We all know local guide is all about adding the local touch to the place. But what does local mean?
Is it just the places that one would visit when they come to your city to get a ‘local’ touch? The word local is so much more than that.
Local is about the essence that defines the place; it is the people, their traditions, their tastes and their way of living, and that is what I bring to Maps.
I am a resident of Jayanagar, Bengaluru which is one of the oldest residential areas and its foundation was first laid in 1948. Since then it has transformed to include everything one can think of to live a happy life. Walk around Jayanagar and you are sure to find hordes of small shops emerging out of everywhere. Some of them are small eateries, carts and food trucks, novelty stores, small handicrafts or galleries.
Being an Indian, one tends to have emotional attachments to things/places. And that is what I have with Jayanagar. The area has developed and has helped people earn a comfortable living. Small businesses thrive here and that is what I am bringing with Google Maps. I want people all over the city to see what it has to offer. I review places which I feel will benefit not only the people reading my reviews but also these small shop owners.
Google Maps is now accessible so widely and the dependence on it has increased manifold. People are now more open to explore new places as well, and exploring ‘local’ culture is believed to be the true type of travel. Visiting malls, watching movies, or the few monuments of Bengaluru are worth some visits, but a true Bangalorean will swear by discovering local flower markets, shopping at novelty stores, eating at ‘darshinis’ and drinking endless cups of filter coffee!
As the local thirst for traveling peaks, I am proud to show people the city through my eyes. I conduct small tours around the food and markets of Bengaluru and make sure to put up unique details on maps which include marking places along with detailed reviews.
I would like to state one such example. ‘Evotique’ a home décor store. This store opened its doors in December 2018. It is a small store offering home décor items which are sourced and manufactured all over India. Initially, the store, being located in a residential area did not receive too many responses. But I decided to assist the owner put it up on Maps. In no time, people started noticing it and with some reviews and photographs, the response and the walk-ins were overwhelming that the owner was thankful to have put the place on Maps.
It is this genuine happiness that motivates me to continue adding my reviews and opinions on Maps!