I've lived in Bangalore for 10 years. I have never been to Bangalore Palace. We ignore the marvels in our own backyard because "we can go anytime." So we never go.

For 1 day, I dressed like a tourist (Hat, Camera around neck, Fanny Pack) and visited the Top 3 "Must See" spots.

> SPOT 1: TIPU SULTAN'S SUMMER PALACE

Expectation

Grandeur. History. Echoes of war.

Reality

Couples carving their names into the 200-year-old wood. "Raju luvs Pinky." It was small, dusty, and crowded. BUT, the architecture was stunning if you looked up (ignoring the graffiti).

> SPOT 2: THE BULL TEMPLE

I bought flowers. I stood in line. Everyone around me was from North India or Foreigners. I was the only "Local" speaking Kannada, yet I was the one taking the most photos. A guide tried to sell me a "Special Darshan." SCAM DETECTED "Sir, I live in Basavanagudi," I told him. He vanished. Local knowledge is kryptonite to touist scams.

> SPOT 3: BANGALORE PALACE

Entry Ticket: ₹500 (Ouch)
Grand Ballroom
Old Hunting Trophies

The entry fee was ₹500 for Indians. ₹1000 for foreigners. I actually paid it. And... it was worth it. Walking through the ballroom, I realized I pass this building every day in traffic, cursing the jams, never realizing there is a literal castle behind the trees. It changed my perspective of my commute.

> THE STRANGEST FEELING

Being a tourist in your own city makes you invisible. You are observing your own habitat from the outside. You see the beauty (the trees, the history). You see the ugliness (the trash, the scams). You stop taking the city for granted.

> CONCLUSION

Don't wait for a guest to visit to see your city. Take a day off. Be a tourist. You might fall in love with your home again. Or at least, you'll finally know where that huge wall on Palace Road leads to.