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'We are growing backwards': This viral 1980s Bengaluru photo leaves residents lamenting a lost city
A viral 1980s photo of Bengaluru showcases empty roads and vintage cars, prompting nostalgia among users.
An old photograph of Bengaluru from the 1980s is going viral on social media, sparking a wave of nostalgia and civic frustration among residents.
The image, shared by the handle IndiaHistoryPic on X (formerly Twitter), appears to capture the MG Road–Brigade Road area, a now-bustling commercial stretch that once looked calm, clean, and spacious.
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Check out the photo here:
The black-and-white or sepia-toned photo features wide, empty roads, vintage cars, and a tree-lined boulevard on the left. For many, the contrast between past and present couldn't be starker.
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How did X users react?
Social media users were quick to reminisce and reflect. “The Bengaluru we grew up in,” one user wrote. “I still remember similar times,” said another. One comment, widely shared, read, “80s Bangalore looks 100x cleaner than today. Literacy has increased, but civic sense has declined. We are growing backwards.”
Another user pointed out that the once-leafy boulevard shown in the image was later torn down to make way for the Namma Metro project, reportedly on the orders of the then Chief Minister. “What a shame! Bengaluru doesn’t look any better or more beautiful even in 2025,” they added.
The image has reignited long-standing conversations about urban planning, infrastructure growth, and the erasure of Bengaluru’s green and cultural spaces in the name of development.
Recently, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has put forward a comprehensive 15-point action plan aimed at overhauling the city’s civic infrastructure, traffic management, and public transport systems.
Central to the proposal is the formation of a ‘Bengaluru 2050 Vision Group’, a dedicated think tank comprising subject matter experts, civic leaders, and elected representatives. The group would be tasked with drafting a long-term strategic blueprint to guide the city’s development.
Surya’s office described the initiative as a critical step toward building a resilient, efficiently governed, and future-ready Bengaluru.
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