Millet once grew here

Millet once grew here
I Historians recall that race course was a village I This is not the first time racing turf is being relocated. Before the turf club took shape on Race Course Road, races were held in Domlur ‘ Why is the government bent upon shifting the Race Course? It attracts many people even from other cities. Moreover there is ade- quate parking space and ‘ most of the major races are held dur- ing weekends Purushottam Kumar Visitor ‘ We have already lost water bodies and play grounds in the name of development. If the Race Course is shifted, and the government plans to build a parking ‘ complex, the city centre will have no green cover Naveen K. Employee
BENGALURU


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Once silk-worms were reared in these fields and inmates of the Old Bengaluru Central Jail cultivated millet and other crops here before the grounds became home to the Race Course, that has since become a landmark of the city.

Recalling the fascinating history of the Race Course grounds, city historians say that even after it is shifted, the large open space must be maintained as a heritage spot. According to Mr Arun Prasad, research head, Discover Bengaluru, an organisation engaged in documenting the city’s history, the area occupied by the Race Course was once a village named Manchenahalli and part of it belonged to the Central Jail.

“The inmates cultivated millet and grew silk in the fields here,” he said.

Historians say this is not the first time Bengaluru’s racing turf is being relocated. Before the turf club took shape on Race Course Road, races were held in an open ground in Domlur, which is now a Defence area.

“When the British came here they brought polo with them. The polo field was eventually converted into a racing ground. In 1860 the United Services Club was formed in Domlur to promote racing. Later the races were shifted to a ground near Lalbagh. But as this proved inconvenient four eminent residents of the city Major Peterson, Sir Miller, Major Holmes and Suryanarayan Rao met the then Mysore king , Krishnaraja Wodeyar and got land sanctioned for the club at the present spot,” Mr Prasad said.

Between 1923 and 1950 the Bengaluru Turf Club was managed by the Royal Calcutta Turf Club.

According to the historian there were no races in Bengaluru before the 1800s, as the local horses were not fit enough to be raced. It was the British who imported Persian horses for racing.

And here’s an interesting tidbit — Even after the turf club took off, it did not have a stable of its own and private homes around the race course were used to house the horses and homed for their treatment.