March 28, 2024

Bye bye Bangalore, Hullo Haryana!

So it’s bye bye to Bangalore after five years. And a good five years it was. When I moved to Bangalore in 2009, this was my third stint in the city. I was not particularly fond of it, though I didn’t actively dislike it.

My husband and I were both fans of Bombay and suffered a massive Bombay hangover for close to two years. But I slowly fell into its languid rhythm and grew to like everything about Bangalore. Well, almost everything. And leaving has not been easy. Especially for a place like Gurgaon. Ah, well, the things we do for work…

I will definitely miss Bangalore. As I sit here sweltering in the north Indian summer, my thoughts ran to all the things I will miss about Bangalore:

~ The weather: This has to top any list about Bangalore – the lovely, cool, breezy days and the al fresco dinners that are possible almost through the year. I am so tempted to block all Bangalore friends on facebook because all they seem to talk about is how cool their city is. Grrrrrr.

~ Kharabhath and filter coffee breakfasts: Airlines was already shut by the time we left, but there is still MTR and Ballal and the dozens of small places that dish out lip smacking masala dosa and kharabhath. Sunday mornings will never be the same again.

<Also read: Breakfast in Bangalore 1, 2, 3, 4, 5>

Masala dosa

~ Cubbon Park blooms: This was one of my absolute favourite parts about living in Bangalore, the fact that we could drive through Cubbon Park and always see some trees in bright bloom through the year.

Cubbon Park

~ Summer evenings at Lalbagh: Although I didn’t do this as frequently as I would have liked – one of the things I took for granted – walking through Lalbagh was always a delightful experience. Apart from all that greenery, I loved the people watching opportunities that Lalbagh always offered.

<Also read: A summer evening at Lalbagh>

Summer

Lalbagh

~ Drives on Mysore Road: Another favourite weekend activity, long drives on Mysore Road, especially during the cooler months. Kishore Kumar or Gulzar on the speakers and the windows rolled down, the breeze caressing my cheeks, bisi bisi thatte idli within calling distance… need I say more?

~ The markets: Mangos at Gandhi Bazaar. Street side bargaining on Commercial Street. Fresh flowers at KR Market… Avenue Road. Malleswaram. The annual crafts mela at Chitra Kala Parishat.

KR Market

Commercial Street

So, bye bye Bangalore. I hope to be back. And for now, I will leave you with a collection of my posts from Bangalore. Regular programming to resume soon, from Gurgaon from now on.

13 thoughts on “Bye bye Bangalore, Hullo Haryana!

  1. For a travel and food writer, Delhi is the place to be. You just need to get through the next few months by running to the hills :-). Once the winters set in, the Capital has more then enough places to see and eat and write about. The beauty of Delhi is that every corner, in spite of the dust and grime, has a story to tell. Looking forward to your posts on Delhi and it’s environs.

    1. Thanks, Nitin. My plan to keep sane is exactly that – to head off to the hills whenever I can. Also look forward to exploring old Delhi. And I hope that Delhi will be a better place for me as a freelance writer – more stories, interesting stories and all that 🙂

  2. Great shots…but I do hope you like North India as well! 🙂 Btw I too miss Bangalore…

  3. The garden city might have lost a bit of its old charm. It is still an adorable city, a bit sleepy though compared to Mumbai. Thanks for the visual treat.

  4. Hi! Nice article about Bangalore. Thank you for the brief info about the place since I am planning to go there next year. A friend invited me to visit their place before going to Jaipur, Agra and Mumbai. Cheers!

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