The Daily Observer VOL 14 Issue 9

OBSERVER The Daily

Volume 14 | Issue 9

NEWS BRIEFS

‘Education is beyond a language’ A new movie aims to break the mindset that English is the only medium that can help students in India thrive, but its producers fear nobody will come to watch it.

Page 2 Goon charges fees for free govt forms Illiterate residents of a colony in Nayandahalli claim that they are being exploited by a local leader who takes money to write government forms which should be free to complete.

Page 3 Freemasons are misunderstood, say members Freemasons in India and their ways are very much misunderstood by people, according to the members themselves.

Page 6 Help a far cry for Indians in Sana’a Indian citizens are still stranded in the capital city of Sana’a, Yemen even after more than 300 people were handed boarding passes after waiting five hours in the airport.

Page 7 Women not welcome at Goddess festival An annual festival honoring a goddess is a no-go zone for women, who say they are groped if they attend the all-male event.

Page 8

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Eye Camps - Blinded by Greed?

Agnivesh Harshan Elizabeth MAni SPECIAL REPORT One in two people who visit eye camps in Karnataka are told they need an operation, according to the government’s own statistics, and every operation earns the private hospital or NGO conducting it up to Rs. 1000.

Almost 100 documents acquired through a series of Right to Information Act requests by a Daily Observer investigative team has unearthed a lucrative business for NGO’s and private health care providers - but some worry it’s at the expense of the poor.

Most government hospitals do not conduct eye camps and instead state health departments pay NGO’s and private providers up to Rs. 1000 per operation.

There are literally hundreds of camps across India every day and in some cases a staggering 50 percent of the people seen - one in every two attendees - needs some form of corrective eye procedure.

The state government currently owes 14 NGOs and health providers over 1 crore, 76 lakh in unpaid fees for surgeries carried out in the last five years.

In one case, a villager claims he was operated on as medics told him

Logo of National programmme for control of blindness they had found “dust particles” in his eye.

According to an RTI response from the District Health & Family Welfare Society, One of the service providers - NGO Project Drishti, which operates nationwide, has conducted at least 7000 surgeries in the past five years in Bangalore. It’s a subsidiary of Reliance Ltd. That means the NGO has earned up to Rs.70 lakh from the Karnataka state government alone.

But when we contacted Project Drishti, spokesman Tushar said his NGO had never conducted eye camps. He said: “We don’t conduct them.” When asked if the NGO receives government funding, he replied that they did not.

In a press release from Project Drishti, dated February 6, 2008, it clearly states that they have undertaken 5000 keroptoplasty surgeries... all free of cost” for India’s underprivileged.

Kerostoplasty is a corneal grafting procedure. The NGO could not explain why its name featured on government RTI replies.

The data surrendered to our investigators via RTI is also sketchy and unreliable in places.

Kempegowda Institute of Medical Science conducted an eye camp in early April 2013 where half of those operated on lost their eyesight over the next six months.

A central government RTI filed at the Directorate of Heath and Family Welfare Department by the Observer Investigation Team revealed that the eye camp conducted

by KIMS is not on government records.

A Directorate of Health & Family Welfare Services spokesperson said, “KIMS is a private hospital and its name should have been on the list.”

The National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) was founded in 1976 with the objective to cure ophthalmological illnesses in the rural and urban poor.

The program has conducted thousands of eye camps throughout India. In the 11th five year plan they are planning to allocate a budget of 1550 crores, according to a NPCB publication in an Australian medical Journal.

(Continued on Page 4 and 5)

Modi arrives in city for three day meet Vignesh S. G Narendra Modi’s three day visit to Bangalore begins today as his party builds a war plan for the south at the national executive meet.

The meeting will revolve around formulating a strategy to strengthen the party in seven weak areas.

Traditionally, the BJP has fared poorly in southern states electorally except Karnataka.

The national executive is a threeday meet starting from today where high-profile leaders from all around the country will be present.

Along with PM Modi, the city saw a number of leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh coming to Bangalore to join the meeting. While veteran leader L.K. Advani is expected to reach Bangalore tomorrow.

Voices within the party say LK

Advani won’t be allowed to speak in the rally where Modi will speak to BJP supporters in National College Grounds tomorrow as he belongs to the rival factions within the party.

The aim of this meeting is to make BJP the number one party in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to party sources.

The government is trying hard to convince people over the Land Acquisition Bill. Local party sources believe that the BJP national president Amit Shah will make a case for the Land Acquisition Bill to party workers.

The government has taken extreme precautions and security measures. Lalit Ashoka Hotel is filled with bodyguards and security forces. Only national media companies are being allowed inside with special permissions for cameras.

Narendra Modi being welcomed at Lalith Hotel, Bangalore

2 The Daily OBSERVER

‘Education is beyond a language’

Dhananjay fought for non aided schools

Surya Mukundraj, the producer of the movie concept and will release it by May 2015.”

Karnataka government yesterday passed an amendment making Kannada a compulsory medium of instruction in all schools that fall under the RTE act from class 1 to 5.

Last year a school fraud had surfaced in the city, where schools registered as Kannada medium were imparting education in English. Advocate at Supreme court, K V Dhananjay, examined all schools in Karnataka and made a list of guilty schools.

He then personally applied in the Supreme Court representing unaided schools.

“The government allowed Kannada medium on paper when English medium was in practice. This encouraged fraud and corruption in private schools,” said K V Dhananjay.

“After April 1994 when the government passed law of starting new schools only in regional languages (Telugu, Tamil, Marathi or Urdu, in

NEWS DIGEST Qatar increasing expansion The State of Qatar’s national airline, Qatar Airways, is increasing expansion from Doha to Bangalore with 32% more seats from the 1st of August under which, the Boeing 787 will be replaced by the Boeing 777 which has 385 seats instead of 254.

Kimaya Varude Punita Maheshwari A new movie aims to break the mindset that English is the only medium that can help students in India thrive, but its producers fear nobody will come to watch it.

Surya, One of the producers of the film ‘Kaada Haadiya Hoogalu’ (Flowers on a Forest Path) said, “The movie is about how private schools sell English language as a commodity. They equate education as learning English but education is way larger a concept and is not dependent on one language.”

“There is an artificial competition in the society which the movie tries to warn people of.

“The main challenge the movie is facing is that Kannada movie industry is still not ready for unconventional cinema about children. Also, it is a low budget movie which draws audiences away. But we believe in the

Thursday, April 2, 2015

some instances), several school associations appealed in High Court challenging the rule. The government did not want schools to claim that all its students had English as their mother tongue.”

Dhananjay said that we all still live in a democracy and private schools must end the fraud soon.

He said, “Medium of instruction is a personal choice for each parent to make. It is not for ministers or lawmakers whose own lives do not reflect their theories about ‘mother tongue’ education to direct the public about the personal choices they should be making.”

When asked about the movie he said, “Movies tell the truth and explain what works and what not. I do not defy the judgement passed by the government. I believe they should tighten the loose ends before working on new amendments.”

Working towards a safer diet Suharika Rachavelpula April 7 is World Health Day, and this year’s theme is food safety.

According to the World Health Organisation, two million people die annually because of unsafe food.

WHO selected the theme this year to raise awareness over food safety issues, especially in developing countries.

The use of antibiotics in food is putting lives at risk, according to a report.

Dr Neelam Singh, a leading nutritionist and dietician in the city, said, “Bangalore is a safe place for healthy food compared to other places in India.

Most of the clients suffer from obesity because of their food habits.

People who eat outside more often without proper hygiene suffer health issues. The people who die because of unsafe food are the poor.”

According to a recent report, Delhi based economist Diane Coffey said that India has a shocking record on malnutrition among its people particularly among pregnant women.

Rain stops in Kashmir The persistent rains, which had hit Kashmir to bring floods, stopped today. The rains had earlier led to a rise in water level of the River Jhelum.

Lufthansa chief in trouble Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive, Lufthansa is being questioned over the extent of the company’s knowledge about crash pilot Andreas Lubitz’s medical condition.

Indian-origin lecturer bags top nursing awards Subadhra Devi Rai from School of Health Sciences (Nursing) will receive the 2015 International Achievement Award by the International Council of Nurses’ Florence Nightingale International Foundation.

The WHO poster for the World Health Day to be celebrated on April 7

The Daily OBSERVER

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Goon charges fees for free govt forms Tushar Kaushik Illiterate residents of a colony in Nayandahalli claim that they are being exploited by a local leader who takes money to write government forms which should be free to complete.

The forms - for various government benefit schemes - do not require a fee but Shivagandhappa allegedly began to take money from brothers Mahesh and Srikant Kumar about four years back, for the issue of their ration cards. The brothers still haven’t got the cards.

Srikant said: “Whenever we ask him about the card, he says it will take a month or two more, and sometimes takes more money from us. Till now, I have paid about Rs 6,000 to him.” Srikant added that he knew at least three to four more people who had similarly not received their identity cards despite paying huge sums of money.

Shivagandhappa is one of six leaders in the colony, who also acts as spokespersons for the colony’s residents. Mahesh said, “For filling forms of Aadhar card, he took Rs 200 for each form from the people. For sending an SMS of ration card details, he charged Rs 50.”

Sharath, another resident of the colony, said, “He assured me that I would get the card ten days before the elections, but I still haven’t got it.”

As a result, Sharath could not vote in the elections.

Muttukumar, from the same colony, said: “People who are illiterate get their forms filled

“

For filling forms of

200 for each form from the

people. For sending an SMS of ration card details, he charged Rs 50.” - Mahesh

A slum was demolished to build this block of flats by the state slum board

@Bangaloremirror : We will not send our kids to Kannada medium: Young MLAs

Shivagandhappa at his well furnished home earlier a slum, and the colony was built by the Karnataka slum-development board.

Tyaga, another resident, also acknowledged all these problems, and talked about the other issues in the colony. He said that hygiene and cleanliness were not followed, and the MLA of the area, M Krishnappa, hardly visited the colony, except during elections.

He said, “When the colony had been built, the residents were promised a whole lot of things – regular water supply, parks, electricity, but none of it has materialized.” He added none of the three bore wells in the colony worked, and insects were often found in the drinking water supplied to them.

Mahesh said that a police station was needed close to the premises of the colony.

He said that at nights, the residents were afraid to venture out due to robberies, while marijuana abuse was also common.

The Observer contacted Shivagandhappa’s neighbor, and asked him whether Shivagandhappa would help her in filling up forms of various ID cards. The neighbor said that Shivagandhappa would help her, and also said that he would charge money for it, but he does it only for the people he knows.

When Shivagandhappa himself was contacted by the reporter, he refused to help her to fill up the forms.

10 crore reel still not running Nikhil M Babu A government project of more than 10 crores is gathering dust after five months.

Amrutotsava Bhavan which has been neglected after the initial constructions is important as it is a potential venue for the Bangalore International Film Festival.

To make it a permanent BIFF venue, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier allocated the Rs. 10 crore for the infrastructural development.

“No work is on-going in Amrutotsava Bhavan now,” said Shivaram, from the Director of Information department at

Karnataka state government.

C.V Chandrashekhar, former president of Karnataka Film Chamber said, “The work has been stalled and I do not see authorities being concerned over the issue.”

Thomas D’souza, Secretary, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce said that the government didn’t consult the chamber and didn’t include them in the planning.

A decision was taken to build the Amrutotsaca Bhavan to mark 75 years of Kannada cinema with a capacity of 500 seats.

The work had to begin under the vigilance of the Department of Information, Karnataka.

TWEETS OF THE DAY @Bangaloremirror : Spurned sociopath runs amok in girls’ hostel in Bengaluru; shoots and kills a woman at point blank range

Aadhar card, he took Rs

by others. Most people do it for free, but some take money for it. When we come to know, we scold such people. They take 20-30 bucks.”

Veera, another resident, said that a local named Srinivas takes Rs 100 for filling Aadhar form for what he terms are “costs incurred in traveling”, and takes Rs 50-100 for sending SMS. The victims – Mahesh, Srikant and Sharath – have not complained to the police about this out of fear, as they say Shivagandhappa is very influential. Mahesh said that the fact that many residents are illiterate is exploited by Shivagandhappa through the same ways – false promises of identity cards and filling up of forms.

The area where the colony stands was

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Amrutotsava Bhavan, gathering dust

4 The Daily OBSERVER

Wednesday, April 2, 2015

Eye camps: Big b

THE DAILY OBSERVER INVESTIGATES NPCB is divided into blindness control societies at the district level which directly fund NGOs that conduct camps. The Indian Council of Medical Research surveyed all of India in 1975 to find that 1.38% of the population was blind and the leading cause of blindness was cataract. NPCB was formed as a direct result of the survey publications. The NPCB has been actively conducting eye camps with funds allotted by the World Bank.

One in two people attending the eye camps are operated on. Camps in Tumkur over the past five years had an attendance of 1,18,170 people of which 63,764 were operated on.

An amount of Rs. 3,15,53,975 was spent on these operations. The government pays Rs.1000 for each cataract surgery and Rupees 850 for other surgeries.

The government allots Rs.1000 per surgery that involves Intra Ocular Lenses (IOL). The unit cost of a lens is Rs. 625. The NGOs from Bangalore are left with Rs. 375 for doctor’s profit with each surgery. There were 52,059 IOL surgeries in Tumkur in the past five years. The government is yet to reimburse the amount spent for cataract surgery and has an outstanding liability of Rs. 1,76,63,250 to 14 NGOs in Bangalore alone. Intra Ocular Lenses are bought from indigenous manufacturers such as Auro Lens, Bio Tech Vision Care and Omni Lens 57,152 people in Bangalore Urban were operated on in the past five years.

Department Programme Manager, S Rekha said, “KIMS’ name is not on the list because it conducted its operations through a NGO called Shri Sai Shankara Trust. It is only in last December that KIMS was approved to conduct camps directly.” Nobody from the NGO was available to comment and it could not be traced via web searches and requests via other NGOs. Patients, however, insist that it was KIMS that conducted the eye camp.

They are unfamiliar with the name Shri Sai Shankara trust. KIMS also admitted to Observer reporters in an earlier story about eye camps that they had conducted hundreds.

Their own website boasted of their eye camp achievements - until a few days after our story appeared that reported half of their patients losing their sight.

Venkatamma, victim of the Kempegowda Eye Camp said, “The camp coordinator came to my house and after check-up some dust particles were detected. They operated my eyes just for a mere dust particle. My right eye is blind after the operation conducted by Kempegowda Hospital.”

The Blindness Control Society insists that KIMS was conducting their operations through Sai Shankara Hospital but, Dr. Sowbhagya H.N, Head of Department of Ophthalmology and Supervising doctor at the camp said, “The patients were already visually impaired when they came to us. We did our best to treat them. If they have an issue they should have it checked up at the hospital.”

Camp Co-ordinator, Dase Gowda P.R, said, “It is an internship programme funded by the district blindness society for the final year medical students of Kempegowda Institute of Medical Science.

The students are supervised by a professional doctor while they are operating. KIMS began their programme in 2009 and since then we have operated on over 5000 people.”

According to the Medical Council of India, “No person other than a doctor having qualification recognized by Medical Council of India/state medical councils is allowed to practise modern system

Gardener who lost eyesight after the operation

of medicine or surgery.”

The subsequent blindness experienced by patients could be due to any number of factors, according to experts.

Dr. Sylvia Karpagam, a Public Health Doctor who works with marginalized communities, said, “I cannot be sure but they could have been using expired or experimental drugs. It could also be counterfeit medicine which would explain the gradual loss of vision. Unsterilized medical equipment could also be at fault. Post-operative care is crucial for a successful surgery; lack of proper care can also be a cause for serious concern.

“Private hospitals do not follow up and provide post-operative care; they capitalize on government schemes for their own monetary gain. It’s not impossible, it can happen.”

The RTI response from Bangalore district did not have information on failures and other complications during and after surgery. Dr. S. Rekha, District Programme Manager of Bangalore Urban, said, “We have not provided information on post-operative care and surgical failures because the NGOs and hospitals which conducted the camps have not reported them for the past five years. It is law that there should be a follow up after 42 days from the date of surgery.”

Lakshmanna, a gardener, said, “Before the operation I was able to work in the field without wearing glasses, now I can’t do any work. I had no problems with my vision before the surgery. They strongly persuaded me to have a surgery just because I attended an eye camp. Now my left eye has no vision and my right eye works well only when I use glasses.”

Marrakka, 45, a farmer, said, “They asked me to go through an operation for both eyes. I am glad that I agreed only for the left eye, I would have completely lost vision otherwise.”

Hanumakka, 65, said, “I lost my eyes because of the camp, now I am dependent on others for life.”

Anjanappa, another victim, said “I do not even know the name of the doctor who took away my sight.”

Narayanappa K, a daily wage labourer, said, “I have bad vision. But I know those people are students and not doctors and I’m scared to approach the camp.”

Dr Rosy, District Programme Manager of Bangalore rural said, “This is not under my jurisdiction. We only deal with rural areas. KIMS hospital belongs to the urban sector and so does Kumbalgudu. Even though it’s a village.”

Dr Ratna VC, Joint Director of the Ophthalmology Department at KIMS had remarked on the issue when it was covered in 2014 by the Observer. He said at that time: “It is not possible to comment before any prior investigation as the camp was organized one year ago. There are over 100 such camps conducted every month across the state.”

The ophthalmology department of KIMS was approached two months after the incident. Dr. Sandeep Shetty said, “We had already looked into the list of blind people you have sent us. We sent a specialized team to check up on them and they are all okay.

We do not want anything to do with this issue hereafter.” The Observer investigation team had never sent KIMS hospital or any of its associates names or details of the people who claim they were blinded by at one of their eye camps.

The Daily OBSERVER

Wednesday, April 2, 2015

business in India

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Hanumaiah became blind after attending an eye camp organised by KIMS

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Hanumakkah and Ramakkah, who attended the same KIMS camp and lost their eyesight

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The Daily OBSERVER

Thursday, April 2, 2015

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Freemasons are misunderstood, say members Tushar Kaushik Freemasons in India and their ways are very much misunderstood by people, according to the members themselves.

A.K. Reddy (name changed), 71 joined in 1977 and his father was also a mason. He spoke about the origins of Masons, their ways, their rules and their methods.

Reddy said that the Masons were very much misunderstood, and blamed “novels like Dan Brown’s” for many such confusions.

Talking about the perception of Freemasons as a secret society, Reddy said: “The only secrets in Masonry are the method of recognition between masons and whatever happens inside a meeting. If I tell you this is the ritual which is followed for inducting a mason, you will laugh at it saying ‘In 21st century these kinds of things are happening?’”

Reddy said that atheists aren’t allowed to join the society, but people of all religions are admitted.

He also said that all discussions on political matters was prohibited.

Talking about their function, Reddy said that it involved a lot of charitable work. He said, “However, we give preference to masons in distress.”

Women are not admitted into the organization, and Reddy said that this rule has been debated, and even overturned in many places. He said that Hyderabad has an all-ladies Masonic lodge.

Reddy said that eminent Indians like Swami Vivekananda, Motilal Nehru, Sam Manekshaw and C. Rajagopalachari had been freemasons in their lifetime.

Siddharth Ambroise, 30, is a Freemason from Bangalore. He is a master mason and has been a freemason for three years. He has achieved the third degree.

There are a total of 33 degrees

which a freemason can aspire to.

Defining the Freemasons, Ambroise said, “Freemasons don’t work with agendas. Simply put, Freemasonry is a group of men who want to do some good. This good can be done in various forms, one of which is helping a society support itself.”

Talking about the freemasons’ perceived secrecy, Ambroise said that this image wasn’t intentionally created. He said: “The reasons why Freemasons are in the shadows is because when we do something to help someone we don’t publicize it.

If it is noticed and spoken of, we don’t mind, but we don’t actively seek recognition for our work.”

Ambroise said that when he tells people that he is a freemason, since not many people know about Freemasonry, the most common reaction he gets is a blank look but of those who do know, he gets reactions of wonderment and intrigue.

Ambroise’s drive to join was

brought about by a need to be a part of something bigger than himself.

Talking about the misconceptions of people, Ambroise said, “Freemasons are misunderstood but that would be primarily because of the media portrayals of freemasons as schemers and plotters. It would seem that an organisation, or a secret society as we are sometimes called, like ours tends to be easily associated with subversion whereas that is strictly against our policies.”

Ambroise stressed on the deep bond that members share. He said: “What sets Freemasonry apart is the brotherhood. I know that I can turn to any Freemasons for help in tough times and I know that they will stand by me and support me to the best of their capabilities.”

Ambroise had this message to people about this society: “I would say, to the people who want to know about freemasonry, don’t believe just the sensationalist stuff about us. There are enough documentaries

Siddharth became a Freemason three years back made about us which will help you understand what freemasons are all about, so please do feel free to watch them. Besides if you approach a freemason, I’m sure he will be happy to answer questions about freemasonry.”

Much ado about Cubbon

A bamboo grove was chosen as the venue for the play

The group Shakespeare in Bangalore performed ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in Cubbon Park Tushar Kaushik In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, a group in Bangalore enacted Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing outdoors at the iconic Cubbon Park on March 15.

The group, called Shakespeare in Bangalore, was the brainchild of Danish Sheikh, a researcher at the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, and was born out of his love for Shakespeare. The play was put on entirely by working professionals from Bangalore, united by a love of the bard.

When Danish was asked about the origin of this idea, he said: “It

actually came from the love of Shakespeare. I taught a course on Shakespeare and the law in Calcutta in December last year. That was a lot of fun. I was seeing more and more that while it’s really lovely to read the plays and to teach them, there’s something in a performance that activates the language, so I thought that’s the next step forward.”

Danish admitted to being “completely in love” with Much Ado About Nothing, probably the reason why it was chosen as the first play to be enacted at Cubbon Park amid a bamboo grove.

Danish had seen a Shakespeare play being performed at a park in the US, which gave him the idea

of doing this in Cubbon Park. He said, “I really thought the open air contributed to the language and I really wanted to bring that sort of culture to the city. I think we don’t use our public spaces that much. You know, there’s so much potential.”

After Danish invited people for the group on Facebook, about 15-20 people came for auditions, of which 10 performed in the play. They practiced and rehearsed twice a week at Danish’s house. For the next play, Danish said that the group is trying to decide between comedy and tragedy, and have two things in mind – Romeo and Juliet or A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Darshana Mitra is Danish’s

The actors performed in front of a small but supportive audience roommate and colleague at the Alternative law Forum, who acted in the first play. She said: “I really enjoyed acting in the play. Danish and I are roommates, so I didn’t really have a choice. Also, I am a lawyer by day, and this was a good distraction from my usual work. I have acted in school and in college.”

Talking about the location, Darshana said that it was interesting acting outdoors as they could play around the terrain in many ways. Darshana hasn’t read a lot of Shakespeare, but she liked what she read for its timelessness.

Gushing more about the bard, Danish said that there was a certain excitement and joy about

performing Shakespeare and using public spaces. For the future, Danish said that he would like to focus on more of Shakespeare’s plays as opposed to any other playwright’s.

“It sort of hooks people in a particular way because you say Shakespeare in the park and you get a certain kind of response” he added.

Such is Danish’s fascination with Shakespeare that in one of his Facebook posts, he has pointed out how the Supreme Court’s judgement to scrap Section 66A invokes Shakespeare by using mark Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar to illustrate the difference between advocacy and incitement.

7 The Daily OBSERVER

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Help a far cry for Indians in Sana’a Soumya Chatterjee

Indians stranded at the Sana’a airport Indian citizens are still stranded in the capital city of Sana’a, Yemen even after more than 300 people were handed boarding passes after waiting five hours in the airport.

There are 3,100 Indians residing in Sana’a, according to the Indian Embassy. Although there might be more Indian nationals living in Sana’a with expired visas, etc.

Ravi Kumar, a resident of Peenya who went to Yemen for a training program, is stranded in his home at 16th Street said: “The situation continues as it was before.

No call from embassy regarding rescue of

people from here. Yesterday after calling 320 plus people they issued boarding passes and made us wait nearly five hours at airport and finally said that there are issues with permission. We were told Saudi Arabia and Indian offices were coordinating. But they finally announced that the flight is cancelled.”

He added: “With great difficulty we reached back to our living places. Air strike and firing still continues throughout yesterday. Women and children were literally crying at the airport.”

Press reports confirm that countries like China, Philippines, Somalia airlifted their citizens from the war-torn capital.

Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs tweeted:“We are sparing no effort. The situation is very complex. The airport is with Yemen and airspace controlled by Saudi Arabia.”

He added, “Not a single Indian I know has been rescued from Sana’a.”

On Thursday morning, two flights landed in Kochi and Mumbai with 350 Indians from the city of Aden, according to Syed Akbarruddin, Official Spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs.

Aden and Sana’a are separated by 400 kms and fall under the conflict zone.

Ravi said, “Bombing is happening in both the cities. Travelling by road is very dangerous.

Bombings were throughout the night and even half an hour back also I heard big sounds.”

Ravi believes it is the inefficiency of the embassy in handling the serious issue as other nationalities have been evacuated.

There are fears over unavailability of

Peenya Industries Association gather to protest against governments inaction essentials. Ravi said: “As all ports are closed so there will surely be scarcity. We are running generators - power only occasionally comes on.”

Air strikes and firing still continued throughout Wednesday night.

Ravi initially stayed alone in a hotel.

He said: “But as the situation is hostile, I am afraid to stay alone now. I made one Indian friend and I’m staying in his home.”

He added: “As Saudi Arabia announced there will be ground operations shortly, we cannot escape that time as Yemenis and Indians looks similar. It can happen any time as local soldiers provokes Saudi at the border which is around a six-hour journey by road.”

Congress bribes workers to protest Pulaha Ray Most of the people who gathered at Anand Rao Circle to protest against Giriraj Singh’s comments aimed at Sonia Gandhi were unaware of what the protest was about and had been trucked in en masse.

Union Minister, Giriraj Singh, was caught on Tuesday saying, ““If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian lady and not a white-skinned woman, then would the Congress have accepted her leadership?”

There were around 300 protestors, mostly women, from the Congress party who had gathered to protest.

One of the women, Silva, said, “The party told me in the morning that they were staging a protest and asked me to join. That’s why I came. I don’t know what the protest is about.”

Basanti, who had her four-yearold son with her, said, “Since I was coming, I got my son along with me.”

One supporter, on terms of anonymity, said, “We were told that we will be given Rs100 for joining the protest. We weren’t promised any food but the party promised us we would be given money. We were brought in trucks and we will be provided transport back.”

Rita, another woman from Rajajinagar, said, “We joined the protest because the councillor

Sanjay, the youngest ‘supporter’ in Congress’ protest

He added: “We have an Indian family living nearby from Tamil Nadu. The two children are always crying when there are heavy sounds.”

Ravi fears of being hit by a misfired bullet if not in direct combat.

“Any time misfired bullet can pierce. In fact all people sleeping and resting where there are two walls at least in the home to protect. I have seen a few Indians sleeping in their kitchens where at least two walls are available in case of misfired bullets,” he said.

In Bangalore, Peenya Industries Association called a strike in the locality to protest against the Indian establishments’ inaction regarding the issue.

Modi turns blind eye to farmers; farmers go on hunger strike

“

The party told me in the morning that they were staging a protest and asked me to join. That’s why I came. I don’t know what the protest is about.

-Silva

asked us to. The councillor is a good person who has done a lot for the ward so we couldn’t ignore his request.”

Manjula Naidu, President of the woman’s wing of Congress, said, “We thoroughly condemn the comment by Giriraj Singh.

They are bringing up racist and sexist issues. They are intolerant towards women. It is condemnable and we want to oust him.”

There was a petty scuffle that broke between the police and the supporters when the latter tried to break the barricade.

Manjula said, “We wanted to go to the Ashoka hotel but we were stopped by the police.”

The Ashoka Hotel is in reference to where the executive meeting of BJP is happening.

Farmers protest against tha Land Acquisition Ordinance Pulaha Ray Around 50 farmers are sitting for a three day hunger strike as a reaction to the Prime Minster, Narendra Modi’s visit to city. They are protesting against the Centre’s Land Acquisition Ordinance.

Spokesperson of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and green brigade, Talah told the Daily Observer that even though they represent thousands of farmers, only 100 of them are observing the three-day fast as they did not want any ruckus.

On being asked if the farmers wanted to meet Modi, Harish, one of the farmers, said, “How do we meet Modi? We are

common people who cannot meet him! Has the government even called for any meeting? If he is interested, then he will come to us!”

KRRS is planning to hold a march to Delhi with 25,000 farmers at the end of this month, once the three day fast is over.

While the farmers were observing the hunger strike, Congress supporters gathered around the site and started protesting.

Talah, said, “They suddenly came in the morning. We weren’t aware of any protest that was supposed to happen. We had sought the permission from the police for this site. Once they sat, we couldn’t ask them to move as it would have looked bad.”

The Daily OBSERVER

Thursday, April 2, 2015

8

Women not welcome at Goddess festival Divya Kishore An annual festival honoring a goddess is a no-go zone for women, who say they are groped if they attend the all-male event.

The annual Dharmarayana Karaga is scheduled to start on April 3rd, 8 pm and will go on until April 4th, 8 pm; however, women in Bangalore still believe that it is not for them.

“Some years ago, I asked my mother to attend the festival but she refused to go as festival starts late night and women don’t go for it. But I went with one of my male friends there and what I saw was really weird. There were thousands of devotees but all men. It was so disturbing for me to be in the crowd where each and every man wanted to touch me,” said Akshita,

Thigala community in a procession during the Karaga festival a student at Bangalore University.

“But as a Kannadigan I feel good also as I got first-hand experience of the festival which

is considered to be one of the oldest in the city,” she added.

Karaga festival is said to have a tradition that has its origin in

the Mahabharata. Myth has it that Draupadi, the Pandavas’ wife, takes the form of a Goddess, Shakti Devi, and is believed to appear every first full moon in the first month of the Hindu calendar. The festival is celebrated by the Thigala community.

The irony here is that this festival celebrates the power of the Goddess but its dominated by men. Women don’t feel comfortable attending it.

People believe that Draupadi Shakti (power) brims over during the festival. In this festival, there is a custom to carry Karaga by female devotees but females are not allowed to carry it and the male Karaga carrier is dressed as a female to symbolize Draupadi.

“This is a community based festival. People from Vanikula Kshatriya Thigala community worship Adishakti Draupadi as

their community deity. I have only heard about it but not seen it. Also it is losing its essence as the new generations from urban Karnataka don’t even know about it. Women feel unprotected in the crowd of deities,” said Anitha, a Bangalorean.

P L Divakar Dixit, a pandit from Bangalore, said that Karaga festival is mainly for Vanikula Kshatriya Thigala community. When they enter temple while carrying Karaga not only women but people from other communities are also not allowed. “That’s why now people don’t know much about it, they don’t give it much importance,” he said.

“Only men are allowed from their community to carry it. It’s in their custom, according to them a woman who has reached puberty is not pure enough to do all this,” he added.

Bangalore’s Banksy in art attack

Above: Street-art in progress Ridhi Agrawal Church Street, Koramangala, Indiranagar, K.H Road flyover, Lalbagh, Basvangudi, and Malleswaram: these are not only the posh localities around town but also prominent places where one can spot street-art. Street art and wall graffiti is a form of art that many people indulge in.

Poornima Sukumar, an artist from Bangalore, has turned many walls into outdoor galleries.

‘High on Dreams’, is one of her many works, in Koramangala.

She said, “Tearing off posters has become so much fun, all of a sudden.”

A white wall splashed with vibrant colours depticing an art work by Ridhii Paul and Ashwin Sanjay Picture courtesy: Ridhii Paul While cities like Berlin, Sao Paulo, Melbourne, Cape Town, London and New York are some of the best cities in the world to see street art, Indian cities are yet to carve a niche in this field. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi have blended themselves in with this trend. Bangalore is yet to catch up.

According to Poornima, sketching on walls can get difficult especially when the stones on walls have uneven surfaces. She also said it was important to think of a concept to sketch so that you don’t blank out.

Through her work, she depicts her affinity with nature.

Nature and women are the prime subjects of her art works.

“When I woke up in the morning I had to paint; I realized how I dwell in my dreams and dedicated my painting to DREAMS.” She quoted James Thurber, “Time is for dragonflies and angels. The former live too little and the latter live too long.”

Poornima is currently working closely in a forest with adivasis in Maharashtra.

Youngsters are stepping out of their comfort zones and drawing the attention of the public with wall graffiti. These art pieces may or may not have a social cause. Also, the focus can range from a variety of themes like Swacch Bharat Campaign, history of the city, women empowerment, pollution,

poverty, religious iconographies and cartoon characters. One can easily spot these colorful and spectacular art forms on underpasses, flyovers, shutters and abandoned walls.

Ridhii Paul, a graphic designer and illustrator, contributed to one such mural in the city as part of an initiative by MTV Junkyard and Mount Carmel College.

She said, “Honestly, most artists do it for the love of art. It’s a way of expressing yourself. The theme can be anything from love to against the system. For example, Banksy, an English graffiti artist: his art is aimed towards the system.”

“The materials used are

simple – Paint, sprays and stencils to get the images right.”

“I have worked on only two around the city. One without permission and one was an MTV Junkyard and Mount Carmel College initiative using the NaMo Swacch Bharath theme as there was permission for the event.”

Bangalore is creating opportunities for every individual to come out of their cocoon and contribute to this sphere.

Cupick, an art website, recently announced that they were looking for three artists to live paint a car each, over this weekend at Comic Con Bangalore (3rd - 5th April).

OBSERVER Team: Editor - Natasha Singh, Chief Sub-Editor - Kimaya Varude, News Editor -Punita Maheshwari , News Desk - Elizabeth Mani, Layout Head - Ridhi Agrawal, Layout Desk - Tushar Kaushik, Devdutt Sukhdev, Sub-Editors - Saheli Sen Gupta , Soumya Chatterjee

Party Hard in Bengaluru, you are invited Beyond the cacophony of this sprawling city lies a world that has a lot to offer––a world which encompasses an exotic day life and a dazzling night esprit.

Being the IT capital of the nation, Bangalore has evidently lost itself in a vicious cycle of the daily grind and survival of the fittest. Bangaloreans can hardly dig out time for themselves or, better still, find a stimulating life.

However, the city has a whole new charm to it only if you wish to discover it. Enchantment has several facets. And in this supplementary, we have explicitly revealed them to ensure that you have a great weekend.

Open air cafes and breweries have creatively reconstructed their joints in a way that will bring you closer to nature. And the breathtaking nightlife of the city will keep you engaged with its electrifying music and dusky backdrop.

Blissful restaurants offer a scrumptious menu. On the other hand, renowned tourist spots sauch as the Bull Temple and Bannerghatta National Park are perfect for a pleasure trip.

So take the ride, lose yourself in these exciting locations and dump the monotony. Bangalore has much more to it than you could have ever imagined!

Invite for two RSVP on magazinestudents@iijnm.org

By Sreemoyee Chatterjee Overworked Bangaloreans have barely any time to chill out, but when they do catch a moment they head for one of the city’s fastest-growing trends - the micro-brewery.

With fifteen breweries, India’s IT hub - on a hot, dry afternoon - is a tempting place to head for a chilled, brewed beer.

Since microbreweries started emerging in India around 2010, Bangalore has seen the blend of a rooftop venue and some good beer becoming popular with the city’s youth, day by day.

According to reports from Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Limited (KSBCL), Bangalore registered a consumption of 23 lakh cases of beer in 2010, contributing towards a hike of 16% of revenue as compared to 2009.

The newly established breweries considerably added to that hike.

“The Biere Club, Arbor Brewing Company, Barleyz, Toit and Windmills Craftwork are a must-visit pack of breweries in Bangalore”, says Sukanya, a young corporate employee working here, who often visits them to chill out after a day’s work.

“You get a commendable taste of beer, each distinct in its own flavor and color, something that lingers on your taste buds for long.

This is exactly why breweries are unique.”

Prior to the breweries in Bangalore, beer lovers would satiate themselves with hard liquor.

Breweries gave them the taste of traditionally crafted fresh beer.

“Brewery offers you some uncommon beers that you won’t usually

get in ordinary pubs,” says Skaya.

The Bierre Club was the first brewery in Bangalore. Known for its roomy range of wheat beers, it offers scintillating wall paintings and the classic wooden bar adds to the feel of colonial times.

“You would miss the real richness of beer if you miss Biere’s wheat beer,” says Argha, a beer freak, who loves to experiment with all possible beers.

“I am a social butterfly and for me nothing can be better than Toit,” says a bubbly college student for whom Toit is the best place to socialize with friends, known and unknown. “You get to make new friends here as the young crowd mostly visits Toit for cozy, casual and inexpensive delight,” she adds.

Located at 100 Feet Road, Toit is the hive of buzzing bees, glued to its fresh and cheap palate of beer and appetizing starters.

Arbor Brewing Company not only provides a wide range of freshly brewed beer, a spacious balcony and a cozy interior but also a smooth wifi connection, free of cost.

“An hour over a mug of chilling beer on a weekday during lunch break won’t affect your work, if you carry your laptop along with you. You can both sip and type,” says a young journalist, who sneaks in here to for a beer break.

As Earl Dibbles Jr. said, “I got 99 problems and beer solves all of them”, Bangalore’s day life, tangled with work pressure and heat, gets refreshed after a hop to the pub.

Cafes, Breweries and all that jazz!

By Raya Ghosh

Cafes in Bangalore have the extraordinary ability to enliven your senses and soothe your soul. Sophisticated restaurants and contemporary breweries may tempt you but the cuppa never loses its charm.

Considering the fact that the city is inevitably caught up in the rat race, cafes are the only way through which you can rejuvenate yourself. Work and caffeine are pretty much synonymous with each other¬¬– –which is why it is extremely difficult for workaholics to stay away from this inescapable beverage.

Bangalore also boasts of a strong heritage of filter coffee–– made sweet and strong with oodles of decoction infused with freshly boiled milk.

Youngsters may indulge in the smooth cappuccino but the good old crowd would prefer the good old filter coffee.

Cafes in Bangalore have this ethereal ability of bringing people together and the vibes which these joints radiate are anything but mundane.

Café 42, a rooftop café in Indiranagar is just the place to explore. Dim lights decorate the rooftop shade exquisitely.

Apart from visionary artwork and a wide variety of books, Café 42 also conducts yoga sessions, poetry sessions and art jams. A must visit for the intellectual kind!

DYU art Café, located at Koramangala, will definitely take you down memory lane as it is an art café which displays breathtaking creations. The intricate décor and delicious French toast will steal your heart away. “DYU is my favorite. I often catch up with my friends here. From the ambience to the artistic setup––everything is just so good about this café. And the tuna melt sandwich and café latte are to die for,” said Harshita Panwar, an International Studies student of Christ University, Bangalore.

Concealed from the bedlam of the city, Courtyard Café in Shanthinagar, provides numerous options of homely food. The small garden café is also frequented by a sophisticated class. So there goes your chance of meeting great people. Some also bring their pets to this queer little café.

Lemon tea and Santosh’s special pizza are must haves!

Indiranagar seems like the favorite spot of the quaint crowd. Café Max is the ideal place to catch up with an old friend over coffee, wine or dinner - or all three if you please! For all art intellectuals out there, Café Max conducts several art shows and other events regularly. European and Mediterranean cuisine is a must try here.

“Closed space cafes are there on every street but open air cafes in Bangalore are very limited. Moreover, open air cafes have this serene ambience which also brings you closer to nature. In a bustling city like Bangalore, only open air cafes can provide you with an old world charm which is why people prefer to visit them frequently,” said Vighnesh, Partner owner, DYU art café, Bangalore.

Bangalorean cafes have this distinctive feature wherein the setup is quite creative. And of course, the food is nothing less than heavenly. The quaint backdrop will make you crave for a revisit as soon as you are done with one. Also the best part about these cafes is that they are not just about coffee.

Here, a lot more happens than just coffee!

So fish some time out from your busy schedule and visit one of these cafes for a relieving experience. A friend may or may not accompany you but as far as these cafes are concerned, you are better off alone. Solitude is your best companion. And of course, the cuppa is always there!

Top DJs dance to Bangalore’s tune

By Darshan D Rane & Sharengee Dutta Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is now trending in India, as some of the best international artists flock here, much to the delight of their Indian fan base.

DJ Anish Sood, an instrumental force in the promotion of EDM in India, be-

lieves t h a t Bangalore has been no exception to the EDM love-in.

Voted India’s best house, trance and techno DJ for two years in a row, he said: “Electronic music in India is definitely going to boom. What we see right now is just the tip of the iceberg. Dance music in India is about four to five years old.”

Talking about evolution of music, the 25-year-old DJ said: “My generation has grown up on hip hop and rock but the present generation is growing up to dance music. It’s definitely going to be a bright 10 to 15 years for dance music in India.”

Having opened for the world’s top house DJ, David Guetta, at the Eristoff Invasion Festival in Pune and Bangalore, Anish Sood has played alongside a bunch of popular names in the EDM scene; Fedde Le Grand, Gareth Emery, Steve Aoki, Laidback Luke, Sean Tyas and Duplex.

“Bangalore’s been all sorts of epic for me. I have been coming here for the last three years. The crowd understands the music and

is not burnt out like most crowds around the world.

I have played at The Blue Bar, Loft 38, Sanctum, Pebble and the Puma Social club,” he said.

His best experience in

Bangalore was playing a set for David Guetta .

“I played an opening set for David Guetta in 2012, here in Bangalore.

That was an eyeopening experience for me and one I will never forget,” he added.

Having played in Club Disco Dolly in Amsterdam, PURE City Festival in Czech Republic, It’s the Ship in Singapore and Dance Mandu in Nepal, Anish has recently launched a new single called ‘Superfly’ with Anushka Manchanda and Nanok.

“I will be there to promote it in Bangalore,” he said.

Bangalore, the paradise of every party lover The amazing nightlife in Bangalore draws the atten-

tion of one and all, making it popularly known as the pub city of India. The energy is buzzing, the ambience is exhilarating, and the music is electrifying.

Bangalore has witnessed memorable performances by a wide variety of music sensa-

tions.

Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, The Chainsmokers, Afrojack, Anish Sood, you name it! However, in order to get the best experience you need to know the best places.

“Bangalore’s been all sorts of epic for me. I have is pretty been coming here for the last three years. The crowd It difficult to understands the music and is not burnt out like most narrow down the best clubs crowds around the world. I have played at The Blue or pubs in the city Bar, Loft 38, Sanctum, Pebble and the Puma Social with so much of competition, but some acclub,”— DJ Anish Sood tually stand out.

Located in Indiranagar, Puma Social Club is definitely the perfect place to spend your weekends.

Food and drinks are available at reasonable prices.

Besides, the atmosphere and music is thrilling.

Mojita and bacon wrapped prawns are definitely the show-stealers.

The Blue Bar in Race Course Road is named after the blue theme it sports. This place also makes the list for party goers. Scintillating music and mouthwatering appetizers are sure to leave you overwhelmed. This place is a little expensive for the young bunch, but if you want to have a fun-filled time, do save up some pennies.

Indiranagar is the place for all party lovers. LOFT 38 is another attraction in the area. The bar carries a majestic appearance with impressive seating arrangements and food and drink choices.

This place

can be slightly expensive, but definitely worth a visit if you want to simply let go and enjoy your time with your friends, or partner.

If you’re in Bangalore, you should not miss out on Fenny’s Lounge And Kitchen. The look of the pub is a beautiful amalgamation of both western and traditional style. The rooftop facility provides a nice soothing feeling with a wide range of drinks to complement it.

Subhojit Bera, 23, a research and development engineer, and a party-animal said: “Fenny’s tops my list of favorite pubs in Bangalore. The atmosphere is well-balanced, the drinks are heavenly, the food is scrumptious and the music is mind-blowing. I always go there to relax with my friends after a hectic week of office.”

Talking about pubs in Bangalore, and not mentioning Skyye is impossible.

This is certainly the paradise for all party-goers.

Giving a view of the whole city accompanied by bustling music, drinks from all around the world, a long list of food choices, and the chance to bump into a number of celebrities, Skyye will surely get engraved in your heart after one visit.

Samyadeep Saha, 24, engineer, and frequent visitor at Skyye said: “I’ve been to a lot of great pubs, but nothing beats Skyye.

The place is classy because it’s Vijay Mallya’s club.

It’s expensive, but couple entry is free on weekdays and the ambience is incomparable. You need to experience it at least once in your lifetime

For masala dosa, coffee and more

By Aadhira Anandh It is said that with the world’s KFCs, McDonald’s and Subways, the essence of our typical food is lost.

But is that really so?

The younger generation of Bangalore begs to differ and they believe they have not lost their roots. Bangalore still has a good share of traditional restaurants and it is a well known fact that these places are never empty.

The local cuisine in Bangalore has its roots in Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi, Tamil, Mangalorean and Keralite dishes with the emphasis on rice, sambhar and rasam.

The tourist side: What you must see in the Silicon Valley

By Asmita Kundu Blessed with a pleasant climate and colorful nightlife, Bangalore is mesmerizing The city is well known as the Silicon Valley of India, Garden city, City of Lakes and Pub Capital of India. This place, with its dynamism, has many interesting places to visit.

Lalbagh Botanical Garden This 240 acre garden haa huge collection of red roses and a beautiful glass house. It has a rare collection of 1,854 species of trees and plants.

Cubbon Park Cubbon Park, officially named as Sri Chamarajendra Park, is located in the heart of Bangalore.

Banerghatta National Park Bannerghatta National Park is perfect for an ideal day, with a well preserved wildlife park with the

facility for India’s first Lion and Tiger Safari.

Bull Temple Bull temple is dedicated to Nandi Bull, the vahana (vehicle) of Lord ShivaIt is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka and witnesses lots of devotees from every corner of the country.

Tipu Sultan Summer Palace Tipu Sultan’s summer palace used to be the summer residence of Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore. The evidence of Indo-Islamic architecture, it is a perfect place for the history buffs and photography lovers.

ISKCON Temple ISKCON temple is a place of serenity where you can find harmony in every sense of the word. The temple is beautifully constructed and worth a visit for every devotee.

Lucky for some—The 13th Floor

By Samreen Tungekar & Nikunj Ohri

perfect opportunity to have some drinks and Bangalore is well look at the beautiful especially known for its amazing city, Chinnaswamy pubs and lounges, but the stadium. nowhere does rooftop ambience as brilliantly The 13th floor is not as The 13th floor! exactly a restaurant Situated on the 13th to have a full dinner, floor of Barton Centre, but is a rooftop lounge this place is the that one can enjoy

The city is known for its wide variety of people from different cultures, thus it has carved a niche for different cuisines in the city. But we still have the Karnataka traditional cuisine on top of the chart as there has always been a steady flow of customers to the restaurants where they serve traditional food.

Everyone seems to enjoy the masala dosa with the red chutney, idly with ghee or a tantalizing coffee.

The South Indian breakfast is nowhere close to losing its importance, as the rich and nutritious breakfast has been an ongoing trend with youngsters in the city, and they prefer to begin their day with these dosas.

A typical meal consists of steamed rice, flavored rice, sambhar, rasam, vegetable

with some well made cocktails and starters.

To start with, their sangria is blended in the perfect way for someone who loves wine, yet likes it with a little more kick. Blush Sangria, made of rose wine and vodka or brandy is the right kind of wine cocktail with fresh fruits. The quantity is surely enough to last a whole evening!

dishes, papads and a dessert, preferably with vermicelli, pickles and curd rice.

The meals are served on banana leaves, thus allowing us to intake the nutrition the leaf has to offer.

Mavalli Tiffin Rooms in Bangalore still serves as a great place for traditional Bangalore food. The restaurant is famous among both young and old people. The mouth watering coffee, ragi dosa, khar bhaat etc. makes this place the king among all other traditional joints. The iconic restaurant, which is famous for its quality and authenticity, has a large number of its customers from Lalbaug.

Brahmin’s Coffee - with its delicious idly and vada, along with the famous coconut chutney, makes the place very famous among people. It launched with an investment of Rs. 50 and is so famous today because nobody in Bangalore so far has been able to beat their idly and vada.

Radhakrishana, who owns the restaurant, said, “We offer top quality food. Even though there are other restaurants which offer western food, people still prefer our food in the long run. They cannot have burgers and pizzas every day but they would have our idlis daily.”

Bangalore has evolved in terms of the food culture with various cuisines and a lot more to offer with global food choices, but traditional food still stands as a staple food option for majority of them in the city.

round. Coming to the food, their baked fish is a must try as the quantity is good and the fish is really fresh, soft and well cooked. Cheese lovers try the Blonde Lasagne, which has Another cocktail loads of cheese with worth trying here veggies. would be the Cosmo- The ambience is tini, with vodka, great, as the music cranberries and is not too loud, vermouth. Just ask which lets people them to make the have a conversation drink a little strong peacefully.

The and you may just seating arrangement not ask for a second is comfortable and

the tables have beautiful candles on them. However, a reservation is recommended if you want to get a table on time and also get good service.

The 13th Floor is the perfect place to have a delightful conversation with your loved ones with a good cocktail, some food and a panoramic view!

Supplement by team The Beat