Bangalore – People & Place

Our pavements (or footpaths or sidewalks) are very interesting places. No bland stretch of tiles or cement for us; we have a rich variety of life teeming on our footpaths (indeed, I often think they are called footpaths because the local Government makes them a foot higher than the road…so they are not meant for the easy use of pedestrians, but for people to earn their livelihoods on space-without-rent!)

I walked to Jayangar 9th Block a few days ago, and got…

The “alteration” tailors.

They set up shop with their treadle (note, no electricity..very green!)machines, and for a pittance, will mend tears and do all sorts of stitching and alterations. Here are two of them, right outside a shop selling cloth:

The silver polisher.

These people, too, set up their wares just outside jewellers’ shops, and are willing to polish your silver, do small repairs to your jewellery, and assay any pieces you bring to them (they, too, use no electricity, but the age-old tools of the trade.)

The vegetable seller:

Clad in yellow-and-red, this vegetable seller sits nonchalantly on a chair in the middle of the road. His dress proclaims that he is soon going on a pilgrimage.

Oh, well, this one is not really ON the pavement…but I couldn’t resist a shop that has licence to kill…dirt!

Of course, very often, our pavements do not encourage living or making a living, but may help you into death:

I love my city, warts (holes) and all!