Flower vendor, 11th cross/Sampige road, Malleswaram

How Malleswaram Has Transformed

My name is Lakshmamma. I have been coming to the flower market for 43 years now, to sell my goods.

When I think about how Malleswaram was 43 years ago compared to now, there are much bigger houses and buildings everywhere. Most of the old timers have moved away, and the smaller houses have been demolished to build apartments. A lot of temples have been built over the years as well, like the [Sai] Baba temple and the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. Earlier, we only knew of the Nandi temple and the Kadu Malleshwara temple.

The Bus Stop That Changed Everything

The most obvious change I have seen in these years is that the bus stop has been moved to the other side. This has affected my business—customers would naturally stop by the market while commuting. Now it is farther away, and people don't visit often. It has become harder to compete with online apps, especially after COVID. During the rains, the market is empty—ordering online has become more convenient for people, but it is putting us out of business.

Loyal Customers and Changed Routines

Regardless, I do have some regular customers who have been coming for 10 to 15 years. Some of them are quite aged now, but they continue to visit and purchase from me. I was also unwell for a year and couldn't come here to sell, due to which I lost some customers, but it's going okay. I am better now, and a few of my regular customers still come. The routine has changed completely, though. I used to go to the market daily, two or three times, but it has become difficult to make even one trip to the market every day.

What Remains the Same

As for how people treat me, it's pretty much the same as it always was. That hasn't changed much over all these years. The people are nice. It is the area that has changed more.