Walk around a suburban retail center, Bangalore

<p>This place is located around 9Kms east of where we live. The neighborhood is called Bana Sankari, meaning "Maiden of the forest"; yes! about 60 years ago it was a forest, partly wild and partly made of Mango plantations. All the tress are gone. The neighborhood was laid out in the 1970's and this little shopping centre in about 2 acres of land was developed for convenience shopping. Even the 2-wheeler revolution had not happened in the '70s. So most people were pedestrian. And this center was planned for them. Today, it has expanded more than ten times the size and has given rise to bazaars along the roads leading away from the retail center.<br>

I took my <strong>Praktica Nova IB</strong> with the <strong>Meyer Oreston</strong> lens to picture some of the changes. Used the same Lucky 100 film. this time I tried to control the scene in frame to a smaller range of gray tones as suggested by an old timer.<br>

Here are some pictures. Regards. sp.</p><div></div>

<p>The light was milder as I went there around 9:30 a.m. It helped a lot, I think.</p><div></div>

<p>Automobile expansion has created parking problems everywhere.</p><div></div>

<p>The older shops are set along a corridor and in internal courtyards.</p><div></div>

<p>There is a lot of comparison shopping that has developed here. Quite a few multi-national companies are operating here too, including City Corp, Vodafone and several others. People still commute less distances for shopping. So more businesses try and reach the customers where they are. When I bought my present car I did not go to the show room. I simply called them over the phone and gvae my specs; and, they delivered the car with all the papers duly at home.</p><div></div>

<p>The neighborhood is full of the new classes ranging from Yuppie professionals to new businessmen. many of the services cater to their needs.</p><div></div>

<p>The fitness center on top of City bank seems kind of symbolic; as though the bank needs to tighten its belt! Next door is an internet cafe`and a medical lab on top.</p><div></div>

<p>Nice captures of an interesting place, with a good story to tie the pictures together.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing</p>

<p><Chas></p>

<p>The cross roads are really split between two T-junctions one leading east and the other west, just a hundred yards apart. The buses and trucks have tough time negotiating the T-junctions.</p>

<p>The next T-junction!</p><div></div>

<p>Here is more personable retail. The vegetable and fruit growers have a cooperative marketing society now. It is an effort to eliminate the middlemen and get more income to the growers.</p><div></div>

<p>The last one!</p><div></div>

<p>Hi Sabbarayan,<br>

Is that ironic that the end of the retail store row is called "never ends". Nice pictures. I am way too lasy still can not find time to post the pics of Jupiter-3. BTW what is "hopcoms" a Man who sells it looks menacing.</p>

<p>Hi KP! HOPCOMS is a short form for <strong>H</strong> orticuture <strong>P</strong> roducers <strong>C</strong> o-operative <strong>M</strong> arketing <strong>S</strong> ociety. I think the "menacing" looking guy was not sure why I was taking his picture. Possibly wanted to confront me, but was not sure. regards, sp</p>

<p>As usual Subbarayan, great pictures. I never tire of seeing your pictures.And again, thank you for the help you gave me on my Exakta camera .</p>

<p>Thank's Subbarayan most interesting and well done!</p>

<p>Excellent pictures,SP. Nice tonality. I enjoyed them.</p>

<p>Wish I was there ! Your pics and story really make this place seem inviting. I never tire of thriving market places overseas. Quite different from the sterile and poorly-planned cookie-cutter cancer sores that are American retail shopping centers.</p>

<p>Reminds me of a great discussion on TED Talks by James Kunstler called The Tragedy of Suburbia<br>

<p>You touched on a great point when you mentioned "comparison shopping". This, sadly, is a thing of the past in US. Save for the remaining "ethnic" neighborhoods in American cities, most people here do not really know what comparison shopping is. <br>

Luckily, I live close to great marketplaces like Newark Ave in Jersey City, aka Little India, and the Portugese community in Newark's Ironbound section. Rarely do I step foot in a supermarket, and almost never in any of the Big Box retail stores.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hi SP, I quite like the enhanced contrast in your pics from the new processing. Great documentary, as always. BTW, Alphonso are OK, but Himsagar and Lengra are the ones for me :-).</p>

<p>Gabor, you can still do comparison shopping in this e-age....combine resellerratings.com with tools like pricegrabber.com, and you've got it. But I get what you say about brick and mortar comparison shopping.</p>

<p>Great pictures Subbarayan. I see the 2 wheel revolution in your pics, but I am fascinated by the 3 wheel covered vehicles (I'm also a car nut). Can you describe them. Are they gas or electric? What is the brand name, and are they still being produced?</p>

<p>Excellent Images! I have always enjoyed your street shots. great work</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2275101">Ken Jeanette</a> , May 01, 2009; 09:54 a.m.<br /> ...but I am fascinated by the 3 wheel covered vehicles (I'm also a car nut). Can you describe them. Are they gas or electric? What is the brand name, and are they still being produced?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ken, since SP is likely fast asleep at this time, I'll take a shot. In India they are called "auto-rickshaws". Here's a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorickshaw">Wikipedia link</a> . They are the three-wheel modern equivalent of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickshaw">human-powered two-wheeler or cycle-powered three-wheeler rickshaws</a> prevalent all over south/south-east Asia, based mostly on gasoline scooter engines and rarely on motorcycle engines. Lately there are CNG versions to mitigate environmental concerns.</p>

<p>SP,</p>

<p>The photos are great.</p>

<p>I like the stare of death from the shop owner in front of HOPCOMs.</p>

<p>I see you repaired the Nova IB. Wonderful. I still cannot say thanks enough for helping me repair my Nova IB. Now, can you give me some advice on disassembling a Pentax Super Takumar 150mm F4. ;-)</p>

 

<p>Ken, you can see the three wheeler in the first picture. It is made by Bajaj of Bombay. Bajaj started making scooters long ago in the 1950s in collaboration with Vespa of Italy. The three wheelers followed with the same engine and a chain transmision. Later they introduced the rear engine version in the late 1970s with fully independent suspension and half shaft drives. These [with coil springs] were very comfortable to ride and made a lot less noise. By the 1980s Bajaj was the largest scooter manufacturer in the world. They became independent of Vespa, earlier, and developed their own design and development. Some of these are now being exported to the US and UK and other countries. There are small freight carrying versions that are used in Florida.<br>

There are some other makes based on the Lambretta of Italy made in Northern India near Lucknow. Their prodcution volumes are much smaller. But they seem to be using them for rural transport. The newer versions of the Bajaj are made for LNG, CNG and Petrol versions. They have electronic ignition systems and meet the new pollution control standards. They are also quite comfortable to ride, except in congested traffic when you would be forced to inhale all the exhaust from Buses and trucks, waiting in parallel lanes!<br>

They also make special personal versions with a steering wheel and a gear lever as in a car instead of the handle bar of the Scooter. Generally they cost around $2000 or less. I hope I have answered your question.<br>

Regards, sp.</p>

<p>Interesting shots. I esp. like the 'view across the road'. Thanks for your post...</p>