happiness and food

I am just a year short of saying that I have been in Bangalore for a decade and I am looking forward to that day as much as I look forward to my birthday every year. So you know that I love Bangalore so much that I am not going to trade anything for living in this city unless it’s Scotland on the offer. Okay, fine ; time to be back to serious stuff. Landmark is nothing unique. Every city or town has got simple or magnanimous landmarks that make that city. Sometimes, it’s that crossing after the bridge, sometimes it’s that huge orange or the 0th milestone, sometimes the church with a huge bell, or that flyover with flowers on all sides and many others.

Bangalore too has a number of landmarks and I also think that landmarks may not just be a piece of old architecture or an infrastructure marvel. It could be anything that the place is known for. Without much effort, the first thing that came to mind was “Cauvery Emporium”. I am not sure about when was this set up but if you are guiding someone new to Bangalore, this is something on MG Road that they cannot miss. It’s also the place where crafts from all over Karnataka are sold over prices that have been decided by the government authorities. Till date, I haven’t heard of anyone getting cheated at this place. Sandal wood, incense sticks, beads and a lot of wooden toys are the usual cost effective picks. A little story that takes me this place is my personal one. When VT and I had to meet for the first time in Bangalore, he was new to the city and I told him to come to Cauvery at MG Road. So this place, whether I shop here or not takes me to those days when we used to walk hand in hand after office hours. I hadn’t discovered blogging then so my late evenings used to be free.

Today, I also spoke to couple of people I know to get their view on Bangalore’s landmarks and the answers took me by surprise. Some I did not know even after being here for 9 years. There is always so much to discover in every city and hence I was happy that I at least got to know. Here are a couple for you:

• The flower market in KR Puram every morning. This street market has the most beautiful and fresh flowers stocked up for export and hence if you ever get a chance to see this early morning, call me and we can go together.
• Groundnut (Kadlekai in Kannada) Festival that happens every Sankranti. This festival shows up the festive and spiritual side of the city.
• Masala Dosa at MTR – made in pure ghee and the variety of mouth watering chutneys
• A trip to Lalbagh – and must see during a flower show
• A walk early in the morning to Cubbon Park – to explore your healthy self
• Indian Institute of Science for it’s greenery and natural beauty. The temperature dips as soon as you enter the institute – it’s that non-polluted and clean.

This is not a comprehensive list but these are still the places that a Bangalorean would be able to relate to. Even after having so many landmarks and places to visit, it’s Bangalore’s people that make this city so lovable. Those down-to-earth and helping ones who are always ready to lend a hand and with a heart warming smile. The charm of this city is cos of it’s people and I am happy to be one among them.

This post is a response to Daily Post’s Photography 101 and today’s theme is Landmark.

I am participating in National Blog Posting Month – NaBloPoMo, and this is Post #11, a pledge to write daily during November to hone my skills, challenge myself, and taking this blog to the next level. Wish me luck and share ideas that you would want to read!