COVER TO COVER

COVER TO COVER
Blossoms on Church Street is a must visit for any bibliophile in the city
GAYATRI NAIR


If you are in Bangalore and if you are in love with books, then there is no chance that you will miss visiting Blossoms. Not particularly conspicuous, you can easily miss Blossoms, located on Church Street. But a hardcore Bangalorean will not, as it has been an active player in Bangalore’s book scene since its inception in 2001. The owner, Maye Gowda, and his family shifted from Mysore to Bangalore, and that was when he decided to set up this book store.
CHANGING WITH THE TIMES
Gowda, with his down-to-earth persona, can be mistaken as an employee rather than the employer. This is perhaps the only book store that will actually refund half the amount if you return a book. “Many a time, after reading a book, readers would want to get rid of the book, and what better way to do it then sell it off. And we also trade in seco n d - h a n d books, hence it is a win-win situation for both,” said Gowda.
He also describes
how the city has changed
by leaps and bounds. “I remember this street (Church Street) did not even have street lights, but now look at this place, it has more than 30 restaurants,” said Gowda. Blossoms set up its shop in a small 200 square feet shop in Brigade Gardens; now the place covers a whopping four thousand square feet in Church Street! “I came here primarily for higher studies. I did my higher education from UVCE Engineering College and since I liked this place, I stayed back here to open my book store,” he said.
HOME, FOR EVER
Gowda goes on to say how he misses the Bangalore he had fallen in love
with. “This place with its multitude of people, its weather and its greenery was an ideal place to live in, but now things are changing and I don’t mean that in a good way,” said Gowda. But all is not lost, for Gowda continues to like this place and adds that this city is definitely one of the better places to live in. “This city sans its negativity is still a wonderful place to live in. If you go to other cities, you will have to speak their language, but here, you can just be yourself,” said Gowda.
Shrugging off his nostalgic mood, Gowda speaks about the future with renewed vigour. “I think if all the developments are done in a better way then the city will definitely prosper,” said Gowda. He feels that there has been a lot of projects in the name of development, but are they being planned properly, that’s the question. “See projects on transport are being undertaken, but I am trying to say that do the planning of mass transport and all that in a way that balances both the city’s past and future,” said Gowda. But there is no shifting for this married man with a child. “It does not matter how it changes, the city’s my home and also the home for Blossom’s also,” said Gowda.