Bangalore has always been a city closer to my heart. After multiple visits and spending a month with my friend, I surely wanted to move to Bangalore in 2021 and start fresh in a new city. As I haven't stayed outside home except for a year in Ooty, this seemed to be a great time and place to think it all over but fate had its own plan and it eventually didn't happen. I moved to Hyderabad but lucky as it is only an hour flight away from Bangalore (I do consider the time after reaching B'lore, haha) and an overnight journey in bus.
Cut to 2024, an opportunity came along for a shoot and I had to stay closer to the office that was located in the heart of Indira Nagar. Until now, I only knew Sarjapur as my friend lived there but this was the first time I was going to stay all by myself as I had to stay close to the shoot location. Btw, I am a commercial photographer alongside documentary photography which is pure love.
I wasn't acquainted to the locality until I started walking to and fro to the office during the early morning and peak evening hours. I was surprised with the simplicity of early mornings where the small shops were serving piping hot tea, coffee and delicious breakfast while the big posh cafes and stores were being guarded until the shutters went up around 10 AM. I closely observed the movement of people and lights seeping through the trees, it all so comfortable that it hardly took me anytime to fall in love with these walks.
Places to Stay :
While I stayed at Fab Hotel - Park Inn, there were many other options based on both budgets and preferences. My top picks would be:
1. Fab Hotel - Park Inn (I liked it as it was budget friendly and I was not really looking for a stay in a hostel, costed me INR 6000 for 4 nights)
2. Bloom Rooms (The location is great as it is on the 100 ft road)
3. Sanctum Suites (really nice, I loved it! but this was a little over my budget. I would always recommend to call and book with them)
All the above stay options are in prime locations and all the cafes and stores are at a hands distance as well as the metro is in 1.5 km perimeter.
During my stay and the limited time I had to observe the surroundings, I saw some really interesting architectures, brands, cafes, houses, grills and beautiful Jacaranda trees blooming, brightening up the by-lanes of Indira Nagar. Although I am very used to take solo trips but this felt different. Usually when I am on a recreational trip, there isn't a routine to follow while I had one this time. I loved spending time before and after work with myself!
I observed during the evening hours that unlike main areas in any these days, Street lights had tungsten bulbs retaining the old nostalgia when streets lights were always yellow. I was intrigued to see the minimal and slightly unusual name boards in the area. Be it a clinic or a laundry service, the design was catchy and flashy! I was told by a local that these are a few old stores that sustain amidst the change.
Places to eat are many indeed out of which I tried a few. If you are new, Chianti is a must try for amazing Italian food which could be accompanied by hopping for desserts at Concu. For drinks, there are many breweries and pubs around, name any and
Usually we prefer heading to the hills or beaches as we get time to vacay, but sometimes it is the beauty of these old yet moving places that are not restful but invokes a lot of thoughts for a creative mind.
Looking forward for more such trips..