'Open Streets' carnival a mega-hit among people in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A group of people getting their caricatures sketched here, while 200-odd artists selling canvasses there. A bunch of youngsters breaking into an impromptu gig, children roller-skating, families playing badminton, young parents walking with infants in prams, couples strolling about, clowns on stilts adding to the excitement, thrilled expats filming the fun and others thronging food trucks for a bite or two. Not to mention loads of handicrafts, knick-knacks, clothes, accessories, meditation centres, storytelling sessions, dance performances and blaring music. It was happiness abound on MG Road on Sunday. The 12-hour vehicle-free carnival, Open Streets, kicked off at 9 am on the stretch between the Cauvery Emporium Junction and the Anil Kumble Circle. Organised by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and the State Tourism Department, Open Streets aims to promote wider use of public transport. BMTC ran 50 extra buses on 11 routes.



(Image: Agencies)

The event, second in Bengaluru after the one in the upscale HSR Layout, had both the young and the old in attendance. While encouraging his five-year-old daughter to cycle, engineer N Ramesh said, "Imagine an MG Road where you can walk to your heart's content without stopping at signals for vehicles to move on." The event, which had around 150 stalls, was attended by close to 30,000-35,000 people, according to the Cubbon Park police. The Open Streets being a mega hit -it drew thousands and saw high levels of energy -people were heard asking: Will there be another next month?