The woes of Bengaluru’s notorious traffic are all too familiar. From foreign delegates missing major events to locals resorting to unicycles just to get around, the news that comes out from the traffic problems of the city are common on most of our feeds. But amidst this daily chaos, a throwback image of the city’s past has offered a rare moment of reflection for its residents.
Shared by the popular history-themed X account India History Pic, the sepia-toned photo captures a tranquil stretch of MG Road-Brigade Road from the 1980s. The caption reads, “1980s: Street Scene, Bangalore”. The image itself speaks volumes; quiet roads, sparse traffic and clean surroundings, painting a stark contrast to today’s bustling urban sprawl.
1980s :: Street Scene, Bangalore pic.twitter.com/uxGV8Q4sId
— indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) July 4, 2025
The image quickly went viral, garnering more than 8,000 views and sparking a conversation online about the city’s transformation in all these years. Some users were swept away by nostalgia, remembering about the Bengaluru they grew up in. “I still remember similar times,” one user wrote.
Others expressed frustration, using the image to highlight what they see as the city’s civic decline. “80s Bangalore looks 100x cleaner than today. Literacy increased, but not civic sense. We are growing backwards,” one user commented on the post. Another pointed to the removal of the iconic boulevard for the Namma Metro project, saying, “Bengaluru doesn’t look any better or beautiful even in 2025.”
This isn’t the first time such an image has stirred emotion. In March, a 1950s-era photo of car parking on MG Road, complete with vintage automobiles and cycle rickshaws, also captivated the internet.