Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 26 ℃ | Low: 18 ℃ | Generally cloudy sky with light rain.
🧐 Did you know? There are over 3 lakh Rapido Captains in the city.
🔨 WPL mini-auction
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) mini-auction for the 2025 season will be held on December 15 in Bengaluru.
What’s it about? The five franchises have an increased budget of ₹15 crore each, up from ₹13.5 crore last season, to strengthen their squads. Among them, Delhi Capitals, runners-up in both 2023 and 2024, have the smallest remaining purse of ₹2.5 crore.
- Gujarat Giants, who finished last in the first two seasons, hold the largest purse of ₹4.4 crore after releasing seven players.
- Top international players such as England’s Heather Knight, New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu, and West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin will be key attractions in the auction.
Indians in fray: Indian players like allrounder Sneh Rana, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, and batter Veda Krishnamurthy are also expected to draw franchises’ attention at the auction.
🤩 Namma Jaatre
The Bengaluru Hubba will kick off with a grand curtain-raiser event, Namma Jaatre, on November 30, inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
What’s it about? This citizen-centric festival, organised by the state government, aims to transform public spaces into vibrant cultural hubs and celebrate Karnataka’s rich cultural heritage.
- Namma Jaatre will commence at Vidhana Soudha at 5 PM with a mesmerising performance by over 500 folk dancers representing 50 diverse dance forms from across the state.
- The evening will also feature a half-kilometre-long procession showcasing quintessential elements of Kannada culture and heritage.
Conclusion point: The procession will pay tribute to Karnataka’s eight Jnanpith Awardees with flower-covered palanquins and will travel through Bengaluru’s heart, concluding at MG Road.
🐆 Leopard spotted
A leopard sighting near the Turahalli Forest in the Banashankari area has put residents on high alert.
What’s it about? Early sighters circulated messages across Resident Welfare Association (RWA) WhatsApp groups with a photograph and video of the leopard lying on a rock near Sobha Forest View Apartments to alert others.
- The Forest Department has acknowledged the reports but could not confirm if the footage was captured recently.
- Police personnel have been deployed to investigate the alleged presence of the leopard.
Nelamangla tragedy: Earlier this month, a 48-year-old woman was fatally mauled by a leopard while returning from the fields in Nelamangala taluk.
🚌 Ticketless fined
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has collected over ₹19 lakh in fines over the past three months by intensifying checks to address ticketless travel and violations related to reserved seating.
What’s it about? Between August and October, BMTC checking staff inspected 57,219 trips in and around Bengaluru. They penalised 8,891 passengers travelling without tickets, collecting ₹17.96 lakh in fines.
- The crackdown specifically targeted passengers travelling without tickets and men occupying seats exclusively reserved for women.
- In total, BMTC penalised 10,069 passengers, collecting a combined sum of ₹19.13 lakh as fines during the three-month period.
Adherence to rules: Officials emphasised that these intensified checks aim to discourage ticketless travel and improve adherence to seating regulations, ensuring a smoother and more equitable commuting experience for all passengers.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Feel the magic of music live with Papon.
- Laugh at/with Flubber, the globally renowned award-winning clown at India’s International Clown Festival.
- Catch Vipul Goyal performing his special Unleashed.
- Have a Saturday Bollywood Night at BIGG DADDY Koramangala.
- Learn to play the ukulele on the tunes of Arijit Singh.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have commuted via KIA’s Terminal 2: 75.0% 🏆
- I have not commuted via KIA’s Terminal 2: 25.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
How would you prefer the BBMP to better utilise your taxes?
Sriranga: “By coordinating with bescom, bwssb before putting new roads and good tar roads”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!