The Kumbh is coming to Bengaluru, or at least a version of it. On March 21, we are having a Cauvery Aarthi in Sankey Tank, complete with priests from UP who will conduct it. Heralded as a “first-ever” religious spectacle that honours the Cauvery river, this event is the brain-child of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which, along with the BBMP is pretty much the go-to for anything in this ill-regulated city. However, Dr V Ram Prasath Manohar, who was appointed to be the head of the BWSSB last year seems to be a man who is ambitious, foolhardy or both. He is the convener of the Friends of Lakes collective, and has released statements saying that he hopes that spiritual initiatives such as the Cauvery Aarthi will inspire authorities to take stricter measures to prevent lake pollution. But he is the ultimate authority of Bangalore’s water bodies. The challenge he poses is directed at himself. What is he going to do?
Last week, I read that the BWSSB and the BBMP were “improving” Ulsoor Lake, which is in my neighbourhood. The problem with such improvements is that they mostly involve fat construction contracts to build more cement sidewalks and embankments, all of which will drive away the lake shore-birds that depend on gradual depths in which they can stand and catch fish. What really needs to happen in all of Bengaluru’s lakes is sewage removal, which is a Herculean task. My building along with many others that border Ulsoor Lake are prime culprits. It is our sewage that goes into the lake. So in a sense I am both culprit and well-wisher of this particular waterbody.
Manohar’s idea to create the Kaveri (or Cauvery) Aarthi in Sankey Tank is an idea fraught with problems. Who will remove the garbage post the event? Will Sankey Tank get more clogged up after thousands throw flowers and diyas into it? Will the BWSSB and the BBMP work together to get the site back into shape after the spectacle? Or will the citizens have to step in and do the heavy-lifting as always?
Bengaluru has always been a city where citizens want to participate in the city’s improvement only to be rebuffed by the government. Several organisations like Janaagraha, Bangalore Political Action Committee, Oorvani, Cubbon Park Canines, and Sensing Local have worked for years to improve the city’s governance. Other organisations like Atta Galatta, Bangalore International Centre and Sabha do their bit to enhance their neighbourhood.
Sabha is the newest one. It is a heritage restoration project — spearheaded by Hema and V Ravichander — that took an old architectural structure and repurposed it sensitively, thanks to architect Bijoy Ramachandran of A Hundred Hands. Since its opening last year, Sabha has hosted music concerts, talks, and other events such as a pop-up of Kayastha cuisine from Lucknow and Hyderabad created by textile enthusiast Manish Saxena.
I have attended a few pop-ups recently. The Oberoi had a Thai pop-up of the Michelin-starred Bo.Lan from Bangkok. What was interesting was that even though the flavours were Thai, they were very different from the food that I normally taste at Rim Naam. The Ritz-Carlton’s all-day dining restaurant, Market, has decided to go a la carte for dinner. I attended a preview hosted by Reuben Katarian, the general manager. When I asked him what it took to change the format of a restaurant, he said, “Courage,” which is a good answer because the stakes are high when big ships change course.
Bengaluru is full of bar takeovers and restaurant pop-ups. These are usually great because they bring the world to our city. But I find that Indians these days are interested in deep-dives into our own wonderful cuisines. One restaurant talked about doing a restaurant pop-up that combines the attars of Kannauj with food. To me, this seems like a great idea. There are so many other combinations that make sense in our syncretic country – connecting food with flowers, fragrance, textiles, festivals, music and dance. This type of immersive experience is what we all call “next level.” It elevates the food and the experience.
The only problem is the time commitment. Every pop-up I have been to takes three hours and this is more time than any of us have. I think restaurants who plan on doing pop-ups ought to give themselves 1.5 hours per menu. This is how we eat in India where a thali with everything lets us pick and choose what and how we want to eat and in which order. The course-by-course experience is wonderful if the pacing is perky. Otherwise, you just sit around and wait for the next course and get more full and dispirited as the afternoon or evening wears on.
Akhila Srinivas who runs The Courtyard arguably runs one of the most interesting dining spaces in the city, partly because its premise is pop-ups. I have been there several times and – except for parking – it has always been a welcoming and warm space. And thankfully, it doesn’t take three hours per dining experience.
(Shoba Narayan is Bengaluru-based award-winning author. She is also a freelance contributor who writes about art, food, fashion and travel for a number of publications.)