Namma Bengaluru! Machas, you’d agree with me that our city isn’t just a city. It’s our pride. Right from the drool-worthy weather, enough to make our friends in other cities jealous, to the cosmopolitan culture that we enjoy over the weekends, you don’t come to stay in Bangalore. You arrive to live here. And if you’re a fellow Bangalorean like me, here are 10 things you’d certainly relate to.
1. Masala Dosa At Vidyarthi Bhavan
Nestled in the bustling Gandhi Bazaar of Old Bangalore, the over 75 years old Vidyarthi Bhavan is like a pilgrimage spot. Waiting patiently for our turn outside the crowded restaurant, sharing a table with strangers and ordering our favourites from memory is total nostalgia. Just a whiff of the dosas, the sight of the waiter incredibly balancing over 10 plates of masala dosas in his hands, is enough to leave us drooling. The signature crispy buttery masala dosa with oodles of chutney is an emotion that’s best left unspoken, only to be experienced for oneself.
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2. Filter Coffee On-The-Go At Darshinis
How can I not mention filter coffee after Masala Dosa? Bangalore’s on-the-go filter coffee at darshinis is what makes us Bangaloreans. Have a bad day? Facing the Monday blues? Feeling super happy? Well, the answer to all your moods is filter coffee. Order a cup of filter coffee, don’t forget to say “Strong Maadi” ( “Make it strong” in Kannada), sip it piping hot, while you watch the world go by. That’s what being a Bangalorean is all about. Imagining the aroma of freshly brewed coffee served in a steel tumbler is enough to make me take a break from writing this article, and get myself a cup too.
Also Read: This Innovative Filter Coffee CapsuleInvented By Kerala Students Is Both Eco & Travel Friendly
3. Hearing “Baralla” From Auto Drivers
Every Bangalorean has faced more rejections from auto drivers than people they’d ever proposed to. That’s a fact. Ask any auto driver if they’d take you to your destination. And pat comes the reply –“Baralla” ( “I won’t come” in Kannada). I’ve often thought of asking them where they’d want to go, and just ask them to take me there. Jokes apart, for a Bangalorean it would be a miracle come true if an auto driver accepts to take you to your destination. And not just that, take you on the meter. Now that’s the wish I’d ask for if I ever get Aladdin’s magic lamp.
A Bangalore auto-driver can say "Nahi jayega" in 107 languages !! https://t.co/3bxYrrNH9B
— arati (@Arati1411) September 2, 2021
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4. Death By Chocolate (DBC) From Corner House
I’ve travelled across India and a number of countries abroad including the UK, South Africa and more. Here’s my confession. Bangalore’s Corner House has the best chocolate sauce in the world. Period. Every Bangalorean would know the sheer delight, unexplainable happiness in gorging the sinfully good DBC at Corner House. The sundae loaded with chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream topped with peanut crunches, cherries, dollops of cream and doused in extraordinarily good chocolate, is an emotion.
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5. Blossom Book House For Bookworms
Bibliophiles, a trip to MG road would definitely mean a visit to Blossom Book House. An adda for bookworms in the Garden City, this three-storey book store has enough books to fulfil all our wishes. From almost-faded Mills& Boons, shining new Harry Potters, adult colouring books, hidden gems by Indian authors to old yet gold comic collections, the list is endless. Step into Blossom Book House and you’d cry tears of joy With books so effortlessly stacked one on top of each other and intoxicating old-book smell, embracing you like a long lost friend, this is the place to be.
6. Bangalore Traffic: Calculating Distance By Hours It Takes
If you haven’t gotten stuck in Silk Board traffic, you probably aren’t even Bangalorean. In fact, I often wonder if Silk Board, like the Silk Route, is used by the Chinese, Persians and Turks as a trade route. Well, ask a Bangalorean how far is a destination, and you’d get an answer as 1 hour or 40 minutes instead of the kilometres. Bangaloreans calculate distances by hours it takes and not kilometres. Oh, and when it comes to travelling to the airport, that’s like travelling to another city altogether. True Story, I was flying from Pune to Bangalore. And my parents started driving to Bangalore airport from Bangalore at the same time. They reached 1.5 hours after I landed. There you have it!
https://twitter.com/kkay_patel/status/1183948130192150529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1183948130192150529%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scoopwhoop.com%2Fhumor%2Ftravelling-from-bengaluru-to-bengaluru-airport-today%2F
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7. Street Shopping At Commercial Street & Chickpet
Think street shopping and there’s no better place than Commerical Street and Chickpet. In fact, we Bangaloreans can spend a whole day, just haggling with shopkeepers, munching guava sprinkled with chilli powder and a quick break meal at Shiv Sagar, to fill the shopping fuel. From stylish contemporary clothes, silk sarees, fashionable footwear to gorgeous jewellery at steal-worthy prices, it’s a paradise for every shopaholic in Bangalore. We can’t mention street shopping without naming Gandhi Bazaar and Jayanagar 4th block, which has a welcoming, bustling vibe.
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8. Breakfast Hopping At Malleshwaram’s CTR & Veena Stores
The iconic old school South Indian joint, Shri Sagar, Central Tiffin Room (CTR) is all about the decadent Benne Masala Dosa. We Bangaloreans often pit CTR’s Benne Masala Dosa with Vidyarthi Bhavan’s Masala Dosa. Do we have a winner? Well, that depends on our preferences. CTR’s Chow Chow Bhath, with the mildly spiced Khara Bhath and sweet Kesari Bhath, is a wonderful way to start our day. For the second breakfast, we’d love to saunter off to Veena Stores for their pillowy soft idlis, crispy vada and Shavige Bhath.
Also Read: 6 Most Colourful Streets In India To Remind You Of London’s Notting Hill
9. Morning Jogs, Picnics At Lalbagh & Cubbon Park
Come Sunday mornings, and you’d find us Bangaloreans cycling, walking their pets, jogging or having picnics in Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. Filled with bird-watchers, forest-bathers and tree-huggers who’d want to rejuvenate every weekend for a fresh breath of oxygen and exercise, these gardens are the lungs of the city. On Independence and Republic Days, Lalbagh organises a coveted flower show with unique themes. With colourful flowers of different varieties, glistening in the sun, food and handicraft stalls beckoning visitors, it’s a mandatory national holiday visit. Sip a glass of Neera, made with coconut sap, to refresh yourselves.
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10. Brunch & Old-School Vibes At Koshy’s
The old-school resto-pub in the Koshy’s is the perfect place for Bangaloreans to travel back in time. This living-breathing time machine that hosted Jawaharlal Nehru and Queen Elizabeth, is a favourite breakfast and brunch abode. From the ambience taht gives us pre-independence era vibes to their iconic Vegetable Cutlet, Chicken Liver Toast and Bacon Omelette, which takes us back in time, we absolutely adore the legendary Koshy’s.
Bangaloreans! If you agree with this list, then do share it with fellow city dwellers. And if we’ve missed out on anything, do comment and let us know. Cheers to being part of the best city in the world!