Expedition- Bangalore

It was the second week of January and time for Pongal or Sankaranti holidays

. Since first year of university, it had been my desire to visit Bangalore. (I know the name is now Bengaluru but that sounds awkward to me.) This time I planned the visit with none other than but with just myself. Many may argue that traveling with friends is better; yes I do agree, you have much fun, journey is easier, sharing of expenditure blahblah but believe me traveling all alone was a different experience. It was about rediscovering self, taking your own decisions, organizing things yourself and needless to mention of the freedom enjoyed! One disadvantage- always asking strangers to click your photograph! Through rigorous internet surfing, I came to the official website of the Karnataka State Development Tourism Corporation (KSTDC). There were many tour packages to choose from and I headed for the New Bangalore sight seeing (1 day package). The website asked for Mater card/ visa for online booking and I had none. I then asked loads of tourist operators in my town for the same and finally had the ticket for Jan 16th. (Of course, I could have got the payments done from home but then there were chances of receiving the permission denied status!) Now owing to festival season, trains were overbooked and so I booked the tickets online in Tatkaal scheme. Bangalore has three railway stations and I got down at the main station called Bangalore City Junction around 5am. It was freezing outside. After hours of bargaining with the Autowallah I reached Badami House where the tour was to start from. Even in the premature morning many vehicles were plying confirming Bangalore people are early getters. I experienced what can be called as the typical morning city scene- over enthusiastic jogging people, pondering old men gathering around a corner, Alsatians & Labradors & Dalmatians enjoying their walk and giggling school children in neat uniforms on their way. The ticket was checked and the buses for the city tour- wow! Volvo, totally unexpected! We were a group of 40 people. A brief itinerary- ISKCON temple & breakfast Anjaneya temple- Rajarajeshwari temple- Bannerghata safari- Lunch- Nehru Planetarium- Chitrkala Parishad Art gallery- Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain and obviously seeing the whole Bangalore city while visiting these places. ISKCON temple was too beautiful for it to be interpreted as a religious place. The temple is exclusively dedicated to Lord Krishna and is all marble- granite made. The way to the main temple is well organized with signposts for directions. At the end of temple complex are shops selling statues, religious books, paintings and posters. Then there are walls depicting the name of all those who have made heavy contribution in cash for the temple. At the exit, I had some decent breakfast. Next visit was to Rajarajsehwari temple which adorns a similar look to Meenakshi temple. The bus steered us through the bustling city to Bannerghata wildlife century, 20 km outside the main city. The entrance fees was whopping Rs.100 but included the open safari also with the zoo. Special buses carried us deep inside the forests where we could catch a glimpse of tigers, lions etc. White tiger and white peacock were the special attractions. I ate fresh corns and enjoyed coconut water. It was lunch time and we had a stop at Hotel Sagar. The north Indian food prices were sky- high and so I had Dossa, sandwiches and ice- creams. The next destination was a silk emporium which was at the other end of the city. On the way, I had a quick look of towering offices of Intel, IBM, Infosys and HSBC. These building were attractive and inspired me to find a job in Bangalore! And yes, I was lucky enough to catch a view of IIM and IISc also. The planetarium is an interesting place to be in. The ticket was a mere Rs.25. As expected, no photography was allowed inside. I found people to be enjoying the air- conditioning inside and having a nice sleep! It was a dome- type theater and the show was about the world of stars. The artificial sky inside looked pretty real. The last place on the itinerary was the Indira Gandhi Musical fountain. Located in heart of the city, it also has an energy conservation park attached to it. The entry fee was Rs.10. It was an open theater show: gardens all around us, chairs and raised platforms to sit upon. Dusk set it and the weather turned pleasant. The synchronized movement and color of fountain waters with the music played was mesmerizing. It was 7pm and I was still left with four hours for my train to Katpadi. I guess a lot can be known about a city by wandering through its roads and pavements. The city glistened past the mercuric lights. Standing all alone in the city heart, I saw almost all car models on the busy road. What I did for the next few hours was being crazy- changing trendy city buses from one place to another and then returning back to the same place. This way, I roamed entire city, feeling the pulse of the city, the hidden power that makes the city stand distinct. To sum up, it was a splendid experience- discovering a city such vibrant as Bangalore. I covered up so many places in the city and yet the trip was economical. The city was very friendly, affectionate and inviting. I wish I could permanently stay there.

Expedition- Bangalore

By: ANANT BAIJAL *VIT

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