South Parade Conversations 2
Gulammohammed Sheikh talks about his poetry with Jeet Thayil.
The Jamun is a spacious bungalow set in a quiet, green lane of suburban Bangalore. The space offers a calm and quiet environment, along with easy access to the city centre. It is available for short stays, and longer-term residency periods, for artists, writers and scholars. It can also be used for short workshops and skill development programmes.
The Jamun draws its name from one of the many fruit and flower trees that surround the property. The fruit of the jamun tree is a deep, rich purple and leaves a distinctive mark, just as writers, artists and creative people do with their work.
” The Jamun is a beautiful home and a perfect space for any artist who wants to give herself time away from the chaos of real life. The rooms are incredibly comfortable and the hospitality, food and warmth of the staff will make you want to keep going back. The Experimenta guests were extremely pleased to soak in the relaxing Jamun experience after a hectic film festival day. We will definitely continue to partner with The Jamun on future projects.”
– Shai Heredia, Director, Experimenta India
VISIT
Visiting The Jamun
The Jamun regularly hosts public events, most of which are free to attend. We believe in making the arts accessible to Bangalore’s art and literature enthusiasts in an intimate and welcoming environment. See our Upcoming Events to help plan your visit.
Staying at The Jamun
The Jamun’s main house has four large rooms (Chameli, Parijat, Mogra and Raatrani) and a studio (Champa). Each of these air-conditioned rooms has an en suite bathroom and WiFi access.
The common spaces include a living area, dining room, breakfast nook, a library with a work station and a terrace on the upper floor. There is also a garden and a covered patio, which are particularly pleasant in the evenings.
The Jamun has a well-equipped kitchen and in-house laundry facilities. Tea and coffee makers are available 24 hours in the common areas on each floor.
The property sits across the street from a tree-lined public park, with shops and restaurants a five-minute-walk away.
“A lot of times we need to move away from the busyness of the city to be able to work in peace. Personally I have always liked to work away from the city, at least the last leg of a production.
Jamun is unique – it is in the city and yet feels away from it. The moment you turn into the Jamun lane it feels like you’ve entered a time warp and you are swept away to another place – peaceful, quite and lush and automatically you start breathing deep. We had the most beautiful and productive time there. We even used the first floor balcony to do some yoga in the morning. The space is so thoughtfully put together that it would make anyone feel at home. The team that runs needs special mention, they can get anything done with zero fuss. We couldn’t have asked for more. I would love to go back there sometime soon.”– Vinod Ravindran, Actor and Director
Mogra
A room on the ground floor overlooking the garden.
Raatrani
A room on the ground floor opening out onto the covered patio.
Parijat
A room on the upper floor with a private terrace.
Chameli
A room on the upper floor with direct access to the studio space.
Champa
A bright, semi-detached studio, with an attached toilet, can be rented separately for activities and sustained work. Alternatively, artists and writers in residence can rent the studio for a nominal extra charge. Champa is equipped with a basic work table and some storage shelves. An easel can be provided on request.
“In December 2015, Sangam House had the occasion to organise a closed workshop to translate the works of American poet Neal Hall into Kannada. The writer and the translators were to be in residence over a weekend to translate the poems. The end of the workshop was to be a public reading of the new works.
We chose The Jamun for this workshop for several reasons: excellent accommodation and work facilities, a helpful and responsive staff, a quiet atmosphere and peaceful surroundings, with easy access to other facilities such as food and beverage supplies, public transport and a local park.
We could not have chosen a better location – our poets and translators were free to work because they were well looked-after. They were able to show their work to a larger group at the end of workshop. And everyone left wanting to know when they would be invited back.
We look forward to doing more in-residence literary work at The Jamun.”– Arshia Sattar, Co-founder and Co-director,
Sangam House International Writers’ Residency Program
Rates
The Jamun offers negotiable rates for longer stays and residency periods. We are also open to adjustable room rents in exchange for skill shares and workshops. Please Contact Us for details.
PROGRAMMES
The Jamun hosts a variety of public programmes throughout the year, partnering with some of Bangalore’s best known arts organisations. We also support a handful of events that take place in other arts venues in the city. Through our programming, we aim to be a home for vital conversations about the Arts in a changing world. In addition to residencies, we have organised free literary talks, plays, music concerts and workshops in a number of artistic disciplines.
The Jamun regularly collaborates with:
Sangam House
Sangam House is an international writers’ residency, currently housed at The Jamun.
Between October and January, writers from different countries, working in numerous languages live and work in The Jamun’s serene environment. During the residency period, Sangam House and The Jamun co-host public readings by resident writers as a way to connect them with Bangalore’s literary community.
The Yali Project
The Yali Project, an initiative of Sangam House, nurtures and mentors translators and translation in and out of Indian languages. The Yali Project has held its sessions at The Jamun since 2015.
Toto Funds the Arts
Toto Funds the Arts is a non-profit arts trust that nurtures and encourages young artists in India through awards, workshops and other events. In recent years, TFA has held workshops at The Jamun, and The Jamun sponsors one of TFA’s annual creative writing awards for young writers.
Sandbox Collective
Sandbox Collective is creative services organisation that curates, produces and tours performances. It acts as a catalyst facilitating meaningful collaborations nationally and internationally between artists, cultural agencies and arts spaces. Sandbox and The Jamun have co-hosted residencies and performances for both adults and children.
EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Season 16
Sangam House Writers’ Residency Program
1 November, 2023 – 30 January, 2024
The Jamun Ecosophy Dialogues with Aseem Shrivastava and Shyam Sundar Sridhar on 21 and 22 October, 2023
“Don’t get involved in partial problems, but always take flight to where there is a free view over the whole single great problem, even if this view is still not a clear one.”
— Ludwig Wittgenstein
Last date for registration: 7 October, 2023
Past Events
Literature
The Jamun's Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Theme: 'The Outsider'
Launch of 'South Parade' magazine at The Jamun
Celebrating the first issue of South Parade with a talk by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. South Parade is a print magazine of contemporary literature, arts and culture from the global south.
Mukund Padmanabhan in conversation with Arshia Sattar
Mukund in conversation with Arshia on his newly launched book 'The Great Flap of 1942'
Writing for different audiences
A talk by Ruth Padel
Season 16
Sangam House Writers' Residency Program
The Jamun's Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Antigone: Moral Conscience and Political Resistance
Yali Translation Workshop
Acclaimed Telugu writer Volga in conversation with Purnima Tammireddy, Sangeeta Kamat and Arshia Sattar.
How to be a Jewish Scholar in the Modern World
A Talk by Jacques Picard
Season 15
Sangam House Writers' Residency Program
Lekhana - Bangalore's Literary Weekend
Indira Chandrashekar and Arshia Sattar in conversation with Abdul Rasheed and Dada Peer.
The Jamun’s Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Theme – ‘Disgrace/ Shame’
Season 14
Sangam House Writers' Residency Program
Lekhana at The Jamun
Singing in Dark Times - poems and a conversation with Akhil Katyal and Jeet Thayil
The Jamun’s Annual Literary Weekend
Jesus Christ Superstar – The Gospels
with Arshia Sattar
Season 13
Sangam House Writers' Residency ProgramAn online Jamun literary event.
Blood Brothers: War, Love and Justice in the ancient cultures of Greece and India led by James Brunner and coordinated by Arshia Sattar.
Season 12
Sangam House Writers' Residency Program
Listen to Me
Indira Chandrashekhar in conversation with noted Indian novelist Shashi Deshpande on her memoir 'Listen To Me'. Presented as part of Lekhana 2019.
Reading the Mahabharata
A weekend intensive with noted author and translator Arshia Sattar on the history of, and major themes in, the Mahabharata.
Reading Ramayana in the 21st Century
A weekend intensive with noted author and translator Arshia Sattar on reading the Valmiki Ramayana in translation and understanding its core themes in a contemporary context.
Secure the Base
Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Award-winning Kenyan writer in conversation with Karthika V K
Lekhana - Bangalore’s Literary Weekend
Public readings and panel discussions in collaboration with Sangam House and IIHS and PEN International.
Poetry performance
A live performance by Swiss poet Michael Fehr in partnership with Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council.
Lekhana - Bangalore’s Literary Weekend
Public readings and panel discussions in collaboration with Sangam House and IIHS on the theme, “Sounds of Silence.”
Jacaranda's Writers' Workshop
A writers’ workshop with Singapore-based author Krishna Udayasankar. Organised by Jacaranda Literary Agency.
Quickening Pulse 2
A follow-up workshop on short fiction writing with well-known poet, novelist and translator, Sampurna Chattarji. Organised by Toto Funds the Arts.
Music
The Manganiyars at The Jamun
Music Workshop by Shubha Mudgal
Veteran Hindustani classical singer Shubha Mudgal sharing seasonal song forms from North India.
Words in Music
A workshop for aspiring songwriters, lyricists and composers facilitated by musicians Namit Das and Anurag Shanker. Organised by Toto Funds the Arts.
Theatre
Ceremony of Longing
Choreographed by Diya Naidu
Mondays are Best for Flying Out of Windows
A play based on the absurdist stories of Soviet writer Daniil Kharms, directed by Rajiv Krishnan and presented by the Chennai-based company, Perch.
No Rest in the Kingdom
A devised, physical theatre performance, written, directed and performed by Deepika Arwind and presented by Sandbox Collective.
Some Pages are Missing
A performative exploration of archives and memories by Srishti's School of New Humanities and Design, in collaboration with The Jamun.
Blank Page
An interpretation of contemporary Indian Poetry through theatre, music and movement, directed by Sunil Shanbag, and presented in collaboration with Sandbox Collective.
Workshops
The Jamun's Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Theme: 'The Outsider'
Pratham Books Picture Book Workshop at The Jamun
The Jamun's Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Antigone: Moral Conscience and Political ResistanceYali Translation Workshop
The Jamun’s Annual Literary Weekend with Arshia Sattar
Theme – ‘Disgrace/ Shame’
Cinema Paradiso—Growing up at the movies
with Anmol TikooReading the Mahabharata
A weekend intensive with noted author and translator Arshia Sattar on the history of, and major themes in, the Mahabharata.Reading Ramayana in the 21st Century
A weekend intensive with noted author and translator Arshia Sattar on reading the Valmiki Ramayana in translation and understanding its core themes in a contemporary context.Music Workshop by Shubha Mudgal
Veteran Hindustani classical singer Shubha Mudgal sharing seasonal song forms from North India.Words in Music
A workshop for aspiring songwriters, lyricists and composers facilitated by musicians Namit Das and Anurag Shanker. Organised by Toto Funds the Arts.Jacaranda's Writers' Workshop
A writers’ workshop with Singapore-based author Krishna Udayasankar. Organised by Jacaranda Literary Agency.Quickening Pulse 2
A follow-up workshop on short fiction writing with well-known poet, novelist and translator, Sampurna Chattarji. Organised by Toto Funds the Arts.
Art & Art History
Matthew Tyson and Ranbir Sidhu in conversation at The Jamun
Two internationally-acclaimed artists discuss friendship, art, writing and collaboration across borders.
Painted Delight: Introduction to Indian Miniature Painting
A talk by film critic and scholar Prof. Suresh Chabria
Other
Andrea von Lüdinghausen's stay at The Jamun
Andrea, a conceptual artist based in Hanover/Germany, worked on her artistic research into the relationships between bodies and sculptural processes. Based on her art project ROOMS TO LET, she used her room at The Jamun as both a living and studio space.
Andrea worked on ephemeral sculptures using found objects and on a series of pencil drawings about the process of breathing.
The Early Years - Insight Mining Workshop Design
by EkStep Foundation
Documentary film 'Ranjish Hi Sahi' directed by Abhijeet Sahal
...work in progress at The Jamun
Transactional Analysis Workshop
A program that invites you to rethink your approach to life and relationships while giving you tools to shift into a space of life-mastery. The workshop was conducted by Sailaja Manacha of Physis.
Futures of the Indian Left
A talk by Vijay Prashad, Professor of International Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
BEYOND THE JAMUN
Toto Awards
The ceremony for the annual awards for young artists given by Toto Funds the Arts, and hosted at Alliance Francaise Bangalore. The award for “Creative Writing in English” given to Noor Niamat Singh was supported by The Jamun.
In Harmony with Gandhi
A musical rendition of poetry inspired by the life and principles of Gandhi. Composed by Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan, and performed at the Bangalore International Centre.
BIC Masterclass: Interpreting Indian Literatures
A master class with noted Telugu scholar and translator Velcheru Narayana Rao. Held at the Bangalore International Centre.
Toto Awards
The ceremony for the annual awards for young artists given by Toto Funds the Arts, and hosted at Alliance Francaise Bangalore. The award for “Creative Writing in English” given to Shreya Ila Anasuya was supported by The Jamun.
Experimenta
The 9th edition of Experimenta, an international festival celebrating experimental film and moving image art in India. Held at the Goethe Institute/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore.
Experimenta
The 8th edition of Experimenta, an international festival celebrating experimental film and moving image art in India. Held at the Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore.
OUR TEAM
Trupti
Creative Interventions
Veronica
Bookings and Enquiries
Rohit
Housekeeping & Maintenance
DROP US A LINE
REACH US
521, 2nd Main, 3rd Block RMV Extension 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560 094
E : office@thejamun.com
T : +91 80 2351 6403 M : +91 990090 4344
Office Timings : 10 am – 1 pm