Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌤️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny with partly cloudy skies in the late afternoon.
🧐 Did you know? Lavelle Road has an Irish soldier, Michael F Lavelle, to thank for its name. He bought so much land in the Cantonment area that now a whole road is named after him.
🥵 Hottest day so far
Mercury levels rose to 36.5 degrees Celsius in Bengaluru, the highest maximum temperature this year.
Story so far: On Tuesday, the city collectively sweated and sizzled as the temperature reached 36.5 degrees Celsius. It was the hottest day recorded this year. Per the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) data, the minimum temperature was 21 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 24%.
- The Bengaluru International Airport witnessed a high of 36.5 degrees, while the HAL Airport recorded 35 degrees.
- The highest recorded temperature in Bengaluru in April was 39.2 degrees Celsius, observed on April 24, 2016.
Forecast: The maximum temperature is most likely going to hover around 36 degrees Celsius and the minimum around 22 degrees Celsius. The skies will be clear, so it’s good to make plans to step out – but not without sunscreen, a water bottle, and a safe deodorant.
🖼️ Netherlands consulate’s photo exhibition
Netherlands’ Consulate General organised a photo exhibition for the students and staff of Christ University.
Story so far: The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs and the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Christ University, has organised a photography exhibition that promotes empowerment by highlighting the resilience of girls, women, and communities.
- Titled ‘Resilience – Stories of Women Inspiring Change’, the exhibition is developed by the World Press Photo Foundation.
- It has 36 photographs taken by 17 photographers from 13 countries on display. Some of them are award-winning pictures.
Why it matters? Women’s rights and gender equality have been a top priority in Dutch foreign policy for a while. Ewout de Wit, the Consul General, said that the world prospers more when people have equal opportunities.
📷 Digitising heritage workshop
To mark World Heritage Day on April 18, history enthusiasts and students gathered at the Venkatappa Art Gallery for a workshop.
Story so far: On Tuesday, the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage in Mysuru collaborated with The Mythic Society, Bengaluru, to organise a day-long workshop around the theme ‘Heritage Changes’.
- Students of Epigraphy from Kannada Sahitya Parishath and history students from Maharani Cluster University and St Joseph’s University participated in the interactive workshop.
- Participants were trained in ways to verify and digitally preserve inscriptions by using technology. Students were also exposed to several century-old inscriptions outside the gallery.
Why it matters? Climactic changes and human actions affect cultural heritage. They determine what endures and what is lost through the passage of time. The workshop was aimed at equipping people to physically and digitally preserve cultural heritage for future generations.
🛍️ Commercial hubs bounce back
Bengaluru’s commercial hubs are recovering from the pandemic-induced downturn.
Story so far: Bengaluru’s commercial hubs are back on the saddle after a Covid-19 pandemic-induced slowdown. Brigade Road Shops and Establishments Association (BRSEA) reports a 25 – 30% upsurge in business in the area compared to 2019.
- On Brigade Road, new retail stores have replaced the 32 businesses forced to shut during the slowdown.
- Commercial Street tells a similar story. Traders are reporting consistent growth in customers and business.
Why it matters? With businesses booming, rent prices are likely to rise in tandem. In prime commercial areas, rents are soaring up to pre-pandemic heights. It affects wholesalers the most, who will take time to recover from the pandemic.
📊 Today’s Poll
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Do you prefer Android or iOS?
- I prefer Android.
- I prefer iOS.
❓ Today’s Question
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What’s your favourite summer drink?
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🗞️ In other news…
- ActionAid Association asks the BBMP to complete lake restoration and cleaning before monsoon.
- Changing land use patterns could be a reason behind soaring temperature in Bengaluru.
- Ballots arrive at the doorsteps of over 8,000 Bengaluru residents.
- A rare brass emblem and a sculpture of the Hoysala dynasty were found in Belagavi’s village.
- The Forest Department dismissed rumours that the leopard sighted on Gadag Binkadakatti road escaped from Gadag Zoo.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I use a smartwatch: 46.7%
- I don’t use a smartwatch: 53.3% 🏆
That’s it for today. Have a great day!