Bangalore’s demystification of sorts.
When the word Bangalore is mentioned there are a lot of things that come to mind immediately. I’ve tried to mention a few, some are to break myths about Bangalore, break perceptions, and some to give newer aspects to the city. So here it is, Bangalore, primitively demystified.
Being a Bangalorean does NOT mean I must visit a pub/party every Wednesday or Satuday night. And it’s not just a pub city!
Not EVERYONE shops at malls. Chickpet, Commercial St, Jayanagar 4th block still form the largest shopping arcades for many Bangaloreans.
Heavy density traffic in Bangalore is restricted to South Bangalore, viz, J.P. Nagar, Koramangala, Hosur Road, and other places where the IT populace is higher. Most other areas have traffic that’s expected to happen in any metro! Think Malleshwaram, Jayanagar, H.A.L. and some with relatively traffic free zones, like Fraser town. [I didn’t say vehicle free]
The Ring Road compensates immensely if you want to get away from the city. Some people have an argument about how Bangalore loses because it has no beach! Well, stupid argument. Isn’t it a geographically pre-determined thing?
We are not just multiplexes and lifestyle stores!
Almost every Bangalorean will understand what one says in English, though will not be able to reply in English.
Not all of us live at designer stores or wear designer clothes.
Kannadigas are NOT language fanatics. It’s just a few jobless people.
Page 3 is just another small culture that exists here, but is blown so much, beyond proportions by the media.
Weekend Drag Races are a true Bangalore riders best bet.
After New York, Bangalore’s the only place that screens movies in more than 6 languages at its theatres.
Hmm, must say the bus drivers are reckless, most atleast.
Mount Carmel College is the MOST HYPED girls’ college, with respect to the ‘trend setting abilities on the college fashion circuit’ of the girls. There are geeks like me who study there and don’t spell fashion at all!
Not every household has someone working with an I.T. Company, a B.P.O. or an N. G. O.
Not everyone likes the idea of a new flyover being built, or a new corridor begun, or the metro rail.
Investing at a property in Devanahalli can be one of the biggest investments of your life.
It’s a relatively safe city for women, at night especially.
We have a good number of 70-100 year old temples, small albeit, tucked in different parts of the city.
It’s just 0.005% of the women who walk on Brigade road or M.G. Road that get their butts pinched, or get stares from roadside romeos.
We thankfully do not have a casino culture.
“Simply Adjust Maadi” [kindly adjust] is NOT, I repeat, NOT the most common phrase or most used phrase in Bangalore. It’s another hyped phrase.
‘Swalpa’ [little] is probably a more commonly used word.
We are not to be compared with the original Silicon Valley, Chicago or any other U.S. city. We are Bangalore!
And as ‘Cool as Bangalore’, should be more like it. [I don’t know If I should kick myself for such a lame line, after writing so much]
Not EVERYONE shops at malls. Chickpet, Commercial St, Jayanagar 4th block still form the largest shopping arcades for many Bangaloreans.
Heavy density traffic in Bangalore is restricted to South Bangalore, viz, J.P. Nagar, Koramangala, Hosur Road, and other places where the IT populace is higher. Most other areas have traffic that’s expected to happen in any metro! Think Malleshwaram, Jayanagar, H.A.L. and some with relatively traffic free zones, like Fraser town. [I didn’t say vehicle free]
The Ring Road compensates immensely if you want to get away from the city. Some people have an argument about how Bangalore loses because it has no beach! Well, stupid argument. Isn’t it a geographically pre-determined thing?
We are not just multiplexes and lifestyle stores!
Almost every Bangalorean will understand what one says in English, though will not be able to reply in English.
Not all of us live at designer stores or wear designer clothes.
Kannadigas are NOT language fanatics. It’s just a few jobless people.
Page 3 is just another small culture that exists here, but is blown so much, beyond proportions by the media.
Weekend Drag Races are a true Bangalore riders best bet.
After New York, Bangalore’s the only place that screens movies in more than 6 languages at its theatres.
Hmm, must say the bus drivers are reckless, most atleast.
Mount Carmel College is the MOST HYPED girls’ college, with respect to the ‘trend setting abilities on the college fashion circuit’ of the girls. There are geeks like me who study there and don’t spell fashion at all!
Not every household has someone working with an I.T. Company, a B.P.O. or an N. G. O.
Not everyone likes the idea of a new flyover being built, or a new corridor begun, or the metro rail.
Investing at a property in Devanahalli can be one of the biggest investments of your life.
It’s a relatively safe city for women, at night especially.
We have a good number of 70-100 year old temples, small albeit, tucked in different parts of the city.
It’s just 0.005% of the women who walk on Brigade road or M.G. Road that get their butts pinched, or get stares from roadside romeos.
We thankfully do not have a casino culture.
“Simply Adjust Maadi” [kindly adjust] is NOT, I repeat, NOT the most common phrase or most used phrase in Bangalore. It’s another hyped phrase.
‘Swalpa’ [little] is probably a more commonly used word.
We are not to be compared with the original Silicon Valley, Chicago or any other U.S. city. We are Bangalore!
And as ‘Cool as Bangalore’, should be more like it. [I don’t know If I should kick myself for such a lame line, after writing so much]
Bangaloreans, or anyone who’s visited Bangalore, any more suggestions?
40% of B’lore’s techie population is from the non-hep North and West Bangalore (Malleshwaram, Vijayanagar, Rajajinagar et al).
Bangalore is a major machine tools hub. It is also a big textile hub and supplies to most nationally and internationally renowned brands.
Peenya Industrial Area (in North-West Bangalore) is supposed to be the biggest single industrial estate in India (read it somewhere, not very sure but the place is deginitely huge).
Bangalore’s infrastructure may be crumbling in the newer areas outside BDA limits. But within BDA limits, there are no water, power, garbage issues to a large extent. Roads are also much better within the city than in CMC areas.
BMTC and KSRTC are the most profitable transport undertakings in the country and their services have improved by leaps and bounds over the past five years. BMTC transports approx. 3.4 million passengers daily.
All that I have to say is….
love you Bangalore… miss you…:(
pubs – absolutely true. I used to pub hop a long way back in time, not anymore. But I guess because I get the spare time for productive use, I see more of Bangalore than before.
shopping – it is different for each region. In the East, CMH Road, Ulsoor, Marathahalli are big!
heavy traffic – Airport Road, Marathahalli Junction and Bridge, Manipal Hospital signal? THOSE ARE BIG!
No Beach? What the heck! Bangalore has atleast one national park within 50 km reach. It has several beautiful tourist spots within the 100 km reach. And several world famous tourist spots within 400 kms reach. Dear complainers – “If you are eager, you would not complain”!
Understanding in English? … Mmm… I doubt that. However, this is immensely true. Make an attempt to speak in Kannada in whatever little you know, broken, wrong grammer – doesn’t matter. People open up like flowers to help you.
Jobless people – Right, and they are politically motivated. So are the arsonists. but it is true of most cities in the world.
Drag Races – Always heard about them, never seen them. Where are they? I heard they race on the outer ring roads. And also heard that they “ghuse” the cops to keep away when races are on! True?
employed in IT … yeah, but the proportion of a BPO employee is rocketing!
“It’s a relatively safe city for women, at night especially.” – Seriously debatable. Mumbai is safer!
no NYC, no Chicago… no SFO… We are Bangalore and you are Bangalored! Hah!
True about Peenya being the single biggest industrial sector in India.
Road cleanliness is probably the best in India. Most of my relatives who visit me also have to say the same.
True about BMTC and KSRTC being profitable orgs. BMTC model is being implemented amongst other State Transport orgs too.
As rocking as Bangalore should be more apt! There are more than one reasons for that.
1. I bet there are not as many good rock bands in any other city in India.
2. The effect you feel when you travel on some roads – you get rocked!
3. It is probably the most happening city in India. Any new launch to be done is first done in Bangalore. Recent example is the launch of the flashy Honda Civic.
4. Any concert in Bangalore gets more attendance than the other cities despite them having more population to attend.
5. I think it has the most active theatre circuit after Mumbai. Theatre is active in English and Kannada. Hindi – I am not aware much.
6. The land prices in the fringes of the city could leave you with a feeling of being rocked! :-)
7. Travelling in BMTC buses at peak time can leave you feeling rock-bottomed! ;-)
8. Despite the alarming increase in summer temperatures, most of the other times of the year are still as good as yesteryears. And the weather still is rocking damn better than other cities (compared to Hy’d, Mumbai, Delhi and whatever other city you may want to compare)
Any additions?
“Great List”! is all i can say!! :)
What is “Page 3” as in “Page 3 is just another small culture”?
>>>Naveen, Mehak…:)
>>>RC: yeah! you’re right oin most of ur points.
Drag races, yep Outer ring road sees them, it used to happen on MG road at 1ish r 2ish at nigt, but police’ve ensured it doesn exist.
guess i shall psot more, on that, once i get some mroe info.
RC abt women and safety, i;ve been out not partying or pubbuing but shopping, alone n come home at 11 in the night,how easy does that sound. some amount of fear of attack willl anyway exist irrespective of the city, right.
road clenliness, yep, but some roads or areas are un bearable.
and oh heck! how cxan i forget the music culture!!!!
good u reminded me!
woo 3 ideas ready already.
>>>Gowri :)
>>>SF Mark,
PAge 3 is a culture practice by newspapers in india, tabloaids rahter that primarily use the third page of the supplementaries to write about who was seen at which party with whom, wearing what,what happened at these parties etc.it’s mroe of how these people live their lives,and newspprs endlessly write about them! tho the restriction to just the 3rd page is now changing to almost the entire supplement. capturing the social life of celebs or upcoming artistes and [eople, can be a milder way of describing it.
Hey, great list!
I can especially relate to the pub culture. I have been in Bangalore all my life and haven’t been to a pub. And when I announced this fact while working in Mumbai, I was met with “What a liar” stares … Sigh!
i who has all rights to continue vijayanagaram blog and the one ,the only one ,who knows karthik fulwell and wants to keep him alive only is posting in his blog .guess to find out who it may be.
I truly appreciate ye all for ur appreciation of my city. Sorry! ‘Our’ city! And I am so proud to say that I am a sixth generation Banglorean!