The most invaluable item I have purchased in Bangalore so far is a 100 page detailed city map. I had come across it while shopping in a small bookstore at a department store called Bangalore Center on MG Road. If you know me, I love studying city maps. It is an important way for me to understand the way cities were built and why they funtion the way they do today. And its also the fastest way for me to integrate and orient myself with the city. Most Bangaloreans have never even seen this city map. I am very excited to have one in my possession and I plan to study it well. They should give this book to people that have newly relocated to Bangalore because this is not a very easy city to remember street names. In fact, there really aren't street names on the streets - its just not intuitive to find. In order to find out what street you are on, you need to look at the business signs because some of them have the whole address printed on the sign. It really makes locating businesses/homes a little difficult. I read that Bangalore was built piece by piece. Each locality back then was built by a different ruler. So that's why the city layout is so complex.
Looking at a Bangalore map reminds me of looking at a the cracks on a dry bed desert floor. There's no structure to follow the streets just kind of run into each other at various angles and some of the continuous streets' name changes at every other intersection. A typical Bangalore locality will be either a "indian name" Nagar or something else, then it will be in "indian name" Layout or a 1st, 2nd or 3rd Stage. There's even a 1st - ? Cross or a *.* Main Rd. Kinda confusing huh? I used to freak out with the complexity of the addresses but this new map will quell my fears. Other nice things about the map is I get to see where all the parks are. Bangalore has a lot of parks and it even includes landmark names, which is super important because landmarks are used in finding places.
So by the time you visit me in Bangalore, I will be able to give you a personal tour. :)
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I spent the last 10 months in Bangalore, India working for an multinational company. I just returned to Portland, OR, USA on a transfer. I miss India but I am excited to be home. Life's adventures does not stop here though. I plan to have many more geo experiences like India. Let's see where I will go next.....
3 comments:
It is too bad that the Indian government can't just start over and create a nice Grid for the city. Western Planners are so efficient yet so borning. Maybe there is an inherent beauty in chaos. I am glad you are exploring and becomming assimilated. Remember that Globalization is not just a way for other cultures to capture revenue from the Westerners, but also a way to spread US beliefs and morals around the world.
+Brandon
You're talking about the Eicher City Map? Well I wouldn't say it's exactly unknown but yes, its very detailed and incredibly useful. There are editions for every major city I believe
It would be useful if you publish the name of this mapbook and the publisher. I am a Indian (Bangalore) transplant into Dallas, TX planning to return soon.
About all the crosses and mains, it is really not that confusing. It is just a matter of finding enough names for addresses in a city of population 6 Million. A Main road is supposed to be a north-south street and a Cross road is east-west. The "stages" and "phases" are ways of integrating newer development into existing localities. And a lot of development has been by developers buying up agricultural land and converting it haphazardly into urban localities.
You are misinformed about Bangalore being developed by various rulers. Most of the growth has happened in the last twenty years of so. Only the central parts like City Market (KR Market ) and Basavanagudi are really old enough to be built by any ruler.
Enjoy your journey.
-Vishwas
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