It’s by far the worst place to live in. The people are obnoxious.

Grand sweeping generalizations.

“Back to nature” is a good thing. If we actually do it, that is. Places like the Hessargatta village are theme parks.. I would’nt kid myself that I’m going “back to nature” by checking into one of these places. I’m trying to do that by driving less and not buying stuff that I dont need. But I would’nt say they are evil .. they generate jobs and aid that “trickle down” of wealth from the cities to the villages.

Change is inevitable. The simplicity of village life is only going to become rarer. I hope India does not repeat the West’s and particularly American mistakes by following thier model of life as we move towards being a “developed” nation.

These pockets come alive and spill on to the streets when the festivals of past days are celebrated. In fact, they are grander and truer to tradition than what you would find in Hessaraghatta Village. The Karaga is probably the most popular but there are a few others like this one that is celebrated in the Karthik month.

No techies or code coolies here at the Carnival-Bangalore Style. This is part of Karthik Month Celebrations in 2007 .

Sampangiramanagar Irrigation tank has made way for a stadium but the residents don’t forget to celebrate the harvest festival to this day. The Annadevi Festival Celebration.

They have retained a small water tank and shrine on the Sampangiramnagar Tank bed. This was taken during the Annadevi Utsav in November 2007.

Most people will appreciate you if try to communicate in their local language. (just like bytewords said in post 13). I had a frustrating experience when visiting French restaurants in Paris since I don’t speak French at all. I really believe I got ripped off by the taxi drivers and one restaurant because of my pathetic attempts at French.

I can understand Bytewords last paragraph and observations. I have heard some Indians from the Northern regions give a few choice words about “Southies” but I have encountered only a couple of Southies with bad opinions and experiences with Northern Indians. Again, this is just anecdotal. Sometimes humans feel the need to feel superior to someone who is just different. Personally, I don’t care for anything that divides people and hopefully these attitudes are fading.

The people are obnoxious

well desidawg, if you think people are obnoxious, more often then not they will be so to you.

i am from bangalore, and i am more or less always treated extremely fondly when i go there. try to belong there, people will take you among themselves, this is very very true in india.

on the other hand, i have seen some people treated shabbily in front of me—and in some cases, i do think it is latent hostility towards outsiders. not a very nice thing.

at the same time, in many other cases, if not more, such hostility is completely understandable if not defensible—the condescending attitude many, typically from the north, have towards locals, and local art, culture is abhorrent. distance yourself from these louts by making an attempt to speak in kannada, and see the u-turn in how people treat you.

The people are obnoxious

Would have to object to that generalization. No doubt people are a lot more on the edge these days in B’lore, but that just sounds like you had some bitter experiences.

I see this “Back to nature” as a good thing. Hoping that it will help cities reconnect to the villages and smaller town. Hope it creates better harmony and erodes the impediments holding back investments in smaller towns.

Things were not always that bad according to my mom who was born in Bangalore & grew up there during the 1940s and ’50s. Bangalore used to be one of the best towns India (in comparison to Chennai, Delhi, oppressively humid Mumbai, etc) in terms of climate, lack of crowds and noise pollution, etc. That was her experience and she says that the Bangalore and even Mysore of today bears little resemblence of the area she grew up in. I think Mysore will be the next formally pristine city to go down the tubes with overdevelopment.

I wonder if the overdevelopment and pollution caused by the cars, buses, factories, etc have changed Bangalores original pleasant climate. It was originally a hot place without too much humidity but now it’s hot as hell and more dirty from what I hear.

Guess it has something to do with your choice of transportation. I relished your day in the laugh, I mean, life.

hmm…

“We like this very clever insider joke,” Mr. Ray continued. “We are taking something cheap and from the village, and reducing the quantity, turning it into a pyramid, putting it on a big plate, and all these city guys are paying Rs. 500 for it.”