Jul 01, 2001 04:37 PM
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Bangalore is now called the infotech capital of India,with stiff competition from Hyderabad and Pune.
My first visit to Bangalore was in March 1968.
What I liked then?
The clean railway station and platforms.
The Higginbotham's book stall on the platform.
The Cubbon Park,aquarium, and the Lal Baugh with large parks, natural and landscaped gardens and a variety of flowers, bushes and trees.
The Ulsoor lake with a few boats.
The majestic,huge architectural specimen-The Vidhan Soudha( housing the Legislative Assembly and State secretariat).
Opposite it another majestic building.
The visit to the HMT factory.
Excursions to the nearby places like Sreerangapattam, Mysore,Sravanbelgola,Belur and Halebid,Hassan and Arsikere.
The nice filter coffee,''dosas'',''idlis'', ''vadas'', ''upma'',''shira'',''uttapamas''.
The visit to a cinema Hall which showed three dimensional films with three projectors,the type of movies which one can see in the domes in places like the Appu ghar. I felt as if I was travelling in the ''gondola'' through the canal streets of Venice or flew over beautiful scenes of America.
Recently I visited Bangalore again.
The city looked a beautiful green,tree covered plain with fields and buildings.
The airport is small and nice.
On the way the fort like Kids Kemp departmental stores is worth a visit.
Behind it the Shiv Dham is good with a statue of Shiva.
The M.G. Road was very modern type place with all modern type shops and buildings.
The Brigade road,M.G.Road and Theatre road, had some restaurants and Discos.
Several very good Hotels have come up.
We enjoyed the sound and light show with fountains at some gardens in the evening.
Modern Bangalore has changed-many constructions are going on.Because of good climate and people, Bangalore had become a place to settle down for a large number of people.Some multinational companies have established their units here.
Bangalore is also exporting a large variety of fresh cut flowers and orchids,besides software.Earlier it was famous for the famous Mysore Silk sarees and fragrant sandalwood products and sandalwood oil.
Modern bungalows-some palatial and multistoried buildings and plazas have come up.
There is a plethora of pubs and restaurants,shops,boutiques,beauty parlours,
art galleries,amusement parks,
cyber cafes,infotech companies,silk saree emporiums,handicrafts and sandalwood crafts etc,
One can also go the museums/historical forts associated with the Wodeyars,Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and see the various items on display in the rooms,on the walls and appreciate the intricate wood work and minarets.
These are some memories of Bangalore then and now.
