Open Street @ MG Road, Bangalore

chitrannaa.blogspot.in

chitrannaa.blogspot.in

 The romantic boulevard on MG Road has always fascinated me from the moment I cast my eye on it for the first time way back in the eighties when I first landed in Bangalore post my marriage.The elevated pathway, beautiful flowers full of vibrant colors surrounding it casting a pleasant shadow – it all mesmerised me. The beauty lie in the fact that MG road was a busiest road, always hustling and bustling with business activities, where crossing the road would take considerable amount of time, yet you can sit by its side over the elevated pathway, watching all the drama unfold before your eyes,detached and secluded. To a philosophical eye, it would symbolize life's message of detachment with attachment!

And I had a fancy. To walk there aimlessly and spend time leisurely.There are many such beautiful tiny wishes that I behold close to my heart. There may be big ambitions, goals and targets which give you that sense of fulfillment when you achieve them. But there lie, like a pearl in a shell, many little big passions and cravings in your heart, crying to be fulfilled. And spending idle time on M G Road topped my list.

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Whenever I zoomed past MG road I would look longingly at the most inviting image fly by. To a working woman and a mother of two, the priorities always clashed. And the winner would always be responsibility and family. It's a very very big luxury to be a able to aimlessly walk without a worry of time.
When the MG road and its boulevard came under hammers for metro, I shed a tear in regret. Of course there were plans to rebuild it to its original glory but I still missed them. Adding salt to the wound was the changed scenario at home. While earlier my son would say " ಅಣ್ಣ ಕಾಲೇಜ್ ಗೆ   ಹೋಗೋದು ಬೇಡ, ನೀನು ಆಫೀಸ್ಗೆ ಹೋಗೋದು ಬೇಡ, ನಾನು ಸ್ಕೂಲ್ ಗೆ ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ. ಎಲ್ಲಾರೂ ಮನೇಲಿರೋಣ." But now both my son and daughter would control their secret squeal of delight whenever we would tell them that we are going out for entire day and they have to manage on their own! And the boulevard on MG road had vanished!

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Post Metro, I did have a chance to visit the MG road, take a Metro ride and a detour on the boulevard and make some small artefacts' purchases. But my children accompanied us on that day and while my son wanted to rush back home for FIFA world cup, my daughter insisted that more than walking on boulevard she preferred to shop at Brigade road.
And the Open Streets on MG road was what we have been asking for. A road filled with fun and frolic, vibrant with multiple hues and colors and a free walk not only on boulevard, but on the centre of MG road itself!
MG Road, here we come!!!

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