JOIN USIt was her father’s job that necessitated a shift from Madhya Pradesh to Bengaluru and Akshata Srivastava could not have been happier with the choice.
Hailing originally from Gwalior, the family is no stranger to relocations and has stayed in many cities over the years, thanks to the regular transfers that were an integral part of her father’s sales and marketing profession.
“However, we were mostly shifting bases in the northern part of the country and when we finally moved to Bengaluru in 2009, there was a huge difference in the lifestyle,” says Akshata.
Ask them about the things they like the most in the city and the first choice is a unanimous one. “The weather,” says Akshata and her parents happily agree.
Her mother Minakshi adds, “Bengaluru is also quite a safe city. Going out late at night is not as much a concern here as in some other cities.” Her father Atul credits this to the cosmopolitan nature of the city.
“The IT culture has a huge influence and late nights are not a taboo here. I also think the lifestyle here is much better as compared to North India. Top notch educational facilities are another plus point,” says Atul.
Akshata adds, “I also love the attitude of the people here. They are really open-minded and not at all judgemental about how you dress or how you talk. Everyone lets you have your own space. ”
But of course, there is no place like home and food is the main contributing factor to a lingering nostalgia. Both Minakshi and Atul admit that they miss authentic North Indian food, which is difficult to find here.
Says Minakshi, “We do get a lot of options in North Indian fare here but they are not as tasty. We also miss the delicious ‘chaats’ that were available in plenty on the roadsides up north.”
Despite varied schedules, weekends are family time for them and everybody tries to stick to this as far as possible.
“I divide time between family and friends on weekends,” says Akshata’s brother, Amlan. “Saturday is mostly spent with friends and Sunday is the time to go shopping with my parents to stock up on weekly groceries and clean my room. We have also started this new thing wherein we play ludo every Sunday after dinner. It is something I really look forward to,” he expresses.
Outings and trips are another preferred pastime and everyone in the family has their favourite haunts which they love frequenting.
Says Akshata, “Keeping the tradition of the pub city alive, I mostly go out with my friends for a drink. I also love visiting Gokarna, which is not very far away from the city.
Hogenakkal Falls is another favourite place, both for its stunning beauty as well as for the fact that you get to eat fresh seafood, which is simply yummy!”
Minakshi says, “My husband and I try out food joints in different parts of the city like Koramangala, Whitefield and M G Road. ”
Amlan adds, “I love Wonderla too! I also love going for various events during weekends like the ‘Sunday Soul Sante’, the food truck event and all the other events which Bengaluru keeps hosting from time to time. This city has so much to offer.”