Recently, I’ve noticed that a lot of people complain about how much Bangalore has changed. I’m a Bangalorean and have lived here all my life. To be specific, I’m a South Bangalore girl who grew up in Jayanagar. I think change is a good thing and if we let things take their course, Bangalore will flourish.
Bangalore is the city where if you have Rs 20 in your pocket, you can find something amazing to eat. Be it the local darshinis or the road-side churmuriwala or Adiga’s brilliant coffee, or just about anything on food street - Bangalore caters to every foodie’s delight. I really hope this doesn’t change. Jayanagar especially spoils you for choice, when it comes to food. I’ve spent hours at Aditya on weekends, just catching up with friends and enjoying the great food.
The people here are warm and friendly, the weather is perfect and there’s greenery all around when compared to other cities.
However, one of the major issues I have is that it’s become increasingly difficult to walk the footpaths of Bangalore. I usually walk every evening through Lal Bagh, post work to get some fresh air and walk through the greenery. But this is now becoming a little cumbersome. Either there are too many loafers wasting time standing around on the footpaths barring your way and beggars finding shelter on the road-side or they are just not well maintained. We used to have clean roads and footpaths for pedestrians but now you’ll find that city walls and streetsides are stained by urine, and the stench makes it impossible to walk by.
Another issue is that playgrounds are slowly disappearing. I run a small NGO that conducts sports events for children from rural schools, orphanages and city slums. We are running out of space to conduct these activities. Every city needs its playgrounds, as they act as vital spaces to imbibe important lessons.
Like any other metro, we have traffic issues and the roads are getting affected because of construction of the metro-rail. But I think if we are patient enough, we will see some good development. Initial hiccups are bound to be there. Especially once the metro comes in full-throttle, it’ll become easier to commute. I also try and avoid driving in the city. I use BMTC buses and travel on foot as much as I can.
I love travelling and I travel to various cities often. But wherever I go, I end up wanting to get back to Bangalore. All things said and done, Bangalore is home.
(The writer is a resident of Jayanagar)