Bangalore was originally "Bendha Kaalooru" as named by Kempe Gowda. As usual, the British could not utter it. It became Bangalore, for non Kannadigas, and Bengalooru for Kannadigas.
It is now Bengalooru, the name change has come too late, as Bangalore has hardly retained anything original. Known as Garden City, it has undergone drastic changes in the last two and a half decade. Also known as Pensioner's Paradise, has now started driving Pensioners out.
On one side of the city, Ulsoor (now Halasuru - "Halasina Ooru", the city of jack fruit, now hardly can you find a tree here) marked the end, or the start. In early 70s, the urban buses ended at Ulsoor, three double deckers, were 131, 134 and 135 to Majestic/BBS/Kempegowda Bus Station, Shivajinagar and K.R.Market. Bangalore had a very easy colour code in the then BTS (Bangalore Transport Service) now the BMTC, for those who did not know to read the names in the buses. All numbers in Blue meant that the buses were from or to Majestic. Brown meant Shivajinagar and Green meant K.R.Market. Then came Yellow boards which meant plying between non centres (excluding Market, Majestic and Shivajinagar), some e.g. where 7, 7E, 7D, 190, 133E, etc. Only rural buses to Hoskote, KR Puram or other places, crossed Ulsoor. All rural buses had names written in RED but the number code was as mentioned above. None of these codes are seen today.
The largescale migration of people into Bangalore has not left any room for it to be Bengalooru.
Once, Bangalore had other than Kannadigas, mostly people from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Kerala and Maharastra as outsiders. Rajasthanis, Punjabis and Gujaratis were in the business. The last one and a half decade has seen large inflow from Orissa, Bengal, Bihar, North East and other states. Today, I think every Indian has a relative in Bengalooru. TOday original Bangaloreans (those staying here for over 50 years) seem aliens here.
What was farmland about 25 years ago is today Bagmane Tech Park, housing some of the world's most renowned Corporate Offices, just to mention the sea change the city saw. When we visited Munnekolalu for a cricket match in late 80s, we were treated like VIPs as we came from Bangalore meaning they were out of Bangalore.
Life in Bangalore once revolved around MG Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street for those who wanted to hangout. The vastly open Lido, Symphony, Galaxy, Rex, Plaza, Blumoon, Blue Diamond, were theatres where the youth was desperate to be seen around (some of these do not exist anymore). We would mock them by roaming around these places in Lungi, which might today be like a fashion statement. Walking on the MG Road (parade ground footpath) was the most refreshing thing then.
Lot more to come on Bendha Kaalooru.
7 comments:
Its a good one.
Expecting more like these. :)
mention about the metro that is coming, endless traffic, narrow road, extremely sexy looking houses but its actual beauty not coming out due to lack of planning. can you also find the similarity of todays bangalore with yesteryears old calcutta- how the city (old calcutta) was destroyed trying to accomodate each and everyone those kept coming in thousands everyday!then came the metro there-DIL PHADKE-causing endless traffic jams.
wonder which city is next! you dont require al-qaida or HUJI to destroy a city, our own uncontrolled population is more than sufficient.
also mention about the fast changing weather of bangalore.gardens are fast vanishing in the city of garden.
Really nice one!!
sad one ... but isn't this the case with all major cities in india ...
gmailidonly the name change will not bring any difference, the mindset of the people should change,
and love towards Bengalooru and Kannada should increase.
S.Jayakumar of Halasur
I am born and brought up in Halasuru.I was a student in jougupalyam primary school and RBANMS for middle and high school and St Josephs/Central College for my graduation and PG courses.
When I was a boy of 6- years, I used to fetch food to my father in working in Higginbotham's MG Road.At that time there was three Garudachar transport company buses
No.19-City Market,20-City Market,21 railway Station and 26-Blackpalli[Shivajinagar]
MG Road was a small lane upto South parade and has a big hillocklike lane opposite to presentBrigade road junction to MG statue.There was three theatresPlaza,Liberty and New Empire on MG Road..
Only Mayo Hall and Oriental Buildings were huge structures -other buildings were havingtile slopes.Near Manipal centre there was a big field of government land where "Information Centre" was exhibiting Newsreel film shows on every mWed/Sat and Sundays with some documentaryin Kannada/Tamil/english short films.
On either side of Ulsoor lane[Now Ulsoor Road] thick grassy fields/Corn plants ismto be passed to go to Information Centre.
A vry good reminiscense is CIRCARAMA near a Church op[posite to MG statue-an all round cinema which I visited several days....
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