On Saturday afternoon, the staircase at Halasuru Metro Station turned into a mini-auditorium as a group of people sat there listening to each other’s narration about Ulsoor’s history. The concourse also exhibited Ulsoor’s rich heritage through photographs.
Halasuru, a bustling area in the heart of the city, has a tower built by Immadi Kempe Gowda, son of Hiriya Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. The tower is among the four built by him to mark the extent to which Bengaluru would grow. The lake in Halasuru is manmade, which served as a source of drinking water in the past. Now, it is an important water body for the city, an ecological landmark.
There are several streets named after the Mudaliars, a group that migrated from Arcot, Tamil Nadu, and took up posts in the British administration or became contractors, mining barons, merchants and philanthropists. One philanthropist was Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar, who founded RBANMS.
Meera Iyer, Co-Convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said the exhibition included oral history traditions.
Memory wallExcerpts taken from people who spoke of what they remembered were posted on a ‘memory wall’.
One, written by Damodaran Sekhar, said, “In the 1950s, Halasuru lake was completely dry. Except for an island near MEG and Centre, all islands were accessible. We would go there by foot and it was a wonderful sight. The area around the Kempe Gowda tower was a picnic spot.”
Another post said the chariot of Someshwara Temple was made of rock. Yet another said that peacocks were seen every day in the temple area.
ExhibitionThe exhibition has been organised by INTACH and Rangoli Metro Art Center, Bangalore Metro Rail Corportaion Ltd.
Vasantha Rao, General Manager, BMRCL, said the project could be replicated in other areas, such as Malleswaram and Basavanagudi, which have a history.
