Bangalore Walks

Since its conception in 2005 by Arun Pai, I always wanted to go on these walks - more out of curiosity than any real inclination to know about the city. What can one know about Bangalore since it has a very young history. Bangalore city was planned and created by Kempegowda, a local chieftain in 16th century. It housed a British cantonment colony in the 19th century and its famous Gardens - Lalbagh was conceptualised during the reign of Tipu Sultan, a muslim warrior with a love for roses. Apart from this, I couldn't think of anything worth a mention.So, it came as a pleasant surprise that we could discover a lot about the city’s history in a short walk on MG Road. Some quiz questions to churn your grey cells and induce you to discover in the walks.

• Did you know that there is a Victoran house with a tennis court on this busy commercial MG Road? With soaring real estate prices, it’s really commendable of the owner to maintain his private space on the most commercial of all streets in Bangalore.
• The building facing ‘The Estate’ on Dickenson Road has a unique history - connected to electricity. (I have worked in 'The Estate', but never knew this building's significance)
• Have you given a thought to the statue facing away from Mayo Hall? What is his significance?

To find the answers to these and discover other interesting facts in the city's tale, take the Victorian Walk with the Bangalore Walks guide. The walk starts from Trinity church and ends at St Marks Circle and is a short distance of 2 km. The pace is relaxed and it ends with a sumptuous South Indian breakfast at a venue with fantastic view. The venue name is not revealed till the end.

My personal recommendation to anyone interested in the city's history and culture, do take the walk. Sure, its at 7 am on a weekend, when most of us relish that extra slumber – but its worth the effort. With few vehicles at that time, it’s a pleasure to drive to the venue and you come away knowing a lot more about the city at the end of the tour.