The city vanishes in Cubbon Park

I used to frequent India with my family, especially South India when I was younger. I became quite accustomed to the sights and sounds of busy cities like Chennai. But having not been in India for more than a decade, it is taking me a while to get used to things in Bangalore. The blaring trucks, the ever-present roar of engines, the crush of people in the metro...these can really be a lot. But step into Cubbon Park on a Sunday, like I did, and you can forget that you're in a city. Surrounded by 8868 trees in this 300-acre plot of land you can find yourself listening to nothing but the sounds of nature and seeing nothing but the sights of nature. There was a deep moment of silence as I stood in the shade of a bamboo grove, even as the birds around me were calling. White-cheeked Barbet (its call the quintessential sound of Cubbon Park) and Black Kite filled the space. Thankful for this green lung in the heart of Bangalore City.