India Day 2: saris, street life & cows

Hello from Bangalore, India. I'm visiting my in-laws with my husband and my mother, and we plan to travel around southern India over the next several days. But first we are getting over our jet lag in Bangalore for a few days. After two nights of good sleep and short outings into the busy city, I'm getting very excited to explore areas outside Bangalore. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm sharing three photos a day - whatever catches my eye.  If you missed my first post, you can see it here. 

Today I chose three themes: Saris, street life, and cows. We drove just over three miles in 45 minutes to get to the Cottage Emporiums shopping areas where they sell handmade items from around India. I wasn't inspired to buy anything because the shops felt very commercialized and the sales associates were very aggressive, making product suggestions and asking if we liked this or that as we walked by..."a beautiful scarf? a silk rug, perhaps?" My favorite shop was Prasiddhi Silks. They only sold silk saris and I was in textile and color heaven. Gorgeous saris lined the walls - perfectly folded and hung. 

 

My Amma drives us around Bangalore and somehow she manages to maneuver the chaotic traffic on the streets. The city is dense, but cows find a way to survive in the streets, making due off street trash. During our drive yesterday, two cows blocked the main road and eventually found their way to a corner filled with trash. 

 

During the drive I also saw a man riding his bicycle through heavy traffic with a large bundle of sticks secured on the back. It reminds me how the basic need for warmth, by collecting firewood, is still very much a part of life for some in Bangalore. 

See the rest of my photos from Bangalore's sari shop and street life on Flickr.