Culture of Bangalore

Last updated

Bangalore is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. With a population of over 15 million (as of January 2016), Bangalore is the third largest city in India and 27th largest city in the world. Bangalore is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, with over 51% of the city's population being migrants [1] from other parts of India. Historically a multicultural city, Bangalore has experienced a dramatic social and cultural change with the advent of the liberalization and expansion of the information technology and business process outsourcing industries in India. IT companies in Bangalore employ over 35% of India's pool of 1 million IT professionals.

Contents

Garden City

Commercial Street is an important commercial area in Bangalore Commercial st.jpg
Commercial Street is an important commercial area in Bangalore

Bangalore was known as the Garden City of India and has two nationally recognized botanical gardens – Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park, which attract a lot of visitors through the year. The city was the recipient of the Indira Priyadarshini Vruksha Mitra award in the late 1980s, in recognition of its extensive green cover. Bannerghatta Zoo is also filled with green landscape with a wide variety of animals and birds.

Religion

The people of Bengaluru are called Bengalurean or Bangalorean and the definition permeates class, religion and language. One of the major religions of Bengaluru is Hinduism. The city celebrates what is known to be Bengaluru's oldest festival called "Karaga Shaktyotsava". [2] Deepavali, the "Festival of Lights", transcends demographic and religious lines and is celebrated with great vigour. Dasara, a traditional celebratory hallmark of the old Kingdom of Mysuru is another important festival. Other traditional Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, [3] Ugadi, Sankranthi are also celebrated.

Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Azha and Christmas are also reportedly celebrated by the Muslim and Christian population respectively.

Entertainment

Yakshagana - a theatre art is often played in town hall Kereetadavesha.jpg
Yakshagana – a theatre art is often played in town hall

Bangalore is home to the Kannada film industry which churns out about 100 movies each year and is the fifth largest movie industry in India, in terms of revenue. The Kannada Movie Industry has spawned a different colloquial type variety altogether, commonly referred to as Bangalore Kannada .

Bangalore is also known as the Ham Radio Capital of India because of the number of Amateur (Ham) Radio licence holders and their activities. Bangalore has nearly twenty Amateur (Ham) Radio Clubs and four VHF Repeaters. Bangalore Amateur Radio Club VU2ARC started in the year 1959 celebrating its Golden Jubilee – 50th Year. Lions Clubs International Amateur (Ham) Radio Club VU2LCI has its base here.[ citation needed ]

Cuisine

Ready to eat Kebab on the roadside food joints, in Shivajinagar. Ready for sell (9453890725).jpg
Ready to eat Kebab on the roadside food joints, in Shivajinagar.
A market in Bangalore. Fruit stall at Bangalore City Market.jpg
A market in Bangalore.

The diversity of the cuisine available is reflective of the social and economic diversity of Bangalore. Roadside vendors, tea stalls, South Indian, North Indian, Arabic food, Chinese and Western fast food are all very popular in the city. Udupi restaurants, are very popular and serve predominantly vegetarian cuisine. The Chinese food and the Thai food served in most of the restaurants can be customised to cater to the tastes of the Indian population. Bangalore can also be called a foodie's paradise because of its vast variety of foods and edibles with a touch of Bangalore's uniqueness and tradition [4]

The masala dose – rice pancake smeared with red chilli chutney and stuffed with potato curry, 'set dose' – 3 medium-sized doses, 'benne masalae' – thick rice pancake prepared with butter – are some of the local favourites and few stake the origin of these dishes from Bangalore. Bisi bele bath, Rava idli, Pongal, the spicy Uppittu – served as Khara Bath in most of the restaurants are some of the other local favourites. The Udipis or the South Indian restaurant/cafes are known for their Filter Coffee,

The Muslim cuisine of Bangalore is unique as it delivers an interesting blend of Mughlai cuisine, Hyderabadi Muslim or Nawabi cuisine, as it is called, with a distinct Bangalorean flavour. The MM Road in Fraser Town is renowned for its unique collection of around 5 to 6 Muslim restaurants, 3 to 4 Mughlai takeaways, a Chinese restaurant, a salad bar and 2 Arabian themed restaurants. The Chandni Chowk area of Shivajinagar also has a concentration of tightly packed restaurants and tea shops, where business booms behind closed shutters until the wee hours of daylight. The most favourite sought-after delicacies include the Tandoori Chicken, Bangalore Biriyani, Gundu Palav, Sheek kebabs, Sheek Rolls, Chicken kebabs, Rumali Rotis and lots more. Roadside stalls are abundant, giving a more dynamic and some would argue more risky option for sustenance, with typical dishes such as barbecued beef sheek kebab and a local Bangalore recipe Phaal, beef cubes in spicy green masala, served with hot Rice Sevian (Plain steamed Vermicelli). Fried Mutton Brains is also a really tasty choice for daring food-a-holics.

Arabian cuisine is also slowly on the rise with Shawarma and Falafel gathering some popularity although these hotels are usually frequented by Arab students and Indians who have lived in the Middle East.

Some of the bakeries in Bangalore are also quite popular for a quick snack. There are many fruit juice stalls and shoppers often visit them. Bangalore also houses many sweet eateries too.

Bangalore also has some fine dining and specialised restaurants that cover various cuisines of the world. For good Mangalore and Konkan style seafood, there's Kudla, Mangalore Pearl and Sa-na-dige. The city also is known to have really good Italian and new-age continental food in places like Sunny's on Lavelle Road and Olive Beach. The various restaurants in the five-star hotels in the city also offer some very authentic and delicious meals.

One of the most famous places to visit with respect to cuisine is the VV.Puram Food Street. It serves a lot of Indian and Karnataka dishes as reasonable prices. It has attracted throngs of crowds of different social backgrounds who go local instead of the fine dining experiences the city has to offer.

Music

Bangalore is marked by many musical bards who have contributed significantly to both forms of Indian classical music, the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions. [5] A home to many outstanding musicians, veterans and upcoming, Karnataka prides itself of renowned musical personalities like Purandara Dasa (the father of Carnatic music), Tyagraja, Kalakkad Subbiah Ramanarayanan Iyer, Dr Nithyasree Mahadevan, Gingger Shankar, Basavaraj Rajguru, and Gangubai Hangal.

The newfangled musicians of Karnataka have adapted a modernistic approach towards music and have flawlessly conflated different various genres to create progressive music, yet retaining the ethnic appeal. Some of the names worth mentioning are Lucky Ali, Jim Ankan Deka, Bapu Padmanabha, Pravin Godkhindi, Shimoga Subbanna, Mysore Ananthaswamy, P. Kalinga Rao, Bangalore Latha, G. V. Atri, C. Ashwath and Balappa Hukkeri. Internationally reputed Musicians who reside in Bangalore today are Raghu Dixit, Praveen D Rao, Vijay Prakash, Sagar S, Ricky Kej and others.

The Bangalore music scene consists of a far cry of different genres, from international music to traditional folk songs. Janapadhas are the traditional folk songs in the historic culture of Karnataka. The vast number of different people living in Bangalore hailing from different places developed a distinct style of music. Kannada film music is heard playing in auto rickshaws, shops, and the streets. The party and the nightlife scenario experiences a different type of music, most popular international numbers varying in genres from Trance, Pop, Indi-pop, and Hip-Hop, Bollywood music is less dominant.

Though Bangalore is a hub for both classical and contemporary music, the dominant music genre in urban Bangalore is rock music. All sub-genres of rock, varying from classic rock n' roll to extreme metal can be heard in Bangalore. [6] The underground scenario in Bangalore is often acclaimed and hence lead to the city being called Rock/Metal capital of India. Rock 'n India, Freedom Jam is the pioneer made in Bangalore 'Woodstock' style annual festival offering different genres of live music regularly at various venues all over the city. The 22nd edition of this 'Free Music Festival' was held during the Independence weekend this August 2017. Sunday Jams, the monthly smaller versions, on the first Sunday of every month, have been going on too.[www.freedomjam.in & FB page.] Great Indian Rock, Deccan Rock and Summer Storm Festival are the primitive (?) rock festivals in India. GIR primarily a Delhi event organised by RSJ magazine is not heard of now while DR and SS are defunct. In early 2012, the Bangalore Open Air metal festival (powered by Wacken Open Air festival), to be headlined by Iced Earth and Kreator, and to be held on 16 June was announced. NH7, which ran for a few years seems to have abandoned the city. Bangalore was also the first city in India where internationally popular rock groups Metallica, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Bryan Adams, Scorpions, Sting, Aerosmith, Elton John, Deep Purple among various other heavy metal groups performed live for the first time in India. However, after the Santana concert about seven years ago, there has hardly been any big international rock acts performing in the city. A few extreme metal or cult alternative acts have occasionally catered to a niche audience. In fact, EDM acts rule Bangalore's high priced concert scene while Bollywood music performed live is as popular as ever.

Heavy metal group Iron Maiden performing live in Bangalore Ironmaiden Bangalore RNI.jpg
Heavy metal group Iron Maiden performing live in Bangalore

List of international musicians who performed or will perform live in Bangalore :

Music schools in Bangalore

The recent past has also seen a significant growth in the number of music institutes providing training for vocal and various instruments including guitar, piano, keyboard, veena, sitar, tabla, sitar, organ etc. in Carnatic, Hindustani classical and Western music, especially in Bangalore city. The Bangalore School of Music in RT Nagar, Eastern Fare Music Foundation in Koramangala, Sumadhura Education and Cultural Trust in Vijaynagara, Shreepada Sangeeta Kala Kendra in Bannerghatta Road and World Music Centre in Malleswaram are some of the institutes who have successfully endorsed Music as a serious business or career option as opposed to its familiar perception as a pastime or hobby. Apart from the formal training, these institutes offer courses that enable learners to appear for many recognized certificate and diploma examinations. [7]

Sport

Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangalore(it has its own IPL team RCB or Royal Challengers Bangalore and has a huge fan following) though it has lost some of its popularity in a small amount of time to football, basketball and tennis. English football clubs Manchester United, Liverpool F.C. and Arsenal FC have a large number of supporters in the city. Bengaluru FC is a football club based in Bangalore and was formed in 2013. The club, which originally participated in the I-League, now plays in the Indian Super League.

Significant numbers of India's national cricket team have come from Bangalore, including Gundappa Viswanath, Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad, Anil Kumble, Erapalli Prasanna, Robin Uthappa, B.S. Chandrashekar, Syed Kirmani, Brijesh Patel, Roger Binny, Sadanand Vishwanath, K. L. Rahul, Karun Nair and Vinay Kumar. Many of the city's children play Gully cricket and football on the roads and in the city's many public fields. Bangalore's main international cricket stadium is the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which hosted its first match in 1974 and was the venue for the India-Pakistan cricket quarter-final during World Cup 1996. International cricket was played at the Central College grounds before moving to the current venue.

Other famous sportspersons from Bangalore include badminton player and former All England Badminton Championship winner Prakash Padukone, tennis player and 10-time Grand Slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi, cueist Pankaj Advani and athlete Ashwini Nachappa.

Education

Bangalore is home to some of the top colonial-era schools in India including Bishop Cottons Boys' and Girls' School, Baldwin's High School, Sophia High School, and St. Josephs. Some of the top international schools are also located in Bangalore including Mallya Aditi International School (otherwise known as Aditi), Indus International School, National Centre for Excellence and Stonehill Academy.

Bangalore is well known for the quality of education provided by various eminent institutes, every year it attracts aspiring candidate to this city. Few of the well known institutes are the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Law School of India University(NLSIU), Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), National Institute of Design, R & D Campus (NID), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT ), National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Srishti Institute of Art design and technology, Bangalore University, Christ University and Jain University.RV college of Architecture

Social and Night life

Pecos - a popular pub in Bangalore Pecos Bangalore.jpg
Pecos – a popular pub in Bangalore

Bangalore has an active night culture and is home to over 800 clubs and bars. The city is also referred to by many as the "Pub Capital of India".

Since the recent explosion of software companies in Bangalore, it has seen a rise in the number of western-style Malls, such as Phoenix MarketCity, Orion Mall, The Forum, Bangalore Central and The Garuda. These malls are evolving as the current "hang-outs" for the old, with trendy stores, restaurants and the latest crop of clubs. Another change has been the gradual decline of single-screen cinemas and the increase of multiplex theatres, hosted by the same burgeoning malls. The BPO and IT boom have contributed to a lot of disposable income among the younger generation.

Eating out is another passion for Bangaloreans. The variety in terms of cuisines, types and themes that Bangalore restaurants offer is diverse and caters to every taste. Bangalorean's enjoy eating out so much that an actual event circling around restaurants called the Bangalore Restaurant Week was held between 12 and 21 November 2010.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karnataka</span> State in southern India

Karnataka, also known colloquially as Karunāḍu, is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, and renamed Karnataka in 1973. The state is bordered by the Lakshadweep Sea to the west, Goa to the northwest, Maharashtra to the north, Telangana to the northeast, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest. With 61,130,704 inhabitants at the 2011 census, Karnataka is the eighth-largest state by population, comprising 31 districts. The state was part of the Carnatic region in British terminology. With 15,257,000 residents, the state capital Bangalore is the fourth-most populated city in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shimoga</span> City in Karnataka, India

Shimoga, officially known as Shivamogga, is a city and the district headquarters of Shimoga district in the central part of the state of Karnataka, India. The city lies on the banks of the Tunga River. Being the gateway for the hilly region of the Western Ghats, the city is popularly nicknamed the "Gateway of Malnad". The population of Shimoga city is 322,650 as per 2011 census. The city has been selected for the Smart Cities project, standing in the fourth position in the state and 25th in the country as of November 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitefield, Bangalore</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Whitefield is a neighbourhood of Bangalore in the state of Karnataka, India. Established in 1882 as a settlement for the Eurasians and Anglo Indians of Bangalore, Whitefield remained a quaint little settlement at the eastern periphery of Bangalore city till the late 1990s when the local IT boom turned it into a major suburb. It is now a major part of Greater Bangalore. Whitefield is Bengaluru's first tech corridor to be connected by Namma Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharwad</span> City in Karnataka, India

Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the northwestern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merged with Hubballi in 1962 to form the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad. It covers an area of 213 km2 (82 sq mi) and is located 430 km (270 mi) northwest of Bangalore, on NH-48, between Bangalore and Pune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basaveshwaranagara</span> Neighborhood in Bengaluru Urban, Karnataka, India

Basaveshwaranagara, also known as Basaveshwaranagar, Basaveshnagara or Basaveshnagar is a largely residential neighbourhood in the west of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It is located to the west of Rajajinagara and is sandwiched between the localities of Mahalakshmi Layout to the north and Vijayanagara to the south, spread across multiple sub-localities, three assembly constituencies and seven Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards. The area of Basaveshwaranagara is often considered West of Chord Road as it lies to the west of Chord Road, an arterial road in the western part of Bengaluru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mavalli Tiffin Room</span> Indian restaurant and catering company

The Mavalli Tiffin Rooms is the brand name of a food-related enterprise in India. Having its origin as a humble mess located on Lalbagh Road in Bangalore, it has ten other branches in Bangalore, as well as one in each of Udupi, Mysore, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, London, Bellevue and Dubai. MTR created the South Indian breakfast item, Rava Idli. While the packaged foods division was acquired by Orkla of Norway, the MTR chain of restaurants continues to be run by the original family that started it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhadravati, Karnataka</span> City in Karnataka, India

Bhadravati or Bhadravathi is an industrial city or Steel Town and taluk in the Shivamogga District of Karnataka state, India. It is situated at a distance of about 255 kilometres (158 mi) from the state capital Bengaluru and at about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the district headquarters, Shivamogga. The town is spread over an area of 67.0536 square kilometres (25.8895 sq mi) and has a population of 151,102 as per the census held in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Bangalore</span>

Bangalore or Bengaluru, the capital city of South Indian state of Karnataka, India is the largest industrial and commercial center of South India and is the third largest industrial and commercial center of the country. The economy of Bengaluru contributes over 43.65% to the economy of the State of Karnataka, accounting for 98% of the Software Exports of the State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basavanagudi</span> Neighbourhood in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Basavanagudi is a residential and commercial locality in the Indian city of Bangalore. Basavanagudi is one of the oldest localities of Bangalore evidenced by the fact that it is home to four inscriptions, three Kannada and one Tamil and also one of the poshest areas of Bangalore. It is located in South Bangalore, along the borders of Jayanagar and Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. The name "Basavanagudi" refers to the Bull Temple, which contains a monolithic statue of the Nandi Bull. The word Basava in Kannada means bull, and gudi means temple. The main commercial street in Basavanagudi is DVG Road, which is home to numerous retail businesses - several of them dating back to the 1920s and 1930s. Towards the middle of DVG Road is Gandhi Bazaar, known for its market which sells fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The neighbourhood includes several historic restaurants, notably Vidyarthi Bhavan, a vegetarian restaurant which opened in 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shimoga district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Shimoga district, officially known as Shivamogga district, is a district in the Karnataka state of India. A major part of Shimoga district lies in the Malnad region or the Sahyadri. Shimoga city is its administrative centre. Jog Falls view point is a major tourist attraction. As of 2011 Shimoga district has a population of 17,52,753. There are seven taluks: Soraba, Sagara, Hosanagar, Shimoga, Shikaripura, Thirthahalli, and Bhadravathi. Channagiri and Honnali were part of Shimoga district until 1997 when they became part of the newly formed Davanagere district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Karnataka</span>

Karnataka is one of the highest economic growth states in India with an expected GSDP growth of 9.5% in the 2021–22 fiscal year. The total expected GSDP of Karnataka in 2022–2023 is about $240 billion. Karnataka recorded the highest growth rates in terms of GDP and per capita GDP in the last decade compared to other states. In 2008–09, the tertiary sector contributed the most to GSDP, followed by the secondary sector, and the primary sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Karnataka</span>

The state of Karnataka in India has well known institutions like the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad (IIT,DWD) Indian Institute of Management (IIM), the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Indian Institute of Information Technology, Dharwad (IIIT), International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the National Law School of India University. In addition, a Visvesvaraya Institute of Advanced Technology (VIAT) is being constructed in Muddenahalli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rava idli</span>

Rava idli is a variation of the popular South Indian breakfast item idli, made with rava, Bombay rava, semolina or rice rava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Karnataka</span>

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Karnataka with International cricket matches attracting a sizeable number of spectators who are willing to pay more than the standard ticket price to get a chance to watch the match. The sports related infrastructure is mainly concentrated in Bangalore which also played host to the 4th National Games of India in the year 1997. Bangalore is also the location of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) which is the premier sports institute in the country. Karnataka is sometimes referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of high standards in swimming compared to other states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central College, Bangalore</span> College in Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Central College Bengaluru (1858) is one of the oldest colleges in India. This college was originally affiliated to University of Mysore in Mysore State. Rev. John Garrett was the founder and first principal of the Central High School, which was afterwards renamed Central College. In 1964, with the reorganization of the Indian state and the formation of Karnataka, Central College was transferred to Bangalore University, a new university formed in 1965 to meet the needs of the people of Bengaluru. Initially, the two colleges of the city, the Central College (CC) and the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) formed the nucleus of Bangalore University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acharya Institute of Technology</span> Engineering and management college in Bangalore, India

Acharya Institute of Technology, or AIT, is a private co-educational engineering and management college in Bengaluru, India, affiliated with the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). Established in 2000, it offers eleven undergraduate courses and eight postgraduate courses. The college has links and collaborations with various industries and universities across the world. It is one of the several institutes run by the JMJ Education Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangalore</span> Capital of Karnataka, India

Bangalore, officially Bengaluru, is the capital and largest city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than 8 million and a metropolitan population of around 15 million, making it India's third most populous city and fourth most populous urban agglomeration. It is the most populous city and largest urban agglomeration in South India, and is the 27th largest city in the world. Located on the Deccan Plateau, at a height of over 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level, Bangalore has a pleasant climate throughout the year, with its parks and green spaces earning it the reputation of India's "Garden City". Its elevation is the highest of India's major cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prakash Belawadi</span> Indian film director

Prakash Belawadi is an Indian theatre artist, film director, television and media personality, who's also a teacher, activist and a journalist. He hails from Bangalore. He has participated in many seminars, conferences and festivals in India and abroad. He is a motivational speaker at events and TEDx conferences. He is also a mentor with the founding team of BISFF since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attur Ward</span> Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Ward in Karnataka, India

Attur Ward, is one of the 198 Wards of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, an administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bangalore metropolitan area in the Indian state of Karnataka.

References

  1. "Kannadigas assured of all support". The Hindu . 23 July 2004. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  2. "Bangalore Karaga". The Hindu . Chennai, India. 2 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007.
  3. "Ganesh Chaturthi 2017 Celebration in Bengaluru: Clay idols, Cultural Events and more in Karnataka's Capital City". Travel India. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  4. Bangalore's Best Food Review Website Brew & Chew
  5. "Music Education in Bangalore". Music Malt. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  6. "Namma (our) Bangalore". The Indian Backpacker. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  7. Eastern Fare Music Foundation - a will to succeed Archived 7 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Assamtimes.com