‘Bang’ in Bangalore has weathered all weather

TIMES CITY CAMPAIGN: STOP THIS MONUMENTAL NEGLECT
‘Bang’ in Bangalore has weathered all weather
Times of India

Mention ‘Bangalore’ outside the state and chances are of people either exclaiming about the standard ‘salubrious weather’ or more likely, the tech label that sits rather comfortably of late.

But Bangalore is also about Kempe Gowda; Tipu Sultan’s summer palace and the Bangalore Palace; a history of nearly 500 years; a long-forgotten fort; about Malleswaram and Basavanagudi and much, much more. In short, a rich culture and heritage that the city is in danger of forgetting on the silicon fast track to the future.

“Apathy — both public and government — has ensured that many things representing Bangalore’s face have disappeared. Hundreds of buildings are lost forever. There is no legislation to protect and preserve such things. The Bangalore Urban Arts Commission did fill some of that void, but with its closure, we are left with nothing at all,’’ says an old timer.

But happily for Bangalore, not everybody is content with letting things be as they are. In the absence of government direction, it is private initiative that takes root: the city is teeming with people who are willing to rush where the government should but doesn’t care.

“We have undertaken restoration of many buildings like Mayo Hall, Krishna Rao Park, band stand, etc. We are also keen on doing heritage walks on a regular basis, but we need government support for that. We have been pressing for a legislation, but it has been an uphill task all along,’’ says Intach’s (Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage) H.R. Pratibha.

There’s also Aarambh (An Association for Reviving Awareness about the Monuments of Bangalore Heritage) and its zealous founder Suresh Moona, who have filled a vacuum and are a repertory of information on Bangalore’s heritage.

For years now, Aarambh has been giving slide show-cum-lectures in schools, colleges, voluntary organisations and elsewhere, where people want to know more about the city and its living history. Through this, not only does the organisation wants to create awareness, but also aims to evoke curiosity and spur people to see monuments. Then perhaps, egg them on about the necessity of protecting rich and fragile heritage.

But there’s more that’s required. Heritage clubs in schools, subjects on heritage as mandatory part of the curriculum; regular visits to museums and monuments; heritage walks for locals and visitors alike; community involvement — the list is endless.

After all, the bang in Bangalore is not just because of the New-Gen hip-hop, but also the long road it has taken to reach here.

THEY MAKE NAMMA BENGALURU UNIQUE
Kempe Gowda towers:

Four towers, originally built to demarcate the boundaries of Bangalore, are now very much inside city limits. They are part of the city’s heritage monuments.

Malleswaram and Basavanagudi:
Legend has it that noted writer R.K. Narayan found the name for his fictional Malgudi from these two areas. That apart, these are two of the city’s oldest areas with a charm and flavour all of their own. Sadly, many of Malleswaram’s bungalows and Basavanagudi’s gable-roof houses have given way to multi-storeyed complexes.

Kadalekayi parishe:
Annual groundnut fair near Bull Temple in Basavanagudi. A treat to watch. Mounds of newly harvested groundnuts are heaped all along the road for vendors and citizens to choose their pick.

Cubbon Park and Lalbagh:
Two parks that have contributed to Bangalore’s tag as garden city; flower shows in Lalbagh are hugely popular.

Colonial bungalows:
An important part of Bangalore’s history, these too are coming under the hammer, of the demolition kind.

Sankey, Ulsoor, Hebbal and Bellandur tanks:
Four of the city’s largest and well known tanks, these are unfortunately representative of a dwindling breed of water bodies.

Karaga:
Bangalore’s most famous night-long religious festival, and probably the only one where Yudhishtir (eldest of the Pandava princes) is revered. Most secular, as the Karaga visits a mosque on the way.

WE THE PEOPLE
CELEBRITY
T.N. Seetharam, film and TV director: The way Bangalore is growing, it is difficult to suggest how to maintain the city’s rich cultural heritage. The BDA should have been Bangalore Maintenance Authority so that it could have taken care of our cultural heritage. I think we should have a panel comprising artistes, writers and litterateurs to suggest how to keep our heritage intact.


AAM JANATA
Dr B.T. Rudresh, homoeopath doctor: To know what we are today or what we will be tomorrow, we have to understand what we were yesterday. Only monuments can tell us the history and culture of a society in any city. Sadly, though Bangalore has great monuments and heritage points, they have been neglected by the government.