'Please forgive us, Gowdre': Redditors discuss current state of Bengaluru on Kempegowda Jayanti

Bengaluru's transformation from a serene town to a tech hub sparked nostalgia among locals, who feel alienated by rapid expansion.

As Bengaluru marked the birth anniversary of its visionary founder, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, netizens took to Reddit to reflect on the city's transformation, from a laid-back garden town to a bustling tech metropolis. The occasion, Kempegowda Jayanti, became more than a commemoration; it sparked a candid conversation about what the city has gained, lost, and continues to grapple with.

Nadaprabhu Kempegowda's Jayanti is celebrated on June 27 (ANI/ PIB)

Here is the post

Often celebrated as the man who laid the foundation of modern Bengaluru, Kempegowda was praised in several posts for his foresight in urban planning. One user explained to newcomers, “Kempegowda founded Bengaluru and envisioned a city with interconnected lakes, which prevented flooding and helped keep the city cool during summers.”

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bengaluru/comments/1ll99ev/happy_birthday_gowdre_please_forgive_us_for_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

But alongside admiration, there was a deep sense of nostalgia and regret.

One of the most emotional posts read: “Happy birthday Gowdre, please forgive us for the current state of Bengaluru.” The line struck a chord with many, opening the floodgates to a heartfelt discussion on how the city’s rapid expansion has left long-time residents feeling alienated.

A local user shared: “As someone born and brought up in Bengaluru, I hate what the city has become. Others may like it, but for us locals, it's changed beyond recognition. There was a time when traffic was minimal, the weather was lovely — and we didn’t even talk about it much, it was just normal. The city had people from different linguistic backgrounds even before the IT boom, but it wasn’t this frustrating.”

He went on to add a sobering concern about the city’s future: “If Bengaluru keeps expanding to the outskirts places like Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Dabaspet, and Magadi, what will be left of its core identity? I fear the population density will choke every part of the city.”

Others chimed in with similar sentiments, recalling a Bengaluru of tree-lined roads, slower days, and a more cohesive cultural fabric, something they feel is being diluted in today’s startup-driven, traffic-jammed urban sprawl.

Interestingly, the post also attracted newcomers to the city who admitted they weren’t familiar with Kempegowda and his legacy. “New to Bangalore and trying to dive into Kannada history — who is this?” one asked. The thread soon turned into a mini history lesson, with users detailing how Kempegowda established the city's early layout, built lakes, and erected towers to demarcate the city’s boundaries — markers that still exist today.