Susheela Road, Chickamavalli

Oora Habba, Chickamavalli. 

The people of Chickamavalli, that borders Lalbagh, near the West Gate, prefer to retain the social structure of the village that it has been for centuries. They have a small and well-knit community surrounded by the urban jungle called Bangalore. And this week, they are celebrating their togetherness with The Chickamavalli Oora Habba or the Chickamavalli Village Festival. 

All the men have taken the day off from work to lend a hand in arranging the festivities. To cook, to manage the various pujas, decorations and crowd at the little shrines that dot the clean, narrow lanes of the 'village'. The children have skipped school and are waiting to play on the swing next to the main shrine. The women have pulled out their best clothes and are doing the rounds of the different shrines with thaali-full of offerings. And more than a few women are parading their daughter-in-laws wrapped in silk sarees and covered in gold, while policemen on duty snore in their patrol vans.  

Each Galli in the village seems to have its own character. The Grama Devate Road (Village Goddess Street) is cordoned off with pandals and spicy chicken curry is being prepared. The Venkataswamy lane is where the rice and the vegetable dishes are being cooked. And at the central Susheela Road, the tables have been laid out for the big lunch where the entire village will be served.

The most popular shrine seems to be the one dedicated to Bisilu (Sunshine) Maramma that's on the main road, opposite the Kempe Gowda statue. And can there be a better time than now to have the habba, now that summer is over? 

 

 

 

Chicken being prepared for the feast.

Dressed in fresh flowers, silk, gold and stones, the Bisilu Maramma on her chariot.

The protectors.

2nd Main, Gandhinagar

It costs Rs 40 to watch a performance by the Sri KBR Drama Company of Davanagere that’s currently performing at the Rangamandira in Gandhinagar. Within 10 minutes the theatre is more than half full. It’s a decent crowd. The average age is just above 35 and all male. Most of them look like Government employees on their way back home or small traders in Benglur for business.

The drama itself is a collection of comedy performances that you see during award functions on any South Indian channel, interspersed with songs where the hero and heroine do some half-hearted dancing around the two microphones on the stage. A loose thread connects them to form a story and you will not miss much if you walk in half-way or step out before the performance is over. It’s more a group standup comedy act than a drama. Completing the performance is a digital drum set/synthesiser just below the stage drumming up the laughter. Adding to the effect is the man seated next to him controlling the lights.

The quality of the jokes is only slightly better than what you would see on the average TV award show. They were full of double-meanings, about sex and female body parts, and extracted whistles and claps from the audience. When they were not, there were a few good jokes about the current state of Kannada films. Luckily, the Bombay-Karnataka accent has a charm that can make even the dirtiest jokes sound nice.

The hero looked and dressed like Suresh Heblikar from Aalemane. He seemed to have much more in him and maybe, a solo stand up comedy show by him would be big hit with the masses.

 See the full Drama Series here.

Ranasinghpet

The Patli Galli.

New Bamboo Bazaar

Which Drain? What Nallah? Series.
Collecting Smiles In The City Market Gujli.

The Gujli or New Bamboo Bazaar (locally called as Bumboo Bazaar) sprouted and flourishes next to the drain that passes through the heart of the city. This drain lies downstream from the large tank that stood where the Sri KR Market or City Market now stands. 

It's pretty narrow here and goes on to become the wide grape-juice river that flows through Shantinagar, Mico, Adugodi and NGV. Luckily, the smell from the drain fails miserably in wiping off the smiles of the people (smile also works here when you want to bargain) who work over and around the drain. 

It's  a great place to collect what Incredible India biggest attraction - Our Billion Dollar Smiles. 


Full drain series here.

Nala Road, Shivajinagar

The hottest fashion accessory to ever come out of Milan - The Lambretta.



End of the road is a drain for this 'Chal meri Luna'




Hamara Bajaj.



Which Drain? What Nallah? Series.

Benglur's two wheelers also end up in the city's drains. The two main 'Gujlis' are actually located on the banks of drains. One in Shivajinagar and the other near City Market.


Full series here.

1st Cross NR Rd. (Mothinagar) + AS Char Street

Protection

80ft Road, RMV 2nd Stage

Pigeon hole dwellers. Today, most of us live like Mumbaikars and Tokyo-mon in the Garden City.

Platform Road / Vatal Nagaraj Road

The Power Lines under which the Venus Circus tent was erected. 

  The only memories I have of the first circus I visited are that of its charred remains that I saw in the newspapers in the following days.  It erased everything that I remembered of the first circus experience and replaced it with imagined screams of children trying to flee the inferno. About 60 (0fficially) of them, most of the them children, were killed in the fire and the stampede that followed at the Venus Circus, in February 1981. That was because the tent was erected under the power lines shown above. 

It took years for Bangalore to recover from that tragedy. No circuses were allowed to perform in the city for a long time. And the place where the Venus Circus stood is silent and barren to this day, as if mourning for all the little lives that perished on that Black Day in February, 1981. 

Next to where the Venus Circus tent stood is an old Lutheran Church, which does not seem to have enough people attending these days. It was probably built for railway employees from an earlier age, who lived in the Railway Colony, a short walk away. The people who live closest to the church today are the residents of a tiny slum, behind the Church.The doors and windows of the homes in the slums are turned away from the open area where the Circus tent once stood. 

However, the residents of the slum prefer to pray at the many little shrines that surround the Chruch. Even those who pray at the Church seem to prefer the small shrine with Bibles in Kannada, Tamil and English placed outside. Together, they form the unoffical memorial for the people who died in the fire.  

 

Broadway (HKP Road)

Lure of Benglure Series 

Name: Zia-ur-Rahman a.k.a. Zia Manipuri

From: Manipur. He's been in Benglur for 3 years 

Occupation: Butcher 

He loves his job, has an eye for style and loves Bangalore. He misses home and says that he would love to go to Manipur for a holiday later this year.

See the full series: Lure of Bangalore

Binny Mill Circle + 5th Cross Borewell Road, Whitefield

Wet feet.

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4th and 5th Mains, Gandhinagar

Sandalwood Special: Dr. Raj.

Pictures of Dr. Rajkumar, the biggest star to come out of Kannada cinema, decorate almost all the mobile generators and vanity vans (used for outdoor shoots) parked in Gandhinagar.

And this picture was clicked outside Dr Rajkumar International Hotel. The hotel's location is perfect - in Gandhinagar aka Sandalwood.




The doorman outside Dr Rajkumar International Hotel. His name is Kamal Raj and he's from Anantpur, in AP. He couldn't speak or understand any language except his mother-tongue - Telugu! He's lived in Benglur for 3 years working as security guard at various places. When I spoke to him, I realised that a good smile is all it takes to overcome any language barrier.

The above pictures were modified using a beta release of a fun software called Poladroid. Check it out here.

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Kempegowda Road

Old Vs. Fresh Arrivals.
This picture was modified using a beta release of a fun software called Poladroid. Check it out for free here. 

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K R Road, Basavanagudi

Curtains up! Finishing touches are being given to the new Jain temple in Basavanagudi, close to the Post Office.   

The Which Main? What Cross? The Exhibition - Is on until May 31st.

F&B Restaurant, Papanna Street, St Marks Road (on the right, soon after SBI). Ph: 080 - 40 333 888

Click here to vote

Church Street

The New India Coffee House on Church Street.

It's a short hop from the old location but still miles away from what it originally was. The India Coffee House is now housed in a small, air-conditioned (it doesn't work) shell that once housed a Japanese Restaurant. But expect things to change back to what you were used to, soon. The framed posters are the same, the uniform, the uniformed waiters and the stains on their uniforms are the same, the customers are the same, even though its layout has changed, the newspaper they read is the same - Deccan Herald and yes, the coffee is the same. It's only a matter time before the familiar stains are back on the walls too. 

The Which Main? What Cross? The Exhibition - Is on until May 31st.

F&B Restaurant, Papanna Street, St Marks Road (on the right, soon after SBI). Ph: 080 - 40 333 888

Click here to vote

Residency Road (looking towards UB City)

Layers of Benglur.

The Which Main? What Cross? The Exhibition - Is on until May 31st.

F&B Restaurant, Papanna Street, St Marks Road (on the right, soon after SBI).
Ph: 080 - 40 333 888

Click here to vote