I have been in Bengaluru for over 44 years and the places I have been to are many, in many times and for many reasons. Prabhat Kalavidaru in Jain Temple Street for English recordings for radio commercials. I do believe that it was I who introduced them to the ‘All Okay’ thumbs up sign, before it was stolen by the soft drink of the same name. Incidentally, the lad behind the glass window was Jaganath and yes, Jagu, was the name we shared! Old Bengaluru. Narrow lanes. Dosai stalls at every corner.

Ravindra Kalakshetra and soon after, Chowdiah We were the first English language theatre to perform in Chowdiah. Rental was ₹ 3,000 a day or just under ₹ 3 per seat. With tickets at ₹ 5, 10 and 15 we were, as the saying goes, quids in! We go back occasionally and yes, some of the faces are still there!

Russell Market: We ran a poultry farm with 6,000 birds laying about 4,000 eggs per day, 30,000 in a week. Our wholesaler had a tiny shop in the street running north west off the main building. We would go in to collect…expectant. Overjoyed that we were getting ₹10 for a tray of 30 eggs. That is right 33 p per egg. In those days I would tip all my tipsters not in cash but in eggs! And yes…Thomas is still there.

Bangalore Club: Where would we be without our old BC?! It was our second home. The boys, Gautam and Sumit, would stroll in after school and be served with a snack and a soft cold drink, without even asking for it. We knew all the bearers and they all knew us. Even today, there are a score or so who ask after us and about them – Gautam in Los Angeles, Sumit in Melbourne.

Bengaluru to us could be as far away as either of these two cities. We could make it to the Club in 20 minutes, top gear all the way, waving to people in cars as we passed. Today, it is a two-hour start-crawl-stop journey with pesky two wheelers oozing in left and right. But then what has Bengaluru got that Bangalore had not? Well, Bengaluru has sucked Whitefield in.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / February 23rd, 2017