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keyan_bowesLast month, I was in Bangalore, India's answer to Silicon Valley. I know Bangalore of old, when it was a quiet town dreaming under its widespread canopy of rain-trees.
It's certainly not that city any more. Buildings are going up everywhere, their towers poking through the ever more tattered canopy of rain trees that are coming down as roads are widened. But they're never wide enough, the roads. India's population has roughly doubled in 35 years, and its car production has risen from about 0.5 million in 1991 to around 2.8 million now.
Still, through all of this, Bangalore still has more wonderful old trees, more lush vegetation in people's front yards or on the roadsides, and more butterflies than one has any right to expect in a bustling urban area. In the commercial area in Jayanagar, we'd stopped to visit a bank. Outside, a large banyan tree grew on the corner of the road, shading the intersection. A huge black butterfly drifted over the sidewalk; it was so big I thought at first it was a piece of carbon paper or black plastic. But no, it really was a butterfly... possibly a Southern Birdwing.
After that, I seemed to see butterflies everywhere. A black and orange one fluttered over a roadside lantana bush. A brown one crossed the road from one garden to another, oblivious to the traffic. A pale blue one skittered across a lawn. Later, when I looked it up, it turns out that Karnataka, the state in which Bangalore is located, has 318 species of butterfly.
Also, I can't help thinking the general profusion and disorder favors butterflies. Gardens are generally overgrown, and caterpillars no doubt find safe havens there. There's not much difference between flowers and weeds... all vacant lots are in bloom. It doesn't take much, it seems, to encourage butterflies. A little chaos, and not too much pesticide.
It's certainly not that city any more. Buildings are going up everywhere, their towers poking through the ever more tattered canopy of rain trees that are coming down as roads are widened. But they're never wide enough, the roads. India's population has roughly doubled in 35 years, and its car production has risen from about 0.5 million in 1991 to around 2.8 million now.
Still, through all of this, Bangalore still has more wonderful old trees, more lush vegetation in people's front yards or on the roadsides, and more butterflies than one has any right to expect in a bustling urban area. In the commercial area in Jayanagar, we'd stopped to visit a bank. Outside, a large banyan tree grew on the corner of the road, shading the intersection. A huge black butterfly drifted over the sidewalk; it was so big I thought at first it was a piece of carbon paper or black plastic. But no, it really was a butterfly... possibly a Southern Birdwing.
After that, I seemed to see butterflies everywhere. A black and orange one fluttered over a roadside lantana bush. A brown one crossed the road from one garden to another, oblivious to the traffic. A pale blue one skittered across a lawn. Later, when I looked it up, it turns out that Karnataka, the state in which Bangalore is located, has 318 species of butterfly.
Also, I can't help thinking the general profusion and disorder favors butterflies. Gardens are generally overgrown, and caterpillars no doubt find safe havens there. There's not much difference between flowers and weeds... all vacant lots are in bloom. It doesn't take much, it seems, to encourage butterflies. A little chaos, and not too much pesticide.
