Notes by a wanderer

I have been wandering in the city of Bangalore for the last 2 days and have been loving every moment of it. Though I would love to, it would not be possible to roam each and every nook and corner of the city in such a short duration, managing to squeeze in time for relatives and books. We went to a few noteworthy places in Bangalore and I learnt more about the city.

What are the places I saw?

1) The Bull Temple

The Bull Temple is a small temple dedicated to the Bull i.e. the Nandi in the Basavangudi area. The Nandi idol is HUGE, just HUGE! There is a small Shiva Linga behind the Nandi idol. The Bull Temple is a famous tourist spot in Bangalore. Legend has it that the surrounding area used to be under groundnut cultivation in the past. Suddenly, a huge bull appeared and starting eating away the groundnut crop, scaring the farmers. The farmers prayed to God that they would construct a Nandi temple if the bull stopped destroying the crop. They promised that every year, the first harvest of groundnuts would be offered to the Nandi. Somehow, the bull stopped entering the fields and the temple was constructed. Every year, in October-November, a festival called ‘Kadalekay Parishe’ or ‘groundnut fair’ is held at the temple, wherein farmers from neighbouring villages would bring in the harvested groundnut, offer it to the deity and then sell it.

It is also said that the idol started growing in size and threatened to outgrow the temple. The priests drew a trident (Trishul) into the head of the Nandi to stop it from growing further. This reminded me of what my mother used to tell me when I was a teenager, which went on to become a family joke. When I kept growing in length and became the tallest girl in my class, my mother used to say, “I guess I would have to drive a nail into your head to stop you from growing, as was done to the Nandi.” 🙂

2) Bugle Rock

There is a beautiful garden located behind the Bull Temple. This garden has a tower made of rocks, which is called Bugle Rock. It is believed that the king used to stand on the tower and watch his citizens and soldiers. A band used to play below the tower in those times, due to which this place is called ‘Bugle Rock’.

3) Jayanagar market

The market in the Jayanagar area is simply superb! You get everything here from books and bags to clothes to food. We spent an evening in this area, sutthing the ooru and absorbing the sights and sounds of the real Bangalore. When there are books around, how can I resist? I picked up a Harry Potter and ‘Notes to Myself’ by Hugh Prather among other items of shopping. 🙂 

4) Ebrahim road

Ebrahim road and the surrounding area reminded me very much of Ahmedabad. Again, it is an area where you get everything. There were a lot of winding lanes and small shops, very much like the description in fairy tales. 🙂 We explored a lot of shops, clothes, handicrafts and jewelry being the major points of attraction. I bought the essence of Bangalore – a bottle of sandalwood perfume – from here.

That’s it for now. The time is drawing near for me to leave the garden city, in which icy winter is gradually setting in. I would say I had a great time, the only regret being that I could not spend more time exploring and wandering! 🙂

Overall, this has been a great trip, one to remember. As the people here say, “Ensoi maadi!” 🙂