A Morning of Stories, Wings, and Water: Book Release at Puttenahalli Lake
PNLIT Lake Trust
About the Book
The
City That Learnt to Catch the Rain: The Story of Bengaluru's Lakes
is a small effort to help young readers connect with
the ecology and community spirit that surround our urban water
bodies.
We hope the book finds its way into many hands and sparks curiosity,
care, and conversation around our lakes.
The book is being shared freely with the community.
Where to Pick Up a Copy (Please call before you go)
- Brigade Millennium, JP Nagar 7th Phase (Nupur: 98866 29769)
- South City, Arekere Mico Layout / Bannerghatta Road (Sangita: 98804 17654)
- JP Nagar 1st Phase (Anuradha: 91875 61553)
- Bookworm Book Store, Church Street (Kris: 98450 76757)
- Blossoms Book Store outlet next to Amoeba, Church Street (Mayi Gowda: 94482 20202)
- Richmond Town (Arathi: 86553 04429)
- Bellandur / Sarjapur Road (Bijoy: 98807 28674)
- Yelahanka (Sunitha: 90089 97450, Sangunni: 98450 63490)
- JP Nagar 8th Phase / anywhere in Bengaluru where they have a plog! (Plog Raja Nagaraj: 96860 95959)
- [More to be added as soon as we get volunteers in other locations]
Request a Copy
Alternatively, you can express your interest in receiving a
copy, and we will see how to reach it to you:
https://forms.gle/2u8yEBvNiMtX1EYc8
The Book Release event
On the Saturday morning of 4th April, as the city was beginning to stir, a small group of us gathered by the edges of Puttenahalli Lake. Around us, the lake was already awake - walkers, joggers, early exercisers easing into the day. Under an overcast sky, the morning felt cool, unhurried, and full of promise.
We began with a guided nature walk led by Jay Govind, whose keen eye and infectious enthusiasm opened up a new world for many of the participants. What might otherwise have been a simple walk around the lake became a journey of discovery.
We spotted nests of grey herons perched high and hidden, the neat nesting hollows of rose-ringed parakeets, and the intricate weaver ant nests stuck into trees. We paused to listen to bird calls we might have otherwise ignored and watched closely enough to notice snakes gliding through the water and the subtle movements of fish below the surface.
It was a reminder of how much life exists around us - quietly, patiently, waiting to be seen.
We were about 25 people, from varied backgrounds and across a wide age range from about 7 to 80+. One thing possibly connected everyone: a shared love for nature. There were just two young children - perhaps the early start and recent school closures made it harder for more to join, but it didn’t matter. The childlike curiosity in the group more than made up for the small number of little ones.
The City That Learnt to Catch the Rain: The Story of Bengaluru's Lakes was released by young Mannu. There couldn’t have been a more fitting way to launch a children’s book about lakes - placed into the hands of a child, at the edge of a living, breathing lake.
This book comes from a place of hope. Hope that children and adults will notice, care, and ask questions about the lakes that dot Bengaluru. And perhaps, through that awareness, play a small part in protecting and restoring them.
One of the most heartening moments came through feedback we received that morning:
“We had the pleasure of picking up this book, The City
That Learnt to Catch the Rain, directly from the author, Arathi Manay, this
morning and it is a gem.
While the illustrations are beautiful, the writing carries a depth that
resonates just as much with adults.
For those of us who grew up in older parts of Bangalore, remembering the lakes
and gushing nallahs after heavy showers we were always warned to avoid, it is
an evocative trip down memory lane.”
This captured exactly what we had hoped the book would do - bridge generations, memories, and experiences.
To everyone who joined us that morning, thank you. You made it memorable, meaningful, and full of life.
And to the lake, as always, thank you for being the quiet teacher at the centre of it all.
Jay’s photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/TKjHukrvCoHuUx1z9
ebird checklist https://ebird.org/checklist/S316614555Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT)
Address: B3, 502, South City, Arekere Mico Layout, Off Bannerghatta Road,
Bangalore 560076, India
Cell no: +91 7259722996
Nature Walks Bird Watching Community Gardening Cloth Bags Teaching Children
DONATIONS TO PNLIT ARE EXEMPT IN INDIA (50% U/S 80G OF THE IT ACT) AND USA (100% THROUGH CAF AMERICA)