We are traveling from A to B to C to D and then back to A again. In our hectic schedule though we want no rush sometimes. Even if we were traveling across half the globe to see it all, THE destination has to offer. So there are these let’s call lazier days but we don’t want to laze around too much. Time is ticking, tick-tock. Quite fast. So why not carve out a day when we can deepen in our thoughts while we somehow deepen in the culture surrounding us? Exactly a day like this called my slow(er) paced itinerary forward in Bangalore, but on a second thought a similar agenda can be implemented in nearly all big cities in the world. Let’s just get into it right away in a bit more detail.
I started my day in the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (Kumarakrupa road), which is far the best museum in the city. I was lucky to ask for some guideline from a person who happened to be the curator of the museum, a young and impressive Indian lady who guided me through the entire exhibition showcasing a good array of Indian and contemporary artworks including Asian tribal art, traditional leather puppets and the jaw-dropping works of Russian artists Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich. The latter has a pretty strong painting of Jesus Christ from 1967.
The museum is open from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
Svetoslav steals the show – Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore
About a kilometer and a half from here stands the National Gallery of Modern Art (Palace Road) housed in the former vacation villa of the Raja of Mysore. Showcasing a permanent display of Raja Ravi Varma’s works, miniature paintings, modern sculptures, photographs, prints and many more as well as temporary exhibitions from the post independence era one can easily browse around here for hours on. When I was there the new wing was home to a well-detailed photo presentation on Gandhi’s life and work. Pity I was not allowed to take any shots inside.
Visit from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Exterior only (something is better than nothing) – National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore
Wow, no more ‘museuming’ today but fancy doing something really energizing? Like what about walking in a park kind of thing? There is one quite close by, just hop into an auto rickshaw and ask the driver to take you to Cubbon Park for a peace of mind. Covering an area of 1.2 km2 this specific garden sports quite a number of local and exotic botanical species including a h.u.g.e Banyan tree the root of which even broke it’s way to the sidewalk outside the park. Literally broke the pavement up, not joking. The bright red color State Central Library and the Vidhana Soudha (Legislative Assembly of Karnataka) are bonuses around the park.
Healthy lung of Bangalore – Cubbon Park
Speaking of Cubbon park and a tranquil day around Bangalore there is no better way to top it all off than visiting the adjacent UB City. Now, if you can’t bear luxury and you only came to India to see the other side below the poverty line then you should avoid this place afar. However if pampering your senses is something you wouldn’t mind right now check out this chic mall with all the LV monograms, Burberry checks, Jimmy Choo heels and arts of Rolex. Forget spices for a day (and long-term stayers will cherish this) and fine dine in Italy or Mexico in one of the top-notch restaurants on the terrace. My favorite was the Italian Toscano restaurant with unbeatable quality.
The way to UB – UB City, Bangalore
If you are not tired enough rock the night at the City Bar in UB City itself. Beer hunters should pop in to the internationally privileged Biere Club (Vittal Mallya road) for the best handcrafted beer.
Cheers to all.
More on Bangalore:
- Navigate your way around Bangalore in Silicon Valley of India – THE place to be
- See how you can make the most out of a day in the city in Bangalore high speed
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