I almost went back to my hotel that evening.
I had already spent most of the day moving around Bengaluru, and by the time I had a little free time left, the last thing I wanted was another crowded place. Ulsoor Lake was nearby. I had seen it mentioned a few times, but it had never really been part of my plan. Still, I decided to go and stayed longer than I initially expected.
Bengaluru felt different once I sat by Ulsoor Lake
I walked around for a bit before finding a place to sit. My phone was still in my hand. I checked the time, looked at a few messages and then put it away. A few minutes passed. Then a few more.
There was traffic somewhere beyond the lake, people walking around and the occasional conversation nearby. It was not completely quiet, but I did not mind the noise. Bengaluru was still happening around me. I just was not caught up in it for once.
I had expected to get bored, but I didn’t.
Instead, I found myself watching the water and the people around it. Some were out for a walk, others had stopped to sit for a while. I started noticing little things I would normally miss when I am in a hurry. By then I had completely forgotten about looking at the time.
Bengaluru made me stay longer than I planned at Ulsoor Lake
I ended up walking again.
It was getting dark by then, and the lake looked different from when I had first arrived. The light was softer. The breeze had picked up. I could still hear the traffic, but this time it did not affect me.
Ulsoor Lake is one of Bengaluru’s older lakes and is known for boating and evening visits. Parts of the area are also undergoing restoration, with work planned around the lake’s walkways and surroundings.
I was more interested in sitting there than finding something else to do. For once I had nowhere else to go, and I was enjoying that. At one point, I realised I had been sitting there for much longer than I had planned. Usually, I would have started thinking about dinner, the next stop or how much time was left in the day.
That evening, none of it seemed urgent.
Bengaluru looked softer as the evening went on
I noticed the light changing when I looked across the water again.
The sky turned darker, the lights in the area stood out, and more people seemed to be making their way around the lake. I walked for a little longer before stopping again.
For once I was looking at Bengaluru without looking for a landmark in every direction. This time, I paused.
For visitors planning to spend an evening around the area, choosing one of the hotels in Bengaluru with easy access to Ulsoor Lake can also make the outing simpler. I liked knowing that I would not have a long journey waiting for me afterwards.
Bengaluru felt familiar again when I left Ulsoor Lake
Eventually, I got up and left. The traffic was still there. The roads were busy, and Bengaluru had gone back to being the city I had been moving through all day.
But I did not feel as tired by it. That surprised me. For that hour, I did not have to rush anywhere. I saw the other side of Bengaluru. I had gone there because I did not want to do anything. It made me think of spending quiet time alone or with loved ones away from the busy world.
And when I thought about Bengaluru later, it was not the traffic or the list of places I had visited that came to mind first. I still remember the time I spent near the lake after telling myself I would leave in twenty minutes.
