Some of the best areas of the city in my opinion is Malleshwaram , Rajajinagar, Jayanagar, Jnanbharathi and best of the best is Basavangudi. I have never liked the happening and rich crowds of M.G road and i feel quite alienated in those areas and big shopping malls . These malls have so much westernised the city that the city is gradually loosing its authenticity and aping the west culture.
One of the best years of my life is during my graduation. I studied in the college called NCB - National College , Basavangudi "world famous in Bangalore" (he he he he) . As i am typing the name NCB , i am getting goose bumps. What a lovely life it was ! I often dream of those college days and feel that my dream is true and the reality is a dream. How often I wish i could rewind time and go back to those fun filled days.
The best part of the college was my volunteering with NSS - National Service Scheme. i made such good friends for life in that unit. Every saturday after college hours we had NSS class for 3 hours from 2 - 5pm. It was complete fun. We would have lectures occasionally though (most of the time during which all of us would be distracted and bored). Then sometimes it would be manual work like cleaning classroom blackboards , picking up litter and cleaning gardens . At the end of these manual classes , we would be provided with food (when suddenly our NSS attendance for that hour would increase). I enjoyed another activity of the NSS , that was teaching school kids . I can still remember, it was during these teaching class that i befriended a most wonderful person , Vasanth. He went to become my best friend. He was so protective and so loyal that any guy speaking ill of me would end up facing Vasanth . But he was an year older than me and was a student of Arts and me being a student of Science, i had practical classes everyday from 2 -5 . Vasanth would finish his classes by 2 but would wait for me everyday from 2 till 5 and then we would go to the bus stop together and catch the same bus (he lived quite near to my house).
The gang of friends I always hung out were 6 of us 4 girls and 2 boys (i was the only science student and the odd man out) 5 of them were art students and classmates as well. We missed so many classes to go to movies, during birthdays we went out for treats and during NSS camps we stayed together. Many people had infact mistook me for arts students and many arts teachers knew me more than science teachers. Among the others , Kiran one of the guy in the gang was very close and a brother like to me. Together we bunked classes and went for a long drive, ate cheese grilled sandwich in ice thunder IT (bill paid by me) , idli sambhar in guru darshini GD ( which closed down after a flyover was built just in front of the college) ,and dal roti in upahar kendra (UK). Quite often I enjoyed the chaat of a corner shop just at the entrance of DVG road near butter sponge bakery (just cant remember the name at this moment). I think its Gowri shankar.
After college hours , i often stayed with granny especially during weekends and my other cousins would also join. During evening we would wander around the famous Gandhi Bazaar and along with us would be our grand mother . We would eat chaat , dosa from dosa corner , popcorns , cakes and stuffed deep fried capsicums (yum yum) , the quintessentials of Gandhi Bazaar. After so much of snacking and gossiping on our way back , we would finish our first course with a cold juice or an ice cream and come back home and still have place left in stomach for the so called second course for us.
3 years of my life can be summoned in two words Gandhi Bazaar. If i were to die and first aid and every other surviving mechanism fails, then the chaat (panipuri)from Gowri shankar can revive me for sure and even if it fails , i would die in peace . I have tried making chaat at home but it failed to recreate that magical taste in it. the cakes of Butter sponge are the most amazing cakes i have ever eaten . I love their rum and raisin cakes . I can recall the occasions where i specially order those cakes to take it to celebrate our cousin's birthdays and very loudly reveal the flavour of the cake (to irritate and tease my granny who is completely against alcohol).
I guess the heart and soul of bangalore is basavangudi and i feel so lucky to be associated with such a lovely part of bangalore. There is so much to write but so few words to describe my experience for 3 years in basavangudi. I am not just a fan , but a ardent devotee of this area. I bow my head in respect for the area which has seen generations and generations of NCB students hanging out in this area. It has seen evolution of cycle to bike , from sarees to skirts and cotton trousers to jeans. It is a witness of a whole set of trend changing . I am in love with this area and my love for this area is eternal.
