A heartfelt post by a native Bengalurean has sparked widespread reflection online, reigniting conversations around identity, language and the evolving cultural landscape of Karnataka’s capital city.
In a post shared on Reddit, a user who identifies as a Kannadiga and lifelong resident of Bengaluru expressed growing alienation in their own hometown - particularly in the professional workspace. Titled "I’m a Bangalorean, but I feel like a stranger in my own city.. especially at Work," the post has resonated with thousands.
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“I’m a Bangalorean, a Kannadiga, born and raised here, working in Bangalore, yet I feel like an outsider in my own city,” the post begins.
The writer goes on to describe a deepening sense of cultural disconnection - a feeling shaped not by hostility, but by absence. The user observes that, in their office, they are the only South Indian on their team, and one of the very few native Bengalureans on their entire floor of over 400 employees. Hindi, they note, has become the dominant language spoken around them, often leaving them feeling culturally sidelined.
“No offence to people from other states.. it’s nice that you’ve made Bangalore your home too. But somewhere along the way, Bangalore stopped feeling like home for me,” the post continues.
The sentiment isn't rare. The post prompted a wave of comments from other Bengalureans and long-time residents who echoed similar feelings of cultural dilution - not through conflict or exclusion, but via the quiet erosion of local language and traditions in shared spaces like offices, cafes and apartment complexes.
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“Bro, I am from Dharwad and my hindi has become so fluent that in my new company for few months my colleagues thought I was north Indian until they heard me speak in kannada on my phone,” a user replied to the post.
“This is the reason resentment slowly builds up and what we see is stray incidents of people going ballistic about speaking kannada. Bangalorean here myself who speaks (Kannada, hindi, tamil, telugu and malayalam fluently) and I don't appreciate it when people are conversing with each other in Hindi in a professional work set up. The older Bangalore had folks come and settle from Kerala, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh and they integrated so well with each other the newer folks don't make enough efforts and that shows,” another response stated.
A city in transition
Bengaluru, often dubbed India’s Silicon Valley, has long been a magnet for professionals from across the country. Its booming tech industry, cosmopolitan lifestyle and ideal climate have drawn millions, and the success resulting from it has transformed the cultural makeup of the city.