APRIL 25 | 20102 times features SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA, BANGALORE

HShruthi Balakrishna | TNN

Chilled water bottles toquench thirst in city au-torickshaws! Commut-

ers couldn’t have asked for mo-re. With the summer heat driv-ing people crazy, some autosin the city are selling the ‘nat-urally chilled’ water bottles.

Initiated by Easy Auto, abranded call autorickshawservice, presently has 250 ve-hicles with it. Of these, 70 pro-

vide water bo-ttles to comm-uters. Theadvertisem-ent is promi-

nently displayed inside the autowhich is hard to miss. Eachbottle is priced at Rs 15 inclu-sive of service charge of Re 1.

“One of the ideas is to en-hance the earnings of theauto driver in a small way asever rupee counts for them,”Padmasree Harish, managingdirector, Easy Auto, told TOI.

Though the companywanted to introduce provid-ing water bottles from the be-ginning, they thought it wasideal to do it from March asthe summer begins. “Thisworked as summer is scorch-ing here. Earlier when com-muters felt thirsty, they had tofind place where they could getwater. Now, it’s easier. More-over, quite a lot of our drivershave given positive feedbackwhile a fewfound it difficult tosell as they are shy. We have noproblems with that,” she ex-plained. On an average thedrivers sell 5-6 bottles which

easily sums up to extra Rs 30.Easy Auto provides canvas

bag to hold six bottles filledwith ice cubes. This chillnesswill last for 6-8 hours. Someof them even keep in the re-frigerator which lasts for 4-5hours. “I don’t have refriger-ator at home. When com-muters ask me for a chilledwater bottle, I cannot providethem. I couldn’t sell more thanone or two bottles. Hence I de-cided to return to the owners.They had no problems withthat. However, those with therefrigerator, it’s an advan-tage,” an auto driver, who didnot want to be named, said.

The company is contempl-ating introducing fresh packedjuices along with water for thecommuters. What’s more, theyare also looking at providingpre-paid mobile recharge cardsfrom the telecom providers sothat commuters can take fromthe drivers.

In addition to this, thecompany is also planning tohave kiosks at malls. To be-gin with, they will have 25stationary vehicles at a lead-ing mall so that commutersneed not have to wait to getan auto. “Our autos are mon-itored by the police depart-ment. It will be exclusive forthe customers for the mall,”Padmasree added.

If you know of services ofpublic interest or are a

provider of such services,mail the details to

toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com with ‘At Your Service’ in the

subject line

QUENCH YOURTHIRST IN AUTO

AT YOURSERVICE

BANGALORE’S BOOKPEOPLE, INDIA’S LIBRARY

From the hearth of

CHIKMAGALURNirmala Govindarajan | TNN

They all had Bangalore as theirlaunch pad and took off well. Bookstores and libraries that etchedtheir beginnings in Bangalore are

now foraying into other cities.“The way Bangalore’s booksellers have

been faring, I wouldn’t be exaggerating bysaying that they’ll make a mark in theircities,” says Balram Sadhwani, president,Book Sellers Association, Bangalore.

Sankars had its first outlet at the HALAirport, before spreading to 10 Indian cities,and plans to open eight more branches.JustBooks, the library with an OnDemandretail facility, has over 10 branches in Ban-galore and is opening its first branch out-side the city in Mumbai.

“As far as booksellers are concerned, wedon’t find anything parallel to Sankars. Itsdirector Vivek Sankaran not only sells thebook, but understands it and tries to iden-tify the real buyer. What really goes for himis that he tries and maintains contact withhis customers,” says Sadhwani. Sapna isanother great example of book people whoconnect, he adds.

“The owners have given the city a bookmall and many outlets across the rest ofKaranataka,” says Sadhwani, adding, Just-Books, with 10 branches here, has huge po-tential to spread wings outside the city.

Sadhwani indicates that India’s readingpopulace continues to grow. “From what Iassess through our national book fairs,Kolkata’s readers are growing in geomet-rical proportions. Chennai’s readers showtremendous responses. Mumbai’s avid read-ers don’t turn up in such large numbers tothe book fairs given that there are severalwell-established book stores. In Delhi,there’s brilliant responsefrom government bodiesand research institutes.We’ve conducted our seventh fest in Ban-galore and between the first year and now,both visitors and participants have boost-ed our morale in a big way,” he smiles.

So, what takes Vivek Sankaran, directorof Sankars, and Sundar Rajan R, founder-director of JustBooks, across the country?

When was the idea mooted?

Sankaran: Sankars, the book people had itshumble beginnings at the Bangalore air-port in 1967-68, until the airport moved baseto Devanahalli, where we presently do nothave a presence.Rajan: Started as an experimental centre inWhitefield in 2008, JustBooks clc is now in-cubated as a start-up enterprise at NSRCEL,IIM Bangalore, with 10 libraries in differ-ent parts of the city, two apartment libraries,a library at the food court of a tech park, anOnDemand platform on the Net and a cor-

porate library. Retail too, is an OnDemandfacility at some of our centres.

Books, libraries and readers in IndiaSankaran: Though our forte has alwaysbeen management books, we are also thelargest retailers of best-selling fiction, beit of the latest Frederick Forsyth or thenew Dan Brown. Were also proud of our

collection by Indian au-thors. Authors likeShashi Tharoor, Anita

Nair, Chidanand Rajghatta and Raj KamalJha, among several others, have releasedtheir works through our stores.Rajan: The key to knowledge is often hid-den in a well-stacked library. There seemsa renewed interest in books in India, goingby the trade figures and the number of pub-lishers setting shops here. There is alsosome serious talent being unearthed withsome very original writing. It’s a great timeto be around for a book lover.Spreading wings to other citiesSankaran: Sensing and anticipating the needsof our customers, over the years, we haveopened branches in Ahmedabad, Pune,Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore,Bhubaneswar, Goa, Kochi, Hubli, Mumbaiand Mangalore. Our latest project is the Na-landa bookstore at the Taj Mahal Palace Ho-tel, Mumbai. And, we are setting up eightmore SIS (shop-in-shop) models this year.

Rajan: JustBooks clc is an attempt to com-bine new generation retail industry conceptslike multiple formats, vibrant ambience, cus-tomer-friendly operational procedures withfriendly technology like RFID usage, self serv-ice machines, while keeping the function ofa library at the core. We hope to increase theefficiency of our library operations by bor-rowing liberally from supply chain and oth-er distribution logistics followed in retail in-dustry along with smart usage of technolo-gy. We have six stores in Bangalore at Ran-gashankara, Taj Residency, Oasis Lifestyle,Safina Plaza, Atria and Le Meridian. As manyof our customers frequently travel, we’vespread our operations to more cities.Rajan: Bangalore is a great place to start. Theresponse from the initial set of consumerscan make or break a startup. JustBooks waslucky to get a caring set of members, whowere patient with its initial hiccups.

The USPSankaran: Customer feedback determines ourdecision-making process and translates intoall activities including stocking decisions,display, decor and service. Our high-qualityservice has laid the groundwork for a long-term relationship with our customers, mak-ing them repeat buyers.Rajan: JustBooks is not the act of putting theright books on the shelves — but the act ofconnecting readers and books. When a mem-ber signs up at any one branch of JustBooks,she/he instantly becomes a member of theentire chain and gets access to all the booksin all the branches of JustBooks. She/he caneither walk across and access the book orcan request the book to be brought from anybranch and given to her/him. Members whosigned up with just about 10,000 books a yearago now have to access to over 1,00,000 booksat no additional cost.

nirmala.govindarajan@timesgroup.com

Sagareeka Sham | TNN

Eating out is not a once-in-a-bluemoon affair anymore, ra-ther, many venture out on the

spur of the moment, be it due to asurprise guest or an unlit kitchenfire. For one such gastronomic oc-casion and those with a palate forvariety, Suggi is the place to dig in.

The food here is from the hilly ter-rain of Chikmagalur, nestled insouth-west Karnataka. The kai kad-abu, kori rotti, eaten with a veg/non-veg curry, can leave anyone unac-quainted with Malnad food quiteflummoxed. But a cursory browseof the menu — which also mentionssoups, starters, curries, rice items,

among others— will help.The effort isworth it as themenu also car-ries tidbitsabout Malnad,its culture andfood.

“The food weserve is differ-ent from

coastal Karnataka food, and comesfrom a place called Mallandur. Itis not yet commercially popularin restaurants as it is the kind ofstuff made at home,’’ claimsMithun S N, proprietor of Suggi.“It is rare to find any restaurantin Bangalore serving kai kadabuand benne kadabu. It’s our spe-ciality,’’ he adds.

Part of the main fare is kai kad-abu (a kind of idli), shavige (ricevermicelli), neer dosa (soft white

dosa), kori rotti (crusty, paper-thinroti), ragi mudde (ragi balls), akkirotti (rice roti), which go well withnon-veg gravies like nati koli (coun-try chicken) curry, chicken curry,mutton curry and vegetable curries.

Since kori rotti, kai kadabu andragi mudde fall into the bracket oftraditional Karnataka food, it is agood option to try a small helping,as eating these dishes is an art, andalso needs an acquired taste.

In spite of the badanekai gojju(brinjal gravy), baby corn chillyand palak, one gets the feelingthere is a bigger spread for thenon-vegetarian, what with a hostof seafood dishes — fish, crabs,prawns and squid.

Among starters, Suggi chicken,which is marinated and thensteamed, is a good try. And forthose looking for a full meal, thereare veg and non-veg thalis, andcombos too. Some ragi porridge inthe vegetarian thali will surprisepeople used to soups. The thali it-self is an interesting spread of veg-etables, rice, sambar... all that will

keep a veggie happy.Digging into one such veg thali,

Krishnamurthy M, businessman,said: “Darshini food can put you offat times. I like the food here as it’sless oily and the thali is whole-some.” Chirag S, a student, adds:“The chicken shorba is appetising.”

While you relish the food, don’tmiss the decor: it is contemporarybut has visible old-world signs, es-pecially the copperware in whichthe piping hot food is served. Maybe the service could be a little moreprofessional. So, foodies with a yenfor tradition, head to Suggi, whereMalnad food is served by topi andsilk dhoti-clad waiters.

SUGGI Basaveshwaranagar Ph: 40907942BEL Road Ph: 42083291Timings: 12.30pm-4pm, 7pm-11pm

(If you know any hot eating jointsin your area, tell us about them at|toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com

with ‘What’s Cooking’ in the subject line)

Libraries and bookstores that started inBangalore are openingbranches in other cities

SPREADING WINGS

Photos : Syed Asif

Photos: Joe Louis D’Anto

Syed Asif

The spread here can leave anyone unacquainted with Malnad food flummoxed

Sundar Rajan RVivek Sankaran

Prajwal Hegde | TNN

eels, of one variety or another —- platform, block,wedges, clogs, pumps, kitten and stilettos —- havelong provided the style statement in women’sfootwear. However, in the last few years, high ris-es have given way to ground level. So much so thatballerinas, flip flops, slip-ons, mojris and peep-toes are everywhere — from the road to the ramp.

If heels, steep or small, lent the emergingwoman of the time a certain sharpness to herappearance and perhaps her attitude, flats putthe edge into her. They are comfortable and care-free and reflect the new, equal stand of the mod-ern woman.

Trend tappers may be spotted everywhere, fromPriyanka Gandhi to Jennifer Aniston and Katri-na Kaif to the ubiquitous Victoria Beckham.

Teenagers wear flats most of the time, evenduring night outs. A very small percentage, maybe less than 10 per cent, wear heels to college.

Geeta Iyer, 35, and 5 ft 3, swore by heels, steep-er the better, until an accident forced her to thinkflat for footwear. It’s empowering, she said. Flatsgive you the look of a woman on the move, some-

one who can getthings done. Butit’s more than thelook actually, it is

how it makes you feel. Flats can be fashionabletoo, but, going just by the look, heels work best.

The growing rage for flat footwear is best show-cased in road-side outlets, characteristic of high-street shopping in Bangalore. Flip flops of vari-ous textures and trade names hog space and cus-tomer interest. Flats are becoming increasinglyvisible in brands too, most notably in sportswearlabels like Puma and Reebok that offer range fromcasual to formal.

Flat footwear has got the thumbs-up from themedical profession too. Softer, more flexible solesare gentler on the joints and keep arthritis at bay.

Dr Raj Chakravarthy, head of department, Or-thopaedics, Manipal Hospital, said: “Those indi-viduals who are highly mobile benefit from wear-

ing flat footwear. It’s easier on the back, knees andankles. The wear and tear of the joints is not sogreat if you take care with your footwear.”

Even as women are taking to flat footwear inhuge numbers, men are holding back the ap-plause. High heels is often linked to sex appeal.Its a pencil thin aura that has helped the likesof Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo rakein millions, besides giving fat business to less-er brands and roadside buys. High heels lend anedge to the walk. The swing of the hips coupledwith the shapely look it gives the legs makes foran attractive package. Heels also work superblywith any kind of attire, from salwars to springdresses.

Significantly, not everyone is going the flatway. An Australian boutique restaurant, Tra-montana in Darwin, reportedly fined dinersfor wearing flip flops.

Laxman Pawar, senior manager,Footwear Design and Development Insti-tute, New Delhi, who recently returnedfrom Dusseldorf where he got a sneak pre-view into the winter collection for 2010,said flats were not in the assembly line.

Pawar said: “I saw a lot of highheels. Platforms seemed to be thelook for the winter season. Rightnow there’s a huge demand forflat footwear, from ballerinas tomojdis and slip-ons. The biggestadvantage for flat footwear is thecomfort factor and now it can bestylish too. It’s hard to imaginethat it’ll go out, may be they’ll co-exist. The focus today, however, ison the texture of the shoe, flat or heels.There’s nothing to beat genuine leather. Butbecause of the economics, many times peo-ple compromise and opt for syntheticleather.”

The thing about flat footwear is that ittakes you back to the basics. The oldest sur-viving specimens of shoes are reportedlybark strap sandals said to be thousands ofyears old. How much of the sandal has changed,since? The soles have become stronger, lighter,softer, and the colour and cut is ever changing.The gladiator touch has romanced trends in burstsfor decades now.

This year, heavier sandals are edging out theirleaner, minimalist counterparts. Woven, big-col-lared fabrics are hogging fashion pages once again.A thick ankle collar with a slimline strap or a wideT with lots of skinny woven straps attached, giv-ing it a heavy theme, that calls attention to detail,are the dominant features of the season.

The return of the ballerinas is comfort reworkedand restyled. It works for all ages 6 to 60, from class-rooms to party halls and beachwear. The springaddition is the rugged, less feminine variation ofthe ballerina, called Oxford. They’re not neces-sarily flat. They’re built around the classic cut ofmen’s footwear.

Footwear isn’t above fashion. It should’nt be,as it’s crucial to the look. If the ballerinas toldthe world you don’t have to wear heels to lookfashionable, Oxfords provides the style effect inreverse.

It’s chunky and instantly brings alive lighterfeminine features of the wearer. Oxfords can beworn with dresses, skinny jeans, skirts andshorts, without socks so that the slight, bonyankle can show. They are as much for theroads as for the ramp, which is essentiallywhat modern style is all about.

STYLE STATEMENT

Flat Is The Way To Go With Footwear

Today. It’s EverywhereFrom The Road To The Ramp,

Working Equally OnTeenagers As On Their Mothers.