#157:From my unlocked diaries: My Magadi Days – Part 1

They say ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. But a picture also brings back flood of memories. This picture taken on November 1, 2022 took me back in time … down a memory lane ! ?I was standing in front of the Kanika Parameshwari temple in Magadi town … after 43 years !!

It was November 1st, the day of the Kannada Rajyothsava (formation day of the state of Karnataka), a public holiday in the state.?Myself & Charu, my wife, decided to do an unplanned day trip to the sleepy town of Magadi (about 60 km from Bengaluru). Leaving behind the hustle buzzle of Magadi Road in Bengaluru, we were soon driving through the lush green villages, speeding towards Magadi.?

Reaching Magadi in about 1 hour 10 minutes, my first stop was at the famous Ranganatha Swamy temple on the outskirts of Magadi.?

This is a 1,200-year-old ancient temple built by the Chalukyas, and later improved by the founder of Bengaluru – Kempegowda.?

After the visit to the temple, I now headed towards ‘Pete Beedhi’ (Bazar Street) inside Magadi town. ?As I neared another temple on the narrow Bazar Street, ?I experienced a sudden flood of childhood memories.?Staring down the narrow street, it seemed like time had frozen and stood still.?The street suddenly seemed all so familiar.?I was perhaps a 8-year-old kid when my father was posted here as a Manager of State Bank of Mysore (SBM).

Almost like an involuntary reaction, I pulled my car by the side near a temple.?As I got down from the car all excited, I told Charu – ‘Hey, I remember this is the same Kanika Parameshwari temple that we often came to play’. ?Unfortunately the temple was closed for the afternoon.?But that did not stop me from taking the picture !

By now I was fully transported to an era gone by.?My eyes now looked around for other familiar landmarks, all downloaded from my memory.?A cloth store that we frequented – ‘Vasamba Hall’ just opposite to the temple … seemed to have disappeared into history.?As I drove ahead, my eyes got fixated on a 2-story building at the end of the street.

It was the same location that SBM branch once stood. On top of the Bank branch was our home back in the late 1970s !?

Speaking to some local people around, I realized time had indeed taken its toll.?The Magadi branch of SBM (now called SBI – State Bank of India) had recently shifted from this location, and in its place now stood – Bata Showroom.?The house on top of the Bank served as a godown. ?I longed to go up to see ‘our home’, of which I had so many fond memories.?That wish was unfulfilled, as a fat lock on the door stared at me. ??

Standing there my eyes was now ‘searching’ for the nearby ‘Shettru Angadi’ (Shetty Stores) – a shop diagonally opposite to the Bank that I frequented as a kid.?Just running across the street, it’s the shop that I often went to buy goodies like Peppermint, balloons and chalk piece with just 10 paise in hand !

Guess what? I could not believe my eyes for a moment.?Right in the exact location of Shettru Angadi now stood a shop called – Vasavi Departmental Stores.?I pinched myself.?Vasavi Stores looked just like Shettru Angadi, as I had last captured in my memory !?

My joy and curiosity now took over me completely.?Though Charu was gesturing to me indicating that it was getting late, I decided to enter Vasavi Stores.?A man perhaps aged about 40 years smiled at me as I walked across into his stores.

The balloons that once dangled from Settru Angadi, was now replaced by shampoo & tooth paste sachets !

As I stood there, it was the turn of my nostrils to give me some more nostalgic pleasure !?Yes, it was the same aroma of the Shettru Angadi, all coming back after 4 decades !! That familiar aroma of rice & pulses, coupled with smell of camphor, sandalwood soap and Agarbatti (incense sticks) – all put together !!!

Initially I was a bit hesitant, not knowing how to tell the shopkeeper that I visited ‘Shettru Angadi’ in the same place about 4 decades ago? Perhaps second guessing what was running through my mind, the shopkeeper asked me – ‘Sir, are you looking for some address?’

Now feeling a little comfortable, I introduced myself and told him that we once lived across the street, above SBM branch during late 1970’s.?And then I told him about - Shettru Angadi … !

The moment I said ‘Shettru Angadi’, the shopkeepers eyes lit up, and he replied – ‘Yes - this is the same shop.?Shettru Angadi was started by my uncle (father’s elder brother) in the 1960’s.?He passed away about 15 years ago. Sir, my name is Harish Shetty (Harish), and I have been running the shop from last few years under the new name – Vasavi Departmental Stores’.?

I have vivid memories of witnessing Shettru Angadi being looted by an unruly mob during the height of protest against Emergency rule imposed by Indira Gandhi during 1978. ?That image of his uncle in tears, begging the mob not to loot his shop … still haunts me.

When I narrated this incident to Harish, he replied in a sullen voice –‘Yes Sir, I have heard about that incident from my father.?My uncle lost everything during the looting.?He rebuilt everything from scratch, and later handed over the shop to my father’

After this emotional exchange with Harish, I had no hesitation in asking him about few other landmarks that I still remembered.

‘What about Vasamba Hall, the Cinema Tent and of the Government School?’, I asked Harish.

‘Sir, Vasamba Hall has now shifted near bus stand.?The owner is very old now, but still comes to the shop for few hours every day.?The Cinema Tent vanished long back, and the school has shifted to a new location about 2 kms from here’

Friends, more about my visit to Vasamba Hall near the bus stand, my nostalgic memories of watching kannada movies in the Cinema Tent and my early school days in the Magadi Government School – all that coming soon in Part – 2 … Stay tuned !

Happy Shankranthi !

Balu

January 15, 2023

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