Bengaluru resident criticizes jogging ban in Indiranagar Park

A Bengaluru resident recently expressed her frustration over a rule prohibiting jogging in an Indiranagar park. Taking to social media she questioned the rationale behind the restriction and criticized the increasing policing of public spaces in the city. 

Sharing a photo on X of a board listing park regulations such as “No Jogging”, “Walk in clockwise direction”, and “No gaming activities”, Sahana challenged the restrictions on public space usage. “You have got to be joking, right? No jogging in Indiranagar park?  What’s next, no Western clothes in parks? What have joggers ever done to parks?” she wrote, raising concerns over how Bengaluru’s public spaces are being controlled,  either by the government or local groups managing park maintenance. 

You have got to be joking right? No jogging in Indiranagar park?What's next, no Western clothes in parks?
What have joggers ever done to parks?
The lack of public spaces is one problem in Bangalore but another one no one speaks about is the policing of the existing public spaces… pic.twitter.com/00SkiVrk6k

— Sahana (@sahana_srik)

You have got to be joking right? No jogging in Indiranagar park?What's next, no Western clothes in parks?
What have joggers ever done to parks?
The lack of public spaces is one problem in Bangalore but another one no one speaks about is the policing of the existing public spaces… pic.twitter.com/00SkiVrk6k

— Sahana (@sahana_srik) March 13, 2025

">March 13, 2025

Her post quickly gained traction, sparking mixed reactions from X users. While some sympathized with her frustration, calling the restrictions “bizarre” and “ridiculous”, others defended the rule, suggesting that narrow walking pathways might justify the jogging ban. “There’s a park in Koramangala with a similar rule. It took me a while to understand that it helps avoid space conflicts”, one user explained.

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Another user compared the situation to the need for designated lanes, stating, “Just like you need a cycle lane and a footpath, they can’t be combined into one.”

Some users, however, found the rule amusing. “Wonder what will happen if someone starts jogging anti-clockwise”,  one joked.

Beyond the jogging ban itself, the post has reignited a larger debate in Bengaluru, while the city already faces a shortage of public spaces, the regulation and perceived ‘gatekeeping’ of existing parks remain a contentious issue among residents.