CREATIVEMORNINGS BENGALURU

CreativeMornings Bengaluru talk #113 had a special theme of "Create" by global partner Adobe. Kathak dancer and founder of Riddham Kathak School, Sampada Pillai talked about why humans create, taking the audience through centuries of India's movement and performing arts evolution.

From folk dances to the origin of Natya and written treatises on art, Sampada shared about 'divine origins' - stories of Natyaved, Tandav, Lasya, the Natyashastra & Abhinaydarpan. She engaged the audiences in demo of hastas, charis or gatis and also encouraged them to create rhythms to a simple 16 beat time cycle. She touched upon nuances of the artist's imagination, creation, abstraction and improvisation in every aspect of Kathak, while presenting clips of veterans dancers like Uday Shankar, Maharaj ji and her own late Guru Pandita Dr. Rohini Bhate.

Thanking our local partners @riddhamkathakschool @artkhoj @mud_fingers @zerodhavarsity

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

For CreativeMornings talk #112, environmental scientist Dharni Vasudeva talked about what happens when chemicals escape into the environment, for the theme of "ember". Dharni invited the audience to reflect on the word "chemicals" and their life-sustaining qualities, and then to discuss this with a partner. She explained chemical fate through the three processes of transport, transfer, and transformation, while also covering the systemic issues regarding the burden of proof for environmental harm. Despite the pain associated with chemical exposure, hope persists because knowledge about chemical harm cannot be destroyed, and communities are achieving measurable victories with the support of allies, advocates, and new infrastructures of knowledge.

Thanking our local partners @away.to.be @candourconcepts @mud_fingers @zerodhavarsity

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

For talk #110 themed Camino (meaning "path"), Stanley Carvalho spoke about Bengaluru's sports legacy spanning British-era golf (1876 Bangalore Club), boxing and polo (that had its origin in 1920 at the Turf Club). He covered a timeline right from when Kusti wrestling drew global wrestlers to garadi manes, and Cricket pioneers like B. Jayaram and Chinnaswamy; women leading in cricket (Shanta) and hockey (1952 Olympians, 1960s champs), and WWII sparking football in Ulsoor football - overall a rich heritage to cherish.

British cantonments birthed elite sports: Bangalore Golf Club (1876), one of India's oldest; boxing, honed by soldiers in opera houses with local stars like Taly and Gunboat Jack—tabloids covered bouts, proceeds aiding the Red Cross; polo at Bangalore Turf Club (Domlur, 1920), even played on cycles due to the ideal climate.

Traditional kusti wrestling thrived in garadi manes, drawing Afghan, Pakistani, and Nepali wrestlers; only Kunjanna garadi mane survives today, as mat wrestling rose. Cricket spread from army teams and KGF officers to colleges like Central, Gymkhana, and RSI grounds—BUCC club shone. Pioneers: B. Jayaram (1911 national selectee, UK tour); lawyer Chinnaswamy (stadium namesake).

Women excelled: Shanta captained India's first cricket team with Pushpa Kumar and Kalpana Venkatachar; 1952 Helsinki Olympics featured two Bangalore hockey players; Karnataka's women's team won seven straight 1960s titles—all locals. Public firms fueled teams.

Gaurav Saria is the founder, owner, tea master, and chef of infinitea, India's first exclusive chain of premium tea rooms and stores, established in Bangalore in 2003. With a family legacy spanning over a century in tea cultivation, he brings decades of experience in tea manufacturing and gastronomy to Infinitea, blending fine teas with healthy, chemical-free food in chic urban settings. Gaurav is known for his passion, innovation, and commitment to quality, making infinitea a beloved destination for tea and food enthusiasts in Bangalore.

Thanking our local partners

* Infinitea

* Candour Concepts

* Mudfingers

* ReclaimConstitution

* Zerodha Varsity

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

For CreativeMornings Bengaluru talk #106 themed Blossom, Sciencepreneur Ravishankar Bhat talked about about how ideas bloom into impact - by sharing his experience bridging research and entrepreneurship as COO of Biological Research Innovation Centre and Solutions.

Ravishankar first shed light on his areas of research over the years that largely focused on the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles for application in the pharma industry including anti-cancer studies. Research itself being time consuming taught him patience and perseverence. Coupled with his background growing up in a biodiversity rich region, Bhat's ethically responsibility led him to start a venture centred around sustainability and societal well being.

BRICS was started in 2015 to cater to the agri industry and promote terrace gardening and traditional pesticide free produce, eventually addressing various environmental issues like soil and water health. Reseach on safe reintroduction of grey water back into the soil led them to come up with a range of eco friendly, non toxic cleaning products that not only add value to natural resources like reetha and shikakai, but also benifit local communities. Their formulation development and production strategy has evolved over a decade and is now an easily available and economical alternative to chemical based products.

Though wider outreach would help BRICS benefit more people, their idea of scale embraces slow growth, promoting an overall lifestyle of sustainability rather than profit oriented impact.

Thanking @samagataorg Foundation, BRICS LLP, Kiru Millet Snacks, Mudfingers and @candourconcepts for their kind support. Thanking Adobe - CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

Siddappa Dhanagonda is a Dollina Pada folk art practitioner and a school teacher. who joined us from his hometown of Bijapur to Bangalore to speak on the theme of Nomad, for CreativeMornings Bengaluru's talk #105 on Sunday the 10th of August. We thank our local partners, Samagata foundation, TrekTalks, Kiru millet snacks, Candour Concepts and Teepoi for their kind support.

Dressed in his traditional attire, Siddappa spoke about his father, the renowned Dollina Pada Artist, Somanna Dhanagonda. He then gave an overview of the various nomadic tribal groups in Karnataka, with focus on the Halumatha Kuruba community, touching upon the culture, heritage, art, livelihood and lifestyle of the people. He also laid emphasis on the evolution of dollina pada recital and the importance of the dollu in their lives. The morning was enriched by his verses and songs in praise of the land and the lord Beerappa around whom all their folk traditions revolve.

Thanking our local partners

@samagataorg

@trektalksindia

@kirumilletsnacks

@candourconcepts

@mud_fingers Thanking Trek Talks - Inspiring Lives, for the generous support this month!

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

CM104 MENTOR - Prathima Athreya 20 August 2025

At CreativeMornings Bengaluru talk #104, Hindustani musician Prathima Athreya reflected on the rich accounts of mentorship across ancient texts, historic accounts, family stories and the mythology of India. She shared through her experiences of 25+ years about what it means to be a student - a collective of passion, pressure and perseverence. A striking analogy is how a piece of stone must painstakingly undergo the hammering and chiseling of a sculptor in order to become a work of art.

Thanking our local partners

Samāgata Foundation

Kiru Millet Snacks

Candour Concepts

Mudfingers

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!

The CreativeMornings Bengaluru talk #103 was an interactive session where Vasanthi Hariprakash spoke about 'speaking'. As part of a special event series called "Thriving Through Change" designed to foster meaningful discussions, Bengaluru was one among 20 chapters across the globe to explore an interactive event format - made possible by Global Partner Adobe.

Vasanthi touched upon the nuances of effective communication that went beyond language and grammar, and stressed on empathy between humans. With instances from her own professional experiences, Vasanthi talked about the physical, social and cultural blockers that need to be overcome to get better at speaking.

The CreativeMornings Bengaluru community was involved pre-event and at the session to contribute their thoughts, feedback and queries - making the session fun and engaging. Artificial Intelligence was incorporated in the session to explore if digital tools could facilitate better conversation. A bot was modeled after Vasanthi's voice and personality and a conversation was simulated to replicate a routine conversation between a cab driver and a passenger. The conversation was tested to see how Vasanthi AI fared as compared to Vasanthi IRL.

Each of the attendees left feeling reassured that they are not alone, and that simple steps could improve their communication skills for the better - be it in a personal conversation or a professional situation.

Thanking our local partners

Pickle Jar Media

Samāgata Foundation

Kiru Millet Snacks

Mudfingers

This experience is part of a special event series called “Thriving Through Change” that is designed to foster meaningful discussions about the challenges that creative professionals are facing today - made possible by our Global Partner Adobe.

CM102_REVIVAL Reimagining Textile Heritage

For CreativeMornings talk #102, Pavithra Muddaya, Co-founder of Vimor, spoke about the complex nature of revival, preservation and innovation in the context of Indian handlooms.

Thanking our local partners

Vimor Handloom Foundation

Samāgata Foundation

Kiru Millet Snacks

Mudfingers

Adobe is CreativeMornings’ Global Partner!