Glittering moments from the Silicon Valley of India

Time flies so fast. Few moments occupy such special place in our heart that we replay those moments numerous times in our head. When any element from such adorable past crosses our path, we feel those moments happened only yesterday. I always cherish the time I spent in Bangalore in my late twenties. My recent visit to the city made me feel the same way I used to feel a decade ago. Bangalore is widely regarded as 'the Silicon Valley of India' because of its role as the nation's leading information technology exporter. The city has grown beyond leaps and bounds as immigrants from different states arrived and got settled here in last two decades. The pleasant weather, lush green gardens and multi cuisines restaurants of Bangalore allure people of all ages alike. While walking down the streets of Bangalore on sunny mornings during my recent visit, I was able to sense the optimism and energy of my younger self. Here I wish to recollect few of my favourite moments from 'the Garden city of India'.

I remember my frequent visits to Rangashankara in JP Nagar,  favourite place of theatre lovers of Bangalore. I watched actors like Nadira Babbar, Ashish Vidyarthi and many other talented artists playing on stage. I met few interesting art lovers while snacking at the cafe who instigated my curiosity on different ethnic cuisines and different forms of art. In general, I used to arrive the theatre little early and relish sabudana vada and masala chai. One day I was late by few minutes.  I booked show ticket online before reaching. I was about to collect the auditoriums pass when a guy at the counter stopped me and requested me to leave as my untimely entry might distract the performers on the stage. I was so upset that I started walking on the road absent-mindedly and after half-an-hour I reached a beautiful temple that I never visited before. 

My residence in Bangalore was few minutes away from a beautiful park. I used to take regular morning walks there. The tall green trees in the park used to form a light green canopy over the head with sun rays pouring in through occasional holes. The fresh morning air and chirping of birds used to fill in the entire atmosphere with positive energy. Often I used to strike conversation with few retired people there who were visiting their childen settled in Bangalore. There was a roadside tea shop near the park where I used to break my fasting in the morning with delicious ginger tea and biscuit. 

My Sunday morning used to start by savouring steamed idli and masala dhosa along with hot sambar and coconut chutney at my neighbouring eatery Swadisth Ahaar. The week end trip to Madiwala Sabzi Mandi is a memorable experience. I still remember my cooking experience with wide variety of green saag I used to fetch from Madiwala market.

I still cherish working with my team in IBM Bangalore. It was a multi-lingual team. We stood by each other in both good and bad days. I still remember my farewell day, team members were in tears and my manager said he would preserve my access badge till he is in the organisation. Till date, we are in touch on social media and keep extending help to each other in need.

Another person I remember with great regard is Dr. Khincha. I owe my life to him. My knee was badly damaged after an accident and I was home bound for several months. He instilled hope in me. I was able to walk freely again after a surgery and a number of physiotherapy sessions. He kept telling me that only my own will power and regular exercise would bring me back on my feet. I remember the surgery day when I regained consciousness and was looking for him. He came to me after finishing few more surgeries and told me I would be fine soon. I held his hand and felt I already recovered. 

My reminiscence of Bangalore days is incomplete without the mention of Prashant, a symbol of undying spirit in youths of India. He worked as cook in my place for few months. He was from Orissa. He had to leave school after his house was washed away in a flood. The same year his father was diagnosed with heart ailment. He came to Bangalore and started working as a cook. He was sharing a single bedroom apartment with six other boys. He used to leave home at dawn to reach work in time and return home couple of hours before midnight. He used to work in a dozen of houses and commute via a cycle. One day he asked me to change temperature setting in my fridge to prevent frozen items from becoming stale. That day I learned about his keen interest in food processing and diverse cooking techniques. Few months passed. One day a guy appeared at my doorstep and informed me that Prashant would not be available from tomorrow and Prashant had sent him as his replacement. The reason was Prashant got admission in a reputed hotel management institution. His sister completed her BCA and joined a job. Prashant was starting second innings of his academic life. I was happy beyond words that day. 

Bangalore is the place where I convinced myself that I can fulfil my dream of pursuing a master degree. I spent sleepless nights preparing for GMAT and was able to get a decent score. I was high on enthusiasm those days and did not mind facing couple of rejections from few premier institutions before securing place in a good institution.

On certain days, I used to go out exploring places in Bangalore. On such a trip, I reached Cubbon Park. Before this trip, I was not able to imagine that a highly urbanised city can accommodate such a huge forest at its heart. The calm and serene environment at the park rejuvenate nerves. I left the place with the promise that I will come back here one day.

Last December gave me the chance to live few more sunrises and sunsets in Bangalore. I walked down the streets of Koramangala after a hearty lunch and looked at the restaurants and boutique shops which I once planned to visit.  Encounter with Mr. Anand Raj, the founder of the first zero-waste juice shop of the world, made me feel proud of Bangaloreans who keep pioneering innovative changes defying all odds. While crossing the hubs of Navy, Army and AirForce and office of ISRO in Bangalore, I felt blessed for being able to steal few glimpses of the centres of the best people of the nation. The morning walk down the natural trail in Cubbon Park instilled the same cheers in my cells that I felt during my first visit to this park. The extravagant decoration and food of Church street  made me remember the remark by one of my friends, 'Bangalore is a village of young-stars!'. The mesmerising sunrise at Nandi hill and magnificent sunset at the lake of Lalbagh Botanical Garden can draw any artistic heart to this city numerous times in life.

Bangalore is an amalgamation of fresh and diverse energies from people with discrete perspectives and from different walks of life. I heartily wish that the city stays as beautiful as it is today and keep inspiring people to embrace diversity as the key ingredient of creativity and innovation.