Names change, history disappears

Names change, history disappears
The Hindu

Road names in Bangalore make for an interesting study



A BIG CHANGE: Mahatma Gandhi Road, which was called South Parade till 1947, is remembered by its old name by some old Bangaloreans even today. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: South Parade Road, Albert Victor Road, Hardinge Road, Grant Road... These are roads not in a European city; they are here in our "Bengaluru''.

The names of several roads in Bangalore have been derived from military nomenclature. Let us take a journey through some of the roads of Bangalore city.

Chamarajpet First Main Road that was named Albert Victor Road in 1889 after the future King Edward VII of England was later shortened as A.V. Road.

In recent decades it was renamed it as Alur Venkatarao Road, after the well-known Kannada writer and protagonist of unification of Kannada-speaking areas.

Again this was shortened as A.V. Road. Infantry Road became Bhagavan Mahaveer Road in 2004.

New nomenclature

Mahatma Gandhi Road was till 1948 known as South Parade and was perhaps the first road to be given a new nomenclature if not identity after Independence. Avenue road was earlier known as Doddapete.

The Chamarajendra Park was renamed as Cubbon Park after Sir Mark Cubbon, the British Commissioner of Mysore, in the mid-19th century. Fraser Town, which had been named after Sir Stuart Fraser, the scholar who was a tutor of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, is now Pulakeshinagar. Hardinge Road was the old name of Pampa Mahakavi Road. For sometime, Cunningham Road, the crowded bazaar it is today, was being called Sampangi Ramaswamy Temple Road. Race Course Road became Devraj Urs Road and Grant Road became Vittal Mallya Road; In fact there are two Vittal Mallya Roads, the other one was earlier the bund of the Sampangi Tank where the Kanteerava Stadium came to be built. MacIver Town has become Shantala Nagar.

Assayee Road and Meanee Road were given those names in commemoration of the wars fought by the Madras Sappers, who were part of the British Army against the Marathas in the first decade of the 19th century.

Basavanagudi, meaning the temple of Basava or the big bull, situated in the area, is the reason behind naming the area Basavanagudi.

The extension was formed around 1900. Gandhi Bazar, earlier known merely as Angadi Beedhi, was formed later. Kumarapark came into existence in 1947, the year of Indian Independence, whereas Jayanagar and Rajajinagar were thought of a year later in 1948 and on the same day.

The former orchards of Bangalore Palace was developed into a housing colony and named Sadashivanagar in 1960, after the well-known freedom fighter of Dakshina Kannada Karnad Sadashiva Rao.

Changing of names

Professor Suryanath U. Kamath, a well-known historian, says: "Roads named after the rulers who did nothing for the nation can be changed. Irrespective of whether they are Europeans or Indians, the names of rulers who have made a contribution to the prosperity and development of the nation have to be retained."

Writer K.Chandramouli is of the opinion that a few roads carry their own historical significance.

They should not be changed. The younger generation must be enlightened about the significance of places around them. Names change, history disappears

Staff Reporter

Road names in Bangalore make for an interesting study



A BIG CHANGE: Mahatma Gandhi Road, which was called South Parade till 1947, is remembered by its old name by some old Bangaloreans even today. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: South Parade Road, Albert Victor Road, Hardinge Road, Grant Road... These are roads not in a European city; they are here in our "Bengaluru''.

The names of several roads in Bangalore have been derived from military nomenclature. Let us take a journey through some of the roads of Bangalore city.

Chamarajpet First Main Road that was named Albert Victor Road in 1889 after the future King Edward VII of England was later shortened as A.V. Road.

In recent decades it was renamed it as Alur Venkatarao Road, after the well-known Kannada writer and protagonist of unification of Kannada-speaking areas.

Again this was shortened as A.V. Road. Infantry Road became Bhagavan Mahaveer Road in 2004.

New nomenclature

Mahatma Gandhi Road was till 1948 known as South Parade and was perhaps the first road to be given a new nomenclature if not identity after Independence. Avenue road was earlier known as Doddapete.

The Chamarajendra Park was renamed as Cubbon Park after Sir Mark Cubbon, the British Commissioner of Mysore, in the mid-19th century. Fraser Town, which had been named after Sir Stuart Fraser, the scholar who was a tutor of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, is now Pulakeshinagar. Hardinge Road was the old name of Pampa Mahakavi Road. For sometime, Cunningham Road, the crowded bazaar it is today, was being called Sampangi Ramaswamy Temple Road. Race Course Road became Devraj Urs Road and Grant Road became Vittal Mallya Road; In fact there are two Vittal Mallya Roads, the other one was earlier the bund of the Sampangi Tank where the Kanteerava Stadium came to be built. MacIver Town has become Shantala Nagar.

Assayee Road and Meanee Road were given those names in commemoration of the wars fought by the Madras Sappers, who were part of the British Army against the Marathas in the first decade of the 19th century.

Basavanagudi, meaning the temple of Basava or the big bull, situated in the area, is the reason behind naming the area Basavanagudi.

The extension was formed around 1900. Gandhi Bazar, earlier known merely as Angadi Beedhi, was formed later. Kumarapark came into existence in 1947, the year of Indian Independence, whereas Jayanagar and Rajajinagar were thought of a year later in 1948 and on the same day.

The former orchards of Bangalore Palace was developed into a housing colony and named Sadashivanagar in 1960, after the well-known freedom fighter of Dakshina Kannada Karnad Sadashiva Rao.

Changing of names

Professor Suryanath U. Kamath, a well-known historian, says: "Roads named after the rulers who did nothing for the nation can be changed. Irrespective of whether they are Europeans or Indians, the names of rulers who have made a contribution to the prosperity and development of the nation have to be retained."

Writer K.Chandramouli is of the opinion that a few roads carry their own historical significance.

They should not be changed. The younger generation must be enlightened about the significance of places around them.