When I first came to Bangalore, it was a pleasure to explore the city, especially considering that I had spent a long time in a sleepy town - Maddur. So, each day, the city threw new surprises. The journey through modernity was indeed very interesting and the child-like curiosity took to me to several places.
The exploration - mainly CV Raman Nagar, Ramamurthy Nagar, Byappanahalli, and of course MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial Street, Cunningham Road - were a delight.
What I have always cherished about Bangalore is its calm existence, balancing modern necessities and cultural traits. It is often a great experience to visit Basavanagudi, Rajajinagar, Malleswaram, etc. where one can find the old world charm still existing, preserved well with the cultural nuances. And people have been very sensitive about maintaining it even though they have changed to the requirements of the modern day.
The temples, the rituals, the old eateries, the celebrations during varied festivals - tradition is at its best in the city and I have never missed the feel of goose bumps whenever I witness people following the age old practices with so much sincerity.
And while the city adheres to tradition to the hilt, it has also welcomed the future too. Of course, the traffic, the roads, the footpaths, water scarcity, power shortages, etc. are definitely the evils that surround the city, there is also the metro, the efficient BMTC, chic eateries, malls, high quality movie theatres, pubs, discotheques, music concerts, art exhibitions...you ask for any modern day experience, and you have it in the city.
And while this balance has been maintained well, the weather is indeed the most supportive aspects of the city. Another factor that makes the city, the best in my list is its connectivity. You can go to some of the best places that one would want to be in, in few hours. Weekend getaways are plenty around the city, many times, even a visit to the flower market in City market itself makes your day.
It is also a city which can easily qualify as a life changing entity, what with so much of learnings that one could gather, having exposure to IT, BT, pharmacies, PSUs, best colleges and other educational institutions, healthcare facilities, ayurvedic centres - the job opportunities are immense and so is the knowledge that you cultivate being with people who have diverse expertise.
When I was in Maddur, I had restricted knowledge resources, but as soon as I came to Bangalore, I have people who are working with technology, people with expertise in automobile, people with immense knowledge on literature, vedas and the puranas, people who breathe only research, people who are avid followers of defence related developments...the kind of exposure that you have meeting people and grasping various nuances of their specialisation is indeed reflected in my daily life. Unlike in Mumbai, where half of the time is spent commuting, Bangalore has enough time where mature interaction is possible.
There are many things to complain too, but then I feel, we have to be positive and patient. With development, which is necessary, there are bound to be issues, and I am sure that there are authorities who are looking at these negative aspects and trying to work out ways to address them. I am positive, because the city is positive; it does not allow negative waves to roam around me.
(The writer is a resident of Byappanahalli)