Speakers
Language: English and Kannada
Crisp on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside, and delicious all round, the Bengaluru dose has been a defining symbol of the city for over a century. This conversation brings together the custodians of two of Bengaluru’s generational eateries, the century-old Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan and the eighty-three-year-old Vidyarthi Bhavan, to reveal the challenges of staying relevant in a global city with a whimsical and adventurous palate, and the joys of keeping a longstanding tradition alive.
The dose did not earn its place by accident. It owes its dominance to the quiet, painstaking work of family-run restaurants, who have ensured over generations that the dose and its companions, chutney, palya, and sambar, never fall below the dizzyingly high standards set by their founders. In an increasingly crowded dosa-scape of Mysore masale, Davangere benne, and Mylari, of upstarts like ghee podi, and even the odd travesty like Schezwan, that consistency is what keeps the Bengaluru dose on top.
Venue: Seminar Halls
Speakers
Arun Adiga
Arun Adiga is a Telecommunications Engineering graduate from BMS College, Bengaluru, with nearly a decade of corporate experience at BPL, Gateway Systems and Reliance Infocomm. In 2005, he left the corporate world to join his father, Shri Ramakrishna Adiga, and carry forward the legacy of Vidyarthi Bhavan, one of Bengaluru’s iconic heritage restaurants. His journey there has been one of balancing tradition with evolving systems and practices, preserving the institution’s legacy while contributing to its operations and growth. His association with customers across generations has given him a strong appreciation for the emotional connect people share with Vidyarthi Bhavan.
H.S. Subramanya Holla
H.S. Subramanya Holla is a B.Com graduate and the son of H.J. Srinivasa. He is the owner and partner of Udupi Sri Krishna Bhavan, Balepet, a legacy establishment founded in 1926 that recently completed 100 years. Representing the third generation, he has been associated with the hotel for the past 40 years and is also associated with its branch in Gandhi Bazaar. He currently serves as the President of the Bangalore Hotels Association and as Vice President of Dakshina Kannada Koota Brahmanara Mitra Mandali, which runs Gurunarasimha Kalyana Mandira on Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi.
Roopa Pai
Roopa Pai is a writer, columnist, speaker and co-founder of BangaloreWalks, Bangalore’s oldest heritage walks and tours company. One of India’s best-known children’s authors, her many best-selling books include The Gita for Children, part of Amazon India’s list of ‘100 Indian Books to Read in a Lifetime’. She also writes extensively about her hometown, including in Becoming Bangalore: Stories that Shaped a Hometown and Cubbon Park: The Green Heart of Bengaluru. With the recent release of Every Day a Celebration, she adds ‘Translator’ to her bio.
