Bengaluru is known by a variety of titles and epithets ranging from ‘Pub City’ to ‘Garden City’ to ‘Silicon Valley of India’ to ‘Space City’ to ‘Electronic City of India’ to ‘Rock Capital of India’ to its more fond title of ‘Namma Bengaluru’. There is so much to it that amalgamates it into a city worth living for. It was ranked 3rd among the World’s top 10 cities to visit by Lonely Planet in May 2012.
As a Bangalorean, I cannot stop bragging about the city. Often, people have asked me what it is that I like the most about this city and what, in my opinion, makes it so special and close to my heart. I once sat down to brood over it and I had an answer in no time. What I like the most about this city is its weather and its diversity and its people make it a special city. Well, here’s how.
To begin with, Bangalore has splendidly breathtaking weather. Nowhere else in the world will you find a city where you can experience all the three primary seasons of the year in a single day, that too in succession. There are those days when the mornings are bitter cold, the afternoons scorching hot and the day commences with a shower that bathes every corner of it and refreshes it. It is rightly said that Bengaluru is a city where there is no seasonal wardrobe as such.
To harp on some facts and delve into some geographical aspects, Bengaluru is elevated at a height of 3020 ft or 920 m from sea level. As per geography texts, it experiences a tropical savanna climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. It experiences moderate climate round the year with occasional heat waves during summers and chills during winters. December is the peak of winter and April of summer. The rainfall can be attributed to the southwest and northeast monsoons with August, September and October being the wet months.
That was enlisting some facts. From personal experience, the summers do get hot at times but there is almost always a calming breeze and wind that has some negating effect. Even though it gets sunny, it remains windy and the summers are not particularly dry. On the days that the heat gets too bad, showers draw a close to the heat. Winters get cold but not to an extreme. The maximum number of overcoats you can take is one, even that during the mornings and nights only.
The best season in Bengaluru is the monsoon. Just when the heat starts to overtake and overwhelm the city and become a drain on it, the heavens open up to pour down with a rejuvenating dose of showers. The rains do not often go on for hours on end but are enough to release the heat from the scorching earth. Nothing can wash away the weariness of the long day like the rains in the city. When accompanied by lightning and thunder, you really feel transported to another world of fantasy. No wonder the city has produced many great romantics and writers!
Rainfall in Bengaluru as seen from the Nilgiris
Now, moving on to my next topic- the culture and people of Bengaluru (‘cause if I go on raving about the weather, I doubt I can stop at all). With the development of the city due to its IT boom and its good quality educational facilities and suitable weather, a considerable part of the population of the city belongs to various parts of the country and various countries too. Nonetheless, all of them do agree unanimously to one thing- Bangalore has changed them and left an indelible mark on their lives.
A city bustling with a diverse population
Like every other city, there are all kinds of people you would find here too. But what makes the mix of this city unique is the metropolitanism that strings every heart in the city. The traditional or typical Kannadigas hold on to their culture but are very open-minded to change and development. There are people of all religions, origins, cultures, committees and languages but united by faith and belief. No matter how modern the people might get, their essence lies in their faith, belief and conviction.
Bengaluru is a city that has embraced all kinds of cultures with open hands and integrated them into itself. You will find religious places of worship of almost every faith that you can enlist existing in this city. While language can be a barrier at times, English, Hindi and Kannada come to the rescue.
One of the factors that I really like about this city is that I have never felt unsafe here, no matter where I am or what hour of the day it is. This one can owe to the friendly nature of its population who make you feel at home, and safe at all times, giving you a sense of belonging like nowhere else.
Unity in Diversity
The people possess an undying zest for trying out new options, exploring new frontiers and picking out the best of them. One thing that you cannot but help notice is that everyone here believes in making the most of opportunities and living life to its fullest. There are innumerable opportunities to unleash and unearth new options before you.
Another aspect of the population brought out by a friend, that really interested me was that the people can be very professional when it comes to business and very intimate and friendly else. When business is your topic of discussion, it is the prime focus of your conversation with all other matters put on hold. On the other hand, you will be greeted by many smiles if you happen to walk down a street more than once.
Among the people, there are always those who will come out and speak to you directly and openly and also those who are shy and tamed (a word used by someone that really intrigued me in its aptness). There are a lot of critics who will help you touch higher levels of excellence and also friends who you can vouch for with your life. No matter what kind of a person you are, you will sure feel belonged here in some part of its diverse population.
Signing off,
A proud citizen of ‘Namma Bengaluru’