At home with the diversity

Bengaluru has always embraced people from all around the country with open arms. Piyush and Bharathi Shah are among those who have made this city their home.

Hailing from Gujarat, they shifted to Bengaluru in 1990 after their marriage. While Bharathi is a counsellor, Piyush works with a German multinational company. They are blessed with two very talented daughters—Sheetal and Meghna.

  Sheetal has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and is working with an autistic centre for kids. Meghna is pursuing Bachelor’s in Arts Management in Singapore. Currently, the family resides in Bommasandra.

“My wife and I came to the City when I got a job here, Bengaluru has gone through a lot of changes since then. Those days, it was literally the Garden City. The weather was so pleasant that we hardly used fans in summers. Areas like Mico Layout were considered as the outskirts of Bengaluru. But gradually, people started coming in and the City became more and more cosmopolitan,” recalls Piyush.

He adds, “The development in the IT sector has helped boost business in all fields and has made Bengaluru the IT hub of the world. Over the past few years, we have noticed a vast development in the infrastructure of the City. Though there have been other changes like increase in population, pollution and traffic, people still look forward to being in Bengaluru, irrespective of the traffic congestion and the high cost of living.”

They relish South Indian cuisine and Piyush says, ‘Sukh Sagar’ in Koramangala and ‘Anand Bhavan’ in HSR Layout are the places they like to visit for a wholesome South Indian meal.
“We are a close-knit family and yet have our own differences. I love spending time with my family and we do that as often as we can. Sundays are usually lazy, we start our day with ‘idli’ and ‘vada’ for breakfast, and then relax and spend quality family time during the latter part of the day,” shares Sheetal.

“I love the weather and more than that, I love how truly diverse the City is. It gives us a bigger picture of the culture that India is blessed with; the best thing about this city is that it has numerous opportunities for everyone regardless of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds.”

The family loves their trips to Mysuru, Coorg, Yercaud and Ooty during the weekends.
Piyush explains, “We usually visit Coorg and Mysuru during weekends and Ooty for an extended holiday. Bengaluru is a wonderful city and has a lot of opportunities especially for start-ups, investors and for good education.”

He adds, “I spend most of my time with the three beautiful ladies in my life, apart from which I play golf once in a while. I also like to travel and explore new places in and around Bengaluru.”

“In a few words, Bengaluru is always home for me. No matter where I go, I always feel welcome when I come back,” concludes Piyush.