In my neck of the woods

When I hear about new initiatives such as this, a part of me tingles with pride, cos you see the entire route for this walk meanders around places in my neighborhood that I have literally grown up in. An entire section of my locality that certainly had a huge hand in shaping my persona. Another part of me surges with mixed emotion. That part of me that can't imagine walking through the neighborhood as a tourist. I wonder 'will this walker see what I see and feel what I feel when they make a visit to 'Dodda Ganesha'[Big Ganesha] temple- that monolithic enormous Ganesha idol or the neighbor- the Bull temple? For me, its about my daily walk to college, a customary drop in at these temples, more so during exams- to pray for success.

Nostalgia- this area sure exudes oodles of it, whether its gastronomic delight centers such as Brahmin's cafe, Vidyarthi Bhavan, Dwarka Bhavan[famous joints for breakfast, masala dosa and butter dosa] or stores such as Subbamma for nippattu, kodbale, chutney pudi and sundry items, whether its educational institutions such as National College and BMS College of Engineering, whether its temples such as Bull temple, Dodda Ganesha temple, Karanji Anjaneya temple, Raghavendra Swami muttha, Shankar Muttha....the list is endless. This list is my childhood. An intrinsic part of me is weaved heavily into these now tourist centers. Which is why sometimes I feel like a part of me is on display. It makes me curious into what these walkers see and what they read into these visual delights.

Will they smell the lingering aroma of fresh flowers as they eat masala dosa at Vidyarthi Bhavan, like I do? Do they look up to identify which classrooms I have been at for Physics and Chemistry lessons in National College, like I do? Will they recall amusedly standing with an orange bucket at the BWSSB office adjacent to National College with Amma, arguing about why there was no water supply as promised? Will they remember like I do, not the beauty and serenity of Ramakrishna Ashram, but sitting at the Telephone office(then called PnT I think, NOT the BSNL its now been renamed as) next door complaining about the 100th time the phone has gone out of order? Will they realize that fruit juice at Ganesh fruit juice center is the cheapest and best in the area? They can never know that the Shiv Sagar on Gandhi Bazar Road is now gone, but it was one of the first and greatest chaat places in the area. Butter Sponge, Jyothi stores and West End stores have been around for as long as I've been, run by the same management for years and how many ever years later- when you do drop in, they recognize your face and smile understandably.

Do they get to listen to Vedic chants from the Karnikara Paathshaale across from my home? Will they be able to understand little things such as missing the cobbler who had set up shop right at the corner of Vani Vilas Road and Uttaraadi Mutt road who has long been evicted thanks to the megalithic flyover that has sprung right at that spot? They will never get to know that Vani Vilas Road was once a tree lined avenue, much like Diagonal Road, but not any more.

See I have been on walking tours- like in Colonial Williamsburg and in London. I admire the architecture and sometimes try to imagine the life of the people who inhabited those areas in times bygone. But this above walking tour brings a whole different perspective for me. I want to go on one of these. Perhaps I can trace back my wonder years. Perhaps this time around I will try to hang on to every bit of emotion that emerges, to be captured for posterity.

Cos you see, one's childhood is hard to recreate. Why would you consider hanging on to the delightful taste of the chutney from Brahmin's cafe if you lived in the area all your life? You wouldn't, but when you do step away from the very same comfort zone that created you- you realize how such an intrinsic framework provides stability and grounds you with strong ties of nostalgia and a tingling sense of pride.

My neck of the woods, it appears, has now officially gotten a sepia tint and I certainly ain't complaining!

A blurb from this walking tour of traditional Bengaluru goes thus:

" Come and discover Traditional Bengaluru!
It takes only 3 kms and 3 hours to realise that amidst Bangalore as an IT hub and roaring pub city, there is the other Bengaluru - the Bengaluru that was the genesis of Bangalore as we know it today, that evokes nostalgia, and poetry. The bastion of traditional living, a life of grace, goodness, and breeding ground of the quintessential Bangalorean who effortlessly shuttles between several seemingly contradictory worlds.

Walk through the rocks that Bangalore was founded on. Discover the sprawling streets of the old-new city.

Get ready for an assault on the senses; tradition comes in colors and sounds. Treat your taste-buds. This is Bengaluru: Up close and personal.

If you really want to understand traditional Bengaluru, join us on this walk through the neighbourhoods of Basavanagudi and Shankarapuram."