BENGALURU: This was not one of those slumbery Sundays. Laughter twirled through the soft breeze of the morning as fun and frolic gripped 80 Feet Road in Koramangala 4th Block.
There was no cacophony of vehicles, but a lot of human hum as the carriageway and pavements came alive with children on roller skates zipping by, artists performing a street play in the middle of the road and adults swinging the bat in front of stumps planted on the median.
These unimaginable scenes were made possible on Koramangala’s ever-busy road by Happy Streets, an initiative by The Times of India and supported by BBMP and
Bangalore traffic police, providing people an opportunity to reclaim the road which is otherwise every motorist’s battleground. For those who unknowingly attempted to drive or ride past the stretch, it was an unexpected halt as the crucial road in Koramangala was blocked from both ends. “I thought some political rally or government event was taking place. But I walked in and was pleasantly surprised to find children playing football and cricket and many on roller skates on the middle of the road,” Basavaraju BN, a local resident en route to buy milk, said. The event was presented by Bhima Jewellers. Sports partner was Decathlon, games partner Force Fudge Games, storytelling partner AceNovation, yoga partner Vishwa Bhaavani Yoga Centre, and music partners Furtados School of Music and World Music Conservatory.
Taglined Our Roads, Our Way, Happy Streets opened around 6am with a yoga session by the roadside. The other side was packed with children. A sports arena for football and cricket lovers and even a mini golf pitch had been kept ready for the participants. Bicycles were the big hit of the day and some didn’t miss the chance to fearlessly pedal on 80 Ft Road, which otherwise could be a nightmare. A skating school from BTM Layout had its pupils perform synchronised shows to a rousing reception. Notable of them all was Vihaan, 6 and his sister Toshitha, 4, who had come all the way from HSR Layout to showcase their skills. “They were waiting for this day and kept mentioning at home that they are going to skate on the road. The little one especially, who has only a few months of practice with the skating shoes, was gung ho about hitting the road,” Shivakumari, their mother, said. A few music lovers did not miss the chance to fulfil their dream of performing on the street and enthralling the audience. Games and painting too were part of the morning. By 7am, the crowd started to swell as the stretch resembled a carnival with children, parents and seniors joyously participating in sports, street theatre and some simply playing audience to what was unfolding on tar. After 9am, as the organisers removed the barricades allowing vehicles to enter the road, the crowd slowly began to disappear.
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