A year ago, Krumbiegel Lecture Hall inside Lalbagh Botanical Garden was razed after a portion of the 100-year-old building collapsed following heavy rains. Facing criticism from all sides for failing to restore an important piece of the city's heritage, the Horticulture Department, which is entrusted with maintaining the garden, decided to erect a memorial for Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, the man who gave the city its green cover. However, a year later, the land where Krumbiegel hall once stood still remains vacant.
In his time, Krumbiegel used the lecture hall to practise his speeches. Over the decades, however, it fell to disuse and conservationists despaired over its neglect. Now the city and Krumbiegel’s family in U.K. are waiting for the memorial to come up.
The State Archaeology Department was roped in, and a plan and an estimate prepared. Officials in the Horticulture Department said that all necessary approvals for rebuilding the memorial are in place and that the Archaeology Department has initiated the tender process. “The tender process is taking long. Once finalised, the work can be completed in six months,” said M.R. Chandrashekar, Deputy Director, Lalbagh.
The Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage said it had presented an estimate of the project, which has been approved. “The tender process is on and is likely to take over a month. Meanwhile, we are getting technical approval for the project. The work is likely to start in two months,” said Venkatesh T., Commissioner, Archaeology Department.
Cost estimated at ₹98 lakh
As per the plan, a structure similar to the old Krumbiegel hall is to come up at an estimated cost of ₹98 lakh. “The Archaeology Department will keep the old design in mind to create the new space. The new hall will serve as a space to learn about the history and horticultural richness of Lalbagh. There will be audio-visual aids for tourists. Short films on the Botanical Garden will be played in both Kannada and English,” Mr. Chandrashekar added.
Alyia Phelps-Gardiner Krumbiegel, the great granddaughter of Krumbiegel, said she was eagerly waiting for the memorial to come up. “I’m so pleased to hear that at long last the new Krumbiegel hall is coming to realisation. Karnataka still owns the legacy of my great grandfather. He designed and landscaped his way from Baroda, Ooty, Bombay, Coochbehar, Jamshedpur, Delhi, Hyderabad, Trivandrum,Madras, Mysore and above all Bangalore. He found his home in Bangalore. He and the other four heavyweight superintendents of Lalbagh – William New, John Cameron, Rao Bahadur H.C. Javaraya and M.H. Marigowda – all deserve their own special monuments for their contribution.”
