Home is where the heart is!

A certain king of Vijayanagara once lost his way in a forest. Extremely hungry and tired, he roamed around the entire forest in search of drops of water and morsels of food! All he could find was a lone hut where he met an old woman. He just cud not thank his stars enough! All she had ws some baked beans (‘Benda Kalu’).For a hungry stomach, this humble meal tasted better than the richest fare.And this humble meal marked the birth of a new place “Benda Kalu Ooru” (place of baked beans), now our very own Bengaluru!

I am proud to be an Indian – no North, South, East, West matters to me! Many times, I have been asked this qs Northie/Southie? And my answer definitely has been I am an Indian. Isn’t that enough? I mean we already have enough divisions! Humans first and then we are spread across continents and countries!

This post is not at all about those geographical boundaries or the boundaries people make b/w north, south, east, west et..al! Its all abt a place being home 🙂 Sweet home 🙂 Being born n brought up in Bengaluru and having already spent 24 yrs of my life in this beautiful city knowing that I might get back there anytime soon, its ofcourse Home for me! Its nt abt one city being dear to me in comparison to other cities! I love every place in India! Hyderabad is home for me now and I have no doubt that it is a wonderful place to live in! I mean I might not get those Idlis which melt in my mouth in every corner of the city here; we hardly find Darshinis here like we find 1 almost in every lane in Bengaluru but Hyderabad hs its own charm, its own tasty Biriyani which u might not find anywhere else! The secret is in liking what is authentic in that particular place than trying to find what you love the most in that place – whether it is abt eating, things u want to buy whatever! So, each place is special in its own way! There’s no debate about it!

But years of staying in one place, having my family, chaddi dosts, school friends, college friends, having found my first job , having found my true love – My heart is indeed there! And home is where the heart is 🙂 Bengaluru 🙂

The salubrious climate is indeed a blessing with the Bengaluru weather being soothing enough throughout the year even amidst the jungle of concrete and all that pollution.

Bengaluru is so Cosmopolitan and home away from home for so so many people.

Its home to so many nationals, people from so many places. Infact, u can see a few areas concentrated with people from one place and feels like they are @ home! Head to Ulsoor, and u will have a doubt if u r in Tamil Nadu! I see a mini-India here and this is just one example. Let alone people who come from other places here for gud and learn Kannada which is the native language, we see a true Bangalorean would have learnt so many languages!
Meet a conductor in a Bengaluru bus and u will know … ‘Ellige ticket’ – no answer – ‘Tamil Teriyuma’ – no answer – ‘Em kavali?’ – no answer – Kahan jaana hai? I have seen this ‘n’ number of times! My colleagues here, most of them who have worked in Bengaluru before say they had no problems anywhere in the city! They found people there so warm n welcoming there!

The place where movies in so many different languages get released simultaneously and do business based on their quality and not on the basis of the language!

So modern yet the store house of so many traditions which are still preserved for the Gen Next!

On one of my official trips to Hyderabad before, I met a girl Komal from Delhi! Believe me, she came down to Bengaluru with me only for seeing Brigade
road/ Commercial Street! She enjoyed every bit of her stay there n even now, she remembers the days we spent together there though its been well past 4 yrs!

Being so forward as some people prefer to call it, the age old traditions of Bengaluru have been preserved so well! Its a sight to see the Karaga festival, the ladies n li’l girls adorned in silk visiting each other’s homes distributing the elhlhu-bella[til + jaggery] during Sankranti, the harvest festival, visiting each other’s place for haldi-kumkum during Ganesh Puja and Varalakshmi Puja – the festive spirit is fully alive!

As we know, the Pandavas and the Kauravas fought heroically on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Every spring an echo of that grim struggle is heard in Bangalore during Karaga, the metro’s oldest and most important festival. One of the distinctive features of the Karaga is the participation in this festival by people of all creeds and communities. An eloquent testimony to the secular character of this festival is seen just before sunrise when the Karaga procession halts before the Dargah-e-Shariff of Hazrat Takwal Mastan, the 18th century Muslim saint. According to legend, Mastan was once hurt when he rushed to have a glimpse of the Karaga procession. The temple priests applied kumkum to his wounds. An overjoyed Mastan prayed to Draupadi that the procession should halt at his dargah (grave) after his death. This tradition has been maintained over the years, giving a distinct secular flavour to the festival. U can read more here.

If u have ever visited the ‘Kadalekai Parse‘ [groundnut festival], u will know what fun eating kadlekai really is! U would have never thought so many varieties of Kadlekai even existed! This is held when the groundnuts have been harvested.

Bengaluru is as much home to Java Beans as it is to the variety of beans available!

Lovingly called the ‘Byte-basket’ and rightly called the Silicon Valley of India!
I remember reading these lines somewhere: ‘If the world business today is a jigsaw puzzle, and you keep Bengaluru out of it, chances are you will never be able to solve it, as one of the most (if not the most) important part lies here. Blessed with a moderate and pleasant climate, the city has become the virtual back office for the world.’ Wonderfully put, isn’t it?

A city which has embraced the historic architecture as much as it has expressed its love for modern architecture!

The majestic Vidhana Soudha, home to the State legislature and Secretariat with its royal attractive dome and galleries.
The Bangalore Palace with its exquisite carvings and paintings!
ISKCON temple which stands on a hill is one magnificient construction.
The Bull temple which houses the magnificent stone statue of the sacred bull. The first groundnuts are offered by the farmers to this sacred bull during the Kadlekai Parse.
The Gavigangadareswara monolith carved cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Thousands of devotees visit this temple in January on Makar sankranti Day when the sunrays fall on the Sivalinga between 17.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs. passing between the horns of the Nandi. A splendid sight!
Not to forget the Jumma Masjid,an imposing structure with tall ornamented granite pillars adorning the elevated prayer hall.
The only church to attain the status of a basilica in Karnataka, St. Mary’s Basilica, which boasts of an elegant interior with stained-glass windows and stately arches.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Innovative Film City, institutions of Learning and Research such as the Indian Institute of Science, Raman Research Institute, National Institute of Mental health and Neuro-Sciences, National Aerospace Laboratories etc. have earned worldwide acclaim.

This Silicon Valley of India has been known to be the Garden City for a long time now!

Studded with green gems all over, the place houses the fampus LalBagh botanical gardens, 2400 acre park which features over 1000 species of flora. The Cubbon Park and other parks serving as Jogger’s Paradise too
add to the lush green treasury and hold a pride of place! The numerous lakes around the city, the Banerghatta national parka and amusement park Wonderla are popular spots to hang around too!

The diversity of cuisine available in Bengaluru reflects the social and economic diversity of Bangalore.

U can choose to eat from roadside vendors, tea stalls, the darshinis which majorly serve authentic regional vegetarian cuisine or dine out @ the swankiest restaurants or go around pub-hopping.
Idlis which melt as soon as u drop them into ur mouth available @ Veena stores, SLV or Brahmin’s Cafe, yummy yummy Benne[butter] Masala Dosa @ CTR,
Dosas @ Vidyarthi Bhavan [Its a sight to see those who serve the dosas here! They carry atleast 20+ dosas stacked on one of their hands @ once] Its a long, narrow room where there are benches arranged for people and it is so so crowded @ any time of the day that u need to wait for atleast 15 min to occupy a table! But the joy of eating that tasty dosa …slurp 😉 End it all with a hot cup of filter coffee n ur day is made!
Upahara Darshini, Adigas, Dosa Camp, Roti Ghar, Halli Mane,Bhagatrams, V.B Bakery, Dwaraka, Udupi Krishna Bhavan, MTR – thatz Bengaluru for u – A fud lover’s paradise!
V.V Puram – which is heaven for roadside eateries! As the sun gets ready to go home, here come numerous gaadis on the road serving everything from chats to dosas to sweets! People come by walk, by cars, by autos n wander all around sampling something from each cart! Its a feast to the eyes to watch the different items being prepared and so so many peole having a gr8 time taking the fried lentil mixtures from the cones, dropping it into their mouth, chatting non-stop with friends, a sense of satisfaction evident on their faces! Thatz Bengaluru for u 🙂

A Shopper’s paradise, shop till your drop @ the stylish malls, the designer arcades, the state-owned emporia or the private shops! Be it Malleswaram, Jaynagar or Chikpet, Brigade road, Commercial Street or Gandhibazar, each area has something unique to offer! A delightful experience in itself!

Bengaluru is also a great promoter of various art forms.

Classical music and dance recitals are widely held throughout the year, esp. as part of the Ramanavami celebrations. Bengaluru Habba which marks the festival of various art forms in which artists from all over India are invited to perform is a treat to watch! It provides a platform for all forms of art – Yakshagana, Classical music and dance, Jazz, Rock, Theatre, Bollywood musical nites, Sufi music, Magic shows etc..
Something to match each one’s taste @ one place!

And now this is what my friends, fellow Bangaloreans feel abt the place 🙂

Pixie says:

Bangalore for me as a 15 yr old was the city of dreams.  I always knew and dreamed of coming and living in Bangalore. Working here. Staying out late with friends and of course partying!!!

As I grew up, my dream grew with me, but this was more to do with working hard and making money than partying!!!

I came to Bangalore in 2005. Till then, it was only a vacation place, a place where I came to spend time with cousins, to shop, to eat out and watch movies!

From 2005 its also been my home away from home.

I didn’t like the city in the beginning, no, I thought it was noisy, crowded, polluted and had way too many traffic jams than necessary. But, as the days went by, my love for this beautiful city grew…

Bangalore to me is freedom. Bangalore taught me to live, to be independent and it taught me the darker side of human nature.

I have met more people here! It has changed, moulded my thinking… It’s given me the confidence I didn’t have before! I love my city. Namma Bengaluru, is what it is. I am also intensely loyal to my city. Of course it has its bad points. Maybe more bad than good. Fine. But, its home for you, me and a lot of others.
Bangalore is one of the more friendlier cities in India. We are more accepting of outsiders than any other city.
It’s got something for everyone, whoever you may be and whatever your status maybe.
No, I don’t like anyone bad mouthing my city! You have a choice, stay and love the place, else go back to where you came from!
In short, Bangalore has been the realisation of my dreams. This city has given me my freedom, shaped me to be the woman I am today. This city has given me the financial freedom I always wanted. This city has made sure I have a home.

I love my Bangalore!

My friend Sri says:

Bangalore for me is like staying in my Mother’s womb … caring, comfortable and protected!

My friend S says:

Stop a person and ask address in ANY language! U will find ur way! Thatz Bengaluru for me. With Rs.10 in ur hand, u can still fill ur stomach with nice food. Thatz my Bengaluru for me!

Elegant Chic says:

I love the climate of Bengaluru 🙂

P.S: According to Mercer survey, ‘2009 Quality of Living global city rankings’, Bangalore has been voted as the best Indian city to live in!

Thank u guys for ur lovely responses 🙂 .

I sent an SMS to many ppl and put up a status msg in my IM asking whatz Bengaluru for them? Most of the replies said ‘Home’ or ‘Home away from Home’

And thatz my Bengaluru for me ‘HOME SWEET HOME’ 🙂

Signing off with a beautiful Kannada song ‘Nodu baa Nodu baa Nammura’ [Come see the place we live in!]