Bangalore dreams

To my mind, one of the most endearing (and enduring, perhaps) qualities of Bangalore and Bangaloreans is our perception of ourselves and our city as being laid back and intellectual.

With all the time in the world to get into intense philosophical and political debate at park benches and coffee houses. That the only reason we're not there right now but instead navigating through gridlock and a corporate career is a mere temporary, personal setback; and that soon, we will have earned enough to retire just rich enough to go back to that - sipping gently cooling cups of coffee contemplating the ever flattening world ...

The reality is that the city is moving so fast that each generation of Bangaloreans has a vision of the city different from not just their parents, but even their elder siblings. The city is changing, developing at a break-neck pace. So of course each new generation thinks they discovered Bangalore all by themselves, created it even.

What makes Bangalore special is that all these historic aspects of the city are vibrant and dynamic parts of the city still, not silent monuments.

The original little trading hamlets of Kempe Gowda's time - Balepet, Cottonpet and Chickpet - are still the places to go for the best deals. The palaces and parks of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan like Lal Bagh are still favoured family picnic spots. The Cantonement is in use by the Indian Army, while other colonial era buildings like St Mark's Cathedral are very much in use.

Banglaore has been a generous and welcoming host to such a diverse range of people, most of us succumb to her charm and call ourselves Bangalorean, regardless of where we lived before.