Thursday, December 13, 2012

Marketplace as an aesthetic urban experience

Every marketplace in India is an aesthetic urban experience – whether it’s a flower market, a wholesale tomato market or a temple bazaar. I recollect and share here my experience of the flower market in Bangalore. It is an informal market that takes place for two hours every morning in the vicinity of the Krishna Rajendra market. The K.R. market zone is one of the most chaotic, congested and noisy neighbourhoods in the city of Bangalore. The city’s main intercity and local bus terminal and the main railway station are located within a radius of a kilometre from here. However, there is one time of the day when you would go there even if you had no task or purpose in mind, in the early mornings, just to enjoy the visual experience of the flower market.

Flower+market_1.JPG
The place where the market happens is not a street, it is not a square and it is not within a building. The market comes into being at an extremely busy traffic junction, a crossing of roads, a space just below a flyover. It is difficult to imagine this urban space as a flower market because it is not designed as a place for flowers and neither is it an organised traffic junction. It is simply a point in the city where the most number of cars, people and goods cross paths. This is where flower vendors gather every day and where business is brisk as retailers and individual customers buy flowers for consumption.

Flower+market_2.JPG
If one thinks about the edges of this urban space and of the flower market, one realises that it has no defined edges. The market stops where the last flower vendor sits. When there are no more flower vendors, there is no more flower market; until it appears again in a small lane much further away from the central location under the flyover. But, these small flower vendors in the small lanes continue to sell flowers throughout the day; whereas the main flower market opens at 5am and closes at 8am.

At Thalassa you can expect a pleasant and comfortable stay during your trip to Bangalore. We offer premium serviced apartments at reasonable rates. Visit our website for further information www.thalassasuites.com

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Peanut festival in Bangalore

The Groundnut (Peanut) Fair, colloquially called the Kadalekai Parishe takes place once a year at Basavanagudi, in close proximity to Gandhi Bazaar. Every year during November-December over 200 vendors come to the city of Bangalore offering for sale tonnes of groundnuts. This photo essay covers the 2011 Fair that took place this week on Nov 21st and 22nd with Bull temple road becoming completely pedestrianised for the two days.

The legend goes that for some years, on every full moon day, a bull would charge into the groundnut fields located here and damage the crop. The farmers then offered prayers to the Nandi Bull to stop this and pledged to offer their first crop. Ever since, farmers and traders come here from the neighbouring villages and towns with cartloads of groundnuts a week in advance and there are visitors to the fair from within the city and from many places nearby.

 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbV_5g7OZKaWYR0fsHA1hqtNrpQqBS1OiYOV6zrLs96l1hGIOm7RkxvMNZyi43WNr9_8X6Eg_sn_cZhDgiCdrBlnhR_j8wDVj15aVrZTxDlMHc3UuwoS_vCYkj6UVTmXHtcW8U4UAv2k/s1600/Peanut+festival_1.JPG
 Groundnut growers, Balloon sellers and the Sugarcane juice vendors

Come visit Bangalore to see more such intriguing sights and events. Don't forget to check us out for premium serviced apartments in Bangalore www.thalassasuites.com

Friday, November 30, 2012

Adventure activities around Bangalore

  • Paintball
Grab your friends, split into two groups, head to the barracks and shoot to paint out the enemy team and lead your team to the victory flag. That’s paintball for you! This fun adventure sport has travelled all the way from New Hampshire to India only to become a popular sporting event among children and elders alike. So wanna give it a shot? Then head to Cubbon Park, or check out the National Paintball League in Indiranagar and Global Paintball on Dinnur Main Road in Bangalore for an afternoon of crazy fun.
  • Dirt biking
Remember those evenings after school when you grabbed your bicycle and raced your friends into dirt tracks? Well, what do you think of doing it again, NOW?! A rage in the mid 70’s, dirt biking is returning with a bang as a popular fun adventure sport in Bangalore. So how about dusting and cleaning that bicycle that’s been lying among the junk at home, and heading off to those muddy streets to get all dirty with fun.


  • Paragliding
Fly high into the skies, jump off the plane and fly with your hands and legs spread out and the wind cradling you. Watch the world below your grow bigger, throwing beautiful scenes you never though you would ever see, while you come back to earth paragliding.
Tandem jump with an instructor or train and glide to the ground all by yourself – that’s the choice you get to make at the Jakkur Flying Club in Bangalore and at Nandi Hills not far from here. A great way to tune your mind to crazy adventure sporting, paragliding is the perfect sport for free birds. So get into action and reward yourself by flying without wings.


  • Camping
Lose yourself and let Nature embrace you while you camp in the wilderness in and around Bangalore. Camping is not just a beautiful adventure to connect with nature, but also the perfect stress buster and a lesson in living harmoniously with the wild.

The Cauvery comes a-beckoning providing great camping sites along its course at Doddamakali and Bheemeshwari. Situated on the outskirts of Bangalore, Doddamakali hugs the Cauvery and offers a home to several exotic birds. Set off in coracles with local fishermen and spend a lazy day fishing, or trek to explore the jagged rocks and woods. Bheemeshwari’s jungle lodges set the mood for an expedition in the wild…further reading http://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/adventure-activities-around-bangalore/

When you’re visiting Bangalore, don’t forget to check out Thalassa Suites for premium serviced apartments at reasonable prices. www.thalassasuites.com



Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Interesting facts about Bangalore

The capital city of Karnataka, Bangalore lies at an altitude of approximately 920 m above the sea level. Spread over an area of 2190 km, the city serves as an administrative, cultural, commercial as well as the industrial center of the state. The tree-lined streets and the greenery in which the city abounds makes it a picturesque sight.

It is better to know about Bangalore facts and figures, if you are planning to give this beautiful city a visit. In the following lines, we have provided some interesting facts about Bangalore.
  • Bangalore was a name coined by Britishers for the conventional name BENDA KAALUURO (meaning "cooked peas"). Recently it is popularly accepted as Bangy or B'LORE.
  • Bangalore has the impeccable record of highest growth within a span of 20 Years.
  • Bangalore has the highest number of software companies in India -212. Hence it is called as Silicon Valley of India.
  • Bangalore has highest number of pubs in India. Bangalore has the highest number of breweries
    in the world.
  • Bangalore has 21 engineering colleges, which is highest in the world in a given city. Bangalore university has 57 engineering colleges affiliated to it, which is highest in the world.
  • Bangalore has highest number of public sectors and government organizations in India
  • Bangalore is the only city in the world to have commercial and defence airport operating  in same locality... further reading http://www.onebangalore.com/blog-spot/entry/interesting-facts-about-bangalore.html
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Bangalore Palace: 4 things you didn’t know about this Palais Royale

by Roanna Fernandes

Did you know that a two-seat wooden sofa within the palace could calculate your weight? The Bangalore Palace has some interesting elements finds Roanna Fernandes, just like its emperor’s bizarre fascination for taxidermy.



Bangalore Palace was built in 1862 by Rev. Garett, the first principal of Central High School in Bengaluru. If you observe the Tudor style architecture of the palace, you’ll find that it looks like a smaller replica of the Windsor Palace in England. The palace was built for King Chamaraja Wodeyar, and is currently owned by Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar, kin of the Mysore royal family. Here are four interesting facts about the palace you probably didn’t know.

The palace’s inner beast
King Chamaraja Wodeyar has a morbid fascination for stuffed animals’ remains. Definitely a little creepy! The palace has bar stools with cushions placed over a preserved mammal’s paws... further reading http://know.burrp.com/my-city/bangalore-palace-4-things-you-didnt-know/11141

If you are visiting Bangalore don't forget to check us out www.thalassasuites.com

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Top Ten Restaurants in Bangalore - Thalassa Suites

Bangalore is a foodie’s paradise. There is so much to choose from, so many concept restaurants, lounge bars, pubs, cozy snack places, fast food joints, theme cafes, and fine dining places. Here's a Pandora’s Box of restaurants with different cuisines that form a “top ten restaurants” list. Although I'm sure there are a lot of top ten restaurant lists out there - this one has been written solely from my viewpoint.
  1. Sahib Sindh Sultan (Mughlai)
    Located on the second floor of Forum Mall in Koramangala, this is a fine dining restaurant that takes one through a dining experience in true colonial style ambience. One of the best Mughlai cuisines in Bangalore, it tastes just about as authentic as North Indian food can be in other parts of the country. The way the waiters are dressed and the way certain parts of the restaurant are done up is fascinating (for instance: the train coaches, and the royal chairs, and the grand curtains). I would be spoiling the surprise if I were to mention all of it in detail here. One has to experience it and savor it. An average meal for two here would cost about Rs. 500/- to Rs. 600/- .S3, as it is better known amongst the foodies in Bengaluru, is a must-visit for Mughlai food junkies.
  2. Samarkhand (frontier)
    By far, the best for Frontier cuisine, this dimly lit restaurant has the waiters walking around in true Pathan suits and turbans and huge mustaches. The most innovative menu that they sport is designed in the form of a newspaper and has small write ups and notes in addition to the menu, of course. The kababs, grilled meat, nans, and also the huge pitcher type lemonade that they serve are worth the wait (the service is a bit slow, have to admit that). Here an average meal for two would be approximately Rs. 700/-. They also do the usual pampering of the customer who is celebrating his birthday there - clicking pictures, and giving you an instant copy of you with your group of friends on your birthday or any occasion you might be celebrating. Samarkhand is at Gem Plaza, in Infantry road.
  3. Mainland China (Chinese)
    Just at the beginning of the 100 ft Road, Indiranagar, you will find a posh dining place that serves excellent Chinese food. There is a buffet that is quite filling, with a choice of soups, starters like wontons and momos, the main course with brilliant chicken dishes, fish as well as rice and noodles (I'd suggest the noodles) and ends with dessert. The a la carte is slightly more expensive but the chicken dishes and the sauces are worth trying out. Reservations are recommended as you could end up waiting outside the restaurant for more than forty minutes!
  4. Sunny’s (Italian)
    A chic Italian restaurant in Vittal Mallya Road, Sunny’s is named after the owner’s pet dog. They have really friendly staff, nice interiors and great food. There are glass walls that let the sunlight seep in and make the setting perfect for a lazy Sunday lunch. The bread basket that comes with every meal consists of tasty garlic and other bread rolls and twists. Their pastas are recommended as against the pizzas. The penne in cream sauce and the Norwegian fish fillet/ grilled fish are to die for. The desserts in Sunny’s can be another separate discussion altogether. Chocolate desserts there just melt in your mouth and can leave you in a trance for a few seconds. The tri-chocolate mousse cake, the cheesecakes, tarts and the meringue cakes tempt you to... further reading http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/Top-Restaurants.asp
If you are visiting Bangalore, we offer premium serviced apartments at reasonable rates. Check out our Website for more information http://www.thalassasuites.com/
 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Top 5 things to do in Bangalore - Thalassa Suites Blog

Watch a match in the legendary chinnaswamy stadium
People from all over the world fly into Bangalore to watch the cricket matches, so what a shame it would be if you are in Bangalore and haven’t seen a match there. Take time out to watch a match in Chinnaswamy at least when India is playing.  Even if you just get a faint glimpse of Sachin batting, Man!! That would be a day to remember for a lifetime. 

Take a Bangalore heritage walk
There is so much history in Bangalore you will be amazed when you find out. Bangalore walks brings you weekend walks that will give you details about Bangalore’s history and culture.  It’s a 3 hour walk conducted every weekend by passionate presenters.  Ignite your passion for history and culture, for more info on these walks, visit their website bangalorewalks.com.

Enjoy a masala dosa and filter coffee
What do all Bangaloreans have in common?? They all love their masala dosa’s and strong filter coffee’s. Your options are immense, no matter where you are, there is a Darshini a stone throw away. If you want to experience the Bangalore’s best, then walk into MTR on Lalbaugh Road and enjoy the old world charm along with... further reading http://www.gobangalore.com/node/1981

Our Service Apartments helps you cover all the major attractions around Bangalore conveniently. Check out Thalassa Suites' Facebook page for more interesting information https://www.facebook.com/pages/THALASSA-SUITES