Towering glory of Lalbagh

Towering glory of Lalbagh



Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda's four towers — the ones they say define the limits of the city he created in the 16th century —are not meant to limit the city's growth, say experts.
"It is believed that the four towers are meant to limit the city's growth. But this is not true. It was merely meant to define Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda's territory," says Dr CR Govindaraju, professor at the department of history, Kannada University.
All the towers are not uniform in their architecture. Both, Indo-Sarsenic and Dravidian styles are evident in their construction. "Photographs taken in the 1950s and a sketch by a British artist, Robert Home, dating back to 1791, clearly showed that the tower had two stories. If you want to look at a completely original tower, you can visit the one at Gavigangadhareshwara temple," historian SK Aruni says.
The Lalbagh tower is on the eastern fringe of the city and was redone in recent years, when the second story was removed as it was falling apart. The dome or gommata or shikhara was removed. The four-pillared mantapa was redone with a Dravidian shikhara.
Experts believe that most details might have been compromised upon during the renovation, with craftsmen employing their own creative styles. This tower is maintained by the horticulture department.