Parks and recreation

Gone are the days when parks were meant only for joggers and walkers. Today, these spaces are gearing up for more fun with activities like theatre, skateboarding, yoga, slacklining, photography and even napping. Bengalureans are reclaiming their right to use public spaces to the fullest. 

These activities benefit the performers, who get a varied audience, while on the other hand, the audience gets to see good and different works at a place of their convenience. It’s a win-win situation. 

It isn’t new for theatre artistes to stage plays at unconventional places like apartments, garages and office spaces. But when ‘Bardolators of Bangalore’ staged Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Cubbon Park recently, there were curious onlookers. The crew clearly had no idea what was going to happen but had a blast during the performance.

“Getting audience was really easy as people were curious to know what was happening and when they liked the initial moments, they stayed on. Police intervened but they did not have any issues as such but we were told to notify them and not make money from the performance. Therefore, the event was free and we also made sure we did not harm the ecology. What we understood after the performance was that Bengaluru is starved for events like this in public spaces. Audiences are eager and want to see more activities in public places,” says Danish Sheikh, the director. 

Long time ago, picnics in parks were common. Today, people enjoy hanging out in malls and resorts as opposed to getting connected to nature. ‘Vegan Bengaluru’ organises regular potluck on the last Saturday of every month at Cubbon Park. It is an informal gathering of people and anyone is welcome. The main aim is to create awareness among people about veganism.

“Cubbon Park is in the central part and a convenient place for people to meet. At our events, we advise people to not use paper or plastic, to bring their own plates and always clean the place once we are done. When we have the right to use public spaces, it is also our responsibility to clean up the place. This ensures that the public spaces are made lively and can be benefited from them,” says Milesh Kumar, one of the administrators of ‘Vegan Bengaluru’.

Taking a nap under a tree on the lawn with wind brushing against your face is an absolute joy. Sleeping in the park is quite an impossible task these days. But when a group of women decided to take a nap in Cubbon Park, their idea was received with skepticism. ‘Meet To Sleep’ is an initiative by Blank Noise, a volunteer-based project committed to building safe spaces. This initiative was recently organised at a park where a group of women came together to take a nap.

The women participants were called ‘Action Heroes’. While the women took a nap in the park, the security guards tried to stop them but later understood their point and let them continue.  Slacklining is another outdoor sport which Bengalureans are using parks for.

“Slacklining is a sport which involves walking, jumping, balancing and performing tricks on a slack line. The lines are tied to the two trees and a slacker balances himself on the wire. To protect the trees, slacklines of eight to 11 metres are used. The best venue for this are the mountains and parks,” informs Syed Zaid, who regularly takes part in these activities.

Yoga too is growing popular by the day and in many forms. And many of those practising it are doing it in parks. Practising yoga in a serene environment is a holistic and therapeutic experience. Not just that, it also enables these citizens to meet new people and practice it together.

‘HolyStoked’ is a club of young skaters, who roll only on passion. “Since the skaters don’t have regular access to skating arena, they are forced to practice on streets, parks and shopping complexes. It is the public place that has given them their right to pursue their passion,” says Somanna from ‘HolyStoked’.

For young enthusiastic photographers, Lalbagh is a place of ample opportunity if one goes in depth to explore. Reshma, a young enthusiast, enjoys clicking photographs in Lalbagh of a variety of flowers and the different species of plants. Climbing the trees to get a picture perfect shot is a treat for photographers.

“As an amateur photographer, Lalbagh opens up for a wide variety of opportunity. It is not just about capturing beautiful flowers. One can explore the textures of trees, understand the nature in its purest form and click the early morning scenery,” she says.