Bidding Adieu to a Amaranthine Place

Basavangudi happens to be among Bangalore's earliest layout and here the city's multicultural, nteractive spirit is still largely held intact. Kannadigas, Madrasis, Andhrites, Maharashtrians have made their homes over years in this neighborhood, and recently Marwaris too have joined them. Ladies dressed conservatively in sari walk the same road with jean clad daughters. Gandhi bazaar's footpath vegetable and fruit bazaar is a treat the to eyes, and has been copied in newer areas like Jayanagar,Vijayanagar, Madiwal etc. As months pass by after one has got acquainted with Basavangudi, it starts to look timeless and elegant, where the old never change, yet modernity seeps in without disturbing the old order.

30 to 40 yr old hotels exist peacefully alongside modern day joints. Tiffin rooms are plenty here, many of them with names ringing similar to popular Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (MTR). idli, vade, karabath, kesaribath, and some ricebath of the day along with tasty coffee and tea are standard fare, with dosas, daddur vades etc also being served in a few of them. Quality is top notch and one is hard pressed to say which among them is better. Sri Mahalaxmi Tiffin Room, Modern Tiffin Room(quite old by the way!), BlueDoor Cafe (Sri Laxmi Tiffin Room, sorry) and Brahmin's Coffee Bar are a must visit, in reverse order. There's also Vidyarthi Bhavan, which to me is more hype than taste. Those looking for lunch at a regular vegetarian hotel or darshini have plenty of choice too.

Bang Design, the firm I was freelancing at, shifted close to Banaswadi, the other side of Bangalore. And that means no more frequent walks to Gandhi Bazaar or regular evening coffees at Bluedoor Cafe. It was fun while it lasted :-)

Speaking of progress, found a iconic photo at HAL museum on Airport Road. Spot the bullock cart in the photo.

This notice was pasted at a KSRTC booking franchise near home. BMTC is ahead of me and has already implemented something similar to the idea mentioned in the previous post. No wonder it is the only profit making city bus service in the country.