Bengaluru inner city petes'.

 I felt overwhelmed by the pressure of traffic, while walking in the inner city as a kid. Mostly bicycles, Jatka Bandis, people and of course cows!  A visit into the city with my grandmother is etched in my memory. 

We went to a small jewelry shop with  a bundle of (old?) saris! The jeweler spoke nicely and as he set to work with the saris, he said 'I could have come home'. My grandmother replied she had work nearby,  so it was not a problem. Soon he set up a charcoal stove and dropped the Kanjeevaram saris onto the pan. The red hot coal and the flare as the saris caught fire was spectacular! He quickly collected the melted silver in a small crucible and cast them into small rods and gave them to my Grandmother! 

A jeweler is like a trusted friend of the family. Traditionally families would stick to one jeweler. The jewelers remembered all the weddings and talk about it. Also inquire about the well being of our relatives. They even used to pierce the ears of a new-born baby. Their future customer!

We all had our favorite shops in the market, for clothes, vessels and other long term purchases. There was always a welcome smile, a little bit banter and inquiry into our well being. Also some serious bargaining! A training ground for negotiations. Not that all of us could do this! I was more comfortable with our local grocer. Just take a passbook filled with the list of items required. The grocer would take care and fill in the price for each item supplied! Main thing was to remember to carry bags and promptly settle monthly bills!

 I had my share of watching street acrobatics, magic and snake charmers at the Majestic circle. Also saw popular Kannada plays staged at a semi-permanent theater situated at the periphery of the inner city.  The theater was built on the grounds of a dry lake! The seats for the lowest priced tickets were on a raised platform at the back and we sat on cotton or jute carpets.

Also remember the boring visits to the sari shops with my mother and aunts who were in Bangalore on a visit and had to make at least one quick visit. A few of my close friends were expert shoppers and adepts in getting bargains! One of them took charge of buying vegetables from the city market for my sister Srilatha's wedding. A big relief and an eye opener!

Visits to the relatives who lived in the city with my mother were pleasant. Houses were nice and larger than one would expect in such congested areas. They had back yards and the inevitable well and coconut trees. A few had mango and guava trees, eating a fruit off the tree was a bonus. I wonder if they are still the same. Not likely!  

My parents would arrange a puja, an 'abhishek', the temple of our family deity was in the city, to seek blessings on birthdays and auspicious days! It was a test of my patience and  the reward was 'prasad'. The food given as prasad, were unbelievably tasty! In any case, we  were all very hungry by the time prasad was distributed! It was not just us, all those present in the temple were given prasad. 

 When in college we discovered the Vijayalakshimi theatre which gave a student passes, to get discounted tickets.  Did see some great English movies. After the movie we ate Saagu Dosa at the New Krishna Bhavan restaurant. Memorable days. I did try to watch the annual Karaga festival. Not particularly happy with the jostling crowds, didn't repeat it!

The history of the oldest part of Bangalore goes far back in time. An inscription, (in Kannada) dating back to 890 AD,.. refers to a 'Bangalore war' in which Buttanachetty, a servant of Nagatta, died. (The Hindu.)  The city was founded by Kempe Gowda I, who built a mud fort at the site in 1537.

 (It is said that he was not permitted to use stones to construct the fort by the King of Vijayanagara! Typical of those days, Bangalore would have had different dynastic rulers for the intervening 600 years!)

To facilitate trading of farm produce and goods,  ..two main streets, Chickkapete, Doddapete streets and their intersection, were laid. Kempe Gowda II, later added temples, tanks including Kempapura and Karanjikere tanks and four watching towers, still existing, to mark Bangalore's boundary! One can guess Bangalore prospered under their rule! (Adapted from wikipedia)

The four watch towers along the blue line.
Lalbagh, Ulsoor lake, Mekhri circle and Kempabudi lake.  

While Bengaluru has spread much more, one can surely admire Kempegowda's vision! 

The history of  Bangalore Petes is fascinating. It is worth a read and I recommend taking an organised city walk! It could prove interesting and also explain why an old Bengalurean is cosmopolitan. 

The latest google map reflects the growth of Bengaluru in the last 60 years or so! This strip, an extension of the old city, reflects the unrelenting pressure of population and the way the immigrants were accommodated. 

One can regretfully wonder how a city which boasts of the vision of Kempegowdas and contributions of many Dewans of Mysore, not forgetting a few noble Englishmen came to such a pass.

 I fondly remember a picnic we had beyond Rajajinagar, then an area full of trees! A few us of on our bicycles, stopped at this beautiful spot. An older cousin had discovered this gently coursing brooks with clear clean water. We bathed and had a whale of a time. There is no way we can retrieve these wonderful spots. 

Our only hope is for residents to get together, clean up the place,  especially the open sewage drains, plant trees wherever  possible and add terrace gardens. In short take pride in their area and spruce it up.

I have seen this done elsewhere!

"Temples and lakes were planned and residential layouts, or agraharas (residential areas of Brahmins), around each temple were built during the rule of Kempegowda I, in and around the Pete, which along with the mud fort built by him, changed Bengaluru from a village to a centre of culture based on the Hindu religion. These developments were fashioned in the tradition of the Vijayanagara cities." (Wikipedia) 

We can see the 'founders' of Bangalore didn't create a congested market place.

It is all our doing!