Durga Puja 2006 Locations in Bangalore

I am writing up an itinerary of Durga Pujas in Bangalore this year with an intent to witness all of them. Please comment below if you know of additional pujas in Bangalore.

Airport Road - Wind Tunnel Road

Air Force puja - after you enter Wind Tunnel Road from Airport Road, halfway on Wind Tunnel Road, there is a driveway that takes you into an Air Force Campus. This is probably opposite Rifco apartment. The sureshot way to not miss it is to realize that the Airforce campus wall stretches from Airport Road halfway into Wind Tunnel Road.
This is typicall a small puja. But it is done in a pretty homely way. Kind of like chotto para pujas in the Bengali heartland. For those who know me, Habul was the singer (evening entertainer on one of the puja evenings) here last year. This is also a good location for the sindoor stuff on Dashami, for those who stay on Airport Road.

Bellary Road-Mekhri Circle

If you travel along Bellary Road from city centre (Windsor Manor or Cauvery Theatre) towards Hebbal. As you cross the Mekhri Circle underpass, you will see an entrance to an Air Force Campus on the left side. The puja is almost just inside the gate. This is not a very large puja. But there are cultural programs in the evening. This is a multicultural puja with probably more of Hindi songs and programs than anything else.

Cambridge Layout - Indiranagar

The typical route is after exiting the Command Hospital puja and moving towards Indiranagar. In the Cambridge Layout area, after crossing the Sai mandir etc, there is a lane to the left just before reaching a small bridge over a drain. This is on the way to ESI hospital and finally the SONY service centre on 100 feet road. Once you enter this lane, it winds for a few hundred metres and brings you to a municipal choultry adjacent to a temple. This is the location of the Puja. Definitely one of the bigger pujas with grand cultural programs.

Command Hospital -Indiranagar\Airport Road\Cambridge Layout

If you go from MG Road towards the Airport, you will notice a left turn just before Command Hospital pops up on your left. Entering this left turn you'll find yourself deep inside defence property. Few hundred metres in, there is a circle where you have to enter the hospital gate on the right. Inside you wind along towards the commotion and presently you'll find yourself at a large playground where the puja is. Not a big puja, but hosts hindi song evenings. Being a defence puja it is markedly multicultural.

CV Raman Nagar\DRDO

I guess there's one there too. Probably in the community centre. I'll have to find out details though.

Jayamahal

One of the bigger pujas. Well documented too... Read up.
http://jayamahaldurgapuja.blogspot.com

Schedule: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5959/103/1600/Page1.0.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5959/103


Jayanagar

I am not sure if there's one, though I'd guess there is.

JP Nagar

Usually at the junction of Bannerghatta Road and Outer Ring Road in JP Nagar. A medium sized puja.

Koramangala

This puja is a few years old and was located at Kalyana Mantapa near Ganesha Temple for last couple of years. Apparently this year they banished a subgroup for unknown reasons. This subgroup started a brand new puja. Interestingly, this new group managed to book the Kalyana Mantapa before the Real McCoys. So you'll see this new puja at the old place this year.
The traditional group can be visited few hundred meters away, somewhere near the Police Station.
Excellent turn of luck for Koramangalaians in terms of being able to see two pujas in one shot!

Mahalakshmi Layout

I am sure there is a puja, though I'll need to figure out the route - STAY TUNED!

Malleshwaram - Canara Union

This was pointed out to be a simple middle class puja. I remember having visited last year. Shouldn't have forgotten to include. Definitely gives a homely sense.

Marathahalli

This one was pointed out on Navami day. It is reached by taking a right turn from the top of Marathahalli railway overbridge while headed towards Whitefield (alongside the Aisshwarya apartments). It is the second year of this puja.

Ulsoor

Bengalee Association, Assaye Road. But the puja is located large open fields in the vicinity. This is the definitive uber puja. Oldest, biggest etc etc. NOT TO BE MISSED.

Whitefield - Brookefields

Located at Brookefields opposite HLL in the big marriage hall. Rapidly growing puja - and walkable from my home! From Airport, proceed towards Marattahalli, cross it and proceed towards Varthur over the railway overbridge at Marattahalli. This is one straight road.
After crossing the railway overbridge, about half a kilometre later the Kundalahalli traffic junction is reached. Take a left there towards ITPL. About half a kilometre ahead, the marriage hall on the left hosts this puja (landmarks on the right - opposite side of road - Lakme Beauty Salon, andhra spice restaurant, sobha IT park, Hindustan Lever's Brookefield office etc etc).

Whitefield - Village

Located at Inner Circle of Whitefield Village (Close to Nilgiris in Whitefield). Smaller. Multicultural with a twist - when we visited children were dancing to Tamil hits.

Configuring a Netgear 614 router

I'd thought a wireless router bought of SP Road should work as soon as plugged in. And it had for the D-Link that I'd bought a month ago. However, the Netgear 614 was a tougher nut. After buying it last Sunday afternoon, I'd spent many a late hour trying to get it working. NADA. Finally, I called the shop, who gave me Netgear's Toll Free number 1800 425 4327. As this is not reachable from my cellphone, I called the other number 044 42087477. Deepak answered and helped me get it working. It was a conflict with the IP Airtel DSL modem uses.
1) Disconnected the DSL modem from Wireless Router.
2) Pressed the reset (small hole at back of router) for 30 seconds.
3) Unplugged router power and powered it back on.
4) Fired up cmd and ipconfig'd. The IP should be 192.168.1.1 and gateway should be 192.168.5.1
5) Fire up IE and connected to http://www.routerlogin.com/basicsetting.htm
6) In the page that comes up, just click the Apply button at the bottom.
7) This brings up a login prompt after 5 seconds. userid: admin passwd: password.
8) On the left click on Wireless setup and choose Asia, 11, b and g. Apply.
8) On the left click on LAP IP and choose change the 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.5.1, change 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.5.2. THIS IS KEY STEP. Apply.
9) The IE should disconnect. That's ok.
10) Power off the router (unplug) and connect modem cable and power on (replug power).
11) Redo ipconfig
12) Try accessing internet.
13) Go to the computer with wireless access, and try to scan for this router.
14) Connect and access internet.
15) Thank Mr Deepak (or Mr Naveen) and heave a sigh of relief.

Partial Lunar Eclipse in India

Dark side of the moon.