Bengaluru – Then and Now

Bengaluru, a city vast,

India's pride, built to last.

Once it charmed with gentle air,

A climate rare, beyond compare.

The British too made this their ground,

A hill-station haven they had found.

Thro' Chennai port trade would flow,

Railway lines began to grow.

Public sector giants came,

Research soared to earn its name.

Science Institute and others arose,

Technical learning graduates chose.

Technology gave the city fame,

Global companies soon came.

Town grew tall, transformed in show,

From simple city to metro.

Ten-plus rail stations are existing 

Has India's finest airport operating.

More rail stations in expansion 

Two more airports in the offing.

A leader in IT's grand domain,

Satellite manoeuvring too it's claim.

Yet today the city groans,

With growing woes people moan.

Population swells each day,

Traffic clogs the city's way.

The metro spreads, but not enough,

So vehicles crowd, the journey's tough.

Heavy rains and wheels combined,

Leave broken roads for us to find.

Potholes sprout in endless chain,

One repaired, two more remain.

Accidents strike on streets each day,

Lives are lost along the way.

Where's the will for swift repair?

Do leaders act, or do they spare?

Bengaluru's name the world has known,

But weary hearts now call it home.

— Gopinath S