Jakkur Lake to Rachenanalli - Meditation on the run

Lakes were never built for runners!

They were built to hold water. To support agriculture. To quench the thirst of people and settlements.

Most lakes were not born out of democratic discussions or citizen consultations. They were envisioned and created by those who ruled.

Yet...., lakes have always belonged to the people.

Over centuries, their purpose has evolved. In a city like Bengaluru, lakes are no longer agricultural assets. They have become breathing spaces, walking spaces, running spaces, and places where people reconnect with nature—and perhaps with themselves!

The lakes are adapting to us. We must also learn to adapt to them.

Perhaps that is why today's run between lakes of Jakkur and Rachenahalli felt different.

Jakkur carries documented history dating back to the 10th century. Whether the lake is 700 years old or over a thousand years old does not matter. It has watched generations arrive and depart. I am not sure how old Rachenahalli Lake is, but it too has quietly become part of Bengaluru's unfolding story.

The route between the two lakes passed through green and relatively clean neighbourhoods. Running there did not feel like exercise. It felt like meditation. 🌿

But lakes have a way of doing that.

During  the event, I could see the passion for the area and its lakes in the eyes of Krishna Byre Gowda. Arun Pai (footpath walk fame) was also on the route, running and auditing the city's cleanliness as he often does. I met him after the run. My guess is that he was reasonably happy—not many potholes, not many garbage black spots and his work reduced for today. But I will wait for his official verdict. 🙂

Personally, I felt most parts of the route were remarkably clean.

I also noticed efforts to visually mask some of the drainage entry points into the lake. That definitely made the running experience more pleasant. But in the long run, what matters is not hiding the problem but ensuring that every drop is treated before it enters the lake.

To the credit of people who are working for betterment of these two lakes, both lakes seem to be moving in the right direction—certainly better than many others across Bengaluru.

One thing I particularly appreciated was that the lakes have retained earthen walking paths. Unlike the concrete-heavy approaches seen around several city lakes, these trails still allow you to feel the earth beneath your feet.

A small design choice.

An important one. 👣

The run did not end at the finish line.

Afterwards, we visited the inscription stones and veeragallus of Jakkur, dating from the 10th to the 15th centuries.

As we stood before the stones, Maya appeared.

Or perhaps she was always there.

She ran her fingers gently across the weathered surface of a veeragallu and smiled.

"These stones survived because people remembered them," she said.

"Will the lakes survive because people run around them?"

Nobody answered.

Not Suresh. Not Vasudha. Not me.

The morning breeze moved across.

Maya continued.

"A thousand years ago, people built lakes because they understood their dependence on them. Today, people gather around lakes because they seek happiness, health and peace."

She paused.

"The question is whether these two reasons can become one."

Before anyone could respond, she had already started walking away.

History through inscriptions and veeragallus. 

A beautiful, meditative run in the present.

And hope that the future will be shaped by a deeper conversation between lakes and people. ❤️

What more does one need for a happiness in the run😍?

Or perhaps Maya would ask a different question:

"What more does a lake need from us?"