Bengaluru city is a patchwork quilt!

The blog 'Bangalore now and then' posed a question.

"So just how does a tiny city turn cool overnight? Is it IT, is it the rock and roll? Nobody knows,...?"

(For sure, the weather is a major contributor! Bengaluru did grow, but like a patchwork quilt. An old Bangalorean could rightly boast about Basavanagudi and Malleswaram. In my view, the very crowded  'petes and..purams', (Markets and dwellings), are really 'the heart of the city'.) 

Srikanth (Rao), at my request, wrote about his Memories of Nehrunagar.  Our memories are similar, mine being ten years earlier! This story feels like a jugalbandi!

"A popular Residential Area, Nehrunagar is well located. It is close to Majestic, Railway Station, High Courts, Governors Residence, Malleswaram, Central College Cricket Stadium, West End Hotel and the Race course. 

(All within walking those days. The 'New extension' as it was called was nestled along the rail track and the Gaffar Khan maidan. My mother took credit for it being named 'Nehrunagar'! Residents were asked, and she suggested: 'It is next to Gandhinagar, so call it Nehrunagar!' Being close to the railway station has its down side. Jatka bandi and later auto-drivers would refuse to give us a ride!  Police would help, but not always. Frustrating after a tiring journey.)

Nehrunagar, with compact houses and five cross Roads felt cozy. It had a beautiful park perpendicular to these cross roads and a Police Station of old architecture at the end. On the other side of the park is the well known 'Sheshadripuram school' . It started  in a  small building, and as the school grew, it moved into a new building in 1950. The Raja Mills near by, worked as an alarm for us. It hooted its first siren at 5.45 AM for the first shift employees. The next siren was at 6,45 AM . Unfortunately it was shut many years ago, and years later Mantri mall came up there.

(When I was a student the school was known as 'Subbanna's' school. The school has had a phenomenal growth, there are branches in many locations with a total 20000+ students. Very creditable! Surprisingly there is no mention of its history, excepting,"Seshadripuram School was established in 1930 by Smt Anandamma and Smt Seethamma with the nursery section to begin with which later on expanded to eventually form the present High School."  It is as if there was a magic wand at work!) 

(Raja Mills has a long history. The park in front of Mantri Mall is named 'Sirur park' in honor of the founder. Earlier it was cricket grounds! I have watched Indian test players K. Vasudeva Murthy and V.Subramanya play there!)

My parents moved into a small Out House on the first cross.  The rent was Rs 25/- per month for one room and a hall which was used as dining and study room. .We were lucky to have good neighbours around us. Evening we children played cricket in the field next to the park.

(My father also began with a rent of  Rs. 25 for a three bedroom home. It went up to Rs.40. Then the builder-owners, they owned 3 twin homes in a row, bargained with the tenants. The deal was, no further rent increase, but an out-house and an apartment on the terrace would be built. Basically we gave up space. I am sure it would have now grown even taller with more apartments.) 

(As the sought-after older areas got filled, the younger generation and migrants, mostly from within Karnataka, began to occupy new extensions as they came up. The facilities were basic, many roads were not tarred! It is the story of how Bangalore became congested!) 

The water supply started early in the morning and stopped after 4 hours. Again water came for 4 hours in the evening. There were no overhead tanks and sintex on any of the residences to store the water. 

The power cuts were unheard off. 

(While there were no planned power cuts, not many industries around, power did go off. We all had lanterns  in a handy place. For some reason, power would go off during exam times! Not many homes with phones to bother the electricity departments. One trick which worked sometimes was to take a wooden piece (soudhe kaddi) and bang nearest pole!)

The three temples, Kashi Vishawanatha temple, Rama Temple and Aanjenaya Temple, were very active and were kept clean and tidy. During winter, Thirupavvai discourse on the Godess Andal was conducted in the morning at Sri Rama Temple. Mostly Ladies from this area would attend.  Ramanavami meant music concerts for a period of 15 days at Sri Rama Temple. Many famous artists performed. 

Subsequently, one more group began celebrating at Sheshadripuram School Premises. Big photos of Rama were installed during the Puja. Even today the same photo is used for worship. Presently the programme goes on for nearly three weeks in full spirit and enthusiasm. However the programme at Sri Rama temple premises were stopped after a few years. Gradually the Temple premises got surrounded by shops. While the temple continues to be open, it is not as active as before.

(Our cultural scene was active with temple discourses and music. I remember Maya Rao, before she moved on for bigger things in life, lived in the first cross. She used to teach Kathak at her premises. Pandit Bhave at the Nehru circle used to teach Hindustani Music. His daughter Shyamala Bhave, who recently passsed on, was well known as a musician and a teacher. It was a pleasure to meet her on my return after so many years. Nice she remembered me from our school going days. Carnatic music teachers would come home to teach. Few doors away was Vidwan Chandrasekar, grand son of Veena Seshanna, a Court vidwan at the court of Maharaja of Mysore!)

(Oh yes! Both my mother and Tara's mother were very active with the Ramanavami functions! The money collected in the 'aarathi' plate was given to my mother after the Puja and celebrations. I remember helping my mother count. There were more coins than notes those days!

I used to baby-sit Srikanth, when his mother along with my mother would push off to attend discourses in Rama Temple during winter. My fee, given by his mother, were Arrowroot biscuits!)

The first cross had very famous Personalities. Captain Vijayasarathy,  Mohandas Pai's Parents, Senior overseer from Corporation Office, Veterinary Doctor, Kalayan Café Hotel Owner, Seethalaxhmi Hall owner, Practicing Lawyers, and some employees working in the Central Sector.  I also remember our 'News Paper Boy' Sheshadri who supplied paper as a part time job. He attended classes in the afternoon. He joined the post office and did well, finally  retired as an Officer!

With time more restaurants, theaters came up around Nehrunagar. Doctors started their clinics.The frequency of the bus service was very less. During peak hour there used to queues for the buses.

The play ground had Badminton court and a volleyball court. Volley ball matches were conducted regularly between Miltary Personnel and our local team. It was a very nice to watch the matches. Our players also represented Indian Team and went abroad to play matches. 

The park was also developed well for walking and jogging. Presently one third place of the park is occupied by constructing Auditorium. 

(Srikanth and I saw how gradually our surroundings grew. I remember we did not go out so often, whether to eat out or see movies. But do remember it was quite an ordeal get on a bus, especially in the peak hours, and the wait was long! It was indeed a days program to go visiting anywhere, mostly visiting relatives. We expected and they too would insist that we eat at their place!

He did remember many more notable people from Nehrunagar. And a few more from Sheshadripuram.

However we plan to write about them later. Hopefully this blog will continue for some more time!

There are some wonderful stories written about, different times of Bangalore and different aspects of Bangalore. Malleswaram is as dear to me as I went to play Basketball in Malleswaram!)

 The City Raiway Station was very close by and trains  were not many.  There were no under-bridges on Sheshadripuram Main Road, near Nehru Circle and the Windsor Bridge. They all came later. There was a special train for HAL EMPLOYEES which would leave City at 6.45 AM and reach Vimanapura Railway Station at 7.30 AM. Train would leave Vimanapura by 5.00PM and return to City by 5.45 PM. My father used to travel by this train till 1965, till  he got the bus facility. 

We were blessed to have Sri Doreswamy, Smt Shakuntalama, and their children as our neighbors. We participated in all the festivals together and we were one family though separated by a wall. When we had visitors I used go to their house to study. Very yummy food used to be exchanged between us.  We helped each other if a need arose. We actively participated in Srilatha's wedding in 1963 . They presented me with a nice and expensive shirt which I wore for the wedding. We all went, 25 of us, to see movie Bandhini immediately after the marriage to celebrate. 

 Nidhi moved to Pune on a job in Dec 1963.  We gave a grand send-off dinner for Nidhi and for the newly wed Srilatha- Jayaram at Brindavan Hotel, Majestic. The hotel was new and the food was fabulous with lots of variety.

What a memorable days we had when we were young. Because of education and entering into Professional college we vacated the premises at Sheshadripuram in 1966. We moved to Bull Temple Road. 

 One of the best incidents which I cannot forget! One day our neighbor Sri Vijayasarathy gave me a form and told me to get the signature of my father. My father said no, seeing that he had to pay rs.25.     I politely told my father that uncle had already paid and he had to just sign the form to be given to KSCA. He signed and also gave Rs 25/- to be returned to Uncle. We really enjoyed seeing many Ranji Trophy and International Matches at Central College Pavilion thanks to Sri.Vijayasarathy.

(I have also nice memories of Mr. Vijayasarathy. He was a Ranji cricketeer, Umpire of International matches. Capt in the NCC. I joined NCC thanks to him. I used to go with him to see matches at central college. His children, a little older, were very close to us. His son M V Nagendra  was a Ranji criketeer and an Umpire like his father. 

The community feeling was very strong in our younger days. Our first cross in Nehrunagar was even cosmopolitan. It is probably true even today that these small groups and communities in the cities and towns are the strength of India!)