Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road

 

Blast hole for dynamite charge.

The Tale of Two Peaks. Part 2

There's nothing as precious as a hole in ground. And the abandoned, big toilet bowl like quarries at Bettahalli, that were once the highest points in Benglur is no exception (read part 1 of the story about the twin peaks of Bettahalli here). For decades, these rocks were blasted, cut and shipped all over the city.

Artha or Money in Kannada.

There was a time when granite was very cheap in and around Benglur. Slabs were used as compound walls, fencing, culverts and you can still see some very old abandoned homes and waiting stations for bullock carts outside surrounding villages like Kodigehalli and Jalahalli that have slabs used as walls and roofs. But as Boomtown Benglur exploded in size, so did the price of this stone. It has money written all over it. And money can move mountains.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road

The Tale of Two Peaks. Part 1 Doddabettahalli and Chickabettahalli are two small villages on the newly named Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Road (his parents live down the road towards Yelahanka) that connects Jalahalli and Yelahanka New Town. Doddabettahalli's claim to fame is its elevation. The Betta at 962 meters is officially the highest place in the Benglur region. A short walk to the south-west of Doddabettahalli is Chickabettahalli, named after the smaller of the rocky hills. However, these two spots are no longer the highest places in the city. Doddabetta and Chickabetta have disappeared. The twin peaks have been dynamited and cut into boulders, slabs and jelly to provide the foundation of the houses we live in. You can go to Google Earth and measure the current elevation of the place. It's now lower than the spot behind the Kempegowda Tower at Mekhri Circle. If you want to visit this place, you can take Route 401 from Yehahanka or Yeshwantpur and get off at the Jelly Machine Bus Stop. You can't miss the quarry. These pictures were shot within the bowl, the abandoned quarry, that was once the smaller peak or Chicka Betta. This schoolboy who came to check out what I was doing is Phantoosh. (A name also shared by the character in Britannia Treat biscuit ads). He's been in Benglur for 2 years now and lives with his father in his shop on the main road. The rest of the family is back home in Bihar. Phantoosh studies at the local English medium school, where he also learns Kannada. This abandoned quarry is the community laundry and toilet. It's probably Benglur's second biggest toilet bowl. The quarry at Doddabettahalli would be the largest. Here are some jaw dropping beautiful pictures clicked by friends who accompanied me and clicked pictures of the place: Renith Valsaraj Vivek Dhage

Meenakshi Koil Street

Lure of Bangalore: Tibetan Traders

It's clearer than the McMahon line - The numbers and lines on the wall separate traders on the crowded stretch near Shivajinagar Bus Stand. This photograph was clicked as they were setting up shop in the morning.

Kanakanapalya Road (Jayanagar)

My Garden. My City.

Lalbag South Side.

Doddballapur Road

Noronha Road

Feast time at Shivajinagar

Gavipuram Guttahalli (Kempegowda Nagar)

Gavipuram (Cave Town)

Gavipuram Guttahalli (Kempegowda Nagar)

4-engined jets and spears adorn the Harihareshwara Temple that stands atop the hillock at Gavipuram. The temple was rebuilt in 1976.




And the flying children of Namoora Patahshallay.

Kumara Krupa Road

New compound wall decorations being erected at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

Gavipuram Guttahalli (Kempegowda Nagar)

Sun-Kissed-Beautiful in Cave Town.

Gavipuram (Cave town) is a community built around a cave temple. It's dedicated to a deity who would be at home in a cave - Shiva himself.

The Cave Town is more South Interior Karnataka than the othla concrete town Benglur is. Especially around the high rock formation with a commanding view of Western and North Western Benglur and the Kere (irrigation tank). It still maintains the clean, bright look of the communities that live around old Dravidian temples in the Mysore region (Example: Behind Chamundi temple on Chamundi Hills).


Trivia
Which is the highest spot in all Benglur Urban District?
Answer: It's not Lalbag, Gavipuram, Bull Temple or the tower near Innayathullah Mekhri Circle. It's officially was Dodda-Bettahalli. Altitude: 3,158 feet above mean sea level. It's on the road that connects Yeshwantpur and Yelahanka, just north of Jalahalli East Air Force Station, near Mamu-sab-palya and Vidyaranyapura. It overlooks the vegetable basket of Benglur - the Arkavati Valley (Hessaraghatta).

However, the Betta or hill is now a quarry and I'm not sure if the record still holds. If Google Earth is right, it is no longer 3,158 feet. In which case, I think that the Kempegowda Tower near Mekhri Circle will now hold the record 3,133 ft.

OPH Road

Colours of India - Lal Masjid

It's the month of Ramadan and Basha Mian says that his vibrant caps are a hit with the people who pray at the colourfully named Lal Masjid.

4th Main, 3rd Block, RMV 2nd Stage Extension

Streetlit Bangalore Series.

Even though these pictures were shot in the evening, it's life here in the mornings that I'm most familar with.

Earlier, I used to run around this park every morning. And mornings here can be full of life. The entertainment comes from observing the whole cross section of society moving at various speeds around the park and the surrounding tree-lined streets, just like traffic on Indian roads. Some move like loaded lorries, others like bullock carts. There are the flashy, adrenaline filled youngsters zipping by, gawkers like me and stray dogs.

Most people exercise in groups. It allows them to gossip and catch-up with all the happenings in the neighbourhood.

The most talked about topic is politics. Real estate comes next. And in this part of Benglur with its population of politicians/land grabbers, you can get juicy gossip about everybody including its most famous part-time resident, the Chief Minister himself.

The older women talk about their daughter-in-laws and the local ghar ghar k kahaniyan. The expats talk about dogs. The Persians don't walk their dogs, they follow their dogs on a scooter or bike. The kids come to play. There are girls and boys who work in garment factories who come to meet their lovers before the early morning shift. There's a juice walla who sells Bitter Gourd juice. There's a Kannada film heroine from the 80s and her gang of friends and there are women who exercise in bhurkas. There is a retired Government Employee who goes around distributing or sticking posters asking people to join his 'Gandhigiri' initiative. There are men who make strange noises when they flap their hands like a crow having a bath. And there are gangs of naughty old men who block the road if they see a car or vehicle speeding down a road before 8am.

These days, the parks are open until 8.30pm to allow people to spend some time exercising and with friends after they come back from work. And they open at 5.30am.

Chord Road

Gujarat in Benglur: The Swaminarayan Temple The architectural style of temples belonging to the sect started by a 19th Century godman from Gujarat - Swaminarayan, adorns the West Benglur skyline.

Outer Ring Road, Nagavara

35th year. K1000 Rally. The spectators.

Outer Ring Road, Hebbal

Early winter?

No. It's a group of dying or already dead trees. Waiting to be chopped into firewood.