Anyway back to Bangalore, apparently the city was known as the retirement city of choice for Indian civil servants. It had many tree lined streets, one could breath relatively clean air - thus it had earned it's "green" city title. Then came the IT boom, the influx of many young professionals, building boom etc. Now for me it is just look the other Indian cities I visited - loud, congested, smelly, and, of course, full of life. This is my takeaway from India, we humans don't need all that much to survive, this is being lived day in and day out on the streets of Indian cities. It isn't a pleasant sight for my western eyes, I certainly wouldn't want to partake of it. However, that's the way it is.
I stayed at the ITC Gardenia hotel downtown, which I must say is the best hotel I've ever stayed in. Put one foot out the door and you are in the middle of Indian street life, however, within the hotel one had an "Insel der Glueckseligkeit". I ventured out for a walk one afternoon, turning right I walked by a hospital - lots of visitors, patients, casual callers, hawkers sitting on the wall. Some deep in thought smoking their hopefully not last cigarette, others deep in conversation. I walked on and saw something that has been indelibly etched in my mind. There on the goods driveway into the hospital was a dead rat flat on her back, a giant black crow bending over its booty. The crow then proceeded to peck open the stomach of the rat and then feasted on the innards. The epitomy of Indian life for me.
Hindu temples are certainly very colourful and probably the most photographed objects in India, after the street cows. I visited the temple above on my last visit to Bangalore. It was just down the road from my hotel on a busy thoroughfare. You leave the street bustle and enter an almost Disney-like world populated by the usual pantheon of Gods and Goddesses. It was hard for me to take it seriously, not very conducive to meditation, if you know what I mean. Very escapist just like Bollywood. On that visit I also took the opportunity to visit Mysore, a couple of hours from Bangalore. The palace there is well worth a visit, built in the 19th century with lots of modernistic touches. I was the only Westerner there and obviously stuck out like a sore thumb.
Soon a policeman approached me -
"Good day sir, where are you from sir."
I told him I came from Ireland.
"Lovely country sir, by the way sir, I have a rather interesting hobby".
I naturally enough asked for more details.
"I collect bank notes sir, maybe you could give me some for my collection?".
Now this is where quick thinking is required.
I replied - "Well that's a great hobby, if I may say so. But I've been in India 6 weeks now and have only Indian notes and I'm sure you already have them all in your collection".
He looked at me, I looked back at him - then he went off without a word.
I then went into the palace only to be told that I would have to leave my camera outside at a small kiosk before entering. "No photos allowed" the guide said to me. "OK" said I put my camera into it's bag and promised not to take any photos.
"But do you want to take photos?"
"You just told me it's not allowed"
"But do you want to?"
"No, I don't want to break the rules"
"But you can"
This is India.
Anyway off I went on the palace tour. Half way thru I saw a policeman grabbing someone's cell phone and accusing them of taking a picture with it. Naturally the unfortunate individual had to pay an "on the spot fine" to get his phone back.
Outside again, I was accosted by a group of young Indians who asked me where I was from. This time I replied that I lived in Germany - which is quite true. They responded with "Hitler, Hitler" and big smiles. I had a serious chat with them and explained that today's Germans don't want to be reminded of the war, National Socialism etc. "If you want to get on their good side then mention Goethe, Schiller even Beckenbauer". So if you're a German and you're in Mysore...
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