JUNIOR EDITION for Ages 6+
India's Cities: From Village to Megacity · Book 2

Bengaluru: Rich With Nothing to Ship

How did a city with no sea, no river and no coal start working for the whole world?

In this book, you will find out…

When you grow up, you could…

Who is in the story

ShreyaShreyaCity detective. Writes everything down.
AditiAditiElectronics engineer. Makes things too small to see.
CharlieCharlieAsks one good question — then lets Shreya find out.
WarrenWarrenTurns up late. Thinks about a hundred years from now.

Today’s mystery

How did a city with no sea, no river and no coal start working for the whole world?

Look for the clues. Try to guess the answer before Shreya does!

Chapter 1

The City Far From the Sea

🔍 What does a city sell if it has nothing to put on a ship?
A new city was circled on Shreya's map. This time, nowhere near the sea.
A new city was circled on Shreya's map. This time, nowhere near the sea.
Charlie tapped the map.
Charlie tapped the map.
CharlieNo coast. No big river. No coal. Keep going.
Shreya had seen photos of this city. A huge traffic jam that never moved!
Shreya had seen photos of this city. A huge traffic jam that never moved!
And behind the jam, buildings full of people working on computers.
And behind the jam, buildings full of people working on computers.
She checked the map twice.
She checked the map twice.
ShreyaWhy HERE? There's nothing to ship!
She stepped through a green archway.
She stepped through a green archway.
ShreyaRight. Let's go and see.
She came out in a leafy street. Tiled roofs, coffee steam and giant trees.
She came out in a leafy street. Tiled roofs, coffee steam and giant trees.
Blossom on the road. Parrots overhead. It was cool, not hot!
Blossom on the road. Parrots overhead. It was cool, not hot!
Shreya’s notebook
My list: What does this city send out? (Empty so far.)
Chapter 2

A Staircase of Lakes

🔍 Where does the water come from, with no river?
An engineer was waiting with a tiny circuit board.
An engineer was waiting with a tiny circuit board.
AditiI'm Aditi. I make things too small to see.
The land here is high, dry and hard. Rock under thin soil. No river at all.
The land here is high, dry and hard. Rock under thin soil. No river at all.
Shreya saw a lake with an earth wall around it. Then another. And another.
Shreya saw a lake with an earth wall around it. Then another. And another.
Each lake spilled into the next one down the slope. A staircase of water!
Each lake spilled into the next one down the slope. A staircase of water!
Shreya touched an old stone step.
Shreya touched an old stone step.
ShreyaWait. These lakes are HANDMADE?
AditiEvery single one.
🔎 Clue found!
No river? People built their own lakes. They solve problems here.
Rocks as big as houses. Pretty — but no good for farms. So what was the gift?
Rocks as big as houses. Pretty — but no good for farms. So what was the gift?
Chapter 3

The Very Short List

🔍 What does this place actually have?
The land is very high up. Up here, it is cooler than by the sea.
The land is very high up. Up here, it is cooler than by the sea.
Cool mornings all year. People wear jumpers in a hot country!
Cool mornings all year. People wear jumpers in a hot country!
Shreya made a list of what it did NOT have. No harbour. No coal. No iron.
Shreya made a list of what it did NOT have. No harbour. No coal. No iron.
Anything heavy had to be dragged all the way up from a far-away port.
Anything heavy had to be dragged all the way up from a far-away port.
Shreya stared at her short list.
Shreya stared at her short list.
ShreyaSo the gift was… nice weather?
Mist on the lake at six in the morning. Nice. But you can't ship weather!
Mist on the lake at six in the morning. Nice. But you can't ship weather!
🔎 Clue found!
Cool weather. Almost nothing to dig up. Not much to sell.
Chapter 4

A Lab in a Market Town

🔍 How did a town start here?
It began as a mud fort and a market with four gates.
It began as a mud fort and a market with four gates.
Traders came because roads crossed here. Not for a river — there wasn't one.
Traders came because roads crossed here. Not for a river — there wasn't one.
Then, in 1909, something odd happened. Someone built a science institute here.
Then, in 1909, something odd happened. Someone built a science institute here.
Shreya looked up at it.
Shreya looked up at it.
ShreyaA laboratory. In a market town. In 1909!
The old gate is still there, half hidden by the market.
The old gate is still there, half hidden by the market.
Shreya’s notebook
1909: a science lab. Keep this clue. It might matter later!
Chapter 5

Forty Quiet Years

🔍 What did this city make for so long?
Later, the country built aeroplane works here — far from any coast or border.
Later, the country built aeroplane works here — far from any coast or border.
Then telephone parts. Then machine tools. Then electronics.
Then telephone parts. Then machine tools. Then electronics.
In plain workshops, engineers built satellites almost by hand.
In plain workshops, engineers built satellites almost by hand.
All around, engineering colleges filled up, year after year.
All around, engineering colleges filled up, year after year.
Aditi put two circuit boards side by side.
Aditi put two circuit boards side by side.
AditiNone of this was famous at the time.
For forty years, the city made engineers. But it made almost nothing to ship.
For forty years, the city made engineers. But it made almost nothing to ship.
A workbench, a soldering iron, and lots of patience.
A workbench, a soldering iron, and lots of patience.
Shreya looked at her list. Still almost empty. So how does this city sell anything?
Shreya looked at her list. Still almost empty. So how does this city sell anything?
Chapter 6

A Dish on the Roof

🔍 How can a city sell things with no ships and no trucks?
One day, a big dish went up on a roof. Shreya stared at it.
One day, a big dish went up on a roof. Shreya stared at it.
Inside, people were sending their work far away. No box. No crate.
Inside, people were sending their work far away. No box. No crate.
Shreya worked it out herself.
Shreya worked it out herself.
ShreyaIt goes through the AIR!
AditiNow you have it.
And when people here work, the other side of the world is asleep.
And when people here work, the other side of the world is asleep.
So the work never stops. It just moves round the world, like the sun.
So the work never stops. It just moves round the world, like the sun.
Most of the work is drawing boxes on a whiteboard until they are right.
Most of the work is drawing boxes on a whiteboard until they are right.
The work leaves as light down a cable. Nothing gets loaded onto anything.
The work leaves as light down a cable. Nothing gets loaded onto anything.
🔎 Clue found!
The city sends out THINKING. It travels down a wire.
The dishes are still on the roofs. They were the harbour all along!
The dishes are still on the roofs. They were the harbour all along!
Chapter 7

People From Everywhere

🔍 If a city sends out thinking, what has to come in?
Shreya guessed before Aditi said a word.
Shreya guessed before Aditi said a word.
ShreyaPeople! Thinkers have to come here!
She was right. They came for the colleges first.
She was right. They came for the colleges first.
At lunch, Shreya heard five languages at one table. Nobody thought it was odd.
At lunch, Shreya heard five languages at one table. Nobody thought it was odd.
Shreya listened.
Shreya listened.
ShreyaEveryone here came from somewhere else.
AditiTheir children will say they're from here.
People from the big firms started small firms of their own.
People from the big firms started small firms of their own.
Shreya counted on her fingers.
Shreya counted on her fingers.
ShreyaColleges, firms, new firms, more people. It's a LOOP!
Charlie sat under an old tree in the garden. He just nodded.
Charlie sat under an old tree in the garden. He just nodded.
Filter coffee at seven. Then everyone goes to work. But how do they all get there?
Filter coffee at seven. Then everyone goes to work. But how do they all get there?
Chapter 8

The Lakes Come Back

🔍 What happens when a city grows too fast?
Shreya tried to cross town. The traffic did not move for twenty minutes.
Shreya tried to cross town. The traffic did not move for twenty minutes.
And the old problem came back. Still no river. Now millions of people need water.
And the old problem came back. Still no river. Now millions of people need water.
Some of the handmade lakes had been built on. Rain had nowhere to go.
Some of the handmade lakes had been built on. Rain had nowhere to go.
Shreya spotted it.
Shreya spotted it.
ShreyaIt's the LAKES! They filled in the lakes!
Now, lake by lake, people are mending the old water staircase.
Now, lake by lake, people are mending the old water staircase.
And a metro train is rising over the traffic, line by line.
And a metro train is rising over the traffic, line by line.
Herons still come. The lake is tired, but it is not finished.
Herons still come. The lake is tired, but it is not finished.
Chapter 9

One Line on the List

🔍 So — what does this city send out?
On the last evening, Warren sat on a bench.
On the last evening, Warren sat on a bench.
WarrenWhat will this city have in a hundred years?
Office lights glowed between dark trees. Shreya thought about the 1909 lab.
Office lights glowed between dark trees. Shreya thought about the 1909 lab.
On her last morning, Shreya stood on an ordinary street. A coffee stall. A school gate.
On her last morning, Shreya stood on an ordinary street. A coffee stall. A school gate.
A lake behind the houses. A college down the road.
A lake behind the houses. A college down the road.
She finally wrote one line on her list.
She finally wrote one line on her list.
ShreyaNothing to ship. So they shipped THINKING.
Lakes and a mud fort. Then colleges. Then glass and a metro.
Lakes and a mud fort. Then colleges. Then glass and a metro.
She wrote it small. One line was enough.
She wrote it small. One line was enough.

All the clues

  1. No river? People built their own lakes. They solve problems here.
  2. Cool weather. Almost nothing to dig up. Not much to sell.
  3. The city sends out THINKING. It travels down a wire.

So… How did a city with no sea, no river and no coal start working for the whole world?

Bengaluru had cool weather and almost nothing to dig up. So it made engineers instead — for a hundred years. Then a dish on a roof let their work travel through the air.

OmahaIndia Junior · a simpler version of Book 1 for readers aged 6-8