http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/
 |
| Green canopy www.discoverbangalore.com |
The year 1991, serene Bangalore beckoned her new coy bride with
open arms. The seemingly endless canopies of Gulmohars, salubrious climate,
green parks and blue lakes were sights to behold. Along with these nature
therapies, the eateries in the form of ‘sagars’ selling bisibele baath, idlis,
vada and mouth watering sambar and chutney was indeed a gastronomical delight.
 |
| Cubbon park www.discoverbangalore.com |
A walk down the memory lane is a walk down the myriad lanes and
avenues lined with huge trees laden with brilliant orange hued flowers that had
the power to heal. These magnificent boulevards had an added charm of small
hawkers selling strawberries, cashew fruits and other luscious fruits. Cubbon
park and Lalbagh gardens were cool, romantic spots to hangout with my new life
partner and we explored every nook and corner of namma charming city and one
could reach any part in a jiffy with no traffic snarls and hold ups. The
concerts at Chowdiah, the umpteen temples dotting the mains and crosses of
Malleswaram, the quaint bungalows of Jayanagar, the posh Koramangala with
trendy villas , the up and down topography of Rajaji nagar and the fascinating
grand Majestic bus station with numerous bays playing host to the blue liners
were brilliant and unique in its own way! Shopping on Brigade road or Commercial
street was a dream come true for young girls and boys and gave abundant reason
for my friends to go gaga over the purchases!
 |
| Brigade road http://www.junglekey.in/ |
Two decades down the line, the IT story began with a bang and
along with green canopies came towering buildings of glass and steel....
 |
| vibrant city www.animationstyles.com |
Welcome to megalapolis...boom city Bangalore
or Bengaluru...by whichever name you call it, smells as sweet as rose! A city
brimming with vigour and vitality...a garden city as well as the Silicon valley
rolled into one with perfect harmony, an urban dream come true for many
Indians! A city that has something for everyone cutting across age, gender,
community, religion, a blend of old and new!
For the nature lovers....
The botanical wonders of Lal bagh and Cubbon
park are irrestible and we just feeling like getting up and going there!
Spectacular rows of plants and flowers that make every lover of nature and a
aficionado!
Aesthetics at its resounding best and I am
sure each and every reader of mine will give a standing ovation to this
paradise nestled in the centre of the throbbing city! A meeting of minds of the
chirping of birds and swaying of the myriad roses in a jugalbandhi orchestrated
by the hustle and bustle of the city!
 |
| Lal Bagh gardens www.discoverbangalore.com |
For the blooming fledglings...
The most happening place to be with the
alluring and enticing pubs, fascinating and stunning malls and engaging and
magnetic dance floors! Water holes that promise you the stars with foot tapping
effervescent souls letting their hair down in style leaving their agonies and
hardships behind...
 |
| Dance floor www.topnews.in |
For the devoted with a prayer on their lips...
The ardent and the devout find solace and serenity in the places of worship, a sanctuary in the labyrinths of perplexities!
 |
| https://aroundbangalore.wordpress.com |
For the food bon vivant....
A gourmet is naturally attracted to this
urban dwelling owing to the varieties of food served here, from traditional
idli dosa akki roti to chaats to tandoori to pizza, from local to multicuisine,
eateries across the length and breadth cater to individual palate. Whatever be
your inclination, this food loving city serves them all!
 |
| Food at its best |
 |
| UB city restaurant www.discoverbangalore.com |
 |
| Rasa at Indira nagar |
For the young questioning minds....
The Visveswaraya industrial
and technological museum is dedicated to Sir M. Visveswaraya, an astute
statesman and astounding civil engineer. Located in Bangalore, a teeming tech
savvy metro of India, cheek by jowl with the sylvan Cubbon park, the imposing
locomotive engine at the gateway is a sight to behold and as we enter it is
indeed appropriate to find the statue of Sir M. Visveswaraya , the architect of
Bangalore. We bow our heads in reverence to this icon and move on to the
amazing insignia in science, math, space, industry, technology and music,
spread on 40000 square feet with each floor designed to cater to a specific
field. Defying all ages, it is little wonder that this museum boasts of a
million footfalls every year!
 |
| Visvesvaraya museum http://www.mapsofindia.com/ |
For the travel freaks....
Get transported to a world of
exploration by hopping on to the purple and green liners- the namma metro
taking you to the magnificent boulevards of MG road with free WiFi facility, an
eclectic mix of the old and new Bangalore, the children play areas, the Rangoli
art centre and the breathtaking pictures of the transition of Hoysala king’s Benda Kaal Ooru (Town of Boiled Beans) to Kempegowda’s Bengalooru
to the colonial Bangalore and back to Bengaluru!!! The imposing Chinnaswamy
stadium looming in the background, take a break with a game of cricket and
enjoy the sound of willow whacking the ball.
The striking red Volvo buses
of the BMTC allows you to freak out across the length and breadth of the city
and paint the town red by travelling in the uber luxurious buses.
There are umpteen places for
a perfect weekend getaway like cool and salubrious Nandi hills, magnificent Mysore
in all its resplendence, the serene waters of the sangam with the Cauvery fishing
hamlet, the rapids of Mekedattu, the temples of Devanarayanadurga, the
monumental Shravanbelagola, breathtaking Coorg and this list is grandiose
infinite!
 |
| BMTC buses www.mybmtc.com |
For the art and craft lovers...
The connoisseur of the theatre, drama and the
like ADA Rangamandira is the place to stretch your legs for a wonderful evening
of dance and drama!
From Chennapatna, the land of
wooden toys and doll making to Chitrakala parishad, the art gallery that boasts
of brilliant display of paintings to Cauvery handicrafts preserving the
tradition of handicrafts, Bangalore has it all!
For the shopaholics...
Shop till you drop in the
avenues of busy commercial street, branded Brigade road, 400 year old Chickpet,
bargain hubs Jayanagar and Malleswaram. Buying, purchasing and spending become
an infatuation and obsession!
 |
| Chickpet market https://www.flickr.com/photos |
For the academicians...
The portals of learning are
open in the form of well established learning centres and the most
distinguished among them are the Indian Institute of Science(IISc) and the
Indian Institute of Management(IIM B)that are conspicuous by their presence.
For the ever floating and connecting
citizens..
 |
| IISc |
The Megalapolis can be
reached by road, rail or air. The state, national and Asian highways provide a
network of roads to reach people to this happening city. The Kempegowda bus
terminus popularly called as Majestic is indeed majestic with bus services
catering to all zones. The newly developed satellite town bus stands to
decongest the burgeoning traffic is a shot in the arm for easy hassle free
travel. Railways have grown by leaps and bounds and the number of stations has
gone up from one city station to half a dozen.
The impressive international
airport is a major hub for domestic and international travellers and the entire
town of Devanahalli has grown as a result of the airport.
We have the technology parks
and special economic zones catering to the computer industry and thus earned
the sobriquet of the Silicon valley of India and I am sure there is never a
place named as “Electronics city” elsewhere either in India or abroad and
Bangalore has that unique disposition.
The standouts of beautiful and
bewitching Bengaluru are, the all embracing multifarious quotients that pampers,
embodies and gratifies each and every person living here and those eager to set
foot in this city of hope, progress and prosperity. So folks hook up and come aboard this
phenomenal city and be part of a city that is alive 24x7 and savour the moments to last a lifetime!!!http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/
I went to Bangalore in 2004 as part of my new Job with Wipro. The city looked pretty good then, bur ever since the traffic and congestion has only added to the woes.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful reading your experience staying in Bangalore for so long...i am sure it is as dear to you now as it was decades back!
Undoubtedly Alok..
ReplyDeletethe city has grown in leaps and bounds and the infrastructure has not been able to take this unexpected growth..hope that the citizens with Govt support put this magnificent city back on track and bring back the garden city to glory that many of us adore!
Though I have been to a few of places in Karnataka this year but it has been quite a number of years since I visited Bangalore. I remember the visit to Visveswaraya museum, strolling in the gardens of Lal Bagh, spending a day at IIMB and shopping at MG road. Your post makes me want to visit the city again.
ReplyDeleteNostalgia is indeed a wonderful feeling Somali and each and every part of the city vibrates with your thoughts. Be my guest at Bengaluru!
DeleteThats the problem with our cities Sunita, no compensating infrastructure to balance out the increase in population. And all we can do is just see our beloved cities being ruined :(
ReplyDeleteI love your writeup, and hope to see Bengaluru some day!
Some cities grow within the shortest possible span of time and typical examples are Bombay in yester years and Bangalore in the late nineties which created absolute mayhem to the civic bodies and town planners who were totally caught unawares. Thankyou Leena for your thoughts on the city of Bengaluru!
DeleteYour love for the city has been beautifully reflected in the post. It seems we all have a special relationship with our home-towns. Tata Motors has touched a chord with this contest errrr...war... :-D
ReplyDeleteYes..this war will not determine who is right but who is left:-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a 'Sagar' of a post about your city, Sunita. :)
ReplyDeleteI had known Bangalore just a smoke emanating, throat-choking giant who eats away your times hour by hour. Never knew that the city could be so phenomenal.....like your writing style which unearthed it.
Glad that I was able to show you the brighter side of life in Bengaluru and draw you away from the flip side which unfortunately is a bane of any smart city.
ReplyDeleteRightly when I was planning a B'lore trip, this campaign comes up and I am excited to see so many places to choose from. You just make B'lore seem so interesting (I know it is). But more than what I had expected. :)
ReplyDelete