On Church Street in Bengaluru, weekends offer a unique experience with a variety of activities. Street performers entertain passersby with soulful music, while artists, photographers, cartoonists, and entrepreneurs showcase their innovative creations. Social media enthusiasts capture the essence of the cobbled street, and fortune tellers provide insights to curious visitors. The vibrant atmosphere reflects Bengaluru's creative essence, as expressed by residents like Kulsum and Uttamveer. Face reading services are also available, provided by Arul, a psychology student, who offers intuitive readings to interested individuals. Church Street has also become a popular spot for authors, especially those self-publishing, with success stories like Moyeen VN and Mahavir (SJ Johnson) finding their audience in this bustling setting.He offers his book on a pay-what-you-wish basis, aiming to simply share his work and collecting feedback from readers a week later.
Located at the intersection of Brigade Road and Church Street, you'll find Fakhruddin, known for his skill with the Indian coconut violin, or pitil in Kannada. He is a familiar figure in the area, offering to play any song in any language upon request. Fakhruddin has been performing on Church Street for the past 30 years and despite being blind in one eye now, he is just happy when people stop to listen to his music.
Church Street is a hub for a variety of musicians, ranging from established professionals like Raghu Dixit to up-and-coming talents and regular street performers like Fakhruddin who entertains with the pitil every weekend.
Numerous young entrepreneurs on Church Street are pursuing their business dreams alongside the challenges of adulthood. For some, like a candle seller, it is a side hustle hidden from their parents while they wait for it to take off. Others, like Shravani the resin artist and Divya the handmade jewellery maker, see Church Street as an opportunity to showcase their work and engage with interested customers. Setting up early in the morning and staying late into the night, they acknowledge the hard work behind their seemingly free spot on Church Street.Aman provides patrons with instant photo keepsakes for Rs 150. He mentions capturing up to 50 pictures in one evening. During our conversation, a group of women from Kerala, on a college reunion in Bengaluru, approach and request a photo. Aman swiftly gathers the group and expertly captures their reunion in a single shot. He then hands them the developing photo, which they are thrilled with and ask for five more. Aman expresses joy in contributing to people's memory-making experiences, stating, "People come here to create memories, and I’m happy to be a part of that."
