Crossing the lakes!

Before the 17th Cross bridge was constructed, we used to sit outside our house and watch the trains go by. On either side of the track, there were lakes. We played in those lakebeds when they dried up. That’s where we built our cricket pitch. Of course, the ground was completely uneven except for the pitch itself. We’ve had our fair share of tumbles chasing cricket balls across that rough terrain.

I still remember how we used to run down the bridge from 17th Cross to the pitch. We’d start running and let gravity do the rest, just for the thrill of the acceleration. We were kind of aping around, but we loved it!

B.L. Harish

Initially, getting from Malleswaram to college was not as straightforward as it is today. Where we now have the 17th Cross bridge, you could not cross because there was no connecting road from 10th Main and the railway line-- which was the end of Malleswaram--  all the way across to what is now the area near Rameshwaram Cafe. There was no direct route to Rajkumar Road from our side. You had to walk across the water pipes and pipelines to get through. There were two large water bodies on either side!

Similarly, from 15th Cross towards the swimming pool, there was no continuous road leading to Chowdiah Hall. Near the hall, there was a large water tank that blocked the direct route, and you had to skirt around it from 13th Cross to reach the Vyalikaval side.

Prakash Krishnamurthy