Staycation a new trend among Bengalureans

It’s a safe home away from home they say Bengaluru residents prefer staycation over planned long-distance travel. Presha Malhotra, a Bengaluru resident, on being contacted by The Observer, said: “I prefer staycations because they are an easy way to travel, take a break without straying too far from home. It is like a safe home away from home with […]

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More and more people shop from Instagram stores

Small businesses flourish due to increased orders More and more people are shifting to Instagram stores to shop. Sales got a push during the lockdowns, say Instagram store owners. Shreya Kushwa, 21, a student in Bengaluru, started Instagram shopping during the pandemic. “During the lockdown, I didn’t have much to do; all I did was […]

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Japanese anime become gain popularity in B’luru

Japanese food, language make people curious Entertainment stores have been witnessing increased footfalls with the rising popularity of  ‘anime culture’. Japanese restaurants and language institutes have joined the race. Vani Kartik, owner of the Entertainment Store, informed The Observer: “The number of people coming to our store for anime merchandise has increased….  About 70 percent […]

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Strong parasocial ties leave fans shattered after death of celebs

These demises are a personal loss to admirers Dhruv Yadav, a man in his late twenties, did not eat for three days after his favourite actor passed away. The sudden death of Puneeth Rajkumar caused him to feel empty from within. Yadav, who never met the actor, felt as if a loved one had departed. […]

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As Covid cases subside, pending dental procedures resume

Clinics were shut during peak of the second wave Tanisha Kannan of Mysuru experienced severe toothache in mid-March. At that time, the second wave of Covid-19 was just around the corner. Terrified, she decided to postpone her visit to a dentist and tolerated the pain for some more time. To her horror, the tooth had […]

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Low demand makes vegan food unaffordable for enthusiasts

Confusion prevails over certification of food by PETA Many people want to turn to veganism, but it is exclusive to only a small section of society. Reason: Food items are not readily available and are extremely expensive. Ankita Kumar, 25, a software engineer, tried being a vegan but could not sustain it. “I was a […]

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Self-help books gave peace to many during the pandemic

They help people improve quality of life: Therapist There was a significant rise in the publication and readership of self-help books in 2020 among youngsters because of the pandemic.  Srikant K, manager of The Bookhive, Church Street, informed The Observer: “There was a surge in the purchase of self-help genre books last year in the first […]

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Amid pandemic, digital art businesses thrive

Several artists have publicized them on Instagram Mausam Gala was delighted on her 22nd birthday when she received a digitally illustrated frame from her best friends. It showed them with the birthday girl. “It’s very personalized and affordable. This art (digital illustrations) became popular because of social media. I didn’t know we could make such designs […]

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Korean restaurants sprout as popularity of K-culture rises

‘Korean cuisine tastes like Indian food’ Korean restaurants in Bengaluru have been witnessing increased footfalls with the rising popularity of Korean pop culture and  food in the city.   A large number of new Korean restaurants have sprung up in the city within the past few years.  Nirmal Tamang, the manager of Hae Kum Gang, a […]

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Well-read Bengaluru has few spaces for Kannada readers

The reason is dominance of English reading Bengaluru  has very few reading clubs that have Kannada readers, with most reading English books alone, say book clubs.  According to the 2017 Amazon Reading Trends Report, Bengaluru is the most well-read city in India, with Mumbai and Delhi ranking second and third respectively. Bengaluru is home to […]

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