It’s a city that’s always easy to flaunt to outsiders. The gusts of cool breeze make even bumpy auto rides an enjoyable journey, with the lofty trees, often cradling an idol and flowers at the base of the trunk, providing interesting sights on the way. The food is not just delicious at even the tiniest eatery, but also almost always freshly cooked. And whenever loud honking and messy traffic spoil the mood somewhat, along comes in view a figure dressed up in a bright-coloured silk sari with a lavish zari border, riding a two-wheeler, to instantly lift the spirits.
Yes, Bengaluru is the perfect Indian city to show off to cousins and friends who suffer the road rage in Delhi, the sticky humidity in Mumbai and Chennai, and the nonchalance of service and goods providers in Kolkata. And yet, it does not seem such a perfect city to host visitors from other places. The glorious descriptions are in danger of falling flat as soon as the question, ‘So what is there to see in your town?’ pops up.
For all its Delhi-belly, face mask-enforcing pollution and insouciant drivers on the road, the city has glorious monuments and ruins – some tucked away and several that loom into view as soon as you take the next turn on a busy road – and dripping-with-history alleys. Kolkata too has at least a few architectural beauties to behold, not to mention the lure of the neighbourhood sweet shops, and the frozen-in-time streets that still seem straight out of an old black-and-white movie. Mumbai and Chennai have the beaches, and don’t need much else for an evening outing, do they? Even Hyderabad is a treasure trove for tourists, with all the awe-inspiring artefacts displayed at Salarjung Museum, and the wait for the famous cuckoo clock to strike the hours proving worth it. Children, of course, love a visit to Ramoji City, and while our Wonderla never disappoints, a day trip to the film city just offers so much more, especially if you pack in a short drive to Pochampally, and watch weavers at work, buying their creations at the village itself. And while Chandni Chowk and Lokhandwala markets have their own charm, it’s the glittery Begum Bazaar that I think takes the trophy as a paradise for shoppers and photographers alike.
Guess, that explains the anxious moments I used to experience as a visitor’s arrival to the city neared. That’s how it was when a sister came, and we went early one morning to the much-acclaimed Vidyarthi Bhavan. She didn’t care much for the food there, but was mesmerised with the hundreds of shades of flowers being sold right outside the restaurant – enough to make a video call to her family thousands of miles away and show them beauty in all its purity.
Another time, after I took an inclined-towards-art nephew to Chitrakala Parishath, he wouldn’t stop raving about the Open Dosa at the canteen there. Other instances followed, where everyday experiences made the visit memorable for the guests. So what if there is no Bapu Bazaar of Jaipur here, the friendly, unobtrusive, not-judging-the-customer demeanour of the salespersons makes each sari-shopping jaunt to Chickpet a trip to remember. So what if you reach Nandi Hills almost as soon as the hairpin turns start, the temple at the top evokes enough clicks. That, I guess, is what makes this city so wonderful for tourists. You just can’t put a finger to what makes it so.
Pallavi Srivastava
Sr Asst Editor, City Express
spallavi@newindianexpress.com