Remembering Church Street

Church Street is not only a place for tourists visiting Bangalore but is also a big part of every residents memory of Bangalore. It is one of the busiest street in Bangalore.

"I have celebrated many new parties in Church Street. I love that place. It is so lively, full of fun and you always meet extremely nice people. I have made many friends over the years," said Vivian D'Silva who moved to Bangalore around 10 years ago.

But this is not how Church Street always was. Church Street wasn't as lively and busy as it is now. It was just a road that got its name because it lead people to St. Mark's Cathedral.

An Old House in ChurchStreet. Source: Reddit u/adarshfgt

Talking about her memory of Church Street, Bangalore resident Jascintha Rassendren said, "My first memory of Church Street was around the early 90s I think. It was not this broad and there was some old bungalow that used to be on that street. And on that street there was a nice Chinese hotel called Blue Heaven, it was quite big. I was very enamored by its size."

Jascintha has been a resident of Bangalore for more than 30 years now and she says she hasn't visited Church Street in the recent past.

Church Street has always been a mixture of commercial and residential properties. In an interview with The Times Of India in 2016, KP John, a resident on Church Street shared his memory of living in Church Street when it wasn't as busy as it is today.

He said, "We would hire bicycles from Pinto's for 99p an hour and cycle on the street in the 1970s. He was an Anglo-Indian gentleman who had a shop in his house at the other end, near KC Das."

This street sure was a happy place for many residents around Bangalore. But with time the street has helped create many more memories for many young people in the country, whether they visited for work or vacation. The stories about Church Street have changed over the years, and it will continue to change. But one thing remains constant, every memory is a fond and happy one.

Share your memories of Church Street with us at churchst.talking@gmail.com