Now sure how serious this is!. They are planning on renaming Bangalore to Bengaluru. That’s how you pronounce Bangalore in Kannada.
Link : Bangalore to be re-named Bengaluru (and here)
This is what the above article says…
Chief Minister N Dharam Singh told reporters in Gulbarga on Sunday that he had asked the chief secretary to take steps for renaming Bangalore.
He said Kannadigas were calling the city as Bengaluru but taking an Anglicised form, it became Bangalore.
Dharam recalled that a suggestion to call the city as Bengaluru had emanated at a meeting of prominent Kannada litterateurs he had called recently to seek their views on celebrating the golden jubilee of the formation of the state of Karnataka.
Well, if this is true, then Bangalore would be the 4th major city in India to undergo a name change. First it was Bombay to Mumbai, second was Madras to Chennai, third was Calcutta to Kolkotta.
So, would the next one be Bangalore to Bengaluru ?
Personally, I strongly feel that the government should give more stress to important matters related to development, infrastructure, rural reform etc. It should not get into overheads like these. Renaming Bangalore to Bengaluru wont make the city any better.
My friend Harsh asked me, ……. Is Mangalore next ? Since it sounds like Bangalore. But, in case of Mangalore, renaming wont be that simple I guess. Why ? Its because, Mangalore has different names in different languages!
In Kannada, its known as Mangaluru (like Bengaluru)
In Konkani, its known as Kodiyal
In Tulu, people call it by the name of Kudla
Malayali people use the term Mangalapuram!
And since Kannada is not what majority of people speak in Mangalore, I seriously doubt it would be called Mangaluru. (i.e., if and when it would be renamed!)
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December 11th, 2005 at 11:20pm
After the Malgudi days title song, here is one more classic. ‘Baje Sargam Bankar Desh Raag‘. This song used to be beamed on TV in the good old DD days to promote national integrity. Nice to hear this song after a long time!
Thanks to Hari V for sharing this classic.
Download link : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NM71YDVD (You will have to wait for around 45 secs before the link shows up on the window)
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November 24th, 2005 at 11:46pm
UPDATE: All the 39 episodes of Malgudi Days are available for online viewing at http://www.rajshri.com/malgudidays/index.asp
The Malgudi days title song is one of the most wanted title songs of old times. I am sure lot of people are searching for Malgudi Days sound track.
Thanks to Senthil Kumar for sharing this mp3!
I have uploaded the mp3 onto the Megaupload file sharing service. You can download the MP3 from : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4ML5PCB0 (You will have to wait for around 45 secs before the link shows up on the window).
Its really good to listen to this title song. It brings back lot of old memories!
BTW, check this site for more info on Malgudi Days… : http://www.malgudidays.com/
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November 15th, 2005 at 11:20pm
Update (13-Apr-2007): Apparently, I heard recently that they have changed the design - due to the nature of the soil at the construction area. I think it won’t be a inverted pyramid as shown below.
OK. This one is for real, unlike the major HOAX forward mail that was floating around a couple of months back.
The real proposed Design of the new Infosys Campus at Mangalore looks as shown below:
Source : http://www.hafeezcontractor.com
Will post more pictures if I get a chance!
You can find designs of other proposed Infosys buildings at the Hafeez Contractor’s website.
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November 11th, 2005 at 12:41pm
Me back from the two day temple visit trip. It was a mini-pilgrimage kind of trip along the west cost of south India. We visited around 15 temples in all.
We started on Wednesday morning at around 7.00 AM. We had hired a Toyota Qualis for the trip. Although our primary intention was to visit our Kuladeva’s temple in Goa, we did visit quite a lot of temples on our way to Goa.
Our first stop was at the Bappanadu temple at Mulky. Its just next to the National Highway (NH 17).
Mulky Bappanad Temple (Click to Zoom)
This is the Famous Dhol or Drum at Bappanad temple.
Mulky Bappanad Dhol or Drum (Click to Zoom)
Our next stop was at Udupi for breakfast at one of our relatives house at around 8 AM. After our breakfast, we visited the Kadiyali temple at Udupi.
Kadiyali Temple at Udupi (Click to Zoom)
From Kadiyali we headed north. We briefly stopped for a while at a place called Amunje to visit one more relative of ours. After that we continued our travel. Our next stop was at Saligram. Saligram is in between Udupi and Kundapur. We visited two temples in Saligram. Shree Anjaneya Temple and Shree Guru Narasimha Temple.
Shree Aanjaneya Temple at Saligram (Click to Zoom)
Shree Guru Narasimha Temple at Saligram (Click to Zoom)
Our next stop was at Anegudde Shree Vinayaka Temple at Kumbhasi, near Koteshwara (Kundapur). I have been to this temple couple of times.
Anegudde Shree Vinayaka Temple - Kumbhasi (Click to Zoom)
After Annegudde, we further continued our trip. Our next stop was at Hattiangadi. This time, at Shree Ganapathy Temple at Hattiangadi. Hattiangadi is on the way to Kollur.
Shree Ganapathy Temple at Hattiangadi (Click to Zoom)
Our next stop was at Shree Kollur Mookambika Temple. This temple is pretty famous. On the day we reached there, it was quite crowded. It was Navami on that day, and there were quite a lot of devotees. There were long queues (5 to 6 hrs!) for God’s Darshana. We prayed from outside, and continued our travel. Here are some snaps of Kollur Mookambika Temple.
Outside the temple one can find lot of shops where the devotees can buy quite a lot of stuff related to Shree Mookambika Goddess. From Photos to Audio cassettes to CDs. There are quite a lot of shops targeting the kids.
Memorabilia from Kollur Mookambika Temple (Click to Zoom)
Toys for Kiddos @ Kollur Mookambika Temple (Click to Zoom)
After Kollur, we traveled further north. We didn’t visit Murdeshwar and Shirali since it was already afternoon and the temples would be closed during that time. We stopped for lunch at Kamat Hotel at Honnavar. Had a heavy lunch, and the sleep followed naturally. By the time we woke up, we had reached Karwar. Karwar is the border town of Karnataka State.
Guess what do you first see when you cross the border and hit Goa ? Yes. Its the liquor shops. Liquor is cheap in Goa and widely consumed. Also, the cost of fuel is pretty low. i.e., Diesel is cheaper by around INR 2.5 and Petrol is cheaper by around INR 4! So, most of the vehicles fill in the fuel once they enter Goa. Same is the case when the vehicles come back.
We reached Ponda, Goa at around 8 PM. Shree Ramanathi Temple that we were supposed to visit is located in Ponda, Goa.
Shree Ramanathi Temple at Goa (Shanteri Kamakshi) - Night Shot (Click to Zoom)
Shree Ramanathi Temple at Goa (Shanteri Kamakshi) - Morning Shot (Click to Zoom)
We stayed at one of the Mutts (Kavale Mutt) for the night. The rooms were pretty good. The next day, we got up early, and went to the Shree Ramanathi Temple again. After God’s Darshana, we went to our Kula Deva’s temple. i.e., Shree Devaki Krishna Ravalnatha temple at Marcela, Goa. I had been to this temple when I was around 9 years old I guess. We had to perform something called “Vara Bheti”. Its a ritual that is performed when married couple go to the Kula Devastana for the first time.
Shree Devaki Krishna Ravalnatha Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Shree Devaki Krishna Ravalnatha Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
We also visited the nearby Shree Laksmi Ravalnatha Temple
Shree Laksmi Ravalnatha Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Next we went to Shree Balaji Temple.
Shree Balaji Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Ashta Lakshmis around the Dwajasthamba at Shree Balaji Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Our next stop was at Shree Mangeshi Temple
Shree Mangeshi Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
By this time, we were hungry. So, we had some light snacks just outside the Shree Mangeshi Temple. After Shree Mangeshi Temple, we stopped at Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple. I had visited this temple too when I was young.
Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
The Deepasthamba (a tall post which has lot of lamps or diyas on it) at the Mahalasa Narayani temple is really beautiful. I have clicked a couple of snaps of the same.
Deepasthamba at Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Carvings around the base of the Deepasthamba at Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Carvings around the base of the Deepasthamba at Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
The Base of the Deepasthamba supported by horses and elephants at Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
The last temple that we visited was Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple.
Shree Lakshmi Narasimha Temple at Goa (Click to Zoom)
Pond at the Lakshmi Narasimha Temple (Click to Zoom)
One interesting thing that I noted was the architecture of almost all the temples in Goa were similar. Almost all the temples that we visited in Goa had a similar layout and design!. Compared to it, the temples in South Kanara (Dakshina Kannada) are pretty different. They have a different design altogether!!
So, after all the temple visits, we came back to Shree Ramanathi Temple and attended the Maha Aarathi at around 1 PM and had our Prasadam. After that, we started back. We had our lunch at a hotel called Abhiksha. Very good hotel. The food was very good. Just like the previous day, we had a heavy lunch. By this time, it was around 2.30 PM. It was getting pretty cloudy, and it rained heavily. The return trip was basically nonstop travel.
We stopped in between for a couple of minutes for a small tea break at Bhatkal. Throughout the return journey, it as kind of raining lightly. We reached back Mangalore at around 10 PM.
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October 14th, 2005 at 11:50pm
Of-late I have been getting lot of queries on how to create a website/blog. Blogs and online journals have become quite popular with more and more people are getting into the blogsphere.
Naturally, the first thing that people look for is a free solution. And, when it comes to a free solution, the first service that everyone seems to come across is Blogger.com from Google. Yes. Its free. Even I used to host my blog on Blogger.com initially, but after using it for few days, the reality strikes you!. Its painfully slow and totally deprived of some basic features. So, you start your search for “something better”, or “something of your own”, and wonder how to proceed. That’s exactly where this post comes in. I hope that this post would be useful to all those people who intrested in knowing how to create or setup their own website/blog.
Now, if you are a nOOb and looking for just a plain simple blog, without the hassle of setting it up, buying a domain name etc, then I would suggest you try out WordPress.com. Its from the people at WordPress.org (more about WordPress later). Its cool, fast, and much better than blogger. But its basic stuff. Other option is to sign up at livejournal.com. If you are of the adventurous sort and interested in setting up your own site with a blog, read on…
Look Ma, Me got a Domain Name!
First thing that you would need is a domain name. That’s your address on the Internet. That’s how people will reach your site. So, the first thing that you would need to do is, register a domain for you.
Domain name registration typically costs anywhere between $6 to $12, or even lower depending on from whom you register it. I would suggest registering your domain name from either Website.in or domain.JodoHost.com. The money that you are paying is normally for one year. You can register your domain for more than one year too. Other big names in domain name registration include : GoDaddy (has some good deals at times, but do read the fine prints), Yahoo, Net4Domain etc.
The domain name is allocated to you almost immediately once you do the payment. Most of the registrars allow you to pay using credit cards. Its pretty simple and straight forward transaction. Once you register a domain name, you will be provided with a web-based interface to configure your domain name. Your contact information, nameserver information, whois information etc can be setup for your domain using this interface.
Maa, Where do I store my stuff ??
The next thing you would need is space to host your stuff. Again, I would suggest not to go for free hosting. Most of the free hosting folks normally don’t offer any support, and would normally place some Advertisement/pop-up windows etc on your page, which spoils the user experience on your site.
When it comes to paid hosting, you have two options again.
- Shared hosting - Your site is hosted on a server which also hosts many other websites.
- Dedicated hosting - The server is exclusive to you!
If your site is personal in nature, and does not receive major hits. (lets say not more than 1,00,000 hits per day), I would suggest you to go for shared hosting. Compared to dedicated hosting, shared hosting is much cheaper too. I would only talk about shared hosting from this point onwards.
What, Which, How, Where ?
Here are the next set of questions that would come to your mind…
What do I get as a part of paid hosting ?
What you get depends on from whom you buy. Normally, you get the following features for an entry level package. Or, in other words, these are the things that you have to look for when you buy a hosting package. I will try to explain what it means in plain english…
- 200 to 400 MB of hosting space - This is quite a lot. My current site., i.e., this blog + some other pages totals to around 10 MB! That’s it! So 400 MB should suffice.
- Multiple Domain hosting - This means that you can host multiple websites (different domains) in the space provided. It would be easy to manage multiple sites from one single account.
- Around 5 to 10 GB of data transfer bandwidth - My site uses around 600 MBs of bandwidth per month. So, around 5 GB is decent enough. If you host lot of videos, jpegs or big files, then 5GB wont suffice. If your website is more of text, then 5GB is quite a lot. Tip: Host your images at a different host. e.g.: photobucket.com or flickr
- Unlimited e-mail IDs - This is one feature that I love. With paid hosting, you normally get unlimited e-mail IDs on your domain. i.e., you can create ids that you like or want! Unlimited! e.g.: support@yourdomainname.com or junkmails@yourdomainname.com etc, which is quite useful to segregate mails. It also gives a touch of professionalism! You can typically ask the system to forward the emails that you get at a particular id to someother id (say gmail or yahoo), or store it in a mailbox
- Unlimited mailboxes - with POP3 and IMAP access. So, you can check your mails using e-mail clients like Thunderbird or outlook
- Database support - This is a MUST if you plan to start a blog on your site. Look for MySQL support. Most hosting providers provide this, but don’t consider it as granted.
- Web-Based configuration for your site - All you need is just a browser to control your site from anywhere on this planet!
- FTP access to your site - Very helpful if you want to upload lot of files onto the server. FTP can do it one shot without hassles
- 24/7 Customer support - Very much needed. If something goes wrong on the server side, these people will help you out.
- Daily backups - So that you dont loose your data
- And other features - Other features that you can look for are things like - tools to analyze your log files, Scripts/readymade components, counters, custom error pages etc - Secondary or tertiary features.
So, that should give you a fair idea of what to look for when you buy a hosting package. Make sure that the space provided to you can be used interchangeably. i.e., make sure that you have control over how to split the 200 MB or 400 MB provided to you between e-mail/web space/database etc. So, lets move on..
Which One ? Linux or Windows hosting ?
The next dilemma comes when you have to selecting your hosting platform. Linux or Windows. Lot depends on what you plan to host in the space provided. If you plan to host ASP/ASP.net pages, then Windows is your only option. But, if you plan to host a blog based on PHP / perl etc, then you can either select Linux or Windows. I would strongly suggest to go with Linux option if you are not planing to use ASP/ASP.net pages.
The main reason behind my suggestion is, the stability and cost. Linux hosting is much more stable, faster and cheaper compared to windows hosting.
If you select Linux hosting, it does not mean that you must know Linux!! Its important to understand this. Its just that they use Linux on the server that host your files. In most of the cases, irrespective of linux or windows hosting, you get the same web-based interface to control/configure your site!
How much would it cost ?
For Linux based hosting, you should get packages which start from around $5 per month. i.e., around INR 2500 per year ($60), which is pretty much ok. Again some hosting providers would have better deals to offer. I am just giving you a rough estimate. For windows based hosting, packages start from around $7 per month.
Where do I buy the hosting space from ?
There are tons of hosting providers on the Internet. Some very good, and some rip you off. So, you should be very careful while you select you hosting provider. I would recommend one to do some check on some popular forums (e.g.: Web Hosting Talk etc) and get the feedback on hosting providers that you have short listed on.
My site is currently hosted with a provider called Jodohost.com. You can see their plans here : Linux and Windows. I have been with Jodohost since Feb this year, and have got a pretty good service so far, with minimal downtime and excellent support.
You can use this link to buy your hosting package from Jodohost.com
Other place that you can look for is : Website.in hosting. Website.in hosting lets you select what features you need. i.e., you can configure the features that you need online, and create a customized package for yourself. But compared to Jodohost, its a bit expensive. (for the same feature set).
There are tons of other places. So, go ahead and explore!
Connecting your Domain Name with the Space that you bought!
So, now you have two things with you. You have the address (domain name), and you the hosting space (provided by your hosting provider). You need to associate these two. This is something similar to associating your name with your telephone number. So that every time a person dials a number, you get the call!.
When you buy a hosting space, your hosting provider gives you something called as “Nameserver Adresses(es)“. Normally they give you two Nameserver addresses (some give up to 4). Make note of these address. If you are unable to find it, feel free to ask your hosting provider for it. They should provide you with this information.
Once you get the Nameserver addresses, go to your domain name administration interface. There, you should find a provision to specify these Nameserver addresses. (primary and secondary.. and more…). Enter the values and you are done. It would take anywhere between 24 to 48hrs for the changes to be effective globally.
On the hosting provider side, you need to tell the system that you are hosting your domain. i.e., you need to specify exactly which domain you are hosting, so that the server can name necessary arrangements to display the pages when someone enters your URL onto the browser. Typically, its a very simple job, which would take a couple of mins or seconds. (web-based wizard would be there mostly to help you out!)
So…From now on, when anyone types in your domain name into the browser, it would point to a folder in your hosting space!
To test it out, just upload a simple HTML file onto your hosting space (say index.htm) and enter your domain name in the browser! If you see the HTML page that you upload, congratulates!.. your site is up and running.
Content - Setting up your Blog / Site
Now, you can start uploading your files onto the server, and the changes should be visible immediately on your site via the browser. To upload files, normally, FTP access is provided. Some hosting providers also provide web-based access too. (quite helpful if you are behind a corporate proxy/firewall which blocks FTP ports!)
I assume that you would be more interesting in starting a blog or an online journal. The best software that I have come across for this purpose is called WordPress. You can get it from www.WordPress.org. Its ‘the’ software when it comes to blogs. Its very easy to setup, doesn’t take much of space, makes very efficient use of space, extensible with plugins and cool. And, above all, its a open source.
But before you start installing WordPress, you must setup a MySQL database, which would be used by WordPress. Your hosting provider would normally provide a web-based interface to create a database. Create a database user too with sufficient privileges to access the database. Once the database is setup, you can start the WordPress installation.
So, how much time do you think it would take to setup a WordPress blog ?
5 Mins. Yes. That’s correct. Just 5 mins.
WordPress Installation is pretty simple, and very well explained at the WordPress site. I wont duplicate that information over here. Its too simple and easy!
Only thing that you need to keep in mind is, the URL where you want your blog. If you want it under a separate URL like say … www.yourdomainname.com/blog/ then you need to create a sub folder called blog, and upload all the WordPress files out there. If you want it at www.yourdomainname.com then upload all the WordPress files at the root directory.
For any help on WordPress, you can visit the add themes to your WordPress blog to customize the look and feel. You can find a comprehensive list of themes available here.. You can also add plugins to extend the functionality.
Apart from the blog/content, you can also upload other things like your resume photo gallery etc onto your hosting space, and give different URLs for them!
Using the web-based interface provided by your hosting provider, you can also setup your e-mail accounts/ids and mailboxes.
Ma, Its easy. Ain’t it?
This post is pretty long, but the process is pretty simple. Point is, its pretty easy to setup your homepage without spending too much. I hope this post answers most of your queries!. Let me know how useful (or useless) this post has been to you in setting up your own homepage using the comments section below.
So, let the adventure begin!
Feedbacks most welcome.
Disclaimer: Some of the links to Jodohost.com in this post are affiliate links - if you sign up using these links I earn a small amount as a commission. It does not impact your sign up process as Jodohost. I genuinely believe that the services provided by Jodohost are great and recommend their packages based on my experience.
Update : Website.in was earlier directi.com. Directi.com is no longer into retail domain business.
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October 9th, 2005 at 11:38pm
I find that lot of people search for customer care numbers of various Indian banks and services. So, here is a small list. Hope this would be useful for all. Will try to keep this updated. If you find that any of these numbers don’t work, or have a alternate number, please leave a comment.
- ICICI Bank Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 4113 1877
- Karnataka - 98455 78000
- For other cities, click here. Phone Banking workflow click here.
- Citibank Customer Care Number
- All Citibank customers - Bangalore - 2227 2484. For other cities, click here
- Citibank Suvidha account holders - Bangalore - 2227 2265. For other cities, click here
- CitiBusiness Customers - Bangalore - 2229 4653. For other cities, click here
- Citibank Credit Card - Bangalore - 2227 2484. For other cities, click here
- Priority service to CitiGold Customers, Diners Club Members & Citibank Gold Card members - Bangalore - 2229- 4653. For other cities, click here
- HSBC Customer Care Number
- Banking related - Bangalore - 2558 9595
- Credit card related - Bangalore - 2558 9696
- For other cities, click here
- HDFC Customer Care Number
- Debit card related - 9945863333
- Banking related - Bangalore - 5500 3333. For other cities, click here
- Credit card related - Bangalore - 6622 4332. For other cities, click here
- ABN AMRO Customer Care number
- SBI Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Karnataka - Bangalore -
98441 05454 (people are reporting that this number does not work. If you know a number that works, please let me know!)
- All India Toll Free - 1600 180 1290 (works only on BSNL and MTNL Line)
- Try : 1800 180 1290 too. May work!!!
- Other lines : 39 02 02 02
- UTI Bank Customer Care Numbers
- Bangalore (M G Road) - 2537 0615
- Bangalore - 2531 7830
- Mumbai - 022 5598 7700
- For other cities, click here
- IDBI Bank Customer Care Number (Phone Banking)
- Karnataka - Bangalore - 080 22297000
- Mumbai - 022 66937000
- Delhi - 011 23627000
- Chennai - 044 28295550
- For other cities, click here
- Manhattan Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 3030 1969. (this number seems to work in Mumbai too! Give it a try in your local city!)
- Standard Chartered Credit Card Customer Care Number
- Bangalore - 2558 8888 (updated). For other cities, click here
- Deutsche Bank Customer Care Number
- 6601 6601 (this number is available in Aurangabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolhapur, Kolkata and Mumbai. If dialing from Gurgaon / Noida please prefix 9511 before dialing.)
- Airtel Customer Care
- Dail 121 from your airtel mobile
- Karnataka - 98450 98450 - For prepaid if you are calling from landline
- Karnataka - 98450 12345 - For postpaid if you are calling from landline
- Hutch Customer Care
- Karnataka - Dial 111 from your Hutch phone or dial 98860 98860
- BSNL Mobile Customer Care (Cellone & Excel)
- Karnataka - Dial 94480 24365
- For other cities, click here.
- Reliance Mobile Customer Care
- Call 3033 3333 Or dial *333 from your Reliance Mobile
- For other numbers, click here.
- Reliance Broadband Customer Care
- Call 022 - 3033 7777 Or dial *377 on your Reliance phone
- SpiceJet Customer Care
- From BSNL/MTNL : 1800 180 3333
- Others (GSM/CDMA): +91 98718 03333
- LIC Policy Details (Life Insurance Corporation)
- Call - 1251 or
- New Delhi 011 - 2332 9595
- Mumbai 022 -2612 5555
- Kolkata 033 - 23341765, 23211893/94/95
- Chennai 044 - 28602626/28602929
- Hyderabad 040 - 2329 7455
- Bangalore 080 - 2248 5210
- Pune 020 - 2553 6161
- Ahmedabad 079 - 2550 7777
- Yahoo! India Customer Care
- I am not sure if these numbers work, but give it a try & leave a comment!
- Bangalore : (080) 39805078
- Chennai : (044) 39119494
- Yahoo! US “Customer Service”: 1-866-562-7219 (for yahoo.com)
- Yahoo! Small Business/Store: 1-866-800-8092
- Other US Yahoo! numbers to try
- +1 866-850-4303
- +1 866-562-7228
- +1 408-349-1572
- +1 408-349-3300
- +1 408-329-5151
- +1 800-318-0631
If you feel some service is missing and would be useful to list, drop a comment.
Last Updated: 15-Jan-2008
Please note:
If you find the above information useful and would like to display the above information on your website/blog, I would appreciate a link back to this page with appropriate credit. Please give credit where credit is due, specially if you decide to copy/paste the contents!
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September 19th, 2005 at 11:51pm
Yesterday Google quitely updated Google Earth’s image resolution of quite a lot of cities. This update also included Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Cool.
Seeing the images, it looks like these were taken around a year back!
Here is a mini-bangalore sightseeing using Google Earth! (You must have installed Google Earth on your machine to view these files)
I could also see the Infosys Campus in Electronics city!
You can download the full tour of places listed above here.
The same is the case with Mumbai. Now the Gateway of India is pretty clear. Mumbai looks great. Don’t miss the Marine drive area!
Enjoy!
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September 18th, 2005 at 12:43pm
Update - Oct 25, 2005: Finally my GPRS is working on BSNL Prepaid. Check update number 4 given below.
Does anyone knows how to activate the BSNL’s GPRS service for prepaid connections in Mangalore, Karnataka (south) ? Please leave a comment if you can help.
Here is what I have done so far (I use a Nokia 6600):
1. Sent a SMS to 3733 with the text ‘ACTGPRS’.
2. Received a SMS within a few minutes saying my request is received, and the message asked to wait for a confirmation SMS.
3. Confirmation SMS from +444 received tell me that GPRS and MMS service has been activated.
4. I called up the customer care for the configuration settings. They SMS’ed me the settings. (You can get the settings from : This Place too. Its available on the BSNL site too.)
5. Installed the settings. Its as simple as saving the SMS.
6. Tried to connect to the net using opera/netfront/services (built in browser), using the access point created by the configration settings.
7. It tries to connect, but so far no success. The GPRS signal indicator (the little “G”) blinks for sometime and then disappears. No specific error message.
9. Sent a SMS again to 3733 with the text ‘ACTGPRS’, to which I got a reply back saying, ‘GPRS and MMS services are already enabled’.
Has anyone successfully set this thing up ?
I have called the customer care, spoken to them ‘n’ number of times, but its of no use. Typical government stuff.
Any pointers to success would be really helpful.
Update 1 (Around Sept 19th, 2005) : BSNL customer care folks told me that the GPRS service is down for a few days and should be back online withing couple of days.
Update 2 (Sep 26th, 2005) : Called up local customer care center at Mangalore. The person says that Nokia 6600 handset has some problem with BSNL GPRS network! - Can anyone confirm this ? Cant directly trust these folks. Everytime you call them, they give you some new reason. If I get a chance, i will check it with an different handset. BTW, the solution suggested by the BSNL local guy is to upgrade software (firmware to the latest version - costs around Rs. 500).
Update 3 (Oct First week) : Spoke to one more person at the local exchange. Could reach that person after getting redirected atleast 5 times. Almost always, the person at the enter end, conviniently gives one more number saying that the next person is ‘the’ person who can handle this!. Finally, I end up talking to a technical guy (I think!). Now, this person doesn’t say anything about Nokia 6600 problem. He says even he wasn’t able to access GPRS for a couple of days. Asks me to call in a couple of days. I call back after couple of days. He says some settings have been changed just a few days back, and he doesn’t have the settings. Asks me to call back after 20 mins. I call back. Says, settings are too lengthy. Says, he cant tell the settings over the phone (WTF???). Points me the BSNL webpage mentioned above to download the settings. I downloaded the settings again. No change. Still no GPRS. Anyone from BSNL with a decent knowledge of whats happening … reading this ?
Update 4 (Oct 25, 2005) : Finally got my GPRS activiated today. The endless calls to the customer care turned out to be a total waste. Yesterday, I called up the local customer service center in mangalore. They refered me a the number of JTO of mangalore. JTO inturn gave me one more number. It was kind of endless chain. Finally I landed up with some technical person. The person confirmed that all my settings were fine. Then he checked the system (HLR) and told me that my GPRS wasn’t activated at all!. WTF!!!!!!!. He told me that at Mangalore, he wont be able to activate it, and he gave me the contact number of a person in bangalore. The person at bangalore told me that I need to call him up again today. It seems this is happening all the time and that he is fed up. Some how, the reporting system says that the GPRS is activated, but in reality (switch) it isn’t.!
So, I gave the same person a call today. And finally, he enabled my GPRS access. Now, I am able to browse on my phone. But its quite expensive. Only in emergency!
Update 5: For the benefit of all everyone, here are the correct GPRS Settings for BSNL south users for Nokia 6600. These settings work for me.
Navigate to : Menu -> Tools -> Settings -> Connection
Select GPRS (Second item on the screen)
GRPS Connection -> When needed (if you select when available, GPRS will be always active, and you would be charged. So, use with caution)
Access Point -> gprs.cellone.in
Click on ->Back
Select Access Points (first item on the screen)
Option -> New Access Point -> Use default settings
Connection name -> bsnl-gprs (can be anything)
Data Bearer -> GPRS
Access point name -> bsnlwap (not bsnlsouth)
User name : ppp
Password : ppp123
Authentication : Normal
Homepage : http://localhost/home.wml
Then….
Options ->Advance settings
Phone IP address -> Automatic
Primary name server : 0.0.0.0
Secondary name server : 0.0.0.0
Proxy server address : 10.31.54.2
Proxy Port Number : 9401
Done.
If you want to browse the net using Opera, then you must set the proxy server address and proxy port number mentioned above in opera settings too. The same holds true for other browser too.
If the above settings don’t work, then clearly, your GPRS is NOT activated by BSNL. Call up the local BSNL exchange, and ask them to check if GPRS is activated in the HLR.
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September 16th, 2005 at 02:19pm
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