your Dreams! Xceed your Boundaries! We’re waiting to meet the Geek in you!

I’m a Geek! How about you?