DH does a plug for what is theft of public space

A Garuda in B’lore’s malls
Deccan Herald
Shopping is big in Silicon City of India and a favourite pastime too. The newest addition to the mall culture is Garuda on Magrath Road.


With ‘Shop-o-tainment’ as its tagline, Garuda Mall is replete with new age entertainment and shopping joints. The main attraction for people is that it is situated centrally with plenty of parking space. The mall craze is such that people don’t seem to mind hanging out at the new mall, which still has a strong smell of fresh paints and cement. They are also not irked by the noise of drilling and cutting machines as the work is yet to be completed.

Garuda Mall - with its international outlook - will be formally inaugurated by mid-July, says B G Uday, MD, Euroamer Garuda Resorts (India) Pvt Ltd. Though many brands and firms have taken on an English name, this mall is different. “I am a Kannadiga and my family diety is Garuda. I always wanted to name the mall after the deity,” says Uday.

The mall has a dedicated space for product launches and brand promotions. At Garuda 66 stores have already opened shop and many others are on the verge of completion. There are different categories - apparel, footwear, accessories for women, men and children, infant basics, music, coffee shop, food court, supermarket, to name a few. Noted brands like Shoppers Stop, Westside, Marks & Spencers, Mango, Health & Glow, Fabindia, Alukkas Jewellery, Archies, Swarovski, etc., have already opened their account here.

The shops on the second floor all sell products for the fairer sex. Though this was not really planned, the builders can now boast of an exclusive all-women’s floor. With a built up area of 2.6 lakh sq feet, Garuda boasts of having the largest parking space compared to other malls in Bangalore, and a five-screen Inox theatre. The theatre can accommodate 1,200 people and the ticket price has not yet been disclosed. The mall also has a 100-room luxury hotel, again a first to its credit.

Mr Uday says, “All precautions to ensure optimum safety have been taken during the designing phase itself. State-of-the-art, fire fighting gadgets have been installed, along with 19 escalators and 14 elevators to facilitate maximum convenience. Once all the floors are fully operational people will have a clear picture of how efficiently the facilities can be used.”

A capsule lift has been installed to ensure comfort and safety for senior citizens, pregnant women and the physically challenged.

The mall, built at a cost of Rs 90 crore (approx.) has a nice trade mix - 35 per cent for shopping, 36 per cent food and beverages and 20 per cent for entertainment. It is built on ground plus five floors and has an air-conditioned parking space for about 1,000 cars with two basements and space for 600 two-wheelers.

The Garuda Mall site was initially conceptualised as a multi-storeyed parking lot by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, but BMP sources said a joint development ratio was worked out with Garuda Builders to share the revenue earned from commercial use of the property and parking space. The parking lot was also planned to help ease parking problems in surrounding areas.