Puttenahalli Lake and Navaratri

We are wary of festivals because of the toll they take on water bodies in general and our lake in particular. Navaratri, however, became special for us since 2013 when a South City resident Raji decided to make our Puttenahalli Lake part of her "Golu." Invited for haldi kumkum, we walked in and stopped short. What? Our Lake in the Golu? The lake made of chart paper and little figures was almost an exact replica of Puttenahalli Lake. Raji and her son Aditya had anticipated it full of water and their model had an expanse of blue when in reality the lake bed was more green with weeds. This unusual representation during a festival of dolls caught the eye of the press and Jagran City Plus carried this story.

At Navaratri last year we had another heartwarming surprise when a Brigade Millennium resident, Anjana Shivakumar decided to revere Mother Nature by donating to PNLIT the money she would otherwise have spent on gifts for her haldi kumkum guests. We returned her kind gesture by "gifting" her and her 40 odd friends with an Indian Rosewood (Sheesham) growing tall and stately in the Viewing Deck. You can read this story here. 

(Pic: Nupur Jain)

This year Anjana has once again decided to pay her respects to Nature, the Supreme Mother, through Puttenahalli Lake. The photograph above shows the pride of place Anjana has given the lake and also indeed, how much the Sheesham has grown in this one year. 

Raji's dream of seeing the lake full of water is also slowly and steadily becoming a reality with the inflow of excess treated water from South City Sewage Treatment Plant. 

Our major challenge now is to remove the invasive alligator weed and reveal the water in all its glory for our communities of humans and birds. This is a huge challenge and expensive as well but with the prayers of people like Anjana and Raji directed towards the welfare of the lake, we shall overcome this hurdle. 

Navaratri greetings to all from PNLIT.

Usha

Celebrating Puttenahalli Lake restoration

One of the highlights of Navaratri is the Golu (Bombe Habba) when dolls are displayed tastefully on shelves. It is also an opportunity for the family to show their creativity by setting up a park or garden with sprouts and little figures. What is less known about Golu is that in earlier times the celebration aimed at encouraging dredging or irrigation canals and river beds. The clay thus removed was used to make the dolls. 

One of the residents at South City invited me yesterday for haldi kumkum. Raji had arranged the Golu in the front room so I went automatically towards it and then stopped short. Near the wall, in front of the Golu steps was a very familiar sight - the Puttenahalli Lake! Raji and her young son Aditya had recreated the lake on thermocol with such attention to details that anyone who's visited the lake even once would be able to identify it! For good measure, on the wall was the PNLIT logo, the date palm!

More pix can be seen here.

I forgot all about the formal assembly of dolls on the shelves and sat on the floor in front of the lake as mesmerized as I am with the real lake! Did Raji know the ancient significance of the clay dolls? Perhaps not but what she and Aditya had done was truly to celebrate the rejuvenation of the lake. This is an honour each of us trustees will treasure for ever!

The vital role a lake plays is to act as catchment and prevent flooding in the area. Last night saw perhaps the heaviest shower in a long time and the water level in the lake has gone up by at least three feet or more.

For more pix see here.

Even with the bulk of the water going to the lake, there's water logging at various places. Imagine what would have happened if our lake had gone the way of hundreds of Bangalore's now extinct lakes! Truly, we do need to celebrate lakes by nurturing each one of them. 

Navaratri greetings to all

Usha