I made this small compilation to share with a set of friends I'd taken on a Food Walk almost two years ago. Later, this was shared with whosoever evinced any interest in it and has been floating around in public domain. I'm posting this here to make sharing easier. I would welcome others to use it and contribute to it and put it anywhere in public domain, with due credits to the author.
You can easily spend quite a few half-days (roughly four hours) exploring different cuisines or different parts of Malleswaram.
Disclaimer:
This is in no way comprehensive, rather a work-in-progress, at best.
The place.
The earliest extensions to the old city of Bengaluru, the native part of the city, were Chamarajpet and Seshadripuram (1892). Malleswaram and Basavanagudi though planned as early as 1892 were only executed in 1898 ‘with some urgency’ due to the intensity of the plague epidemics.* Malleswaram takes its name from the Kadu Malleswara Temple. Built around 1669, by Ekoji, the brother of Maratha leader Shivaji, the temple’s serene garden is full of old peepal, Ashoka, guava and other trees, amid which are several small idols of Nagas. It is popularly believed that when the temple was originally built, the entire area was a thick jungle, hence the name Kadu (forest) Malleswara. 291 acres were acquired for Malleswaram and laid out in a grid pattern, with Main Roads running North-South and Cross roads running East-West. It was promoted as a ‘model hygienic suburb’* well spaced and so well drained that ‘a deluge of six inches would not leave a vestige of standing water in any of the house sites’*. Within these new extensions the planning authorities paid attention to social hierarchies. So Malleswaram had eight blocks, one for each ‘particular section of the people’ similar to Basavangudi. The newly laid neighbourhood of Malleswaram became home to many nobles, Dewans and other educated people placed in Government service. These rich noblemen bought big properties of about 2-3 acres size and chose to retire here. The West of Malleswaram was peopled by the elites and the East became home to the middle and lower middle classes, a lot of whom were service providers to the ones across the road (Sampige Road). Thus, Malleswaram quickly became an area where erstwhile busy, rich and civic minded people decided to spend the last years of their lives engaged in various social and cultural efforts. 2-3 generations of their families lived here before the inevitable process of dissolution of joint families created the division and sub-division of these huge properties.
* A guide to Bangalore and Mysore Directory, by J W Morris, 1905 - quoted by Janaki Nair, The Promise of a Metropolis, 2005.
Needs verification - H V Nanjundaiah, one of the first residents of Malleswaram, is credited with having founded Malleswaram. He later donated his house to the Girls' School (13th Main). 6th Main Rd is named after him (board carries his name) (sources: wikipedia and http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/H._V._Nanjundaiah ).
The people.
Though the initial settlers in Malleswaram were predominantly Kannada, Tamil
and Telugu speaking Brahmin families, similar linguistic denominations from
other communities provided services to them. With the arrival of the Patankars,
who were descendants of one of the Dewans of Mysore, this area saw an influx of Konkani and Marathi speaking people. A sizeable Marathi speaking population already resided in the lower wards of Malleswaram, providing service. The South West block was the Mohammedan block, with its own flavours and character.With its numerous temples and Mutts catering to the various denominations which arrived here to settle down, this neighbourhood acquired a character of its own. With the setting up of the Indian Institute of Science and with the coming of other research and public sector organisations to Bangalore, post-independence, this area saw more waves of arrivals. The seventies and eighties witnessed the advent of apartment blocks and more influx. With people came their foods and Gods, their colours and festivities. Over the years, Malleswaram has been home to Nobel laureates, Dewans, writers, poets, musicians, artists, film stars, sports celebrities, industry bigwigs, film makers and the list goes on. A few easily recognisable people who call(ed) Malleswaram their home – Sir C V Raman, Badminton ace Prakash Padukone and his actress daughter Deepika Padukone, the Kirloskars, film stars Shankar and Anant Nag, musicians Veena Doraiswami Iyengar and T A S Mani, singer/actress Vasundhara Das, filmmaker M V Krishnaswamy and Kiran Rao, film director.
The melange.
Malleswaram, though on the surface looks like just another urban sprawl, sings a
different tune to you, if you care to listen. Every other home here boasts of a musician/ dancer/ teacher. This conventional stronghold may still wake up to the
strains of Carnatic music and Hindustani, but everything from Jazz to World Music reverberate through its leafy environs. The market and 8th Cross and the stretch in between comes alive every evening, specially so on festival eves, redolent with the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of a long-gone era. This place is best explored on foot and is ideal for people watching. And it is the unsung nooks, crannies and bylanes that can tug at your heart, with its quaint structures and stately trees, making you wonder about the hidden inhabitants within, with child-like curiosity.
Also highly recommended are the book shops catering to the various reading needs of the locals, opening another window into their lives.
References, if you want to dig more -
Food Hotspots
(listed from Mantri Mall end, along Sampige Road and its cross roads)
You can easily spend quite a few half-days (roughly four hours) exploring different cuisines or different parts of Malleswaram.
Disclaimer:
This is in no way comprehensive, rather a work-in-progress, at best.
The place.
The earliest extensions to the old city of Bengaluru, the native part of the city, were Chamarajpet and Seshadripuram (1892). Malleswaram and Basavanagudi though planned as early as 1892 were only executed in 1898 ‘with some urgency’ due to the intensity of the plague epidemics.* Malleswaram takes its name from the Kadu Malleswara Temple. Built around 1669, by Ekoji, the brother of Maratha leader Shivaji, the temple’s serene garden is full of old peepal, Ashoka, guava and other trees, amid which are several small idols of Nagas. It is popularly believed that when the temple was originally built, the entire area was a thick jungle, hence the name Kadu (forest) Malleswara. 291 acres were acquired for Malleswaram and laid out in a grid pattern, with Main Roads running North-South and Cross roads running East-West. It was promoted as a ‘model hygienic suburb’* well spaced and so well drained that ‘a deluge of six inches would not leave a vestige of standing water in any of the house sites’*. Within these new extensions the planning authorities paid attention to social hierarchies. So Malleswaram had eight blocks, one for each ‘particular section of the people’ similar to Basavangudi. The newly laid neighbourhood of Malleswaram became home to many nobles, Dewans and other educated people placed in Government service. These rich noblemen bought big properties of about 2-3 acres size and chose to retire here. The West of Malleswaram was peopled by the elites and the East became home to the middle and lower middle classes, a lot of whom were service providers to the ones across the road (Sampige Road). Thus, Malleswaram quickly became an area where erstwhile busy, rich and civic minded people decided to spend the last years of their lives engaged in various social and cultural efforts. 2-3 generations of their families lived here before the inevitable process of dissolution of joint families created the division and sub-division of these huge properties.
* A guide to Bangalore and Mysore Directory, by J W Morris, 1905 - quoted by Janaki Nair, The Promise of a Metropolis, 2005.
Needs verification - H V Nanjundaiah, one of the first residents of Malleswaram, is credited with having founded Malleswaram. He later donated his house to the Girls' School (13th Main). 6th Main Rd is named after him (board carries his name) (sources: wikipedia and http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/H._V._Nanjundaiah ).
The people.
Though the initial settlers in Malleswaram were predominantly Kannada, Tamil
and Telugu speaking Brahmin families, similar linguistic denominations from
other communities provided services to them. With the arrival of the Patankars,
who were descendants of one of the Dewans of Mysore, this area saw an influx of Konkani and Marathi speaking people. A sizeable Marathi speaking population already resided in the lower wards of Malleswaram, providing service. The South West block was the Mohammedan block, with its own flavours and character.With its numerous temples and Mutts catering to the various denominations which arrived here to settle down, this neighbourhood acquired a character of its own. With the setting up of the Indian Institute of Science and with the coming of other research and public sector organisations to Bangalore, post-independence, this area saw more waves of arrivals. The seventies and eighties witnessed the advent of apartment blocks and more influx. With people came their foods and Gods, their colours and festivities. Over the years, Malleswaram has been home to Nobel laureates, Dewans, writers, poets, musicians, artists, film stars, sports celebrities, industry bigwigs, film makers and the list goes on. A few easily recognisable people who call(ed) Malleswaram their home – Sir C V Raman, Badminton ace Prakash Padukone and his actress daughter Deepika Padukone, the Kirloskars, film stars Shankar and Anant Nag, musicians Veena Doraiswami Iyengar and T A S Mani, singer/actress Vasundhara Das, filmmaker M V Krishnaswamy and Kiran Rao, film director.
The melange.
Malleswaram, though on the surface looks like just another urban sprawl, sings a
different tune to you, if you care to listen. Every other home here boasts of a musician/ dancer/ teacher. This conventional stronghold may still wake up to the
strains of Carnatic music and Hindustani, but everything from Jazz to World Music reverberate through its leafy environs. The market and 8th Cross and the stretch in between comes alive every evening, specially so on festival eves, redolent with the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of a long-gone era. This place is best explored on foot and is ideal for people watching. And it is the unsung nooks, crannies and bylanes that can tug at your heart, with its quaint structures and stately trees, making you wonder about the hidden inhabitants within, with child-like curiosity.
Also highly recommended are the book shops catering to the various reading needs of the locals, opening another window into their lives.
References, if you want to dig more -
- http://bcp.wikidot.com/city-walks:malleswaram – a link for a heritage walk conducted in Feb 2009, detailing local history and heritage; Please refer map of Malleswaram here http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/blogs/show_entry/875-arts-and-culture-traditions-heritage-heritage-walk-in-malleswaram-organized-by-max-mueller-bhavan – a write-up on the Heritage Walk held in Malleswaram in Feb 2009, with photographs of landmarks covered in the walk.
- http://neighbourhooddiaries.wordpress.com/hoods/malleswaram/malleswaram-films/ - short films interviewing well-known residents of the neighbourhood
- Jahnavi Pai's Bangalore Bajji Bonda MaP (BBBMP) on geocommons- http://geocommons.com/overlays/381049
- The erstwhile Tonga Stand and the Government School building near the now non-existent Malleswaram circle
- Shiva Musicals (on Sampige road)
- Villa PottiPaati, a Neemrana property (8th Cross)
- Vema Lodge (just off 8th Cross), a typical Bangalore bungalow
- Malleswaram market
- Sriranga better known as Kanya Boutique (for traditional Kanjeevarams) (between 12th and 13th Cross)
- Govt. Girls School (13th Cross)
- Railway Station (13th Cross dead-end, reminiscent of Malgudi Station. Incidently, it is believed that the twin neighbourhoods of Malleswaram and Basavangudi inspired the creation of R K Narayan's Malgudi, of course modelled on Mysore, where he grew up)
- Sir C V Raman's house (15th Cross)
- Kaadu Malleswara temple and tank (Right opposite the temple is the 400-year-old tank - Dakshina Mukha Nandi Teertha Kalyani temple. Curiously, this latter structure was discovered buried, almost intact, on this busy road in Malleswaram in 1997, when workers began digging the site to construct a building.)
- Crafts Council of Karnataka) (17th Cross)
- Kirloskar house (18th Cross)
- St.Peter's Seminary (8th Main, closer to Yeshwantpur circle)
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc.)
Food Hotspots
(listed from Mantri Mall end, along Sampige Road and its cross roads)
- New Krishna Bhavan (Masala button idlis / Jowar/ Ragi Dosa/ Kadubu/Neer Dosa, Udupi special lunch on weekends)
- Rasa (regional Karnataka for lunch/dinner – mainly non-veg, known for ragi mudde, koli saaru serves alcohol)
- Halli Mane (akki/ragi rotti, haalbai, sakkarae holige - snacks and sweets, lunch – special festival spreads)
- Bhagyalakshmi gulkand Stores (bun, butter, gulkhand)
- CTR, now Shree Sagar (opp Malleswaram Club, 7th Cross, Butter Masala Dosa, coffee, khara bath)
- Sri Krishna Mysurpa (7th Cross, famous for melt-in-the-mouth Mysore Pak and other sweets and savouries)
- Adyar Ananda Bhavan
- Nayak's (deep fried snacks and condiments – papads, traditional sweets, pickles)
- Sai Shakthi Vegetarian (North Indian lunch)
- Shenoy's – diagonally opp CTR (deep fried snacks and condiments – papads, traditional sweets, pickles)
- Sahyadri Cafe, on Margosa Rd, at 8th Cross bus stop – dosas and coffee
- Janata Hotel (8th Cross, Masala Dosa, Vada)
- Iyer Mess, off 8th Cross – plantain-leaf meals 11.30 a.m. to 3.15 p.m. and 7.15 p.m. to 9.15 p.m
- Asha Sweets, Sampige Rd, little ahead of 8th Cross (Badam milk, sweets and snacks, sugar-free sweets, Bengali sweets and traditional sweets)
- India Drug House (groceries and health food - millets, native food staples, palm sugarcandy, jaggery) diagonally opp Asha Sweets on Sampige Road
- Asha Food Camp, 9th Cross, corner ahead of Kodiyal (Idlis, paper dosa and North Indian lunch)
- Moodala Mane, North Karnataka place (further up from Kodiyal) (regional delicacies and Khanavali-style lunch)
- 9th Cross, Margosa Road – Mysore-style Churmuri
- Curry Sprig (10th Cross, Temple Main Rd, North Indian, lunch)
- Maiyya's (snacks and lunch)
- Mangalore Stores (11th Cross)
- Bakery at dead-end near market (Ragi bread, multigrain stuff)
- Amrith Icecream (13th Cross - homemade icecream – Amruth special, special badam milk mix, indian flavours)
- Raghavendra Stores, near Malleswaram Rly Station, opp Northside Manipal Hospital – Idli-Vade, khara baath, Shavige baath, Kesari bath, coffee, kashaya.
- J P Balimo – lounge bar (5th floor, 13th Cross, Sampige Rd)
- Veena Stores 15th Cross, Margosa Road (World famous in Malleswaram for its Idli Vada Chutney and coffee)
- Rajbhog, 15th Cross, Margosa Road, diagonally opposite Veena Stores – famous for the 1011/- rupee Gold Dosa among 100 other dosa varieties.
- Adiga's (South Indian snacks and lunch)
- Bhajji/bondas and murukkus near Shanthi Sagar
- Bhajji/ Bondas near Sai Baba temple
- Pickles shop – hole in the wall, next to Navarathna jewellers
- Hurigaalu angadi (11th Cross – cross road) (masala peanuts, fried chana, etc... traditional snacks)
- Adyar Ananda Bhavan, 8th Main, 19th Cross.
- K C Das, Sampige Road, near 17th Cross
- Amma's Pastries, Sampige Road, near 17th Cross.
