Our Life in Avenue Road Bengaluru

Our Life in Avenue Road Bengaluru

When I first reached Bangalore in 2015, I didn't know anyone. I was looking for a place to stay. I had searched for rooms in Malleshwaram, Sheshadripuram, and Nagrathpet but had no luck. Finally, one of my college friends, Atish, got to know about a place named Ashoka Lodge in Avenue Road through a Paan Wala. The Paan Wala also told him that many hoteliers stayed in that lodge.

Table of Contents

• Ashoka Lodge – Our First Home in Bengaluru
• Shifting to Another Room in Ashoka Lodge
• Banaras Sweets at Avenue Road
• Rice Memorial Church
• Set Dosas at Ganesh Prasad Veg Restaurant
• What Was Avenue Road Famous For?
• Other Notable Places in Avenue Road
• Conclusion

Ashoka Lodge – Our First Home in Bengaluru

This is how the Ashoka Lodge looked like:

We visited the place. There was a jewelry mart on the ground floor named Srikanteshwara Jewelry Mart along with some clothing shops nearby. On the first floor there were a few offices and one locked room. The owner (who also owned the jewelry mart) showed us the room. It had 3 metal beds with no mattress or furnishing.

We had to arrange our own mattresses. We finally settled there at a rent of Rs 1000 per bed per month. I and Atish started living there with another friend, who later left and moved somewhere else.

Shifting to Another Room in Ashoka Lodge

We then moved to another room just opposite our previous room, which was perfect for 2 people.

I remember we also purchased a table and a second-hand computer with Pentium 3 for entertainment.

We used to get a movie every weekend from a shop on Avenue Road, watch it 2-3 times during the weekend, and return it on Monday.

There was also a small shop near Ashoka Lodge where we bought our daily goods like Jam, Bread, Biscuits, Shampoo, Soaps, etc. The owner soon became our friend.

Banaras Sweets at Avenue Road

There used to be a big sweet shop named Banaras Sweets which was quite costly for us back then. I recently visited the shop in 2026 with my family and enjoyed Samosa and Kachori. The shop has now shifted because the original building is under renovation.

Rice Memorial Church

There used to be a church named Rice Memorial Church which we passed by daily while going to college.

Set Dosas at Ganesh Prasad Veg Restaurant

I can proudly say that the food which kept me alive in Bengaluru was **Set Dosa**. Why? Because it tastes so good and you get 3 pieces — just perfect to fill your tummy. As soon as I woke up, I used to head straight to Ganesh Prasad Veg Restaurant for Set Dosa to kickstart my day.

What Was Avenue Road Famous For?

Avenue Road was and still is famous for its largest book market in the area. You can find hundreds of booksellers selling books everywhere — in shops, on stalls, and even on the footpath. The whole stretch from the old Mysore Bank Head Office Circle to Rice Memorial Church is packed with books and stationery shops.

After the Rice Memorial Church, the Jewelry shops begin, followed by hundreds of clothing shops till the famous Flower Market near the end of Avenue Road.

Other Notable Places in Avenue Road

• Rice Memorial Church of Red Color
• Indian Bank Building
• Kotak Mahindra Bank
• Kamat Veg Restaurant

Conclusion

Now a days. when I feel like visiting the Avanue Road and cherish my old memories, I just get down at Dr Ambedkar Metro Station and take a 300m walk to it. Overall, our life during college days in Avenue Road was great and serene. I will write more about our college life in Rajajinagar in the next blog.

Thanks for reading. Stay Tuned!