366. A Date With Bangalore

What makes a city uniquely itself? Is it its geography, history, location, demographic? Is it its leaders, influencers, inspirations? Or is it something else, an undefinable but palpable spirit, wrought over centuries of a combination of all these, that seeps into the soil and charges the air, infecting residents and visitors alike? Two decades of exploring, discovering, researching – and reading, writing, and talking – about her hometown have convinced Roopa Pai, author, columnist, and co-founder of the heritage walks and tours company, BangaloreWalks, that the latter is true – cities are neither born nor made, they become. Her collection of evocative essays on the city have now been compiled into a book, Becoming Bangalore, published by Hachette India. In her conversation with Brinda S Narayan, Roopa will dive into the city's history to tease out bits of the Bangalore jigsaw – a chieftain's decision, a Commissioner's inclusiveness, a scientist's quest for excellence, a Dewan's conviction, a missionary's zeal, a Maharani's foresight, an entrepreneur's vision, an industrialist's generosity, an activist's passion, a common man's ambition, a writer's pride in his language – in an effort to track down the genesis of Bangalore's modern, progressive, liberal spirit. What she hopes will emerge from that discussion are tantalizing hints that reveal how a little 16th century settlement on a hill became India's most charismatic city. In this episode of BIC Talks, Roopa Pai will be in conversation with Brinda S. Narayan. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in April 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music.