Resident of Malleswaram

A Cantonment Girl Moves In

I've been in Malleswaram for the last 45 years, since I got married and moved here. Otherwise, I'm a Cantonment girl. It took me almost two years to get used to Malleswaram, because back then—45 years ago—it was quite orthodox. It wasn't as free as how we were brought up.

The Market That Changed Everything

I would still go shopping at Nilgiris or Russell Market, and every time my husband would tell me, 'Just go to the Malleswaram market. Step in there, take a look—you may never want to go elsewhere.' And that's exactly what happened. I don't think I'll ever leave Malleswaram. As you said, Malleswaram grows on you. Whatever the infrastructure may be, there's no place like Malleswaram in all of Bangalore.

I think we're the most pampered lot in Malleswaram. We don't face water stagnation or water problems. Even if it rains, while other areas in the city struggle, Malleswaram thankfully doesn't.

Vasant Nadkarni's Memories

There's a gentleman named Vasant Nadkarni, now in his 80s. He's moved to stay with his daughter on the outskirts of Bangalore. He wrote a piece and sent it to me, asking me to read it here. He writes:

'I wish to share some memories of our childhood days. My father, Sri Narayan R. Nadkarni, used to ride his bicycle all the way to Avenue Road to bring school books and other stationery items when he started his new bookshop, Popular Stores, on Sampige Road. And later became the leading chemist shop in Malleswaram.

As years passed, he used to commute by jutka, driven by Mr Amir Jaan. I remember our childhood days playing cricket in Kaka Ground, adjacent to our big house compound on 12th Cross, along with Ramanand Bellare, Vidyanand Kalyanpur, Sujir, Sudhir, Prakash Aroor, Prakash Kundapur, Hatangadi Suresh and others. These are all the Saraswat people living in Malleswaram.

Later, Sri Gajanan Heranjal started a Scouts and Guides group in our compound on 12th Cross, Malleswaram, along with his wife, Nirmala Heranjal.'

That's what he had to share about Malleswaram.