Visiting Bangalore to attend a Wedding Reception.

Prelude:

Unlike our other trips, this one had a very specific purpose and that was attending a Wedding reception. Actually, second reception. One of us got married (to be disclosed in the later part of the blog) and a separate reception was being held for Bangalore relatives exclusively.

Departure: We usually travel in a car but this time, the one who owns a car in our group, had taken his family to Bangalore. After exploring all the other options, We came to a conclusion that taking an overnight bus was the best. We booked a Volvo multi-axle AC sleeper from Hyderabad to Bangalore.

11th June 2019 23:00 hours: We were waiting at the pick-up point for our bus to arrive while I was explaining ‘How safe Volvo buses are?’ to my fellows. Our bus finally arrived and, lo and behold, It was an Ashok Leyland not a Volvo[SCAMMED].

DAY 1:

After 8 hours of journey through the night, reached Bangalore(renamed to Bengaluru, thanks to the Politicos) around 7 o’ clock. Bangalore, AKA Silicone Valley of India, formerly known as Garden City of India is famous for its good weather, Masala Dosas and heavy traffic.

Bangalore City

Took a bus to Chinnapanna Halli. Then decided to walk the rest of the distance using Google Maps which showed us bad directions. Wandered for about an hour on foot and at last took an auto to our friend Sagar’s flat.

Ordered breakfast on Zomato to satiate our hunger. Thought of trying chicken maggi noodles as it looked tempting. Little did we know that we ordered a disappointment.

Literally.

Booked an OYO for the stay in Rajajinagar as it was close to the Reception Venue. Took an BMTC AC bus (this one was indeed air-conditioned) to Kempegowda Metro Station. Although, the destination was just 21KMS away, it took us nearly 3 hours to get there, owing to the traffic, and traffic lights. The bus followed a straight route and took us through the street life of the happening city. Got to see Churches, Government Offices, showrooms, skyscapers, and a part of the Green Cubbon Park.

Skyscaper
Lexus showroom

Embarked the ‘Namma Metro’ at Kempegowda Metro Station. Bangalore Metro covers a length of 40KMS and is the first underground metro line in South India. Was amazed by the cleanliness of the station and the civic sense of the people.

We were supposed to check-in at 11 AM but did it at 3 PM. Sagar came to the Hotel expecting that he would get to have scrumptious Hyderabadi food at the reception. His jaw-dropped in utter dismay when told that the food is pure vegetarian. The Groom called us and informed to be present at Hotel Magaji Orchid by 7 PM.

Since the food was pure vegetarian at the wedding reception, we ordered Chicken and ate to our hearts’ content. It took us longer than usual to dress up for the party. Arrived at the venue triple riding on a bike with no helmets on pillions’ heads at 8:30 PM (typical Hyderabadis).

Devoured desserts mostly Gulab Jamun and Ice-cream at the table. The party was over by 10 PM. Visited the Church Street which is famous for Night life. Book stores, Clothing showrooms, Pubs, Restaurants decorated the bustling street.

DAY 2 :

The Hotel in which we were staying offered complimentary South Indian breakfast; Idli, Wada, Poori, Masala Dosa and Chai; Unlimited. While checking out, the Receptionist rated our OYO stay 5 stars from my mobile.

After becoming the victims of bus fraud, We put our faith in the Indian Railways to take us back Hyderabad. Booked our seats in Garib Rath from Yeshwanthpur which was to depart at 4:30 PM.

Vidhana Soudha

It became crystal clear to us that the best way to transit in Bangalore is through Namma Metro. Our plan for the day was simple; cover as many places as possible and catch the Garib Rath at 4:30 PM. So, boarded the Metro to Vidhana Soudha at Rajajinagar. Entered the Cubbon Park from the High Court of Karnataka gate. Strolled through the lush green park admiring the nature.

Exited at the fascinating Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum. It was inaugrated by the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the year 1962. It served as a treat to us Science Geeks.

Exiting Cubbon Park

The Musuem exhibits engines of Cars, Machines, Jets; the Science of Sound, Optics, Fluids, Math and perception. It also showcases electrical exhibits which work on the basic principles of electricity, electronics and Communication. It displays the achievements of the Indian Space Program. Explored the museum for 3 hours.

If you are looking for delicious food at affordable prices in Bangalore, Empire Restaurant is the place. Went to Church Street branch and Ordered the Non-Veg Thali executive lunch: 1 Portion of rice+2 corn paratha+chilli chicken+chicken kebab+butter chicken+mutton masala+1 sweet+1 raita. All of that at just ₹240.

Embarked the Metro at MG Road and disembarked at Yesvantpur at 4:30 PM. Reached Secunderabad at 7 AM after travelling for 14 hours. The train was truely Garib despite being air-conditioned.

Comments 3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *