Bangalore Night... Life?

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It seems as though it's the wrong time to be in Bangalore for the party crowd. For those of you who don't live in Bangalore and haven't had to deal, there is an 11:30 pm curfew. The only businesses allowed to stay open after 11:30 are a couple of 24 hour coffee shops that are serviced by some of the best hotels in Bangalore, such as Leela Palace or Pinxx. Not to mention, a dancing ban was enforced, on January 25th of this year, in all nightclubs, bars, etc. The idea is to eliminate all public dancing with alcohol involved, but it has gone far beyond that. I don't understand the thought that went into this. Why take night time entertainment away from a city that is overflowing with people? And Bangalore used to be the pubcity of India! After going to a fashion party last night at a bar called ICE I heard a bit of hearsay from the crowd that I found interesting. Apparently, there used to be these things called "dance bars" in India, which are now banned in most, if not all, cities. A dance bar is the equivalent of a strip club in the US, but with out the strip. The women that danced in these bars would be relatively well covered, but were ultimately dancing for the same reason-- to entertain and be paid by the male customers. Some of the people I talked to made mention of the dance bars influence on other dance scenes. When the dance bars were closed down it seems as though there were women who tried to pick up business in the bars and clubs. I don't know if it escalated to the point where any woman dancing with men and alcohol became a sign of promiscuity or something along those lines. I am not even sure if this is to be believed, but it was interesting to hear about. Whatever the case, Bangalore's night life is basically non-existent. After going to a number of parties, pubs, and Taika, the one club I know of in Bangalore, I have been witness to the effects it is having on the people.

India's youth is struggling. They are frustrated in more ways then one and with no outlet it will continue to build under the surface until it explodes-- and I don't want to be here when it does. With an already very traditional and strict set of cultures they are now limited further by the government who wants to keep them still. The fact is, you can't control what someone chooses to do with their life and that includes sex and drugs. Setting these limitations will only lead the people who want to drink and dance to find other ways to get their kicks. What is more unsafe: controlled outlets or the ingenuity of youth? My only stance is that I love dancing and I know what it can do. It allows all of the bad energy that has built up in your body throughout the day to be released through the feet. It allows you to forget all the problems in your life even it is just for a night. Sometimes one night is all it takes.

These kinds of limitations on a city that is growing so fast and has its biggest influx of foreigners yet is not going to reflect well in the future. People need to be aware of this ban and know what their rights are.

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Photos

Guzzlers
good music, good times

Bangalore at Night
View from the 13th Floor.

13th Floor--- bar and lounge, Bangalore city backdrop
Amanda and Rachel smoking Hooka

Taika
Leslie and Rachel not dancing.

Comments

[venkatesh]

problem with having Bars open after 11:30
Hi. I wil agree with you when you say, Bangalore should not have 11:30 PM curfew but please remember that india is unlike US or Uk , here you have law and order problem after 11:30 PM. Women will have problem reaching home after 11:00 since certain places are remote. The banning happened since there many casses of hit and run and people were killed because of the Dranken driving . police felt that it is difficult to control crowd after 11:00 PM. This problem will continue till law and order are enforced . Indian youth are only struggling in city. there is nothing wrong with being traditional. As you know so called progessive countries have youth who are confused and frustrated .Everything westeren is not a progress . I can be traditional yet progessive. They do not drink or dance yet they can be happy.

[Lynn 2008]

everyone should dance
Traditional yet progressive is something to be admired :) I am sorry if what I said came across as condescending towards tradition and no where did I say that India was not progressive... That was not my point at all. Of course there are frustrated young people in America! I might even be one of them, which is why I know that dancing and having access to a good social scene is key to letting stress go and having fun. I have seen alot of young people here who are frustrated and reckless because of the restraints, whether they were caused by the ban or by their own traditions. It is sad that they don't have certain possibilites in a city such as Bangalore. Of course, I was not aware of all of the problems that had occured because I am new to Bangalore and I was interested in knowing exactly what caused the ban. It still seems like an unfair trade just so the police do not to have to patrol after 11:30, if that is even the case. You are right though, there are many other ways to have fun besides drinking, but dancing... dancing is a must :)

[Anonymous]

stupid laws
Yeah I've been born and raised in Bangalore and I've been studying in the U.S. for the last few years and I would just like to say that I think the no dancing, no drinking, no smoking laws and especially the curfew, are pretty much the stupidest things ever! Our city has grown SO much from when I was younger, it's insane how much it's developed and how much our lifestyles have changed, and to have so much 'progress' and then have such horrid backward conservative laws implemented is RIDICULOUS. I am going back to India soon and I'm going to try and figure out a way to fight this. This is absolutely atrocious....I mean younger people love to go out and have a good time and earlier on, like when I was in high school clubs would close way later, atleast only at maybe 2 or 3 and to have them close at 11:30 which is around when people usually start drinking and having a good time is pathetic. I agree, people don't HAVE to drink to have a good time, but its unfair to have the drinking/dancing option being taken away..it's so stupid. Strip clubs or go-go dancing bars are completely different from nightclubs where people go eat drink and dance and basically relax after a tiring day at college or work. This concept of 'moral policing' is ridiculous and I'm surprised it's carried on for so long. If a city like Bombay can control it's drunk driving, Bangalore should be able to too. I do find it frustrating to not be able to have a drink after 11:30 and dance!! I MEAN COME ON!

[vicky]

Don't believe it !
I don't really believe it,that there can be people who says "They do not drink or dance yet they can be happy" - is that what the young generation should do ? Chat,crack jokes and be happy ? If this thing had everything to do with so called "culture and tradition" maybe then we should ban the use of jeans and T shirts and start wearing dhotis and even ban foreign companies in India because they bring bad culture! This is really unacceptable in a country which has markets spreading all over the world.Moreover i thought people could always choose their ways - drink and drive- that's your problem,problems reaching home -totally your problem.There's no law which says 'stay till bars and pubs close'.Its just ridiculous that these bans(even dancing !GOD help!) are being imposed - Its like taking INDIA into a more conservative society and cutting off links to the real world AND thinking that young people should read books,laugh and be happy!