I Love Bangalore...

There are not many such days with little or no traffic on Bangalore roads these days. So took them for posterity..







Can you identify any of these roads?

Recovering From A Bout Of Nostalgia

The other day I was traveling back from work and it was the rush hour traffic in Bangalore. An old couple were trying to cross the road to possibly reach the Ganesh temple which was on the other side. Every time they took a few steps forward, cars & bikes whizzed past honking rudely. Not a single one of them had the courtesy to stop by and let them cross peacefully. Since my side of the traffic was blocked I could see the trouble they were facing and sadly there was nothing that could be done. Bangalore must have been a much pleasanter place to live then [before the so called IT boom] than it is now. The people with whom they probably might have associated should have been friendly and kind, having the time to share each other's joys and sorrows, and enjoy simple pleasures of life.

Low rise homes with sprawling gardens that I grew up in, roads with trees on either side, parks in every nook and corner and pavements covered with dried leaves from the trees– it was aptly called the garden city. Something that would no longer be possible to even think of in this rebuilt modern city - all under the iron rule of "necessity". Malleswaram, Seshadripuram, Sadashivnagar have quickly metamorphosed from being sleepy residential localities to busy business hubs. Today there are mansions and huge apartments depicting the grandeur and substance that has unseated simplicity and quaintness as desirable urban values.

Loud honking, several bikes & auto rickshaws trying to precariously push me out of their way, brought my wandering thoughts back to reality. The smoke from the auto ahead made me choke and hastily I rolled up the car windows. Driving away I could still see the old couple standing patiently for their chance to use the road.

Agreed, this is the age of ‘Papa don’t preach!’ but when the pace of life goes out of control it is no longer called progress but is more a regrettable decline.

A Roadtrip to Kodai

Here are some details you will find useful if you are planning to take a road trip to Kodai

Distance -
Bangalore to Kodaikanal clocks around 485 kms

Route Decription -
There are two routes with slight variations.
Route 1. Bangalore 43 Hosur 19 Sulagiri 29 Krishnagiri 25 Karimangalam 21 Dharmapuri 26 Toppur 23 Omalur 17 Salem 24 Rasipuram 50 Namakkal 37 Karur 29 Aravakkurichi 33 Vedasandur 23 Ottanchatram 23 Palani 74 Kodaikkanal

Route 2 - Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Madurai - Kodai Road (Here you got to be careful to take the right deviation to the Kodai ghat section else the road actually leads to Munnar)



The roads are motorable for most of the distance till one reaches the Madurai-Kodai road. Lots of development & new road constructions are taking place hence only a single side of the road is available. Night drives should be avoided due to heavy traffic of trucks, bad lights and lack of road space. The ghat section has several hairpin bends and there are constant reminders for drivers to be cautious, slow down and honk at the dangerous bends.

Best Time to Visit -

The tourist season begins from 1st April to 30th June, while it is off season from the 1st july to 31st March
However, its a good idea to visit during the second half of March for the weather remains cool, the tourist crowds are yet to arrive and one can get fantastic deals & service from the hotels.

Accomodation -
We did a little bit of exploring the hotels in Kodai. The best one of course is the Carlton but there are quite a many options available t osuit the pockets of all kind of traveler's.

We chose Hotel Hilltop Towers for a number of reasons. The rooms were decent, the hotel officials were courteous and quite helpful.The service and food was also pretty good and worth a mention. The hotel is located in the center of the town and hence easily accessible to all the different scenic spots. The hotel location is quite important because this is a town that sleeps early, so wrap up your sight seeing as quick as possible and don't you go hunting for some night life here.

This is a place I would'nt mind recommending to my friends. So here it is my friends:
Hilltop Towers, Club Road, Kodaikanal – 624101, Tele. : 04542- 3373532



Here are other options -
1. The Carlton
2. Hotel Valley View Inn
3. Hotel JS Heritage
4. Kodai Resort Hotel
5. Golden Park Inn

So what are the places to visit?...

There isn't much to see in Kodai but for the beautiful sceneries from different view points and for the famous Kurunji flower that blooms once on 12 years. Kodai is the idyllic place to rest one's soul, take in the natural beauty and experience time coming to a standstill. Yet I am listing a few places that one can visit

Kodai Lake or the Berinjam Lake - This is the first and centermost of all activities in kodai. Typical tourist spot with shikara boat rides, chug & pedal boats, pony rides, homemade chocolate stalls. The shikara boat ride surely has its plus points.


Kurinji Andavar Temple - A Lod Murugan temple built by a foreign lady who got converted to Hinduism and married an Indian and came to be called Lady Ramanathan. Quite an interesting tale over there. One can also see the Palani hills at a distance from this hill temple.

Kodai Observatory - Nothing much to explore here except for the beautiful walk inside this Indian Institute of Astrophysics center to a small house that has been converted into a muesuem of sorts. And no, you dont get to see the actual observatory unless you get special permission.

Coakers Walk - A lovely pedestrian path with breathtaking views of the surrounding hills.

Pillar Rock - Three vertical rocks of the height of 120 m stand parallel to one another. It is a very picturesque and romantic spot.

Other spots worth mentioning are - Silver Cascade Falls (which one cannot miss on the main road uphill towards kodai town), Devils Kitchen, Lake view Point etc.

ATM's did u say?
I found a SBI and a Union bank ATM's very near to the club raod. At a walkable distance, just across the petrol station.

Have a nice trip and do let me know your experience too.

Beggar pays Rs 36,000 LIC premium – The Next Lucrative Career Option?

A lot has been written, said and criticized about beggars and begging, movies have been made which exposed the high level hierarchy & the racket behind this dirty business. Yet it is one of the banes that India is trying hard to battle with little success. Why would it ever succeed if begging can provide them an income that is otherwise unthinkable?

Sarvatia, who boasts of two insurance policies with annual premiums for 36000, a sizable bank balance is a professional beggar. And there are many such successful professionals (sic) spawned thanks to this ever growing industry.

A beggar in Bangalore should be making more than a junior executive. Let me tell you how. Bangalore is well known for its heavy slow moving traffic and long traffic signals. Those traveling through Koramangla, Silk Board Junction, and Airport road will really know what I am talking about and these beggars lose no time to stalk the hapless souls stuck in their bikes and cars. And most of the times these beggars are successful in getting few coins simply by making the commuters feel guilty of leading a good hardworking life while they supposedly languish in the streets.

Now going by the rule of thumb and the clever planning of begging zones, they make close to Rs. 50 or more an hour and assuming they work 10 hours its Rs. 500 a day and by that calculation its 15000 per month. Not a bad figure at all considering they don’t need to pay any taxes. And yes that’s more than what entry-level executives in many companies make.

Any brilliant ideas on how to tackle this burgeoning problem?

[Image Courtesy: Hobotraveler.com]

Bitten to Death. Yet Again

Even as this topic was being discussed another victim succumbs to the menace called stray dogs. And this time the victim is all of four years, a toddler who went out to play with his friends but was killed by wild street dogs. Manju was playing hide-and-seek with his friends when the dogs attacked him and caught him in their jaws and dragged him across the open ground. He was spotted by his neighbours and rushed to Manipal Hospital late last night. Doctors battled for his life close to nine hours but could not save the kid.

Deep felt sympathies with the family of Manju

Read the entire article here in the Times of India.


[Manju, Pic Courtesy: Deccan Herald]


[His grieving parents, Pic Courtesy: Deccan Herald]

Straying Thoughts: Street Dog Menace in Bangalore

Pleasant weather last evening, which Bangalore is famous for, compelled even a slothful person like me to take a stroll. Within few minutes of my leisure walk quickened to a brisk pace and soon I had to hasten myself home. Reason? Stray dogs.

A popular forward mail claims that one of the things Bangalore is famous for is "stray dogs" and goes on to spout statistics: On an average 12 people are bitten by stray dogs per MINUTE somewhere in Bangalore. Though not sure about the number quoted, street dog menace is definitely a cause of worry to public safety.

People who commute in the night, especially those who ride two-wheelers, can vouch this for a fact. Getting terrified of chasing dog’s cause accidents that is even fatal at times. Parents are worried of letting their children play outside after dark.

Recent incidents like the one in Chandra Layout where a little girl was mauled to death by a pack of nine dogs brought this menace to the forefront. After the hue and cry raised by the public & when matters went up to the Assembly, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) got quickly into action. As was discovered this issue was not just limited to Bangalore alone, other districts in Karnataka soon did a reality check and found Hubli, Dharwad, Mysore and Belguam faced similar problems.

But as is the matter with most issues in this country, when public outcry fades so do the authorities. While CUPA and PETA are doing commendable work they are still a long way from making Bangalore free from street dogs.

Despite such grave issues there are many a dog lover who's heart would bleed if euthanasia were even suggested. One such person filed a PIL a few years back and the court ordered the killing of street dogs to be stopped. And since then on stray dogs are being 'sterilized'. But is this a viable solution? Is BMP realizing the mammoth task in hand to actually neuter the entire doggie population in Bangalore?

Meanwhile angry animal activists raise the shackles asking how arrogant can we humans can ever get, to try & change Nature’s balance? They state that the main causes for this is the dumping of meat waste that attracts stray dogs to the area, & secondly BMP is unable to check unauthorized meat shops.

While the debate surges, a solution to this issue is far from sight.