The Heart of India Tour Begins

The Gate One "Heart of India" tour officially begins today, although we've been here for 2.5 days already. If you looked at the last three posts, some of photos were taken today, but the storytelling made more sense to include them previously. With friends, Daryl and Chris, we took a Viator Food Walking tour yesterday. I've put those photos in today because they're pretty. First, here are some pictures from the hotel.

Taken from our hotel roof, this is a photo of Bengaluru and of Gurudwara, a place of worship for the Sikh community. We visited this on the Gate 1 tour because it has been recently remodeled. We had to visit it in bare feet (no socks) and walk down a hallway and up some stairs. I don't like doing that. It was just a cavernous big room with a gold altar at the end.

We could see Ulsoor Lake from our room in the Radisson City Center Hotel. The sky is smoggy but it didn't bother us.

We were happy with our room. It was clean, cool, and comfy. The Indian cuisine in the restaurant was delicious and a huge variety. Something for even the fussy, non-spicy and gluten free diners.

The first day plan of action.

On the food tour, we began with the special Indian chai tea at a coffee shop.

This delectable item is called a dosa, and it is filled with a potato concoction.

Behind our guide, Mayuri, some fellows are trying to figure out how to transport those tall banana leaves in a tuktuk.

The item on the banana leaf is called "idly." It's one of the few dishes for which I remember the name because I really like them. It's a steamed rice flour patty that is not spicy and the texture is dense fluff. Most of the time, they are plain, but this one had veggies in it. I think the red sauce is a lentil dish; the green is a cilantro/yogurt sauce.

Flower stands are often found near temples.

This fancy tuktuk looks new. Most of them are "well used." It's amazing how many people can stuff into one of these!

Food or produce carts.

Sri Gangamma Devi Temple: The main deity, Gangamma, is worshipped for her powers to protect and bless devotees. She is often invoked for health, prosperity, and success.

Across from Gangamma Devi temple is the Sri Dakshinamukha Nandi Tirtha Kalyani Kshetra temple. It was rediscovered in 1997 after being buried for 400 years.

Inside the temple is a recessed pool that is filled with water coming from the mouth of the Nandi (bull).

Nandi is the bull mount of the Hindu God Shiva.

There's a lady debris sweeper.

I'm used to seeing cows, not donkeys.

Bengaluru Insider's Tour Part 2: Produce & Flower Market, Street Scenes

A point of pride for Indian cooks is using only the freshest ingredients that are purchased that day. Our local guide in Mumbai told us that she hires someone to shop and chop all of her veggies and then she does the cooking when she gets home. Our guide, Deema, takes us around the sights in the KR (Krishnarajendra Market) Market or City Market, where we saw incredible with piles of vegetables and fruit. Another part was the largest flower market in southern India that was pure eye candy.

He is selling Betel Nut leaves (when not on the phone) that are filled and chewed after a meal for digestion. We had some and won't repeat it.

Strolling one of the exterior market streets.

"Flossie" was one of the healthier looking cows that we saw.

This fellow was cat napping. 

Calling attention to their produce.

A lot of purchases are carried on heads.

They have very strong necks.

The "basket heads," as I called them, were men who were available to hire to carry purchases for shoppers.

The basket heads were all men; the majority of shoppers were women.

The KR flower market is considered to be one of the largest in Asia. The colors were enchanting.

There are a couple of basket heads in the upper right.

 

Right after I took this, the guy grinned and flashed a peace sign.

The traffic flow is magical. There are very few rules with the exception being that a horn must be honked 1-2 times when warning a pedestrian, car, motorcycle, truck, cow, etc. that you are passing. It appears that most of the time, passing is allowed. People don't speed up to prevent the pass - a behavior unknown in the US.

Did you see the cow cart, too?

This is a "funeral car." It is going the opposite way down a one-way street. Deema said that it is because of the heat and the body decaying, so they have to get to the cemetery as quickly as possible.

From decaying bodies to lunch, which was included on the tour at a traditional and popular Bangaluru restaurant, Vidyarthi Bhavan, which has been in operation since 1943. Along with a roomful of people, we sat on benches waiting for a turn at a table. Apparently, it was a busy day and they opened another dining room. We followed the barefoot waiter, down some stairs, up some stairs and around a corner and down some more stairs. We were given the metal plates and more barefoot waiters came around and dipped dabs of food on our plate along with the pictured dosa. The plate above is about half full. It was all good and all was vegetarian. The meal ended with one of the filled betel leaves fastened with a clove. Deema told us to put the whole thing in, chew and swallow the mess. We didn't enjoy it and kept picking betel leaf bits out of our teeth. But this is what we came to India for!

Bengaluru Insider's Tour Part 1: Park, Temple, Palace

To explore the richness of Bengaluru for more than what we'll see on the actual Gate One tour, we're taking a Viator tour with new friends, Daryl and Chris. Tour guide Deema was patient, kind and full of information. The previous post covered some of the signage at Lalbagh National Park; this post will cover more of the sights. After the park, we visited Big Bull Temple. The last two photos are merely drive-by photo opps that are included for memory's sake.

The peacock, India's national bird, is dressed in floral regalia. Flower shows in Asia are always spectacular. Unfortunately, this one ended the day before our visit. 

Even though the floral displays were being torn down, we still were able to see a few.

Much of the show was kept under wraps in Lalbach Park's Glass House, which was inspired by London's Crystal Palace. 

Entrance to the Bonsai Garden.

Sculptures are carved from tree trunks.

The rose garden is completely locked. No one can wander among the somewhat sad roses. We were told that Indians would pluck them all if they were allowed inside.

"OMG! It's the pale faces!" There was a group of monkeys that inhabited a large shrubbery and tree area in the park. At least they didn't try to steal your water bottle.

This White Silk Cotton Tree is over 100 years old. The park was essentially an arboretum of many species that were donated through the years.

We saw several of these debris sweeper ladies in the park and on city streets. They are paid by the city. 

The park has many resident dogs that are taken care of, and fed, by volunteers. They lay wherever they want to. A dog in the middle of a thoroughfare will not get up unless its life is in imminent danger. How many dogs can you count?

Throughout the tour, we saw many Indian children visiting parks and historical sites. They nearly always wear uniforms, the great equalizer.

One went to school/daycare in their pjs and another was definitely full of beans. The teachers had their hands full!

The older kids want to talk with us and take photos.

The Big Bull Temple is a revered Hindu temple dedicated to Nandi, the celestial bull who serves as the mount of Lord Shiva. It is one of the oldest temples in Bangaluru. 

Because this is a "living temple," we must remove our shoes, which are watched over by a guard for a small fee.

The temple is built in the Dravidian architectural style, and dates back to the 16th century.

With the huge sacred bull (carved from a single stone) in the background, the priest gives a blessing and collects a donation for the temple.

This lady had the most beatific expression during her entire visit. 

The impressive Vidana Soudha houses the Legislative Chambers of the state government for Karnataka. It was completed in 1952. We only had a drive-by for a photo stop. 

The Bengaluru Palace was commissioned for the Maharaja of Mysore and is currently owned by a branch of royalty. We stopped only for an outside photo on the Viator Tour, but we had to endure a tour through the inside with Gate One. Tour guide Pradeep felt it was a waste of time and most of us agreed. It was boring and filled with repetitive old and faded photos.