Virtual walk through namma ooru

Experience a city like never before, even before you make a visit. If you’re in love with your ooru, then this is something that you might like to recommend to all your friends, who’re planning to visit your favourite city — an adventurous, realistic 360-degree video that transports viewers down to the city as it is; as if you’re taking a virtual walk around its streets and hotspots.

Karl Katgara, creative director, Culture Machine who has created the concept of 360 degrees video says that these have been in use internationally for quite some time and now these concepts have made their way into India. “The reason behind creating these ‘City Darshan’ videos was that whenever we go to a new place, we want to experience the off-beat aspects a city offers, like famous pubs, eating joints, popular hangout places etc. In our Bengaluru Darshan and Mumbai Darshan videos , we have shown local places to grab a drink, what is it like outside SRK’s house in Mumbai or the best place to shop in Bengaluru? Both videos are like a guide for outsiders who have not been to these cities and want to know what to expect and where to find it,” shares Karl.

The ‘Bengaluru Darshan’ video provides a 360 degree view of the capital of Karnataka, allowing viewers to have a truly interactive experience. One can scroll in any direction to have a window view similar to that of the protagonist, allowing a virtual walk through the city. With host Sahil Khattar, team ‘Being Indian’ spent a complete day in Bengaluru, because of its role as the nation’s leading information technology (IT) exporter.

While in the pub capital and garden city of India, team ‘Being Indian’ devoured at the iconic Veena Stores and Koshy’s, gulped down beer at a local microbrewery, witnessed the architectural marvel of the Vidhan Soudha, passed through UB City, and even squeezed in time for a morning walk at the gorgeous Cubbon Park. The team spent a quiet moment at the treasure trove for second-hand books, Blossoms and the evening continued with some shopping at the iconic 33-old store Vashi’s followed by a visit to Lake Ulsoor.

Finally, they bid adieu from one of the most happening streets in the city-100 Ft Road! About his work at Culture Machine, he adds, “Our love for Bengaluru motivated us to make our second 360 degree video on the city. This video is targeted towards fun, young individuals who are new to the city or are planning to visit and wish to have a near-reality first-hand experience. We want viewers to experience every facet of the city.” When he’s not making movies, Karl adds, that he likes to, “Travel. I love to travel so I can collect experiences and stories from other travellers.”