'BANGALOREAN’ Is A Collaborative Photobook That Chronicles The City’s Unsung Heroes

Bengaluru is a curious mix of old-world charm and a fast-paced tech world, it’s a place where centuries-old temples stand next to glassy IT parks, where filter coffee and craft beer coexist in harmony, and where people from all walks of life find a home. If you ask a Bangalorean what makes the city special, they won’t just talk about the weather (though, let’s be honest, it’s a bragging right). They’ll talk about the people. Because at its core, Bengaluru is its people.

Once a sleepy town known as the ‘Pensioner’s Paradise,’ Bengaluru has always been a city of migration. In the days of the British, it was a hub for colonial officers and cantonments. Later, it became the beating heart of India’s tech revolution, drawing in engineers, designers, artists, and entrepreneurs from across the country. Today, whether you’re an old-school Kannadiga, a coder from Hyderabad, a student from the Northeast, or a musician from Chennai, Bengaluru welcomes you with open arms.

This beautiful chaos of cultures, professions, and histories is what ‘BANGALOREAN’ captures in its pages. Spearheaded by social anthropologist Kaveri Sinhji and designer Tania Singh Khosla, along with Melissa Parkerton, Farrah Gillani, Katya Antoni, and Chris Page, this book is a celebration of Bengaluru’s people. And not just the ones who usually get all the attention.

While Bengaluru’s success stories are often about tech giants and startup unicorns, ‘BANGALOREAN’ digs deeper. It brings together voices that truly make the city what it is — autorickshaw drivers who’ve navigated its changing streets for decades, artisans keeping old crafts alive, social workers dedicated to their communities, and urbanists shaping the city’s future. Even the potters of Potter’s Town, a historic quarter barely holding onto its past, find their place in this 340-page tribute.

With intimate narratives and striking portraits, the book paints a picture of Bengaluru’s past, present, and the contradictions that define it. The cover itself is a testament to this spirit — custom-dyed fabric in deep green, overlaid with metallic foil, symbolizing the blend of old and new that defines Bengaluru.

‘BANGALOREAN’ captures the pulse of a metropolis by highlighting the everyday individuals who give Bengaluru its character. The book defines the Garden City not by its rapid growth, but by the people who shape its ever-changing story.

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