I was living in paradise,” says Stan Thekaekara, who moved to Banaswadi when he was three years old in 1956. “I hardly remember an inch of land that was not cultivated here.” The Kammanahalli village area was the food basket of the city then, thanks partly to the many lakes in the area. Paddy, raagi , potatoes and beans were grown with the help of irrigation wells only 30 ft. deep. Guavas, custard apples and the famous Bangalore Blue grapes were everywhere.
Amongst these were fields of chrysanthemums, marigold, asters and jasmine, vying for attention.
Many Bangaloreans' first big cycling milestone was to ride to the Anjaneya temple from the city. Families made a day of it, eating a packed lunch under the trees by a well. This pretty picture changed when the City Improvement Trust Board, predecessor to the Bangalore Development Authority, started acquiring agricultural land for residential layouts.
The major changes we know today started in the late 80s. Now, sprawling residential layouts, apartment complexes and stores make it a great place to live in. There are restaurants, bakeries, dessert bars and cafés. The number of branded stores could give Commercial Street a run for its money soon.
Growth and development may be a necessity, but at what cost? There are dogs, cows, crows and sparrows aplenty. But where are the foxes, hares, rabbits, paradise fly-catchers and pittas? The residents who were completely self-sufficient now depend on others for employment. “The way of life has been destroyed,” says Stan, shaking his head ruefully.
That isn't to say that it was all plums and peaches before development. The villages had a feudal, caste-based system and the Dalits faced ostracisation d by the ‘upper' castes. The Dalit community had land allotted to them during the acquisition and still live there while the area around them has developed.
Real-estate has sky-rocketed in the area today. Residents take that with little surprise as they know they are paying for the innumerable facilities that are just a phone call away. This has definitely become the urbanite's paradise today.
