Road to London 2012

The year 2012 is predicted as the end of the world; I am not a believer of these predictions. But I firmly believe in the present Indian Hockey team’s promise to bring India back on the Olympic stage. I am all excited about the young Indian team, whose average age is 23 with youngest player at 18 years coming from the heartlands of Coorg - Uthappa Sannuvanda Kushalappa.

Hero FIH Road to London (Men) Delhi 2012 - starting on 18-02-2012 at Major Dhyan Chand National stadium is a six nation qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics with only the winner going to London 2012.

Chief Coach Michael Nobbs has a team with a mix of experience and youth. Ignace Tirkey is the oldest and most experienced member (236 caps) of the team at 30 years of age. The team is led by acrobatic goalkeeper Bharat Kumar Chetri and assisted by mercurial center half Sardar Singh. There are a bunch of drag flickers with experienced Sandeep Singh, Raghunath V and young Rupinder Pal Singh all set to convert the penalty corners to goals for India.

Poland and Canada pose a big challenge to the Indian team and make things a little tough. Singapore, Italy and French are the least experienced and this time around India should walk through the opponents and make a comeback to the Olympic stage after their missed bus of 2008 Beijing Olympics.

All matches are telecasted Live on Ten Sports in India and live video streaming on http://www.fih.livesport.tv/ . However, In India due to territory licensing restrictions, live video streaming is not possible. You can also catch all the action at FIH website.

I wish Indian Hockey team all the good luck and hope our team will bring back India to the stage where it ruled the game of Hockey – The Olympics.

Churches of Bangalore

It is the season of Christmas and Bangalore is in a holiday mood with school children enjoying their vacation, people decorating their Xmas trees and planning the Christmas crib.

It is also the time when Churches in Bangalore are all painted, decorated and ready to welcome the birth of Jesus Christ. Here, you can catch all the decorated Xmas trees, the Christmas Cribs, beautiful lighting, and Christmas Carols. I have captured some pictures with my Sony DSC-W290 of the well known churches of Bangalore with some details that could help you to make a visit to any one of the Churches. So, let me start with the Church next to St.Aloysius school where I did my schooling.

St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral at Promenade Rd, Cleveland Town, Frazer Town, Bengaluru - 560005.

St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral has its origins in a church by the same name, which has a history of nearly 165 years. In 1905, when the cross from the old tower of the church fell, it was interpreted as a sign to build a new structure. Father Servanton raised funds for the new edifice which was opened in 1932. In 1940, the church was designated a cathedral, writes Pushpa Achanta

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/203128/cantonments-oasis-calm.html

Immaculate Conception and memorial of catholic soldiers at St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral compound.

St.Anthony's Shrine at St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral compound.

St. John's Church at St Johns Church Rd, Cleveland Town, Frazer Town Bengaluru, 560005.

St. John’s Church is the fourth oldest Protestant Church in Bangalore. The Church was consecrated on 12th April 1858 by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Dealtry, Third Bishop of Madras, and dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and so renamed as “St. John’s Church”. With this the name of Mootocherry was changed to “St. John’s Hill” and the road south of the Church was named “St. John’s Church Road” leading to the St. John’s Road near Ulsoor Lake. The local people called the Church “Sigapoo Oosimatha Koil” which means the “Red Church”.

http://www.stjohnschurchbangalore.com/?page_id=134

C.S.I Wesley English Church at 11, Promenade Road, Coles Park , Bangalore- 560005.

St. MARY’S BASILICA at Msgr. F. Noronha Road Shivajinagar Bangalore - 560051

St. Mary's Basilica is a basilica located in the Archdiocese of Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica.[1][2] It is famous for the festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, an event that attracts a number of devotees from in and around Bangalore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mary's_Basilica,_Bangalore.

http://www.stmarysbasilica.in
Holy Ghost Church at Davis Rd, Pillanna Garden, Richards Town Bangalore – 560084

May 24, 1953, Archbishop A.S.Colas, of Pondicherry, blessed and opened Holy Ghost Church on Pentecost Sunday, the feast of the Patron. From that day this granite church, characterized by walls of great height, a spacious marble-floored sanctuary and lofty galleries and windows, has been a centre of sacramental life and worship.

http://holyghostchurch.in/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53

St. Andrews Church at No.27, Cubbon Road, Bangalore-560001

This Church of Scotland was erected and opened for public worship on 18 November 1886, two years after its foundation stone was laid by Lady Hope Grant. It is of Gothic Architecture and accommodates about five hundred. The building is surrounded by a tower which holds the Municipal Jubilee Memorial Clock with four dials which was a great convenience to the people who lived around it.

http://standrewschurch.org.in


C.S.I East Parade Church at No.15, M.G. Road, Bangalore 560001.

East Parade Church derives its name from its location on the East side of the extensive Parade ground which in those days covered the entire area from Cubbon Park to the present day Dickenson Road.
The Church was built by Wesleyan Methodist missionaries for the use of British soldiers stationed in Bangalore Cantonment, following Wesleyan traditions of worship. The Church was built in 1865 and was the earliest Church built by them in the Mysore District. A clear inscription on one of the built up stones of the church shows a date 6 th -Oct -1863 which is presumably the date the foundation was laid.

http://www.epmc-blr.org


Holy Trinity Church, Trinity Church Rd, Halasuru, Near MG Road - Bengaluru.

Built in the English Renaissance style in 1848-51, Holy Trinity Church is on the east end of the Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bangalore. The Church was built for the British Army stationed in Bangalore Cantonment.

St. Lourdes Church at No.14, Cambridge Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore - 560008.

The Foundation stone was laid by MGR. M.DESPATURES.D.D Bishop of Mysore on 10 January 1937.

Hudson Memorial Church at Hudson Circle, Sampangirama Nagar, Near City Corporation, Bengaluru.

Hudson Memorial Church is one of the major landmarks of the city. It lies in the middle of Hudson circle near Bangalore City Corporation. The church was built in 1904, in memory of Rev Josiah Hudson. This impressive structure with a tower and several stained glass windows is an example for the neo-gothic style of architecture.

ST.MARKS CATHEDRAL at #1, M.G. Road, Bangalore - 560001

St. Marks Cathedral was founded in 1808 and was completed in 1812. The Bishop of Calcutta consecrated this Cathedral in 1816. This Cathedral is a beautiful colonial structure having a graceful dome over a semicircular chancel that transports the visitor almost immediately into tranquility.

http://www.saintmarks.in/

Infant Jesus Shrine at Bazaar Street, Vivek Nagar Bengaluru

Infant Jesus Church at Vivek Nagar, which is now the biggest church in Karnataka and a popular pilgrimage centre, has a long history of sacrifice and devotion. The Church was first conceived by Fr. Paul Kinatukara in the sixties and the foundation was laid in April 1970 by Rev.Dr.Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore. The missionary zeal (in spite of daunting hurdles) of Fr. L. Peter established the church on a firm footing and the church was opened to devotees in the year 1979, to honour and glorify the divine Infant Jesus of Prague.

http://www.infantjesusshrine.com/

Sacred Heart Church at Xavier Layout, Victoria Layout, Bengaluru.

The Sacred Heart Church in Bangalore, is almost a century old. The church is rich in both French and Gothic architectural styles and is built using granite, marble and stone.

St Patrick's Church at Richmond Town, Bengaluru.
Church under renovation..picture will be posted soon...

St. Antony's shrine at St Patrick's Church at Richmond Town, Bengaluru.

Adoration Chapel at St Patrick's Church at Richmond Town, Bengaluru.

St. Joseph's Church at Fr. Briand Square, Tharagupete - Bangalore.

St. Joseph's church was built in 1857 and is one of the oldest churches in Bangalore.

Ascension Church at D Costa Layout, Cooke Town Bangalore.

Thank you for visiting this blog and exploring the Churches of Bangalore. There are many other Churches in Bangalore that could not be captured in this blog. I will try to click them soon.
Original pictures can be downloaded at 
https://picasaweb.google.com/hemanthsinbox/ChurchesOfBangalore

Take Care.

India - Please do it !

After the start of the 2011 World Cup, many Cricket journalists re-viewed the team and the summary on the team was......Indian batsman should set a target batting first that cannot be chased by the opposition or chase down any score that the opposition sets. Time has come in the Finale for the batsman to prove the scribes right. As I am writing this blog - Sehwag is gone for a duck :(. Hope rest of the team stand-up. Keeping my fingers crossed....

Celebrations reach a Crescendo !

Sixty two football matches played, last two matches remain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup to complete a month long footballing extravaganza. The tournament has now entered the final phase and the stage is all set at the Soccer City Stadium for the summit clash between the best two teams in this world cup.

The Celebrations will reach a crescendo when the fans from Oranje cheer Viva Holland and Spanish fans rooting for the La Furia Roja to do them proud. This will be one match that every football fan wants to be a part, be it in the stadium, watching the action in the city center on a giant screen, cheering for their favorite in a downtown pub, at their homes on a small TV screen and catching the action on the internet.

In the last 29 days we have seen 62 intriguing football matches where the teams competed on a single goal to lift the cup of joy. It has thus far been an opera of sorts; reigning WC champions Azzuri biting the dust against Slovaks and a continent’s hope shattered after Ghana went out of the QF against a resolute Uruguay. We have heard the Vuvuzvela sound at its loudest for the host nation; the Bafana putting up a brave show. Japan making a mark with the elite football playing nations and Argentina knocked out by Germans; thus ending the cup dreams of legendary Maradona as a Coach.

Each one of us have experienced this world cup and highlighted it in our own ways. Crying for goal line technology from the English, the Jabulani effect for the Goal keepers, fans dancing to the Waka Waka song by Shakira and people waving the flag with Knan's celebration mix. Fantasy games for the internet lovers, Paul the psychic Octopus playing the predictor and emotions for the players when their country’s anthem is played. The Celebrations has now reached the home run. Fans are eagerly awaiting the soccer city clash to see the new FIFA Football World Cup champions.

Come July 11^th 2010, we will see a first time FIFA Football WC champion joining as the Eighth Country of WC winning nations and this definitely augurs well for the future of the game. Who will win the cup is nobody's guess? It could be the Oranje succeeding in their third world cup Final's appearance, previous being second best in 1974 and 1978 FIFA Football WCs? or the La Furia Roja shedding the tag of under achievers and emulating West Germany for Euro and FIFA Football WC double?