Not as liberal as Mumbai but I wouldn't term them conservative. Some people are not welcoming as with all cities
But the fact that some areas of Bangalore are dominated by outsiders shows that the city is largely welcoming
Most individual experiences of outsiders with the people of Bangalore are with auto/cab drivers who are a nuisance. They don't represent the larger population which is largely fine
People are very aggressive and racist towards "outsiders" esp against North and North East Indians. Hate crimes and road rage are at peek against outsiders. Of course not all people are like this.
Now in Bangalore people are being attack by KA state people there are gang running who out of nowhere start attacking outsiders or the people who are new to city. This Bangalore is not the same anymore. For reference please search on Yt about rowdy people attacking cars for no reaosn
People are nice, quiet and generally follow the rules. Unlike Delhi, where 50 uncles and aunties will elbow you per day to get what they want or yell at you if they don't. Plus it has a more laid back, non-grind culture than Mumbai
Us bhai... only the weather is good. There is no public transport other than the metro, bad food, and people trying to kill you for being unable to speak Kannada.
It's not Bangalore's fault that immigrants don't even bother using BMTC. Buses have great connectivity
Airport buses are finally becoming popular even among immigrants. I have been using buses since I was 13 years old and they're safe, cheap, and have great connectivity
With introduction of Namma BMTC app, tracking buses and planning your travel has also become very easy
You don't understand barriers to entry for using BMTC, especially language. Ordinary people standing on bus stops aren't generally familiar with bus routes except theirs. Bus conductors are obviously familiar with routes, but they speak Kannada or condescend to you in English.
And before you go "oh why don't you just learn kannada", the language doesn't have an Alliance Francaise or Goethe Institute equivalent. There aren't any formal ways to learn it even if you have the time. Your native colleagues are busy teaching you ROFR and drag along tag along, limited bandwidth to teach you the language.
My 65 year old mother who only knows Hindi and can barely use a smartphone has bought a book that teaches you Kannada using Hindi. Two degrees and you still can't find resources to learn Kannada is surprising.
It shows it in both languages - English and Kannada. All BMTC buses have a virtual display that keeps changing the language every few seconds.
Only KSRTC buses use Kannada because they barely operate in Bangalore and are mainly used by people from other parts of Karnataka. Nothing in Hindi, yes. That's a sore point for some people here.
Sir, last mile connectivity and routes are not direct. Either you pay high rent and stay in connected part or you agree to travel 5 km extra taking multiple bus and traffic is horrendous.
I agree with the reply, i don’t use busses for the exact same reason. At least in the metro you don’t have to interact with anyone and can sort stuff out on your own. Not even the conductor’s fault that we can’t communicate, but j don’t want to face more shit cus of this barrier.
I recommended buses. Been in Bangalore for the last 30 years and I know 3 phrases in Kannada - kannada gothila, oota aaita, heggidira (not proud, I just struggle with languages)
Conductors are so busy that they don't give a hoot about what language you know or don't know. It's clear that you have never used buses and interacted only with auto and cab drivers who are condescending about language
The only thing conductors care about is not calling them bhaiya. Call them sir or Anna and they're sweet. It's just like Punjabis who hate being called bhaiya because they associate that with Bihar/UP.
FYI - some conductors are rude irrespective of language because their job is just frustrating. A video popped of a conductor abusing an elderly man speaking Kannada so don't blame it on language
Immigrants... Is a word used for people coming to a different country from other countries.. so is Karnataka a different country or is it within India?
I am not going to address the substantive point about the BMTC. I will confine myself to addressing just one word of this, "immigrants". Heavens above! As a former resident of this city, I will say this: the attitude that the use of such language demonstrates is unworthy of you. To those who have felt excluded in Bangalore, I absolutely get it. So did I. I am happy to report, however, that I am now living in a place where I, at least, haven't experienced this kind of snobbishness (though it has its own unique problems). I hope I never have to return to Bangalore.
PS: If anyone wants to know how/why I felt excluded, I'll say only this: try to imagine navigating the city, either on foot or by public transport, either on your own or in company, if (1) you were to be completely blind; and (2) you have Cynophobia (have dog/cat phobia) (hint, Bangalore has a street dog problem, whatever its other virtues, also think about street/public transport accessibility).
My boy lives in the parallel world. BMTC is the best public transport provider in the country, most number of AC busses, 500-600 bus routes, most number of city busses, most number of feeder busses, kASRTC has highest awards for best state wide public transportation, the KASRTC busses range from scania, Volvo to merc-Benz all government funded. Just because you’ve never really tried out the public transportation system gives you no right to arbitrarily deny the fact.
Absolutely. Mumbai is the most unwelcoming metropolitan city in India. People are on an edge at all times, and will not hesitate to take out their personal frustrations on unrelated persons, especially in the local trains. Plus, in Mumbai, the local people (not only Maharashtrians) seem to take some pleasure in being rude, cocky and mocking those who come from other parts of India.
Mumbai is best it not for the softie you have to be medicore smart. Also people are very helping i was in Dadar station very puzzled suddenly one uncle out of nowhere asked that where do you want to go do you want help?. Plus there is no marathi sort of thing. Atleast mumbai better in term of traffic than bangalore. Also in terms of people, there people dont start hitting due to reason not knowing the language.
Lol typical Mumbaikar response. There is definitely an anti non Marathi vibe in Mumbai. You may not have come across it, but many others have. And a typical Mumbaikar syndrome, blame the victim for their suffering. Your statement - "not for the softie, you have to be mediocre smart" says it all. You right away assume that the other person is dumb and not very capable. Traffic, drive from Matunga to Nariman Point in peak hours, or from Santacruz to Lower Parel in peak hours, very bad traffic. In the local trains, definitely, people hit you and try to dominate the minute they know you cannot speak Marathi, plus, they are very abusive and use all the bad words that Mumbaikars describe when they generalise about Delhiites.
Born and brought up in Mumbai and living here for 40 years. Can't speak Marathi. Never had problems. Even with trains, I would say you just need a month and then you'll be one of them.
unwelcoming people, and food (but ig i'm tuned to north indian food and spicy stuff in general), public transportation, narrow streets, traffic, the ungodly and omnipresent mercury lights and everything just seems too mechanical and weird.
You're saying North India has spicier food than the south? Please, my North Indian friends cannot even handle 2 chillis in their food while we base entire dishes out of it.
Unwelcoming people are everywhere, South Indians are unwelcome in the north and guess you would find it unwelcoming in the south. The way people look down at you if you mispronounce a Hindi word in the north (I would know, studied in the north) is ridiculous when they don't even bother learning South Indian languages
There is a difference in making snide (or may be for them humorous) remarks versus getting beaten up for being an outsider (which happens in Bangalore).
Getting beaten up for being an outsider is pretty common in Mumbai as well. Bangalore, and for that matter, any of the metropolitan cities in India, are far more civilized than Mumbai.
Come back to me when you're called Balaji, black, Madrasi, idly dosa wala, throughout your schooling. When you're charged extra by everyone because it's evident you can't speak Hindi. When you can barely make friends because they'll make it a point to only talk in Hindi everywhere they go.
I agree that the South might not be 100% welcoming but each action there is merely a reaction to racist and exclusionary
Well, same thing happened to someone i know in the south, two wrongs don’t make a right. Also, the food down here isn’t spicy in general in comparison, its just a fact.
Just curious- which parts of Bangalore have you seen? Or are you one of those types who assumes that Whitefield, Sarjapur and HSR are all that there is of Bangalore?
Bangalore is a remarkably cosmopolitan city- we sent a Mizo to Parliament, our CM was a Rajput, many of our MPs and MLAs are Telugu, and you can manage perfectly well in the city if you only speak Tamil. Many of Bangalore's top businessmen are Punjabis and Sindhis, and there are pockets where Gujarati is the lingua franca. Rajasthan Patrika has a print edition in Bangalore, for God's sake!
Bangalore has an exceptional street food culture- what do you think Darshinis are? Only Lucknow and Kolkata have food that is this cheap and this good.
"Unwelcoming People" is a matter of perspective. I don't want to negate your experience, but I easily know 20 or 30 people personally who have said that Bangalore is an immensely welcoming city. To each their own, I suppose.
Public transportation is not... bad. Try taking buses. I do that for last mile connectivity sometimes. They are clean, not crowded, and take you from place A to B. Uber and Ola are generally functional. I agree that the infrastructure and traffic can do with lots of improvement, but it is happening.
Let's get to why we love Bangalore:
1. It's a cosmopolitan melting pot. From Bohra Muslims to Mangalorean Christians to Sikhs, all of them have come here, thrived, and made this their home. Go to Palace Orchards or Defence Colony or any other old Bangalore haunt, and you'll see the diversity of Bangalore.
2. HUGE literary scene. Bookstores, book launches, quizzes, talks. All of which are accessible to all, and very welcoming.
3. Great cultural scene. Movies in 6 languages are regularly shown. There are free or cheap concerts and shows, from Rock to Carnatic, from Raza to Kathakali. The museum scene is also good. MAP. NGMA, IME, and others. Look up Putting Scene for a list.
4. Sports. There are public spaces and avenues for you to easily play several sports, even if you don't know a soul in the city. Cricket, football, running, golf, basketball, swimming- pick a sport, and you'll be able to play it.
5. Green. I love Basavangudi. I love Cubbon Park. I love Richards Town. This is a city of trees.
6. Food. Grasshopper. KC Das. Khmer Kitchen. Thom's Cafe. Koshys Plum Cake. There are many food secrets that you can take years to discover.
7. Drink. The beer and wine stories are well known. Gin and whiskey lovers are equally well served. There are wine and whiskey clubs that you can join, and that hold regular events.
I can go on, but .. Bangalore is an emotion. You don't like it, that's fine. Some of us wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Bangalore is HELLISH if you don't speak the local language. The entire SYSTEM from gas registration, to autos, to police, to BBMP officials and god forbid if you get caught in a road rage will turn against you the moment they realize you are not a localitie.
Most cities are like this. In Delhi it is impossible to survive the above interactions without Hindi, Chennai without Tamil, Mumbai/Pune without Marathi and so on.
its an extremely unlivable city, second only to mumbai except mumbai people are nicer. I suppose the non stop grind culture that has been prevalent in Mumbai has made the public more accommodative and understanding. Good weather but traffic scenario, the effort it takes just to rent and the not so great public transport makes it annoying to live in.
Oh yes. Could not agree more on this. Reasonable rents (unless you live in the Western Part of town), a decent metro rail, fantastic local bus services, food encompassing all cuisines, lovely weather (except for the 4 summer months), and above all, friendly people, makes Hyderabad the best city to live in. Unfortunately, Hyderabad does not have a good law firm culture.
Bangalore has not only sculpted me into a proficient lawyer but also facilitated a journey of introspection, aiding me in rekindling relations with my somewhat estranged family. A skeptic might ask, "Why adore this city?" I'd retort, "Just look around and take a deep breath."
While the globe might despise the (in)famous traffic of Bangalore, the countless hours I've spent stranded in my car with my family have illuminated our lives with lost sparks of happiness, a much-needed respite from my routine life as a bail-procuring attorney for the quick-fingered pocketmaars of Church Street. This standstill in time and space amidst traffic chaos has allowed me to reacquaint with long-lost friends from a nearly forgotten childhood and diligently reply to the ‘Good morning’ messages from Fufas and Mamas in our extended family WhatsApp group. Gone are the days of ‘talk to ya later’; I’ve evolved into a person who cherishes family values and engages in hearty digital exchanges, all thanks to the times when the clock ticks but the wheels don’t roll.
The relentless and exhaustive negotiations with our cherished auto drivers not only sparked my ardor for judicial combat within the venerable confines of the Mayo Hall Court Complex but also reshaped my character. Nowadays, I greet every ignored reminder for my fees by my clients with a serene smile and open arms.
Certainly, as a sentient being, I harbor my fair share of despair, occasionally skirting the fringes of despondency, but fear not, for there is solace in Bob’s Bar. Whether you're a young professional or a seasoned local in this metropolis of enthusiastic runners, if you can secure even a sliver of space in this sought-after refuge, you'll find the place brimming with divine libations and tantalizing spicy pork fry, proffering yet another reason to relish existence.
In its sprawling expanse, Bangalore has graciously offered me the essentials: the quintessential 'Roti', the occasional 'Kapda', and a deeply mortgaged 'Makaan'. To my cherished city, my anchor and muse—may we remain inseparable, at least until the final traffic light turns green.
All of the people writing random paragraphs about the "quirks" and "diversity" of Bangalore, you do realise the same can written for every Metropolis, and even for certain Tier 2 cities? People feel the same way about Delhi, about Mumbai, about Chennai as well.
The question was why people love Bangalore. People answered. Yes, you can feel the same way about Mysore or Amritsar or Chennai or Hyderabad, but that was the correct answer to the question. This is not a d*** measuring contest about which city is the best, it's an attempt to explain the Bangalore Love.
As a student from Mumbai currently pursuing law there (at the university which claims to be the "best" in India and the "Harvard of the East"), personally, the best thing about Bengaluru is the metro (I was tortured by the Mumbai locals throughout 11th and 12th) and the hip culture. You often get experiences in Bengaluru that you would not get in Mumbai. Bengaluru, for example, has innovative cafes like Le Cirque Signature, Rim Naam, etc. The culture here is modern and fresh; you won't get this anywhere else.
What exactly is so unique about "innovative cafes" like Le Cirque Signature, Rim Naam? Mumbai / Delhi and every other major city in India has a Leela and an Oberoi with an equivalent cafe
To be fair, reading most comments here give a good perspective of pros and cons of B'luru (like any other city). The problems are not specifically novel, but the trifecta of traffic/non-native friction/prices seem to be unique as a set.
B'luru is 1-step away from 10/10 on the said markers (we are building metros, yay!), however by-far the biggest barrier (hate is a strong word) which leads to most micro-issues, is a minor but persistent friction to become more liberal / creed-agnostic (general argument: so what? this also happens in Delhi/Mumbai/<insert other city in non-south> / People from x-part of the country are also same).
Apologies if I am being utopian/naive here, but these cities (esp. Hindi belt cities) should not be a benchmark of what the "best city" should be. Also not a huge fan of using 'immigrant'/'outsider' and anything that creates a us vs. them. Open to kindly worded critical thoughts? :)
- weather (seriously)
- generally nice and helpful crowd
- people don't get aggressive, petty or catty quickly
- half-decent metro connectivity now
- great South Indian food and world cuisines (bad North Indian though, compared to North India)
- great pubs and bars
- cosmopolitan culture
But the fact that some areas of Bangalore are dominated by outsiders shows that the city is largely welcoming
Most individual experiences of outsiders with the people of Bangalore are with auto/cab drivers who are a nuisance. They don't represent the larger population which is largely fine
Airport buses are finally becoming popular even among immigrants. I have been using buses since I was 13 years old and they're safe, cheap, and have great connectivity
With introduction of Namma BMTC app, tracking buses and planning your travel has also become very easy
And before you go "oh why don't you just learn kannada", the language doesn't have an Alliance Francaise or Goethe Institute equivalent. There aren't any formal ways to learn it even if you have the time. Your native colleagues are busy teaching you ROFR and drag along tag along, limited bandwidth to teach you the language.
Countless channels on YouTube https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oexV25G3BWEigIb0aYYTBsr3D3wQiDPZ7_2c1Un_sBM/edit?usp=sharing
https://kannadagottilla.com/
My 65 year old mother who only knows Hindi and can barely use a smartphone has bought a book that teaches you Kannada using Hindi. Two degrees and you still can't find resources to learn Kannada is surprising.
Only KSRTC buses use Kannada because they barely operate in Bangalore and are mainly used by people from other parts of Karnataka.
Nothing in Hindi, yes. That's a sore point for some people here.
Conductors are so busy that they don't give a hoot about what language you know or don't know. It's clear that you have never used buses and interacted only with auto and cab drivers who are condescending about language
The only thing conductors care about is not calling them bhaiya. Call them sir or Anna and they're sweet. It's just like Punjabis who hate being called bhaiya because they associate that with Bihar/UP.
FYI - some conductors are rude irrespective of language because their job is just frustrating. A video popped of a conductor abusing an elderly man speaking Kannada so don't blame it on language
PS: If anyone wants to know how/why I felt excluded, I'll say only this: try to imagine navigating the city, either on foot or by public transport, either on your own or in company, if (1) you were to be completely blind; and (2) you have Cynophobia (have dog/cat phobia) (hint, Bangalore has a street dog problem, whatever its other virtues, also think about street/public transport accessibility).
Unwelcoming people are everywhere, South Indians are unwelcome in the north and guess you would find it unwelcoming in the south. The way people look down at you if you mispronounce a Hindi word in the north (I would know, studied in the north) is ridiculous when they don't even bother learning South Indian languages
I agree that the South might not be 100% welcoming but each action there is merely a reaction to racist and exclusionary
Bangalore is a remarkably cosmopolitan city- we sent a Mizo to Parliament, our CM was a Rajput, many of our MPs and MLAs are Telugu, and you can manage perfectly well in the city if you only speak Tamil. Many of Bangalore's top businessmen are Punjabis and Sindhis, and there are pockets where Gujarati is the lingua franca. Rajasthan Patrika has a print edition in Bangalore, for God's sake!
Bangalore has an exceptional street food culture- what do you think Darshinis are? Only Lucknow and Kolkata have food that is this cheap and this good.
"Unwelcoming People" is a matter of perspective. I don't want to negate your experience, but I easily know 20 or 30 people personally who have said that Bangalore is an immensely welcoming city. To each their own, I suppose.
Public transportation is not... bad. Try taking buses. I do that for last mile connectivity sometimes. They are clean, not crowded, and take you from place A to B. Uber and Ola are generally functional. I agree that the infrastructure and traffic can do with lots of improvement, but it is happening.
Let's get to why we love Bangalore:
1. It's a cosmopolitan melting pot. From Bohra Muslims to Mangalorean Christians to Sikhs, all of them have come here, thrived, and made this their home. Go to Palace Orchards or Defence Colony or any other old Bangalore haunt, and you'll see the diversity of Bangalore.
2. HUGE literary scene. Bookstores, book launches, quizzes, talks. All of which are accessible to all, and very welcoming.
3. Great cultural scene. Movies in 6 languages are regularly shown. There are free or cheap concerts and shows, from Rock to Carnatic, from Raza to Kathakali. The museum scene is also good. MAP. NGMA, IME, and others. Look up Putting Scene for a list.
4. Sports. There are public spaces and avenues for you to easily play several sports, even if you don't know a soul in the city. Cricket, football, running, golf, basketball, swimming- pick a sport, and you'll be able to play it.
5. Green. I love Basavangudi. I love Cubbon Park. I love Richards Town. This is a city of trees.
6. Food. Grasshopper. KC Das. Khmer Kitchen. Thom's Cafe. Koshys Plum Cake. There are many food secrets that you can take years to discover.
7. Drink. The beer and wine stories are well known. Gin and whiskey lovers are equally well served. There are wine and whiskey clubs that you can join, and that hold regular events.
I can go on, but .. Bangalore is an emotion. You don't like it, that's fine. Some of us wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
While the globe might despise the (in)famous traffic of Bangalore, the countless hours I've spent stranded in my car with my family have illuminated our lives with lost sparks of happiness, a much-needed respite from my routine life as a bail-procuring attorney for the quick-fingered pocketmaars of Church Street. This standstill in time and space amidst traffic chaos has allowed me to reacquaint with long-lost friends from a nearly forgotten childhood and diligently reply to the ‘Good morning’ messages from Fufas and Mamas in our extended family WhatsApp group. Gone are the days of ‘talk to ya later’; I’ve evolved into a person who cherishes family values and engages in hearty digital exchanges, all thanks to the times when the clock ticks but the wheels don’t roll.
The relentless and exhaustive negotiations with our cherished auto drivers not only sparked my ardor for judicial combat within the venerable confines of the Mayo Hall Court Complex but also reshaped my character. Nowadays, I greet every ignored reminder for my fees by my clients with a serene smile and open arms.
Certainly, as a sentient being, I harbor my fair share of despair, occasionally skirting the fringes of despondency, but fear not, for there is solace in Bob’s Bar. Whether you're a young professional or a seasoned local in this metropolis of enthusiastic runners, if you can secure even a sliver of space in this sought-after refuge, you'll find the place brimming with divine libations and tantalizing spicy pork fry, proffering yet another reason to relish existence.
In its sprawling expanse, Bangalore has graciously offered me the essentials: the quintessential 'Roti', the occasional 'Kapda', and a deeply mortgaged 'Makaan'. To my cherished city, my anchor and muse—may we remain inseparable, at least until the final traffic light turns green.
B'luru is 1-step away from 10/10 on the said markers (we are building metros, yay!), however by-far the biggest barrier (hate is a strong word) which leads to most micro-issues, is a minor but persistent friction to become more liberal / creed-agnostic (general argument: so what? this also happens in Delhi/Mumbai/<insert other city in non-south> / People from x-part of the country are also same).
Apologies if I am being utopian/naive here, but these cities (esp. Hindi belt cities) should not be a benchmark of what the "best city" should be. Also not a huge fan of using 'immigrant'/'outsider' and anything that creates a us vs. them. Open to kindly worded critical thoughts? :)