• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 2017 0

clientele, you can understand why staff at Deepam Silk International insists that there is “nowhere else in the whole world” better to shop for silk garments (67 Bluemoon Complex, M.G. Rd.; 080/2558-8760). He produces the largest share of beer in India, owns one of the most successful airlines, a Formula One team as well as an IPL cricket team, and now he’s built the newest hotspot in town on a road named after his industrialist father—UB City on Vittal Mallya Road, is Vijay Mallya’s latest offering and although still incomplete, lures high-end shoppers to its massive chrome and glass designer stores like Goodearth, Canali, Dunhill London, just to name a few. Embassy Chambers and Embassy Classic (in the Lavelle and St. Mark’s Rd. vicinity) are where you will find all the Indian designers like Rohit Bal, Rajesh Pratap Singh, Neeru Kumar, Manish Arora, Abraham and Thakore and Ffolio. And make sure you drop in at Cinnamon (11 Walton Rd., off Lavelle Rd.; 080/2222-9794), which showcases some of India’s best designers in this cool, stylish boutique. Getting its name from an enormous tree in its garden, Raintree (4 Sankey Rd., across from ITC Windsor Sheraton), an old colonial bungalow shared by several designers offers all kinds of accessories, clothes and furniture. Away from the hub is 100 Ft. Boutique (Indirangar; 080/25277752), with its funky collections of everything from bags and lamps to offbeat furnishings—the attached restaurant is an incentive to go there. It’s somewhat of a drag through nightmarish traffic to get there (aside from 100 Ft. Boutique, the above recommendations are all manageable distances from each other) but the Leela Galleria (The Leela Palace Hotel, 23 Airport Rd.; 033/2521-1234; www.theleela.com) boasts some of the hottest and biggest brands both from India and overseas, making window shopping a pleasure with live piano in the background and Barista at hand for a quick fix.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Check the local dailies for information about cultural events. Besides art exhibitions and traditional dance and music performances, Bengaluru draws major international artists, including pop and rock stars.

The violin-shaped auditorium known as Chowdaiah Memorial Hall (Gayathri Devi Park Extension, Vyalikaval; 080/2344-5810) hosts regular classical music performances, as well as film, dance, and drama. Plays are regularly staged at Rabindra Kalakshetra (Jayachamarachendra Rd.; 080/2222-1271), where you can also catch occasional art exhibitions. Numerous art galleries around the city host contemporary Indian art and other exhibitions. Venkatappa Art Gallery, attached to the Government Museum (Kasturba Rd.; 080/2286-4483; Rs 10; Tues–Sun 10am–5pm), displays more than 600 paintings year-round. Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat (Art Complex, Kumara Krupa Rd.; 080/2226-1816;www.chitrakalaparishath.org) has a varied collection of traditional paintings, leather puppets, and artifacts from all over Karnataka. Visit its various art studios and gallery spaces, the open-air theater, and (in particular) the Roerich and Kejriwal galleries. Featuring artists from around the globe, check out a New York based gallery Streisand Art (382, 100 Ft. Rd., Indiranagar; 080/2520-3535;www.streisand-art.com). While GallerySKE (82, St. Mark’s Rd.; 080/2223-8312;www.galleryske.com) is a good place for alternative art, One Shanti Road (1, Shanti Rd., Shantinagar; 080/2222-0236;www.1shanthiroad.com) is a nonprofit artist-led initiative, offering a great space and opportunity for across the globe interaction. Other than the many live acts around the city, the open-to-all Levis Jam takes place on the first Sunday of each month—check www.freedomjam.net for details.

Nrityagram Dance Village (along the Bengaluru-Pune Hwy., 35km/22 miles from Bengaluru) is a renowned center for Indian dance training. Performances feature students as well as established artists. Organized tours of the facility include lecture-demonstrations designed to introduce you to Indian culture, life philosophy, and both kathak and odissi dance forms ( 080/2846-6313; www.nrityagram.org;