Former resident of Malleswaram

What Is This Place Everyone Talks About?

I'm Sushma. I'm from Bijapur. I've been in Bangalore for the past 25–26 years. My uncle used to live in Basaveshwaranagar and Vijaynagar, and I kept hearing, 'Oh, I need to get this, so I need to go to Malleswaram.' This is what my aunt and uncle used to say. So when I came here during my second year of engineering, all I wanted to know was 'What is this place that everyone's talking about?' How can you get everything there?

I have very fond memories. I've walked a lot along these roads. I used to visit IISc to find projects. And I enjoy walking, so I once walked all the way from here to Basaveshwaranagar, in the rain. I've done things like that.

Working Women at Dawn

For me, Malleswaram was always a space for working class women. That stood out to me compared to many other areas. Classy women, working class, stepping out of their homes by 8:15, 8:30—sometimes even 6:30 in the morning. Back then, I saw so many women from Malleswaram heading to work, unlike in other neighborhoods I'd known. That really stayed with me.

Suchitra: That's a very interesting observation because one of the things I also noticed—when I started working on my first project, gathering stories, in 2019—was the presence of institutions like the Malleswaram Ladies Association. There's also MEWS—the Malleswaram Enterprising Women's Society. So many remarkable women built these institutions and ran them as entrepreneurs—people like Vimala Rangachar, who sadly passed away recently. There are just so many institutions that have been started and run by women.

Sushma: Yes, and I found that incredibly inspiring. These women weren't just going to offices; they were managing their households beautifully too. Their children were well-educated.

No Chance to Move Back

For me, Malleswaram is a nice place. Despite all the changes—the new buildings, the new culture coming in—my son, who's 17 now, has never lived in Malleswaram. And I know he never will, because many of the families who've been here for years are still holding on to their homes. There's really no chance for us to move back.

Though he's never stayed in Malleswaram, he comes with me once in a while—maybe three or four times a year. We have relatives in places like Mathikere. But for him, Bangalore means Malleswaram, Jayanagar, Basavanagudi—anything else is just 'outside the phone book'.

A Soul That Speaks

He's not seeing the same buildings, or noticing the demographic changes. But there's a soul in Malleswaram—it speaks to people. There's a civility in the way people interact. There's space here—for yourself, for growth. There's a unique individual spirit that develops here.

I think Malleswaram still stands, and will continue to stand, for what it meant to me. Even the younger generation—those who proudly call themselves 'true Bangaloreans'—still claim Malleswaram, Jayanagar, Basavanagudi, NR Colony as their own.

Tell them to go to Whitefield—they'll say, 'Who'll go there? What's even there?' I'm not saying Whitefield isn't a part of the city, but for them, this—this area—is it. Be it the food, the culture, the people, the way people speak—it's all here.

If We Continue the Culture

Even when I came in 1997, after completing my engineering, I remember walking these roads safely. I could walk alone and feel secure. I could sit in an auto and be at ease. That kind of environment has been shaped by the people and the culture here.

If we can continue that culture, Malleswaram will endure, endlessly.