heart became garden garden! :D

When I moved from Bombay to Bangalore, I was often asked the typical question "How do you like Bangalore? Are you missing Bombay?". I always replied saying I like this city and am not mulling over what I left behind. It could also have to do with the fact that life seems nicer when you are newly married wherever you go. (That we had our worst fights in the first 6months is actually a fond memory laughed on today!)

What made me fall in love with this city was the shades of green you could see everywhere you turned and the cool weather which is like heaven for someone coming from Bombay. Couple that with the lazy pace of life, it's a stark contrast to the city that never sleeps.

Even now we have close to 5 parks within a 4km radius which have well maintained lawns, a tiled walkers' track and a kids play area with swings and slides. Every time I go to one of them, I say a prayer that may these last the onslaught of concrete and glass.

Apart from these small parks in older areas of the city, two HUGE parks that are lungs of this place, are Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. You can easily find the history and how many acres they are spread over etc on the internet (Jai Google Baba ki!).

I remember going to Lalbagh, during my first trip to Bangalore as a tourist, many years ago! Then, I was just fascinated with the big floral clock with Snow White and Seven Dwarfs adorning it. Then next was when we went for a picnic with entire khandaan post shaadi and we had so much fun. We kept wanting to go there for the Flower Show that happens every year for about a week, concluding on Independence Day.

the first look

This year we decided we HAVE to make it to the show come what may. First attempt was made one evening when there wasn't any better plan. We were shooed away by the cop saying no entry after 530pm because it was alreadytoo crowded. So then we decided to go on 15th Aug itself. When we reached we were in for a pleasant surprise when there were cops helping the vehicles find the right parking etc. We were also shocked by Rs.200 entrance charge! ;)

and you thought Petunia was just Harry's aunt's name

Anyhow. We started moving towards the glass house where the show happens. There was a looong queue to get in and soon enough we were a part of it. It was really fascinating to see the burst of colours in form of flowers big and small. From special decorations to some just put together flowers, everyone was trying hard to capture the beauty with their cameras, mostly on phone, while cops tried to make people move asap. It was lot like going to these famous temples where you stand for hours and then get pushed out within 2 secs. We also like complete bozos, forgot to take our camera.

fool khile hai gulshan gulshan! :p

ek phool do mali! ;)

Apart from flowers, people formed another colourful collage of sights and sounds that cannot be captured on a phone camera. The atmosphere was totally like a mela.

the wine baron.... err barrel?! :p

There were stalls selling some handicrafts and mostly gardening related stuff. The Amul ice cream carts were there every 500mtrs and people were indulging having Icecreams and Ice Lollies that aren't so common anymore. We bought a lemon grass plant for M's mausi and a Tulsi plant for ourselves which was pending forever! There were people selling baloons and bubble maker sellers were blowing bubbles incessantly giving the whole place a very dreamy and fairytale like appearance.

harit vahini - Go Green! Chk out the dog resting inside!

Cubby had a ball trying to walk all over the place holding our hands. All in all it was coupla hours well spent and I am sure to go back soon. Esp now that Cubby will soon walk comfily on his own and he will LOVE the wide open spaces to run on even more! :)

And you remember I said they shooed us away from Lalbagh in the evening. We decided to make a trip to Cubbon Park. This park has lots of separate gardens and a road going through it. We had taken the road often but never stopped by at the park.

So we parked the car opposite a garden and walked in on to the lush green lawns. We had a short walk with Cubby saying our hellos to all the little kids out there (there were MANY). It was fun to see kids of every age and size doing so many different things. One had just learnt to walk, so insisted to perfecting the skill while other who couldn't was content just lolling on the grass! :)

It was one of the windiest days in Bangalore (as per the newspaper next day) and the guy selling this contraption that starts spinning in wind (I have no idea what its called. Picture below. Pls help) did a brisk business. When M said lets buy it, I told him Cubby was too young to enjoy it. M coolly replied "It's for you!" So yours truly was quite busy seeing it spin in a dizzy with every round of breeze!

THE Contraption (name pls!)

Cubby was busy soaking it all in and was quite fascinated with green grass and crows that were flying around. It was just so much fun seeing him enjoy it all.

While Bangalore has very little to offer in terms of things you can do without spending money at a mall or multiplex, these parks can offer a pleasant change. It's so refreshing and invigorating to just enjoy the cleaner air and feel at peace even with so many people around you.

Here's some of Cubby's latest pics taken by our very cool chacha who has a golden hand at shooting of another kind! Yeah! We can now call him our Abhinav Bindra! :p