Arab Lane + New Taragupet + Shivaji Road + Gundopanth Street + Dharmaraja Koil St

Hero Worship. Bedroom walls, computer wall papers, IM status messages, tattoos, children names, etc. We wear our love for our heroes and heroines, on more places than our sleeves. Whether it's on our gadgets, bedroom walls or workspace, whom we adore is probably a reflection of who we are. Like this humble Rajni fan shown above from Arab 'B' Lane, Richmond Town who has decorated his workplace with pictures of his favourite star. 

On the streets, across the city, it's tough not to notice the images of personalities Benglureans love. On the top of the list is Dr Rajkumar, followed by Shankar Nag and Rajnikant. And then there are the Bombay stars - Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. Just like in advertising, it's movie stars who get eyeballs. However, the city is filled with images of all kinds of influential personalities.

Dr Ambedkar is probably the most visible political personality. Surprisingly images of the Tipu Sultan fighting the tiger, the last Wodeyar King and Sir Vishweshwaraiah continue to make their presence felt. Among women, Benglureans love Mother Theresa (there are two 'circles' named after her) followed by Aishwarya Rai. Among cricketers, Dhoni is the king of hearts even though our own Kumble has a circle named after him. And finally there are tens of gods, godmen and women, whom we also worship. 

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1st Main, Chamrajpet

Neem, Jaggery, Mangoes, And Mutton.

It's Ugadi again. A new year. A new beginning. And along with neem, mango leaves, fresh tamarind and jaggery, it's time for celebrations. And for some, add a goat sacrifice and a spicy treat that follows to the list.

If you are celebrating Ugadi in Benglur, the best place to buy your sacrificial goat is this Santhe that happens at the Chamarajpet Maidan or Playground every weekend.

The Santhe happens in the Western half of the playground, around a large structure that shows the direction towards Mecca. This playground is also a place where muslims offer prayers on special occasions. On the North Western corner, across the road, is a popular temple dedicated to Malle Madheshwara. And the eastern half of the maidan is occupied by a cricket ground, with a carefully laid cricket pitch that's cordoned off.

This weekend's Santhe is expected to be a large one, compared to the weekly affair. It's Ugadi and shepherds from Benglur's immediate surroundings (who look better dressed) and many from the surrounding districts are converging in large number. Like this bilingual, Telugu and Kannada speaking shepherd, Santosh and his Thatha from Srinivasapura Taluk in Kolar District. They visit Chamarajpet twice a year to sell their flock. And this playground is going to be their home for the next two days.

Most the traders this year are from places like Bagepalli, Gauribidanur and other parts of the dry Kolar district. However, the shepherd from Srinivasapura claimed that his part of Kolar is greener and his flock is much healthier and tastier.

However, the shepherds from Benglur's immediate surroundings who regularly trade at the Santhe every weekend, occupied the prime spots in the Santhe. The part that is shaded from the hot sun.

Meet this young shepherd from Goripalaya, Benglur. His name is Shadab. He wanted me to click a picture of him with his favourite lamb - Chandra. Because it's as fair as the moon.

These days, there's one thing every shepherd carries, wherever he is from. It's a cellphone. They are simple, no- nonsense phones which allow them to keep in touch with folks back home. And from the chatter, it seems that the general mood this year is not good. They are not going totake home much money this Ugadi.

It's not the recession. Apparently, the main abbotior in the city that is located on Tannery Road has been closed and has affected the turnover of the Chamrajpet Santhe. But that's a long story.

And before the following pictures gets your goat, a warning. This cow is in the picture because cattles are traded here too and they are NOT for sacrifice or slaughter.

Happy Ugadi!

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M G Road

Goodbye India Coffee House. Namaskara Namma Metro. 

Also view a beautiful picture of the same window, when the Metro work had just started, shot  by photographer Jyothy Karat.

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MG Road

Now Showing at Plaza: Ghost.

Like many Benglureans, I have spent a sinful amount of time in the darkness of Plaza, one of Benglur's oldest movie theaters, while our teachers and lecturers were busy shouting hoarse to an almost empty class. Today, it's Plaza that's empty. 

Before a show began at Plaza, an old man, who seemed to be as old as the theater itself, used to go around closing the wooden shutters. That ritual doesn't happen anymore.  

 

However, light beams continue to stream in from the holes where the projector used to be. Minus the whirring sound. Plaza is now an empty shell, stripped of all the seats and curtains. However, a few memories from the past remain. 

 

Above: Signs from the past.

Below: Not for sale. A sign from a very recent past when land grabbers ruled Benglur.

Right now, the plot where Plaza sits is under litigation. After all, the plot sits bang opposite the upcoming MG Road Namma Metro station. So before your say "A Prayer for the Dying" (probably the last movie played here - see last picture), watch out for a rebirth.  

 

 

 

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NH 7, Hebbal

The only tramp to ever set foot inside a mall. 

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Patnoolpet Main Road, Off AS Char Street

In Benglur's City Market, like in most markets across India, you are likely to find as many hard-working women as men. Like this lady who makes and sells the heaviest breakfast in town comprising of a mammoth portion of rice, egg curry and one fiery green chili for Rs. 10. And the other who sells groundnuts for peanuts.

The colour is what remains of the previous week's holi celebration. 

Also see: Thindi - Eating In Benglur

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Avenue Road

The Kores Lady.

There were many typewriting schools across the city when we used to write. And just a handful now that we key words in. See the full series of Bangalore Wall Art

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S C Road, Gandhinagar

There's three hours to go before Sudeep's latest film 'Veera Madakari' opens and Kapali Theater in Gandhinagar, the heart of the Kannada Film Industry is House - Full. That's sad news for a fan who woke up late, but good news for the producer, Dinesh Gandhi, as you can see from the garland on the House-Full signboard. 

However, if you are die-hard fan of Sudeep, or Anna-avaru as Nagesh with a kerchief around his neck calls him, you would have reached Kapali at 5 am to make sure that you have the ticket for First-Day First-Show. 

It's not just die-hard fans who have turned up early. This old lady and the man in crutches were here too. They were peddling few "Gandhi-Class" tickets for Rs. 80 to latecomers and boys who have skipped classes to catch the morning show.

 
  

But it's not just college boys who have come to catch Sudeep's new offering. Peanut and watermelon sellers are there too, to help cool, people of all ages waiting impatiently for the movie to start. 

And here's something that I picked up from outside the Kapali Theater - empty boxes of exposed picture negative that was used for a Kannada movie called Police Story Part II (Can No 32288 5/7 that was used on 29/09/06).  

And finally, here's the star actor-director himself - Sudeep. With the mandatory handheld weapon of the angry young Kannada star.  

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S C Road, Majestic

They don't call her the Nagara Devate (City's Goddess) for nothing. Annamma Devi of Subedar Chatram Road, Majestic, resides in one of the oldest shrines in Benglur. She is a survivor from the city’s agrarian past. You usually find Annamma Devi temples next to old irrigation tanks and this temple was originally built near the old Dharmambudhi Tank. 

The Dharmambudhi Tank is long gone and is now the city’s main bus terminus but Annamma Devi remains and continues to be popular. She has evolved into the Nagare Devate and continues to have a new meaning to a whole new generation of Benglureans drawn from different parts of the country. 

And yesterday, the day the Marwari community in the Pete area celebrated the Kula Devata Puja, the temple and surrounding areas was filled with devotees offering grain, grams, milk and ghee. This picture was shot a few meters away from the shrine. 

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Seshadri Road

Sampangi, the roadside cobbler came early to work only to realise that the snake woman from Hyderabad had made his hole in the wall, her lair. 

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Hosur Road, Adugodi

A shepherd and his flock refuse to give up even though the concrete jungle has eaten up all their grazing fields. 

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