Bengaluru

This Year, Find a New Calling

Discover a new interest, meet new people. Paint a different picture, run for fun, start quizzing or explore the unknown. Here are some groups you can look up...

Express News Service

Bangalore Paranormal Research Group

For paranormal, UFOlogy and extraterrestrial enthusiasts, Indian Paranormal Research Institute & Ufology’s  Pentacle Paranormal Research Society (PPRS) is the way to go.

The group, also called Team Pentacle, is the only such registered team in South India with certified researchers for paranormal and ufology. Its main objective is to create awareness of the paranormal and to help people under ‘threat’ of paranormal activity.

  • Join the group: Team Pentacle is open to adding non-members — over 15 years old — for a one-time investigation and discussion about paranormal activities. People can also post questions on its Facebook page.
  • Fee: A lifetime membership costs Rs1,500. The member will be provided an ID card, a T-shirt and Team Pentacle stickers.
  • Course: IPRU also offers a paranormal researcher certification course for Rs15,000 with an EMI facility (5,000x3 months). The member can take an online course followed by an online exam to complete the course.
  • Contact: Call Dr Rahul Kumar on  7204736378 or log on to www.teampentacle.org or www.meetup.com/Bangalore-Paranormal-Research-Meetup

Pencil & Chai Fine Arts Gurukul (PAC)

Two-and-a-half-year-old Pencil & Chai (PAC) Fine Arts Gurukul is a branch of Coloring India Creative Arts Centre. PAC believes in "art in its purest form" and focusses on realistic art.

Wielding pencil as their weapon, PAC members meet for about four hours every weekend and try to capture the still existent nature in the city.  Sessions follow a guru-shishya format, and people sketch out landscapes, portraits and make still-life drawings under the guidance of a mentor.

  • Join the group: You can enrol through their website, www.pencilandchai.com/enrol-for-weekend-art-classes-in-bangalore-now/
  • Fee: Rs500 a month (four sessions)
  • Contact: Call Anup K on 7406800700

Living With Pets

An initiative by a pet loving-couple, Living with Pets, began when they adopted two stray pups in 2012. As new pet owners, they were on the lookout for forums for people parents to bond and share experiences, and started their own.

It began as a small online group, and has grown since. It's open to all pet-lovers. Any pet lover is

welcome to join this group.

  • Join the group: Log on to www.meetup.com/livingwithpets
  • Fee: Free. Those who join get to be a part of the group's quarterly meet-ups where topics like pet health, diet, training, behavioural issues and overall pet well being are discussed.
  • Contact: Call Vijay Krishna Dharani on 9742338655

CrazzyShuttlers

Until the end of 2014, Bengaluru had very few badminton  courts. Most were clubs where only members were allowed. This changed when the  organisers of CrazzyShuttlers discovered Play Mania, a  court not part of an exclusive club.

They started booking courts for 1 to 2 hours, and gradually formed a closed group of players. It has grown since with the objective of helping those interested in badminton, be it a beginner, an amateur, intermediate or expert.

  • Join the group: Log on to www.meetup.com/CrazzyShuttlers
  • Fee: No joining or registration fee. For each meeting, the charges vary from Rs150 to Rs250, depending on the number of hours the courts are booked for.
  • Contact: Call Avinash Kumbhar on 9845547616

Karnataka Quiz Association (KQA)

KQA was founded in 1983 by eight quiz enthusiasts to give the game a more organised form and regulate and coordinate quizzing activity in Bengaluru and other centres in Karnataka.

At present, it has over 100 programmes a year. Organised quizzing is done at seven different levels – Open (irrespective of age), Inter-college, Inter-Junior College, Inter-High School, Inter-Middle School, Inter- Lower Primary (Standard 4) and Inter-Lower Primary (Standard 3).

Apart from general quizzes, specialised subjects like science, movies, music and literature, are also conducted.

  • Join the club: Visit www.kqaquizzes.org. Add yourself to the KQA mailing list to be informed of upcoming quizzes and events. Another option is to follow the KQA on Facebook 'https://www.facebook.com/kqaquizzes'. One can just turn up for any of their quizzes.
  • Fee: Free
  • Contact: Call Mitesh Agarwal on 9845259423 or Thejaswi Udupa on 7259649219

Runners High

As a community, Runners High signifies two important aspects: taking running and fitness to everyone, and to open up the world of learning among children.

The group looks at creating a variety of

new avenues to learn from and contribute to the community.

  • Join the community: Log on to www.runnershigh.in
  • Fee: It varies based on the training programme you choose.
  • Contact: Call Santhosh Padmanabhan on 9986734590

Bangalore Hash House Harriers

A social running club, A Hash Run is like   the 19th century form of cross-country running, paper chase, generally organised outside  the city, where the ‘hares’ lay a paper/chalk trails (or a trail marked by blobs of flour), with  a bunch of runners or walkers following it. It’s not a race, and is meant for the young and old alike.

After the run, everyone gathers to celebrate with a few beers, food and sometimes, a spot of singing.

Hashes are often referred to as ‘drinking clubs with a running problem’ but you don’t have to drink (or even run) if you don’t want to, although a sense of humour is pretty useful.

  • Join the club: Look up www.bangalorehash.org, and show up at the run site published here
  • Fee: Usually Rs100 a run; plus, you have to pay for your soft drinks or beer
  • Contact: Call Vikram Mulki on 9845042365

be in tune with a maestro: Baar Baar Rafi (BBR)

The fan club was started in February 2008 by a few loyal Mohammed Rafi fans. The non-profit organisation is dedicated to the memory of the legendary singer.

The only condition for membership is that you should be passionate about Rafi saab and be fairly aware of his songs. At the club’s  gatherings, members participate in a special Rafi quiz, play anthakshari with on Rafi songs, audio/video presentation of his rare songs, and karaoke of Rafi numbers.

The club pays homage to the legend on July 31 and celebrates his birth anniversary on December 24.

The main objective is to spread the golden voice of Rafi to the younger generation and foster brotherhood among all communities. The club also tries to involve many senior citizens to further develop their hobby of singing.

  • oin the club: Log on to www.baarbaarrafi.com and instantly become a member or call  the BBR core team
  • Fee: Free
  • Contact: Call P Narayan on 9886779557

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