Saturday, April 08, 2006

Malleswaram...My Life!

A writeup on the place where I have spent more than 20 years ( I will be spending more time when I get back) is not easy to start off. Malleswaram is the oldest residential area in Bangalore North, and together with Basavanagudi in Bangalore South, forms what can be hailed as the most conservative part of this cosmopolitan city. Malleswaram is more than just an area, it is a part of the family for a few thousands inhabiting the area. There is an aura about Malleswaram that prevents me from reaching out to the other parts of the city for a living. The perfect combination of conservative outlook tinged with not too modern and sophisticated way of living makes it a perfect place for a typical middle class family to settle here.

Malleswaram is characterized by two main roads connecting it to the rest of the city - Margosa Road and Sampige Road. Margosa Road derives its name from the entire stretch of Neem(Margosa) trees lined up on either side of the road. This part of the city follows the Main and Cross structure for representing an address. All roads parallel to these main roads are refered to as Mains and the ones perpendicular to them are the crosses. If you are new to the place, it is very easy to lose your way in the array of mains and crosses. Most of them who visit the city for the first time say Every road looks the same! But once you get adjusted to the area, it is easy to find your way through every nook and corner.

There are many things about Malleswaram that makes me nostalgic and gives me the drive to return back to Bangalore as soon as possible. There are a few things in life not of much significance, but can have a big impact in life. So, where do I start to take you for a brief tour of the place I love so much! I live in the 8th Main Road(one of the busy roads) off 9th Cross very close to the Malleswaram Railway Station. This railway station is a great place and the setting is such that it looks as if it has been lifted directly from Malgudi Days of RK Narayan. By the way, RK Narayan was so impressed with Malleswaram and Basavanagudi that Malgudi was derived from these two names. The railway station has two entrances just like any other railway station, with two tracks separating the junctions on either side. The area is flanked by a number of trees with benches lined on the platforms in neat fashion. This serves as a meeting point for the many elders in the area, a perfect place for an early morning or a late evening walk, a place for some people to come and read books, a romantic hangout for young couples on the steps that form a sort of sidewalk from an overhanging bridge to the reservation counter, and for some young kids to have a peek at the not so many trains that whizz past the station during the day. For some people like me, it serves as a perfect hangout to meet with friends. How can I forget those days when all of us in the group used to meet here for hours together and discuss about everything in the world ranging from girls, future, placements, life, philosophy, religion, politics, family, wealth, controversies, college, education, bigwigs and what not! This used to be over a jhola(corn) with a lot of Khara(hot chilly paste) or a plate of bhel puri. It is amazing even today to think about the amount of time I have spent here with my friends. Just by the side of the Railway Station is the Anjaneya temple, which provides solace to the residents in the area. I used to make it a point to visit this temple almost everyday with my mother. A visit to the temple was a definite must before taking any decision. It used to provide me the comfort, warmth and confidence like never felt before. Anjaneya was(and is) a part of daily life and I can still hear my mother's voice ringing in my ears, Anjaneyara innikki parthuttu vandhaya (Did you meet Anjaneya today?) Such is the faith in the Lord not just of my mother, but all the residents in the area. On the other side of the railway station is a small shop which sells very good idlies and vadas. Four or five rupees for a plate of idly-vada. Heaven!

On the 5th main Road is the school where I studied, BP Indian Public School, from the first grade upto the tenth grade. Just beside the school is the famous Kanchi Mutt and the serene composed face of Kanchi Kamakshi is truly comforting. Though the main Mutt in Kanchipuram is in the news for all the wrong reasons, this is one of those places which can really fill your void. There were a lot of young kids learning Vedas from the main priest and it was truly a wonderfuly sight to see them with the washtee (dhoti) and pattai (sacred ash on the forehead).

The busiest street in Malleswaram is the 8th Cross. This is the main shopping street for the residents. It has everything here - clothes, vegetables, fruits, utensils, chats and what not! This street is always crowded and is the lifeline of Malleswaram. During the festive season, the street used to be packed not with vehicles but of people. There never used to be an inch of space to move, but that was never a cause to lose motivation to shop on this street. This was the best time for the vendors to make business and they never left a stone unturned to attract customers. The price of the essential commodities always used to go up during this part of the time, because whatever maybe the cost, people used to end up buying it. Whenever I used to pass through this street, I used to come across a known face. The charm and joy one finds in shopping at such places can never be compared to the sophisticated and gloss associated with the big malls. This is truly a different kind of experience.

Talk of fast food joints and Malleswaram is the place. Let me list my favourite places:
  • As I told you before, the idly shop next to the railway station is too good.
  • CTR (Central Tiffin Room) or Shree Sagar (if you are going by the new name) is the best place where I have had Masala Dosai. This place is also good for the vadas, pooris, chow chow bath, idlies, but Dosai it is that is unbeatable here.
  • Sahyadri, another place too good for Dosais, and one of my favourites. This is on the Margosa Road at the 8th Cross Bus Stop. Such a place is called as Darshini (fast food joint) and these are the kind of places one should stop by to have superb South Indian delicacies.
  • Janata Hotel on the 8th Cross and this too is very famous for the dosais.
  • Veena Stores on 16th cross right opposite the Telephone exchange and this place is terrific for idlies and chutney.
  • Crunchy Munchy ulundu(uddin) vadai, masala vadai, bondas, Mensinkai(Chilly) bajjis in a shop diagonally opposite the Sai Baba temple on 15th cross, Sampige Road. This is a very small shop but that shouldn't deter anyone from going there. There is also a juice center beside the Sai Baba temple that serves refreshing fresh fruit juice.
  • My favourite North Indian food joint is the Sai Shakthi Hotel on the 8th cross which is just a walk away from Margosa Road
  • There is a place in 18th Cross in the corner on 8th Main road which serves very good parotas with Channa Masala for ten rupees. I can't recollect the name but it is really good.
  • The chat wala who used to park his gaadi just in front of MES College. This guy serves the best Tomato puri, chips masala, cucumber masala and bhel puri in the area.
  • Amrith Ice Cream Parlour in the street adjacent to my school serves authentic home made ice cream.
  • How can I forget New Krishna Bhavan (NKB as it is fondly called) located opposite the Sampige Theater. This place serves very good south Indian dishes with a lot of new varieties, apart from the conventional items. To supplement this with the North Indian dishes is the attached restaurant Gopika and I like the place mainly for its ambience along with good food!
There are a lot of temples in Malleswaram: Ganesha Temple near 8th cross, Raghavendra Swamy Temple near 8th Cross, Sai Baba temple on 15th Cross, Narasimha Swamy Temple on Temple Street, Kannika Parameswari temple on 8th Cross, Kadu Malleshwara temple (It is because of this temple that Malleswaram gets its name) andVenugopala Swamy temple on 11th Cross. These temples reflect the relgious sentiments of the population here.

Malleswaram also is home to IISc (Indian Institute of Science), the best Research school in India and one of the best in the world. It was established way back in 1909 by J.N. Tata and has built up a terrific reputation over a long period. One of the reputed Pre-University Colleges in the state MES College of arts, science and commerce is situated in Malleswaram.

All in all, Malleswaram is truly complete in every sense. I am always filled with passion to talk about this place. It took me about three to four days(couldn't do this continuously) to compose this writeup and I realise how much I love this place. Malleswaram brings a lot of emotions flooding within me and I am sure all those peope who have spent their time here will agree with me on this. It was really difficult for me to write up this piece, as I used to go back to time and recollect all those things that I loved doing here. Though off late it has resulted in a spate of apartments and heavy traffic in many parts, it is the most cherished place for me to spend my future.

I am sure there are many things I might have missed out, and it would be wonderful if you could post your comments on the parts where I have failed to cover. Next time I go to Bangalore, I am updating this writeup with pictures.

Update: Please click on this link to visit the updated blog with pictures. Thanks!

101 comments:

  1. Nice write up man.Just to add 2 more things

    1) the cricket matches at malleswaram 18th cross .

    2) The walk we used to have starting from 8th main thru 15th cross and all the way back wondering if we will ever get our hands on of of those traditional houses.

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  2. Terrific write-up...My mouth just salivated at the thought of the chaat guy outside MES college....
    Also, what say about the tiny little plot of land(i cannot call it a park/ground/anything that I can associate a park to)where we used to play cricket...Ah!those times....And just to remind you that we all came from the esteemed VTU, what about Krishna Xerox ??
    -- Gopal

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  3. Yup!!!

    1.) Cricket at 18th cross ground as well as in Malleswaram Ground is unforgettable. What about the Plot of land and do you remember that fat lady shouting at us? I also used to remember the fights we used to have and Prasad used to be a common feature in the fights:-)

    2.) The walks were fantastic....Fantasising to glory about the traditional houses. But to be honest, what houses man!

    3.) Krishna Xerox - If you are wondering why people are not getting kerosene in Mvm, come to Mvm 18th Cross! Maximum number of 30p xerox shops in the city:-)

    4.) By the way, even the chat shop opposite Sai Shakti is pretty good. Do you remember that Gopal?

    5.) Do you also remember the Cricket matches in Kasturi Dhama? It was during one of these times that Chips Kanna's brother fractured his hand!!!

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  4. 1) Malleswaram club: Where our dude used to play badminton, where you cannot get a membership even now.
    2) The Sankey tank, a walk around the lake, damn good.

    And Einstein u didn’t mention specifically why we went to mllsm 8th cross.

    Well frnds he missed it out, u get a lot of nice chick to dash around in the crowded area.

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  5. also i forgot to mention, the famed malleshwaram bus-stand..does Route No.188 ring a bell ??
    -- Gopal.

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  6. Kanna.....

    When are you going to change?

    :-) Same as ever is it!!!!

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  7. I also remember Kanna falling from the bus and his dad had to drop him to college...Kanna, do you remember the day you got pushed by corner seenu? Now, Now, does corner seenu, the name ring a bell to you guys?:-) Do you also remember the conductor asking us to keep our mouths shut?:-)

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  8. Yeah..dude..How can I forget the good old matches that I used to play in Malleswaram Circle Grounds!!! I am still craving for those days!! Golden days of my life!!! It used to be my "Second Home".

    And all those apartments opposite to MES college where most of us used to spend time looking at Chicks(no offence whatsoever!!)!!Phew..Cool experience!!!

    So, GK.. I totally agree with almost everything that you have expressed..I too feel the same!! Even my feelings for this great place "Malleswaram" is very intense!!
    -Karthik Chandramouli!!

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  9. Einstein....u made me miss home so much...even though i have no idea of the places u were talking abt, i still felt all nostalic abt home

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  10. hmmm, many of the facts which my friend has missed include,

    Although its one of the costliest areas(in terms of land, houses, rent), there is not an inch of poshism(?). U find the friendliest ppl here.
    Bangalore as an IT is mainly because of such ppl.

    This locality had maximum # trees more than any locality in the whole of India. I think I am right?

    The remaining parts of Bangalore may have all kinds of ppl, here u find only natives

    spent 1 miserable year at Gururaj tutions

    feel like banning all those Food worlds, coffeedays and other sick stuff which is full of fools most of the times.

    SSLC board where there is a mad rush always to know the class x results

    Deepavali stalls in Malleswaram grounds

    Many accidents(deaths) on Railway tracks and ppl watching these on the bridge. The common man still resides there as though not too much concerned:))

    To all Non-Bangaloreans, if u want to see the true beauty of the city, goto Malleswaram and suttamutta

    ppl flocking around Vasundara Das' house

    Malleswaram railway station where stray dogs BARK only at POLICE

    will update again shortly. But i wish the call centers move away from the city. please dont bother about the vocabulary(in a hurry)

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  11. dude, u can send these to females from Malleswaram in USA. I bet u might have to start wiping their tears.

    Every 1 in 3 houses in Malleswaram has there son/daughter in USA. This was in mid 90s. now its changed...may be 1 in every house??? simply because most of the studs like myself and the author come from malleswaram and suttamutta :-).

    Believe me Bangalore is easily more powerful than USA. It can easily attract someone back.

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  12. Prasad,

    The whole point is how many people are getting back to India. Nostalgic feeling is totally different from reality. I am not sure how many would want to do a Swades:-)

    What say?

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  13. U gottu be a role model to all of us.

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  14. Of course I will and what about you sir?

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  15. I have changed.... man....
    I think this is about the past...so it is just remembering the past.

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  16. I think the earthy charm and native feel of Malleshwaram cannot be matched...Jayanagar (though well planned) looks more like a concrete jungle that Bangalore has become...The old world charm of Malleshwaram is truly unbeatable...
    Gopal.

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  17. thanks to prasad for rekindling memories of the gururaj tuition days....i think those days (all days of 12th std with the exception of ganesha chaturthi and diwali) were the longest of my life...

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  18. hey gk ...awesome man...this report is too nostalgic...although it was brief stay for me in malleshwaram i can easily relate to teh blog....good old days.....

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  19. You forgot the Mwm Circle Butter Gulkhand Shop... The best gulkhand in Bengaluru man...

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  20. Prasad wants to close all coffee days ? , There are 2 cd's now in mvm full of young guys and gals trying to be hip. :)) .
    I may get sick of my house , but i will never get sick of Malleswaram.
    wtf , you guys are in US and i am getting senti while stayin here.
    There is something about Malleswaram.
    I think most of us are lucky that this is the place where we spent our childhood days.
    Praveen , write a book man.Looking at ur lengthy blogs , i have a silly feeling that you have lots of time at hand :)).

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  21. Vasu,

    Pratap had once told me this...
    The west is a country where beauty is obvious and ugliness is rare.

    India is a country where beauty is subtle and ugliness is very obvious. To realize that beauty u have to come out of the country.

    maga, quite a few amongst us have become very conservative after coming to US and thinking abt the childhood days in bangalore...

    No wonder even we are senti abt bangalore.

    God only knows how one can become "hip" by spending hours in these places ofcourse the generation gap is there;
    but still the value and love for the place comes only when u have slogged enough...everyday was a DRAMA for us...this DRAMA makes it super special...

    Here u know one thing, ppl from bihar never say that they are from bihar :)). trying to be hip :))

    No harm meant to anybody...just expressing my feelings ...

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  22. See, just by going to coffee day and such places, one does not become hep! It is the attitude of the people that is changing. The crowd that hangs out at these places are mostly from other parts of the city and mainly the IT crowd from the same building. I am not sure whether we have built up a very conservative attitude right from childhood or whether we do not fit in the present scheme of things associated with the current generation.

    It would be great if Bangalore went back twenty years in time without the present population and raging pollution! I would do anything to see such a Bangalore.

    How many of us had cellphones while studying? I think when we were in our final year of engineering, I could see the juniors running around the campus with jazzy cellphones and new gadgets! Didn't we get the feeling then - What the heck is happening?

    Vasuki, How I wish I had the time to write a book? I would love to do that and people like Archers and Sheldons will be seething with rage at the injustice done to literature! Hahaha!!!!

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  23. Praveen wrote
    "Archers and Sheldons will be seething with rage at the injustice done to literature!"

    Man , agreed we read a lot of those books , and only remember certain parts of them still ;).
    You may end up doing injustice to literature.But who cares , i am sure you will take that one guy down the memory lane and touch his heart.Now how much satisfaction would that give you.

    Praveen said "Hahaha!!!! " ,

    Dude seriously , i am not joking .Write a book.i will buy 2 copies.(and present 1 to you).

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  24. Not sure you have seen this:
    Malleswarama Miscelleny - Photo Exhibition

    http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/bangalore/malleswaram/

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  25. Anonymous,

    Can you please identify yourself? I am a regular reader of Kamat's page!!!

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  26. wow! that's a great writeup.. i'd write about the place i grew up in but i don't know if there would be much to write...

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  27. Hi,

    I have been reading the malgudi days for over a month, although I still faintly remember the television series based on the famous novel by R. K. Narayan , but reading the stories brings the life of people and their issues to live. I come from a region in India where there is a totally different lifestyle not glamrous but very absorbing. Since I love India as a whole giving respect and admiring all the regions , their people and cultures, I saw this opportunity of reading your blog as chance to get closer to life of people from your place.

    Reading your experience of 20 yrs was quite thought provoking and definitely addition of some pictures would have made description more vivid. I like the first half of the blog describing the temple and daily visit to it. The eating outlets and description of the city was good. Meeting friends, description of college and life as whole was attractive.

    But while reading the blog , at some places I found that emotions which author felt while writing the blog were not felt equally on the other side.
    Also I feel that problems and issues which people face in this part of the world should also be brought to limelight. One small description of daily life schedule for different set of people should be included.

    But Still overall I will rate this blog as a good attempt to bring life out of place not known to many from other parts of the country and the world.

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  28. The entire writeup is really beautiful.The article really makes me homesick amd makes me to think of going back to Malleswaram ASAP

    Nagesh Kamath
    Palo Alto CA

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  29. i'm getting ready to move to malleswaram, and I was moved by ur post. Thanks for it:)

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  30. Praveen... gottiroure irbodeno? naanu malleswaramnalle irodu...
    btw your dose link isn't working.
    Here's more on CTR

    Check out this link:
    where is this place?

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  31. I lived in malleswaram around early 1950 to late 1960. We used to spend time at MTR(malleswaram tiffin room)and Planters cafe, sadly they do not exiists any more. I still visit every couple of years and it is not the same anymore.
    I enjoyed your write up, it was different time but all the same Malleswaram is great.

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  32. Hello Sir,

    I totally agree with what you feel right now. Certainly the fifties must have been quite a different period, but the conservative charm of Malleswaram is still embedded in the region. Though Bangalore is developing at such a fast rate, we can still reach out to certain parts of the city known for its orthodox and conservative style. Malleswaram is certainly one of them.

    Thanks a lot for visiting my blog!

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  33. Walk to sanki tank at the end of 18 th cross malleswaram will make you calm and peaceful.Early morning and evenings at sanki tank divinely.

    I am from tamilnadu and recently shifted 3 yrs before to bangalore.
    Malleswaram made me feel at home.Truly a blend of traditional place with many temples.

    But now i miss those things since i had shift to near my office to marthahalli.Total opposite with full pollution and no aminities. Not much temple, drastic.

    I make it a point i visit twice a mnth to malleswaram.Whenever i visit there i have bena dosa in sree sagar (CTR) and spend sometime in sank tank too.

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  34. Hello Uma,

    Thanks for the visit. Malleswaram is truly like no other place, atleast for people who have lived here for many years. Even though Mathikere is not very far off from Malleswaram, the earthly charm of Malleswaram is truly unmatchable.

    Keep reading, and keep visiting Mvm,

    Rgds,
    Praveen

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  35. i came looking for Amrith Icecream parlour... and its exact location...

    really nice to have read your post...
    all the eating places you refer to are so familiar!

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  36. One of the greatest contributions of India to the world is Holy Gita which is considered to be one of the first revelations from God. The management lessons in this holy book were brought in to light of the world by divine Maharshi Mahesh Yogi , Sri Sri RaviShankar and Swami Bodhanandji, and the spiritual philosophy by the great Adi Sankaracharya the greatest philosopher of India and proud son of Kerala, and Sri. Srila Prabhupada Swami and humanism by Mata Amritanandamayi Devi and Satya Sai Baba. Maharishi calls the Bhagavad-Gita the essence of Vedic Literature and a complete guide to practical life. It provides "all that is needed to raise the consciousness of man to the highest possible level." Maharishi reveals the deep, universal truths of life that speak to the needs and aspirations of everyone. Swami Chinmayanandaji preached and educated the people and Swami Sandeep Chaitanyaji continuing the mission by keeping this lantern burning always knowing the wishes of the modern generations. Arjuna got mentally depressed when he saw his relatives with whom he has to fight.( Mental health has become a major international public health concern now). To motivate him the Bhagavad Gita is preached in the battle field Kurukshetra by Lord Krishna to Arjuna as a counseling to do his duty while multitudes of men stood by waiting. It has got all the management tactics to achieve the mental equilibrium and to overcome any crisis situation. The Bhagavad Gita can be experienced as a powerful catalyst for transformation. Bhagavad gita means song of the Spirit, song of the Lord. The Holy Gita has become a secret driving force behind the unfoldment of one's life. In the days of doubt this divine book will support all spiritual searches. This divine book will contribute to self reflection, finer feeling and deepen one's inner process. Then life in the world can become a real education—dynamic, full and joyful—no matter what the circumstance. May the wisdom of loving consciousness ever guide us on our journey? What makes the Holy Gita a practical psychology of transformation is that it offers us the tools to connect with our deepest intangible essence and we must learn to participate in the battle of life with right knowledge?. It shows us the path to handle the situation with equipoised mind irrespective of what comes our way and reminds us time and again, that what the right action is.

    The Holy Gita is the essence of the Vedas, Upanishads. It is a universal scripture applicable to people of all temperaments and for all times. It is a book with sublime thoughts and practical instructions on Yoga, Devotion, Vedanta and Action. It is profound in thought and sublime in heights of vision. It brings peace and solace to souls that are afflicted by the three fires of mortal existence, namely, afflictions caused by one's own body (disease etc), those caused by beings around one (e.g. wild animals, snakes etc.), and those caused by the gods (natural disasters, earth-quakes, floods etc).

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  37. YOU FORGOT SPORTS(GUESS YOU AINT A SPORTSMAN!). 18TH cross grounds for Jawahars, Malleswaram Ground for Mall assocn and my good old Canara Union!! Plenty of outdoor activity as I grew up on 8th main 13th cross,
    Hemant Nayak

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  38. Hemant: Thanks for visiting my blog!! yeah, totally forgot about the grounds and CU, as my other friends pointed out. I have spent a lot of time in Mvm grounds and 18th cross grounds!!!

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  39. hi praveen,
    nice writeup., my name is shashidhar and i still live in this beautiful area., have we seen each other., i have spent my 15 years in malleshwaram circle criket ground, i used to play for CENTURY CRICKETERS and RAJAJINAGAR COLTS., and in 18th cross i used toplay for SURANAS team., tnx for making malleshwaram famous once again., and u r right, malleshwaram doesnt need coffee days,food worlds and call centres (fortunately only one is there and mostly it might closed down) lets meet once when u come down to this great place., i stay in 18th cross, behind ayyappa temple, sankey tank.,

    tnx for giving an wonderful writeup.,

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  40. It's all over guys!!! It CANNOT be the same again. Such is life. It's great to get together have a couple shots of whisky/tequilla whatever and dig deep into memory banks/lanes but it aint the same. If you went back to malleswaram NOW and try to resettle, uh-uh you'll be in no man's land.
    Just accept the present(wherever you are!) and do your best. It's all history and dont let it dampen your future quests. It happened to me.
    Hemant

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    1. Agree with you wholeheartedly! Heart wrenching to know that Malleshwaram is not what it used to be when we were growing up. The entire city has become a concrete jungle, a Garden City turned into a Garbage City! Going by the comments by some of you including the author, I am a few years senior to you when BP Indian School used to be Dr. Parthasarathy's residence on 5th Main Road. There was no Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham those days. There were only five or six houses on that stretch between 9th and 11th Crosses. We are planning a trip to Bangalore and I have mixed feelings; elated that I am going back and meeting my relatives and friends and simultaneously, am
      also nervous about the traffic and crowds....

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  41. Hemant,

    But, being an optimist I am, I just hope to see old Bangalore some day :-)

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  42. Hey!! Who was the one who wrote ...tell these things to girls from malleswaram in US ...they will start crying...........no kidding mister....
    Here I am!!!!
    I Came back from Bangalore last month....but not from that malleswaram hangover....donno will I ever come out of it....

    Thanks for giving us realistic picture of Malleswaram....

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  43. Lakshmi,

    Thanks for the comment Lakshmi. According to me, Malleswaram is the best place on planet earth. Period!!!

    A perfect day in MVM - Go to CTR, eat the benne masala dose, go take a walk in the railway station and visit the Hanuman temple enroute home. Day made :-)

    Are you Lakshmi Bharadwaj by the way?

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  44. Guys and Gals: I was a long-time resident of MWM, until my move to the US 21 yrs ago. My parents and their parents lived there since the early 1900s. We still have a house there and my mom lives there. She is quite the icon of the area. I feel like I lived there during the last of the glorous years (1960s to 1980s), when you still had numeorus old bungalows and shady tree-lined streets. Cricket at Gov't HS grounds near 18th cross,getting sick after eating dosai from the shady restaurant at the corner of Sankey Tank Rd and Sampige Road after NCC every Saturday, taking bus no. 11 from KVM at 18th cross all the way to 5th cross, riding for free on BTS (bittre thiragi sigolla)buses because drivers and conductors knew you, getting off a stalled bus and helping pushing it to a convenient corner, shopping for school supplies at the famous Atma Stores at MWM circle, the wonderful folks and sights and smells of MWM market, buying sogadu avarekai from rajamma's stall at the market, buying great coffeee powder from Gururarja coffee stall oppo market, eating menasinkai bonda along the incline opposite Kaadu Malleswara temple, safely biking and walking all over MWM as if the entire locality was your back yard, stealing mangoes from trees in yards, chasing and being chased by monkeys, going for long walks within the beautifully manicured (alas, no longer so) and maintained IISC campus, watching BBC nature films at Raman Institute! Meeting Ravi Kirloskar, growing up playing badminton with the Padukones (Prakash, Pradeep Mahesh, Harish, and Padmini), havingthe rivilege of knowingtheir saintly parents, living a stone's throw away from MPL Shastri's house--greeting him during his morning walk the day he died, meeting friends and hanging out at Veena Store eating idli/vade and drinking coffee--because we were regulars, getting the privilege oftasting his freshly ground chutney before he added water to it and served the rest of the crowd, walking over to BWSSB to pay the water bill, studying for 10 wonderful years at KVM, being around when teh principal's son was kidnapped by a disgruntked student (he actually took the kid for a movie and fed him well),. Ah, I could go on and on. Memories...memories...memories!!

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    1. We lived on 15th cross opp chitrapur math in a 1920s bungalow between '63 and '85...do i know you? Do you know Prasad VVS?

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    2. Kiran, your post was very nostalgic. Brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for sharing.

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  45. Kiran sir
    That's quite a lot of beautiful memories about Malleswaram. You have had so many things to say!!! Just goes to show how passionate you are!!! Are you planning to return back to Malleswaram ever?

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  46. Praveen: I will never say never about returning. In the meantime I am enjoying all the wonderful posts on this blog about such a heavenly place. Take care and keep the posts coming.

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  47. Kiran,
    All the best for your plans for return :-) I am glad you are enjoying the posts!!! Good luck!

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  48. hi my name is gururaj. I came out of B.P Indian in 1982. Just have a faint idea of all od students getting together. Any takers ? My URL gururaj_sunshine@hotmail.com Mob 9341232570

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  49. Good post! We lived in Malleshwaram (West Park Road) for 28 years before moving to RMV Extension in 1993... Since i moved to the US 9 years ago, i was Googling for "malleshwaram ganesha" (Today is Ganesha Festival) when i stumbled upon this blog...

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  50. does anyone know beagles basketball club in malleshwaram and the boys who used to hang out there??

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  51. I lived in Malleswaram between 1970-1977 18th Cross and 4th main, my dad was at IISc. Played cricket with the Jawahars CC and attended Bishop Cottons and then St Josephs College of Arts and Sciene. Probably the best time of my life. Lots of great friends and memories!
    Anjan

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  52. I know it is a long time, but responding to some comments!

    Gururaj
    Great to know you are from BP Indian too!!!

    Anon,
    28 years is certainly a long time :-)

    Anon,
    Beagles club is in Mvm 15th cross

    AJ Bhatta
    Great to knwo that Mr. Anjan :-)

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  53. Hi , I am also from malleshwaram. we lived next to Himamshu shishuvihara. in 15th cross.My first friend in my life still lives there. we left india in 1970. i and My husband went to MLA school. so many memories. Still 2x sisters of mine live in Malleshwaram. Does any one know as to how to become member at malleshwaram club? They have accommodation at reasonable rate, but have to be a muember.
    shyamala.

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  54. Hello Mrs. Shamu,

    Good to see you on the blog. It was easy in those days to become a member at the Mvm club. I believe nowadays they have a big waiting list of people waiting to be members.

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  55. Thanks for your reply. My husband and group of friends also used to play cricket in 18th cross and get into lots of troubles. Once i think the ball hit the BTS BUS. You can Imagine the rest.
    Happy new year to all. bye
    shyamala.

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  56. so dear praveen, the message i am getting is give up on becoming a member. Most of the NRIS are in a situation where they wish to visit their family, but dont always have a home to stay , as parents may be absent or rest of the family will be inconvenienced making room for the visitors, constantly.
    So I was looking for holiday accommodation. I know we can stay at a hotel. Just to keep our luggage and sleep i did not want to waste so much money. If we spend minimum money on our accommodation, some of that money can be given to charity etc , ( I KNOW THAT MY SISTERS TEACHER COLLECTS MONEY AND SUPPLIES TEXT BOOKS TO POOR CHILDREN) So if you are aware of any other source of reasonable safe reliable accommodationan I am greatful.
    Have a nice day.
    shyamala.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THere are budget places in seshadripuram
      Ratan Mahal in mvm is a budget place.

      When i went there this year we stayed near bashyam circle rajajinagar

      Delete
  57. Hello Mrs Shyamala,

    It will be better if you inquire at the Mvm club. If you are looking at hotels, you can try the lodges at New Krishna Bhavan near Sampige Theater or the Modern Lodge near Kino theater (Seshadripuram). That should work out not too expensive.

    Happy new year to you too!

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  58. Mrs. Shyamala,
    A lot of people stay in service apartments these days. Prices are lower compared to 5 stars and they have western amenities. Hope this helps.

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  59. Thanks for the blog. It made me feel like I was in malleshwaram . My family still live in malleshwaram. I am not in us . I live in sydney. Any one studied in Malleshwaram ladies school? I and my husband are from that school. We went and had a look at he school. in Jan. it has chanfged so much. Yes Malleshwaram always feels like home. .Shyamala.

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  60. Need help anyone. please. Any one knows details of servived apartments clean and safe to stay during holidays? in Malleshwatam near 2nd cross ?

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  61. Hi,
    Well one of the late readers and responding !
    Hardcore MWM Tambram 10th Cross East Park Road guy. Did my KG to PG (MLA - 1960 & IISc - 1978), Extremely nostalgic about MWM. Must have eaten in Janatha 1000 times! Whole lot of relatives in MWm / BLR. Bought a small place in MWM EPR between 17th & 18th Cross. Waiting to return from Mumbai ;-)

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  62. Hello Mr. Radhakrishnan
    Great to know that you love Malleswaram. Thanks for visiting my blog. I also have an updated post with pictures. Please take a look.
    http://whowrites.blogspot.com/2008/10/malleswaram-bangalore.html

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  63. Ms Shyamala,

    I studied at MLA from 1st to 7th Std. I stayed at East Park road between 10th & 11th Cross. Presently at Mumbai.

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  64. appadiya ippo purandidu. My tamil is nor good forgive me.

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  65. I was missinf a flower called kakada. I coule not get that plant any where, Once i was walking at my lunch time . I saw the plant. I asked her if i was able to have a cutting. She gave me a plant. I planted it in my garden. After 3-4 years, I saw the flowers 2 days ago. I cant even express the joy !! is is certainly due to nenepugalu about my childhood in malleshwaram and my friend satya.

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  66. Hello Ms. Shyamala,
    Great to know about the flowers. Very nice little story you have :-)

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  67. nothing like malleshwaram for me . I grew up there.It is changing a lot. Let us see what will be left of malleshwaram that we know.All these manthrimalls are making. chotamota gadiwala and walis disappear. Progreeha! we have to embrace. For the time being i wil be happy if the sampige road is fixed. LAst visit I did a big pranam near Mantri mall.shyamala.

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  68. Everyone seems to have forgotten about one more important land mark in malleshwaram which is no more present. It is the 'Geethanjali theatre in 5th cross. Now the Big Bazar mall stands at the very place. All Rajkumar movies were first used to be released at the Geethanjali Theatre and we use to stand in long queues to get the tickets. Some of the great kannada movies like Bhakta Kumbara, Aparichatha, Trimurti etc were released and ran for several weeks.

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  69. No I have not forgatten. My sis ter lives in sangeetha apartments
    Miss malleshwaram circle.also Khalene hoythu

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  70. Shyamala: Hope you read my earlier comment! I also studied in MLA from 1st to 7th std. May be we can find out if we had common friends depending on when we studied. It would be very nice to go back in time. Also, your mention of Sangeetha Apts thrilled me even more. My in laws are living there and I stay there (A 201) whenever I m in Bengaluru.
    Anon: Yes Geethanjali was so easy to sneak out and see night shows. I must have seen umpteen Rajkumar movies standing in qs. I would even know whether we would get tickets by the sheer location in the Q. Saw Bangarada Manushya 3 times !

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  71. Anon: The individually rotating letters of the nameplate of Geethanjali was a novelty then - one side english & the other side kannada. It was an institution by itself and we would always compare it to Navrang and felt G was beeter than N. May be it was not in the same league as Santosh, Nartaki which came subsequently. But we felt it was our 'own'. (I am from East Park Road 10th Cross)

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  72. howdu nimma mail odide. Nanna thangi hesaru vidyalakshmi antha. 510b annisutte avalllu irodu. Navellahudugeeru . Cinima hogokke timoo iralilla kalisuttaloo oralilla. maja mado timege oorubittu kadudeshakke bande. namma ooru baree nenapinalle kaleebeku.
    Trishankuilli

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  73. It will be great to know if Mr. Radhakrishna and Ms. Shyamala have some common friends and meet up with family :-) Please let me know how it goes.

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    Replies
    1. hello praveen||

      how r u. saw ur post juw now. nice post abt malleswaram. how is ur wife, brother and parents. when r u coming to bangalore...

      hope you do remember us. guess who it is ||

      Delete
    2. Hi Anonymous,

      I have no idea who this is. I have tons of friends in Malleswaram, so to guess who this is without any info is almost impossible :-)

      So, please identify yourself :-) I would love to know who this is.

      Delete
  74. Shyamala: thanks for the info. Illaree, naavu hudugru kooda control nalle idda time adu. Odu, devasthana ella regular. Nam road hesare 'plug' road! Ella juttu ittidru.' sneaking out' was an improper reference. Neevu bere desha kadu anthira ? Culturally may be yes. Jeevana padu andre hagene. You gain some and lose some.

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  75. Ellaroo nishabha?
    Ellarigoo Deepavaliya shubhashayagalu.
    shyamala.

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  76. Hi All, Let this discussions and cherishing journey on Malleswaram continue.I spent 40 years close to Malleswaram Railway Station. I travelled extensively abroad. Presently, I work at Chennai for last 3 years. But, I am 100% regular to every weekend to Bangalore. My family stays at 18th Cross and my parents stays at the same place where I am brought up, 5th Cross, Maruthi Extension, just close to Malleswaram Railway Station. I studied at Saraswathi Vidya Nikethan till 7th, Raghavendra High School & Seshadripuram College & MES College. Any interested can write to me : rameshcn16@gmail.com

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  77. Hi myself subhash :-) myself resident of malleshwaram from past 25 years now :-) house located on margosa road. Dad business also on margosa road. The chain of shops next to the mentioned "sahayadri" hotel which is now hoy is all ours out of which first one opened in 1979! ! Passed out of vidya mandir and coll from mes pu college have seen lot of changes along the journey! ! This is one place which just has rare combination of all most all required places near by.. Like reputed hospitals.. Play grounds. Reputed schools.. Bus depots and stops.. Police station.. Big market. .. Railway station .. Some very good temples including TTD... Sslc board to PU board to CET counselling centre. Some very good PU level tutions.. Some famous food outlets. Commercially developed sampige road... This is just a 10 on 10 right combination :-)

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  78. Hi myself subhash :-) myself resident of malleshwaram from past 25 years now :-) house located on margosa road. Dad business also on margosa road. The chain of shops next to the mentioned "sahayadri" hotel which is now hoy is all ours out of which first one opened in 1979! ! Passed out of vidya mandir and coll from mes pu college have seen lot of changes along the journey! ! This is one place which just has rare combination of all most all required places near by.. Like reputed hospitals.. Play grounds. Reputed schools.. Bus depots and stops.. Police station.. Big market. .. Railway station .. Some very good temples including TTD... Sslc board to PU board to CET counselling centre. Some very good PU level tutions.. Some famous food outlets. Commercially developed sampige road... This is just a 10 on 10 right combination :-)

    ReplyDelete
  79. Hi all , Happy Dasara,
    Malleshwara is changing so much. How ever dirty and crowded it gets why? i still love it? It is my Home.One good thing is we can walk and go to place where we stay even at 11pm as streets are busy because of the malls. Mall culture is very boring, bur that is progress so say all of us.

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  80. Hello Praveen,

    I just read your write up on MVM, its good. I still live at MVM
    17th cross,11th main next to Chayya nurshing home.

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  81. Harsha avare,
    My friend and classmate Dr Bhatt lives opposite to Chaya nursing home. I beleive the nursing home is closed now. Still miss Mlleshwara a lot . my friend satya from 15th cross, next to Himamshishuvihara , moved to Mysore . His reason was margosa road is getting too busy and noisy.
    Hope all of you had wonderful Deepavali. Hope We can visit Bangalore soon may be early next year,Harsha avare,
    have you been to Orion mall?How is it?

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  82. I am in Malleswaram on a vacation and though lot of things have changed (too much traffic, etc), the spirit of the place is still very much the same.

    I am also planning a visit to Orion Mall.

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  83. Hi , how is everyone?
    Was in Malleshwaram in March. Why it was sooooooo hot? Spent lot of time at Sangeetha apartment. We are progressing with Malls and all , lots of small vendors, and little shops are disappearing . Hope the Metro makes some difference to the traffic.!! take care all of you. Hope all of you had great yugadi. Happy new year. Nava varushada shubhashayagalu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was in MVM in Jan. In spite of all the traffic, I loved staying in Malleswaram. Yeah, the whole place has changed. I saw so many new shops and restaurants. Restaurants, I can understand. We, Bangaloreans, have a penchant for eating good food.

      Delete
    2. We hv to accept change and hope it is for the better. How can I when poor street venders are n vanishing? How do they make a living? when A lady in the market that they lost their place due to new post office. She said herself and children do not have any education and what else can we do? how did it make me feel? shyamala.

      Delete
  84. Long time since i have communicated. Happy Deepavali to all. for next week. Shyamala

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete