Why Mount Carmel's finest will always be drawn to Loafer's Lane in Bengaluru!

Why was Loafer’s Lane named so? And why do girls from MCC love hanging out there? We talk to a few residents who have been living near the lane for years to find out the answers
Loafer's Lane opposite Mount Carmel College is one the best hangout place for any college student
Loafer's Lane opposite Mount Carmel College is one the best hangout place for any college student

Every new student of Mount Carmel College (MCC) in Bengaluru wonders why the lane opposite to their college gate is called Loafer’s Lane. And how this particular lane in Vasanth Nagar, which was originally called 8th Main Road, was rechristened as Loafer’s Lane is a story which continues to amuse every student, new and old. 

Describing the scenario in the mid-80s and 90s, old residents who have been living on this street for years, inform that this place was a hot spot for many college boys who would visit to catch a glimpse of pretty girls from MCC. Kumar S, who has been residing in the vicinity for over 30 years, has seen in the past how boys from different colleges in Bengaluru would throng the lane in question. He says, "Some boys would bring their bikes and ride it at high speeds just to impress girls. Today, the scenario is not the same and we don't find as many boys as there were before. From then on, the street has been called Loafer’s Lane," he says.

Old Eatery: RR's Blue Mount of Mount Carmel College Road is over 20 years old shop 

This lane is a favourite for most of the girls of MCC for the simple reason that everything is available within a radius of 200 metres of this street. From the smallest eateries to xerox shops and cyber cafés, there is nothing that this lane lacks. Apart from this, the lane has bookstores, stationery shops, paying guest rooms and salons. Shukrutha Sanjeev, a BSc student from MCC, says that the street was probably named Loafer’s Lane because students keep loafing around there. She says, "When we run out of options for places to hang out, this street is one of the best places to come to. And it has all kinds of stores which are essential for students. I think no other college in the city has a street like this to hang out."

When it comes to eateries, the street has one of the oldest places called RR's Blue Mount, also known as Raj uncle's shop or Mexican chaat shop. This shop is famous for Mexican chaat, pasta and one of their signature dishes, deltaazz. They are filling and at the same time, prices are as low as Rs 60.

Food Fame: Mexican Chaat costs Rs 60 and it is the most popular dish on loafer's lane 

Mexican chaat is prepared using homemade nachos and Mexican beans topped with cheese and capsicum which not just looks yummy, it tastes delicious too. R Rajendra, who is the owner of this shop, credits his wife for preparing the nachos at home. He says, "Mexican chaat was born out of an accident, I never thought that it would gain so much popularity. Once, my wife and I visited Mumbai and ate a Mexican dish. That's when we thought that we should try and make the same dish using Mexican beans. We served the dish to our friends during my son's birthday. Everyone liked it and we decided to introduce it in our shop’s menu. Till date, this item sells like hotcakes. Former students of the college even bring their children here to eat Mexican chaat."

Another famous item at Raj Uncle's shop is deltaazz. This strange-sounding dish looks like a pizza, but it is made with brown bread. Topped with cheese slices and vegetables, it is as yummy as it looks and even satisfies one's hunger. Those who love chicken can opt for its non-vegetarian version which comes with cheese and chicken toppings. 

Pop stick: Choco Pops costs Rs 50 each and sold by the Desserted Café

Apart from Raj Uncle's shop, Desserted is a café where most students hang out after bunking classes. Nadiya Simran, who is an employee of the café, says that the mango cupcakes and chocolate pops are a hit among MCC girls. While the mango cupcake costs `90 each, chocolate pops cost only `50.

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