Garden City

We had a major catastrophe in the family over the weekend! Ya, the plumbing did collapse and the garden was totally dug up and the domestic complement was MIA, but those don't qualify as catastrophes, do they? The problem that visited us must have impacted other families too in this fair city.

KGA was flooded and CLOSED through the loong Id weekend. While the more enterprising and savvy city golfers would undoubtedly have made alternate arrangements by blocking all available tee-times in Eagleton, BGC & AGC if not the out of city courses in Coorg, Chikmagalur, TN or wherever, my husband (CP to those of you who know him & dh to those who don't) and his entire 8 ball were left high and dry or should we say, marooned. With no ideas from his buddies, he was left mooning around, an extremely grumpy and grouchy golfer! When things got absolutely unbearable, which they do rather quickly around this house, I thought I should step in with a day's plan. Confabbing with the vqarious partied involved such as pretty preteen and perky lil one (^o^), we decided on a picnic!

We left the house with tonnes of puri, aloo & the usual stuff and embarked on our imprompto picnic. Having been spoiled silly by the abundance of picnic spots in saadi dilli, we started lamenting the dearth of places such as India Gate lawns, Buddha Jayanti park, Lodi garden, Rose Garden, Hauz Khas & all, and came up with what we considered as viable options. Kid said he wanted to go to Cubbon Park, like a lil kannadiga that he is. CP wanted something slightly way out and suggested the Big Banyan Tree on Mysore Road. Me, after some frantic calls settled on Hessarghatta lake beyond Peenya. Preteen in her typical laconic but bang-on way way said, "Whatever, but the monkeys at the BBT are SOME thing!"

Meanwhile, stuck in atypical Bangalore traffic mess still at Trinity circle, we could hear not only times winged chariot (which fortunately or unfortunately is heard by ALL, not only lovers of coy mistresses) but also the growls from our guts. We magnanimously decided to be led by the kid and settled for Cubbon Park.

Now then this park, it has a lot of history. In fact it is surrounded by all the old world monuments on which the city prides (or is it prided) itself. A trip to the park was the old Bangalorean's ideal way to unwind (not that there was much need for unwinding, back then!)
In fact I was initiated into the Cubbon Park walking ritual soon upon my arrival at Bangalore by a dear friend who met me (she from her office & me from mine) at the park every noon for a post prandial session of gentle walking and intense b****ing! But soon our sessions metamorphed into an intense cataloging drive of the many eateries Bangalore boasts of! Alas! now that bird has flown and she may be sighted only at her roost in GPO, Mumbai!

Anyway, after over 2 years in the city, we found ourselves there for a family picnic. We reached much hassled and very much hungrier but were really soothed by the bamboo thicket. We found ourselves the best possible spot with a rectagular concrete table and concrete benches all around. (sorry didn't pack a camera) It was only after we had eaten could we be bothered to look around us. There were the usual lumpen lads, vendors of snacks and ofcourse- KAPPI (did I tell you I love this city?), but there were also seniors who were partying with as much fun as they could muster(impressive), coy maidens, yes coy, being wooed by surprisingly sincere looking young men, girls wearing typical southie half sarees, climbing trees, giggling and just being girls in a most unselfconscious fashion.

At that moment, I realised! However much I miss the city of my origin, I know I couldnt have seen such simple unaffected beauty in Delhi. For tht moment I forgot about the traffic mess of Bangalore, the oooh so easy pace of life, the absolute NEED I had to get back to my roots in Delhi and I was glad my children were growing up in the Garden city!