Back in India… Pictures of Whitefield
Whitefield is a town near Bangalore. Back in the day (50 years ago), it was where retired British soldiers lived. The place was considered a frontier, with no regular drinking water, but it offered cheap land. My great-grandfather (he was a colonel in the Indian army) bought land here in the 60s, and set up a house for their children (six children) to live.
Whitefield was an empty place in 1996 when I last visited. Back then, Avi’s (my great grandmother’s) house along with two of her son’s houses were located in an empty patch with nothing around them. Now, there’s not a single bit of land available, and that main road has become very busy. A big apartment complex is being built across the main road from Avi’s house, and a big hotel is being built right next to Avi’s house.
What changed Whitefield in the past ten years was the Bangalore IT revolution. The software companies quickly expanded in Bangalore until no more space was available. As a result, these companies started expanding into Whitefield. Now, Whitefield is one of the most expensive real estate areas around Bangalore. It’s funny how things change.
Avi died a few years ago, but her spirit still lives on around this area. She built a temple, which is still maintained by one of her sons.
Would love to hear more about your history of Whitefield. I’m one of those IT’ers who moved out here searching for some quiet away from the craziness of Bangalore.