Bangalore:
In the breathless, changing, noisy and crowded modern city that is Bangalore - it is always a treat to slow down and look back at what used to be.
Bangalore has many people who swear by the vintage cars they have lovingly preserved over the years. And once in a while, these cars are take out with pride - like in the ITC Vintage & Classic Car and Bike Parade held in the city over the weekend.
Dr Ravi Praksh, Secratary of the Karnataka Vintage and Classic Car Club of Bangalore said 50 cars and 12 motorcycles were on the roads of the city as part of the parade - the oldest car was over a hundred years old, dating from 1909.
Neha, a Bangalore resident spoke to us in between admiring the cars. "It's really nice to see such beautiful cars. It's actually a treat to eyes. It is good to see so many people are proud to own these and maintain these so well," she said.
Virender Rajdhan, General Manager of ITC Windsor said, "We are connecting Bangalore with Bengaluru through this vintage and classic car rally because this is what Bangalore is all about. It's about finesse, it is about its culture, beautiful buildings and beautiful weather."
This year's rally had something extra - a tribute to freedom fighters and scholars of Karnataka.
One of the freedom fighters who took a ride in the vintage cars, Doraiswamy was in a nostalgic mood. He said, "In the days of the freedom struggle, while travelling with Congress, they were no cars. To campaign, our leaders would go from village to village in bullock carts - or if they were lucky they would use old Ford car. In this way they used to shout slogans "Gandhi ki Jai" "Bharat mata ki Jai". It is thrilling here, because they have preserved the old cars. It has given us the opportunity to travel by these." When asked if he liked the old cars better than the modern ones, he said, "We like old wine... you know that! These old cars have given us a thrill!"
They don't make them like this anymore.