BENGALURU: Throughout its history, Bengaluru has distinguished itself with its unique culture and rich heritage. As a startup hub, pub capital, and garden city, there are many aspects to explore, whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the city. Avinash Raju, a techie, chose to learn more about the city through its watering holes, opting for pub trails over historical walks. “Bengaluru is known for its craft beers, and in the cantonment areas, there are many old pubs. I wanted to explore that. These pubs are testaments to how the city evolved into the craft beer capital of the country,” says Raju.
Vinay Parameswarappa, founder of Gully Tours, organises a walk called Tipsy Near Thippasandra. “It is a pub crawl in the bars near Indiranagar to help you understand the drinking culture in the city. It’s relevant because the city has a huge drinking history. At one point, when the whole country was dry, it was Bengaluru that was serving alcohol,” claims Parameswarappa. He also mentions the trail is fun because it offers a taste of Bengaluru that is very different from the modern pubs that dot the city today.
Bengaluru is also known for its startups. Parameswarappa organises ‘startup walks’ as well. “If Indiranagar is the area to explore pubs, then HSR is the area for startups. It’s interesting to learn about these work cultures and how different they are from the MNCs that Bengaluru is also known for,” he says, adding that initially, these walks were private, but now they are open to the public.
Long before pubs and startups, Bengaluru earned the title of a garden city. Abhishek Khan took it upon himself to ensure people take some time to appreciate the native flora of the city. His fragrance walk at Lalbagh introduces people to the various scents in the garden that many often miss in their busy lives.
“The walk is about the different fragrances in the garden, which include both flowers and leaves. Currently, it’s egg magnolia, also known as magnolia liliifera, which is in full bloom. It is one of the few indigenous flowers we have right now. It has a very distinctive smell that cannot be overpowered by anything else,” says Khan.
One reason Khan wanted to offer this experience was his desire to contribute something unique to the city. “I started this walk because when I looked for more information, I couldn’t find much. There are many history walks, so I thought it would be nice to do something different,” he shares.