When B’luru in infancy foraged for its own pulse

When Bengaluru in Infancy Foraged for Its Own Pulse

By The Vagabond News | November 6, 2025

Long before it became the bustling IT metropolis of South India, Bengaluru—or more precisely the region around it—was a settlement grounded in agriculture, local cuisine and the rhythms of rural life. In tracing its humble origins, one myth stands out: that of foraging pulses in the forest and the simple meal that gave the place its name.

The Legend of the Beans

One of the most enduring stories about Bengaluru’s name holds that a 12th-century ruler of the Hoysala dynasty, namely Veera Ballala II, lost his way during a hunting expedition in the dense woods. While hungry and exhausted, he was offered a bowl of “benda kaalu” (boiled beans) by a humble old woman who found him in her hut. In gratitude, the king named the place “Benda-Kaal-Ooru”, meaning “town of boiled beans”. Over the centuries, this name is said to have evolved into the modern “Bengaluru”. (birlaevara.org.in)

Though the story remains apocryphal, it encapsulates the idea of an agrarian and foraging culture—one where pulses (beans) were a staple, where local produce sustained people, and where naming a place honoured simplicity and hospitality.

Historical Reality: Settlement, Agriculture & Early Identity

Archaeological evidence suggests human habitation in the Bengaluru region goes back thousands of years. (Wikipedia) As for crops and agriculture, the area was not some urban enclave but village clusters, tanks, fields and farms. The region’s fertility and access to water bodies (tanks constructed in medieval times) enabled cultivation of cereals, pulses and oilseeds as part of the rural economy.

While firm records about which pulses were grown locally in the earliest days are scarce, the broader agricultural profile of the state shows pulses were among the crops in earlier periods. (Bengaluru South) The folklore about “foraging for its own pulse” reflects this agricultural backbone: gathering, cooking and consuming legumes was part of everyday life.

Why the Story Matters

Cultural identity: This legend reminds city-dwellers of Bengaluru’s rural roots, before malls, offices and technology parks dominated the landscape.
Food-heritage: Pulses remain a key part of Karnataka cuisine—so the boiled-beans myth links to the culinary thread in regional life.
Memory of simplicity: In an urbanised era, the image of a king eating hand-cooked beans in a forest hut stands for humility, hospitality and the connection between land and people.
Etymology & evolution: While historians caution about accepting the legend as fact (inscriptions show the name Bengaluru or variants existed earlier than the Hoysala period). (Bangalore Mirror)

From Beans to Bengaluru: The Transformation

Over time, the settlement grew from village to small town. In 1537 CE, the local chieftain Kempe Gowda I founded a fortified town on the site, which is widely considered the origin of the modern city. (Wikipedia) From that base, the settlement expanded through the eras of Mysore, British cantonment and post-independence urbanisation—moving from fields and pulses to factories, technology parks and global services.

The Pulse Legacy in Modern Context

While the city today may not “forage for its own pulse” in the literal sense, echoes remain: local markets still feature lentils, beans and pulses; rural hinterlands around Bengaluru continue pulse cultivation; and agricultural research in Karnataka works to improve pulse yields. For example, Karnataka’s agriculture department recognises crops including pulses among priority cropping systems. (Bengaluru South)

Final Thought

The tale of Bengaluru’s early days—humble huts, foraged pulses and royal appreciation—invites us to remember that urban giants have roots in small acts of hospitality and land-based living. The “town of boiled beans” may sound whimsical today, but it reflects the nourishment, settlement and simplicity that once shaped the place now known as Bengaluru.