A city which is cold even in the middle of summer, where jackets are needed even whilst travelling on foot in the mid of day, that is where my family lives. Bengaluru, better known as Bangalore is possibly one of the best cities in India.
Despite the visible poverty, there has been such a rapid growth in the city which has changed the landscape so quickly. So many shopping centres, buildings and skyscrapers now dominate the skyline of the city which was once filled with the greenery of trees. Although there are still parts of Bangalore ( I like the old name of the city better) which remain green, the dominating feature of the city are the various buildings scattered all over the city. Being a person who is more of a tourist than a resident in the city, I got to take in a lot of the sights in a different perspective than my aunt who's lived in Bangalore for the past 15 years. What strikes me the most about Bangalore is no longer its greenery or its parks, it is the sudden burgeoning of the malls. The shopaholic in me must have a look at these fascinating buildings which have replaced the street side shopping experience to a great extent.
The malls which have popped up all over the city incorporate the modernity the metropolitan is said to exude with a tradition Indian touch. This blend is unique to India, but is also specially designed for the fashion conscious youngsters. The malls, like every other spread all around the world endorses international brands such as Dolce and Gabanna and Levis whilst still sporting Indian brands such as Soch and Westside.
People flock in the hundreds to try on the various clothes and accessories that each shop offers. Shoppers spend no more than 5 minutes looking at a certain piece, if something attracts them, they grab it at amazing speeds. Almost everything seems affordable to the tourist in me, but as an Indian, my aunt knows what's price worthy. As we walk along the mall, I notice how similar it's infrastructure is to one of the malls back home and how very thoughtfully each shop has been placed. Free wifi throughout the mall also prompts the IT savvy crowd to hold a smartphone in one hand and a shopping bag(s) in the other. I'm actually shocked at how they're avoiding walking into each other. The malls are huge, but nothing beats the experience of actually shopping on the streets of Bangalore.
So the next day, we set out to the well known Commerical Street, best known for the shops which decorate both sides of the road. Street side shopping is an experience which is on the polar opposite of the malls, no longer are there Airconditioned shops playing smooth music, this Street is a world of its own. Shopping in the open for accessories which would easily have costed thrice the price in a mall is an experience that very few can truly appreciate. To my aunt it is very common place to haggle for a price. Bargaining, as it is called, is not really my strong suit. My aunt negotiated prices to an extent I would have never even thought of. Further down the street are the more sophisticated looking buildings which house the local designers such as Desire and many other handicraft shops. The designers are quite unique in their own style and their art is much appreciated (in terms of the money I spent). My aunt and I stopped for a break at a popular "chaat" store which has been around for the past 100 years and tasting the delicious paani puris they sold, got me hooked. We must have had three plates of different chaats and I was still left wanting for more (although my stomach was almost full). As we walked along the road, I noticed the heat was no longer bothering me, Commercial Street had taken me into a world of its own where the shoppers don't feel the heat or the annoying flies around but are so lost in the shopping experience, that it doesn't make a difference whether you're in a branded store or just another vendor's little shop. And the best thing about shopping on the streets is that you never notice the time flying by or the money :P.
My aunt and I on Commercial Street
By the end of the second day in Bangalore, I already had my arms full of shopping bags, each from a different shop in Commercial Street. The smile on my face was proof that nothing can beat the street shopping experience and the best thing was, it was just the beginning.
No comments:
Post a Comment