Bangalore - History

Details on History of Bangalore can be found in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bangalore


Bangalore is draped over the Deccan Plateau at an altitude of 949 meters (3113 ft.) above sea level, which gives it possibly the best climate among all the cities in India

The present day city was designed by Kempe Gowda in the year 1537. During one of his hunting bouts, which was his favourite past time, Kempe Gowda was surprised to see a hare chase his dog and thus named the place as "gandu bhoomi" (heroic place). Kempe Gowda I, who was in charge of Yelahanka, built a mud fort in 1537 and with the help of King Achutaraya, built the little towns of Balepet, Cottonpet and Chickpet, all inside the fort. Today, these little areas serve as the major wholesale and commercial market places in the city. Kempe Gowda's son (Kempegowda the II) erected the four watch towers to mark the boundaries of Bangalore which are traceable even today and they stand almost in the heart of the present city.  A hundred years later, Vijaynagar empire fell, and in 1638, it was conquered by Mohammed Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur. Pleased with the services of his trusted lieutenent Shahaji Bhonsale, (father of the great Maratha king Shivaji), Adil Shah gifted Bangalore to him. After 49 years of Maratha rule, the moghuls captured and passed it to the Wodeyars of Mysore for 3 lakh pagodas. In 1759, Bangalore came into the possession of Hyder Ali, father of Tippu Sultan. It was during these two heroes, Bangalore flourished with parks, gardens and palaces. When Tippu died, British restored Bangalore back to the Mysore rulers, the Wodeyars, but were not too sure of their entrpreuner abilities. So they ruled Bangalore directly. Under the British influence, Bangalore bloomed with modern facilities like the railways, telegraphs, postal and police departments. In 1881, the British returned the city to the Wodeyars. Diwans like Mirza Ismail, and sir Vishweshwarayya were the pioneers to help Bangalore attain its modern outlook.

When Tipu Sultan died in the 4th Mysore war in 1799, the British gave the kingdom, including Bangalore, to Krishnaraja Wodeyar III but the British resident stayed in Bangalore.

In the beginning of the 19th century, the General Post Office was opened and the Cantonment was established nine years later in 1809. In 1831, alleging misrule by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the British took over the administration of the Mysore Kingdom.
Under the British influence, Bangalore bloomed with modern facilities like the railways, telegraph, postal and police departments. The first train was flagged out of the city in 1859 and five years later in 1864, the lovely Cubbon Park was built by Sankey. The end of the century saw the building of Attara Kacheri and the Bangalore Palace. The 20th century saw the arrival of the first motorcar in the city.

In 1881, the British returned the city to the Wodeyars. Dewans like Sir Mirza Ismail and Sir M Visveswaraya were the pioneers to help Bangalore attain its modern outlook.

Bangalore - History of Temples

Bull Temple

It is one of the oldest temple in the city and is built by Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore. This typical Dravidian style temple has a mammoth, monolithic bull, 15ft high and 20ft long. It is made of gray granite polished with a mixture of charcoal and groundnut oil, in 1786.  It is believed that it has grown in size since and now measures nearly 5 meters  in height and 6 meters in length. The temple is dedicated to Nandi, the sacred bull.

Legend

The surrounding location, referred to as Sunkenahalli had groundnut expanding farmers. A bull began grazing around the well-grown crop enraging a farmer who hit the bull with a club. The bull sat stunned and was all of a sudden transformed right into a stone. The shocked farmers then decided to create a temple for that bull to atone for what they'd done, but were shocked to determine the bull was expanding taller! The nervous farmer then prayed to Lord Shiva who recommended him to retrieve a trident buried a number of feet away from the bull and location the trident on the forehead from the stone statue to quit it from growing. This was completed along with the bull stopped expanding. The thankful farmers decided to place their very first crop of groundnut as an providing towards the bull. Although in reality there is certainly a trident on the forehead from the bull, this story is really a legend and lacks historical proof. Hence, this handsome Bull Temple was built and the bull apparently took the hint and stayed away through the groundnuts. The thankful farmers proceed to hold a Groundnut Fair (kadalekayi parishe) close to the temple premises each and every 12 months, to show their gratitude. It truly is one from the places to go to in Bangalore. Kempe Gowda got built many temples devoted to Anjaneya (God of Energy), Vinayaka (God of very good lot of money), Nandi (Shiva's bull mount).

One can see inside the shrine atop the hill a massive garlanded black and shiny Nandi (Shiva's mount, the bull) ensconced, which dates back to 1786. The dimensions from the Nandi is overwhelming. At the back again is really a tiny Lingam shrine. Its modern day Gopuram rises, gracefully and majestically. The underground "Sri-Gavi Gandadhareshwara Temple" is equally intriguing, where on every single year on January 14th (Makara Sankranti) it can be thought that a ray of light passes between the horn of the Nandi exterior the temple and lights the idol stored within. Three ranges of excavations are already completed within the cave. One can see the black stone Hanuman. To the way to the Bull Temple there is certainly one a temple dedicated towards the Elephant God Ganesha. The Bull temple is really a buzz with good activity during the Shivratri festival.

SHRI Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple

Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple was cut out of a rock somewhere around the ninth century. It was later renovated by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is situated in the Gavipuram-Guttahalli, about 3 km from the City Market. Shri Gavi Gangadhareswara Temple of Bangalore houses a unique image of Agni, the God of Fire, probably the only one of its type in the entire South India. To the left of the main entrance, is a splendid image of Shakti Ganapathi, with 12 hands. There are four monolith pillars in the courtyard, which represent Damaru, Thrishula and two fans. 

A natural monolith rock formation, the Sri Gavi Gangadhareswara Temple of Bangalore is visited by thousands of devotees every year, in the month of January. They come to Bangalore on the sacred day of Makar Sankranti to witness a unique phenomenon. On this day, for one hour, the sunrays fall on the Siva Linga, after passing through the two horns of the image of Nandi Bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva. 

The architects of Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple deliberately planned it in such a way that on Makar Sankranti, the sun's rays always pass through Nandi's horns, while lighting up the Shiva Lingam. This unique phenomenon can be witnessed only for one hour i.e., between 17.00 hrs and 18.00 hrs on this particular day.

SOMESHWARA Temple Halasooru

Bangalore has several temples dedicated to Someshwara or Ishwara (Eshwara) and the most famous is the one at Ulsoor or Halsoor. The Ulsoor temple was built by the Cholas and subsequently improved upon, enlarged and renovated by the Vijayanagars and Kempe Gowda.

Some of the information extracted from: Blog on Little Known Temples in Bangalore

Bangalore - History of Buildings

VIDHANA SOUDHA (1954)

The Vidhana Soudha, that houses the State Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly was built. Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Chief Minister of Mysore State between 1951-1956 was responsible for the concept, the structure and the setting of the building.   It was on his initiative that the erstwhile Old Residency Building or Raj Bhavanhas been converted into a magnificent historical landmark, the Vidhana Soudh. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, laid the foundation stone for the building. Vidhana Soudha, sprawling across an expanse of 60 acres was finally completed in the year 1951 having incurred a total expenditure of Rs.1.84 crores.

Karnataka High Court - The Karnataka High Court is another famous monument in the city of Bangalore. The red colored building built in the neoclassical style is a landmark of the city. The construction of the building was completed in the year 1868 under the supervision of Rao Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswamy Mudaliar. Attara Kacheri, the majestic Karnataka High Court is an exquisite 19th century stone edifice resplendent in vibrant red that depicts the magnificent Greco-Roman style architecture
Attara Kacheri is strategically sited at a distance of 2 km from Bangalore's popular MG Road is situated amidst the lush greenery ofCubbon Park and opposite Vidhana Soudha. The building's vibrant red hues beautifully complement the pristine whiteness of Vidhana Soudha.

Attara Kacheri is an aesthetically appealing and elegant two-storied building replete with Corinthian columns. The building came in to being in the year 1864 and housed the Public Offices from 1868 until 1956. Eventually Attara Kacheri became the state's high Court while the Public Offices were relocated to Vidhana Soudha. The building pays a tribute to the erstwhile Commissioner of Mysore, Sir Mark Cubbon and houses his portraits as well as commemorative epitaphs sculpted by Baron Marochetti.

The etymological significance of Attara Kacheri locally means "eighteen offices" and was formerly identified as the Old Public Offices since it comprised of the general evenue and secretariat of the State government. The construction of this stately edifice incurred an expenditure of Rs. 4.5 lakhs and was built under the supervision of Rao Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswamy Mudaliar. The eighteen core departments of Tipu Sultan's government expanded to such heights that it became imperative to construct a new building that would contain the Revenue and General Secretariat. This building was none other than the celebrated Attara Kacheri.

Attara Kacheri radiant in its vibrant hues boasts of Karnataka's history from the glorious days of Tipu Sultan's reign and hence is one of Bangalore's most popular tourist spots.


Bangalore Palace - Bangalore Palace that is the most prominent landmark of the city was built by Rev. Garrett, who was the first Principal of the Central High School in Bangalore. Built as the replica of the famous Windsor Castle of England the palace was constructed over a period of long 82 years, from 1862 to 1944. In the year 1884 the palace was bought by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar. The structure with granite and fluorescent blue ceramic tiles is an architectural splendor with an aesthetically pleasing sprawling garden. 

CHOWDIAH MEMORIAL HALL, opp Sankey Tank, has been built in memory of T. Chowdiah, a noted musician & violinist. This building is shaped like a violin, the stringed instrument of Chowdiah. Also the road along the Nehru Planetarium near Raj Bhavan is named T.CHOWDAIH ROAD.

RAVINDRA KALAKSHETRA, near TOWN HALL was built to commemorate Rabindranath Tagore's centenary.

 
MAYO HALL

The Mayo Hall in Bangalore is a remarkable brick and mortar structure, built in memory of the then fourth Viceroy of India (1872), Lord Mayo. When he was on an official visit to Andaman Islands in 1872, a convict there assassinated him. 

Although the construction began in the year 1875, it could be completed only in1883. The Bangalore Municipal Authority started functioning from here in 1883. 

TOWN HALL

The Town Hall which was built in 1935 is a stone structure in the European classical style. 

Also known as the Sir K.P Puttanna Chetty Hall, the Town Hall is the gift of the great philanthropist, Sir K.P Puttanna Chetty, who served as the President of Bangalore city municipality from 1913 to 1920. The foundation stone for this building was laid by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, on March 6, 1933. The building was completed on September 11, 1935 at a cost of Rs 1,75,000/-. It was inaugurated by crown prince Sri Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar. 

VICTORIA HOSPITAL

Victoria Hospital was established to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen Victoria's reign.

SHANKAR MATH
Shankar Math stands in a class of its own for its workmanship, expanse and setting. The Math building was completed in the year 1911 and declared open by Lord Harding, the Viceroy of India, in the presence of the Jagadguru Shankaracharaya of Shringeri.

Seshadri Iyer Memorial Library hall  (Central Library in Cubbon Park) was built in memory of the Dewan of Mysore State, K. Seshadri Iyer. Shesadri Iyer Memorial Hall, strategically sited in Cubbon Park in Bangalore was built as a tribute to Sir K.Seshadri Iyer, the Dewan of Mysore State from 1883 to 1901. One of Bangalore's most coveted tourist spots of historical eminence, Sheshadri Memorial Hall is a replete with a picturesque and colorful garden. Lord Nathaniel Curzon has a significant contribution to the existence of Shri Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall. The erstwhile Viceroy of India is credited as the mastermind behind Kolkata's treasure, the imperial Victoria Memorial and Bangalore's magnum opus, the Shri Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall. Lord Curzon impressed with Shri Seshadri Iyer's dedication and service to the British Raj wrote to the then British Resident, Sir Donald Robertson. It was then agreed upon to honor the erstwhile diwans's relentless services by building a posthumous Memorial Hall in his name. The building, conveniently sited in one of Bangalore's most enchanting and popular parks amidst lush greenery is thereby almost always swarming with tourists and visitors.



St. Mary's Basilica - The St. Mary's Basilica is the oldest church in Bangalore. It is the only church in Karnataka that has been given the status of a minor basilica. The church is built in gothic style with multiple columns and tall spires. The arches, artistic motifs and beautiful stained glass windows that were removed during World War II and subsequently restored in 1947 add to the decorations of the basilica. The St. Mary's Feast which is celebrated in the month of September is the biggest festival of the church and attended by thousands of people. 

Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan - This palace was first built by Kempegowda in 1537. The two storied mud brick structure, which is the replica of the Daria Daulat of Srirangapatnam was later rebuilt by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in 1791. The palace served as the summer retreat of Tipu Sultan and also called the 'lask-e-jannat' that means the envy of heaven. 

Bangalore - History on Parks

More Details are available in: 

• http://www.karnataka.com/bangalore/parks/
• http://www.horticulture.kar.nic.in/lalbagh.htm

Lalbagh: Created in 18th Century

Lalbagh was created in 1760 covering an area of 40 acres, as a private garden for the then Mysore Rulers, Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan. Today, spread across an area of 240 acres, the lush green garden is famous for diverse and exotic flora collected from all over the world. A treasure house for the botanists, it is a huge lung space for the common man and a joggers' delight.

The famous Lalbagh Glass House, where the annual flower shows are held, was built in 1889 to commemorate the arrival of Prince of Wales. It had been designed on the lines of London’s Crystal Palace. Lalbagh is also home to one of the four watch towers built by Kempegowda II, the founder of Bangalore City.

The iconic Lal Bagh Glass House conceptualised and built by the then Superintendent of Governament Gardens, John Cameron had only three wings each to North, South and West.

Most Bangaloreans take pride in the city's sequentially flowering trees, but not many know that the credit for this should go to one man -- German botanist and garden designer Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel. He is best known for his work in designing Lalbagh and planning the city's tree-lined avenues. 

Krumbiegel joined the Mysore State Service in 1908 as curator of the Botanical Gardens in Lalbagh. As a result of the merger of various parks and gardens, hill stations and other horticultural establishments into the department of government gardens, Krumbiegel's position was elevated to the superintendent's post, and subsequently, to the post of director of horticulture. 

He served the state for 25 years as economic botanist to the government till his retirement in 1932. After his retirement, he settled in Bangalore and worked as 'landscape advisor' to the state of Mysore, till his death in 1956. He was laid to rest in this city. 

"The Bangalore of Krumbiegel was a fertile lab to experiment with harnessing nature and experimenting with trees that could be imported, acclimatized and nurtured to become part of the local landscape," said Suresh Jayaram, visual artist and art historian, who curated a multimedia exhibition on Krumbiegel's life and work in 2010, titled 'Whatever he touched, he adorned'. 

Krumbiegel's concept of 'serial blossoming' ensures that the city always has at least one variety of tree that is in bloom. The 'tree of gold' or Tabebuia Argentea, which hails from tropical America, is one of the early bloomers colouring the city with its bright yellow flowers. Another brush of yellow comes from the yellow silk cotton or 'arasinabooruga', which is commonly found in South India. Adding a dash of pink to the city is the Tabebuia Rosea or Pink Poui, which has its origins in Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador. 

"In the historical context, Krumbiegel inherited the legacy of the British who had charted out a programmed expansion plan to harness nature and make Bangalore the epicentre. Experimenting with economic botany and city aesthetics was a passion for Krumbiegel," said Jayaram. Krumbiegel was inspired by the Chelsea Flower show in the UK.

Queen's Flower, commonly know as hole dasayala, which is common in countries such as Ceylon, Burma, Australia and China, used to once adorn the boulevard on MG Road, colouring the area with its flowers that varied in shades of pink and purple. 

After Krumbiegel retired in 1932, HC Javaraya, the first Indian horticulturist to be trained at London's Kew Gardens, took over. Rao Bahadur H.C.Javaraya assumed charge as the Superintendent of Governament Gardens, Mysore ( Princely State ). Rao Bahadur H.C. Javaraya added the Eastern wing to the Glass House, thus making it a four winged symmetrical conservatory

Cubbon Park: Created in 19th Century

Cubbon Park was laid out  and planned by Richard Sankey, the erstwhile Chief Engineer of Mysore in 1864 and established in the year 1870 by Sri John Meade, the then acting Commissioner of Mysore. At that time Meade’s Park was its name as a tribute to Sir John Meade and subsequently called the Cubbon Park. Later the park was official named as "Sri. Chamarajendra Park" in wake of the Silver Jubilee celebration of Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s rule in Mysore state.   Presently the Department of Horticulture controls the maintenance and administration of the park. The Deputy Director of the Horticulture department heads it.  Cubbon Park occupies over 300 acres

Kariappa Memorial Park

The Kariappa Memorial Park was laid out in 1996 to honor the late Field Marshall K. M. Kariappa, the first chief of the Indian Army. This 22-acre garden between M.G. Road and Cubbon Park has a walking track, a waterfall and a special play area for children. This eco-friendly park maintains 3,000 species of plants without pesticides and insecticides.

Krishna Rao Park: in BASAVANAGUDI

This park in the Basavanagudi locality is named after late M.N. Krishna Rao, Acting Dewan of Mysore. A Heaven for joggers, children to play. The park occupies a vast area of 69825 sq metres. The large trees, landscaping, joggers track, and play areas for both children and adults are benefit to the locals. Sir Krishna Rao was honoured with knighthood in 1934 for his outstanding contribution and he held charge as Dewan twice when Sir Mirza Ismail travelled to England to attend the Round Table Conference.

Bugle Rock Park

Bugle Rock Park, located in Basavanagudi, just behind the Bull temple, is a beautiful park that displays the real culture and heritage of Karnataka. This park is named after a 3000 year old rock called Bugle, which once housed the famous Kempe Gowda’s clock tower and was used by his men to warn the people about the interlopers by a bugle call. Today, Bugle Rock Park stands famous for its geological and cultural interests like artistic statue of famous Kannada poet DVG and more.

Laxman Rao Park
Madhavan Park:

 This is in JAYANAGAR. The Road from South End to 45th cross has parks on both sides of the road. It is 5th Main. Laxman Rao, ex-commissioner of Bangalore City Corporation, is another Indian stalwart who took a keen interest in laying out gardens and parks in the corporation area, and also planting flowering and shade trees to beautify Bangalore. 

Coles Park:

The Coles Park, in the Bangalore East is located in Fraser Town in Bangalore on Promenade Road. Named after the Resident of Mysore this park exists from 1914

Silver Jubilee Park:

Defense Cololy Park: In INDIRANAGAR

Bangalore - Important Historical dates

Important Historical Dates

• BC (-) Stone Age implements, Roman coins & burial grounds unearthed.
• 850 AD 'Bengalooru' appears on Mauryan empire milestone
• 1015 Chola Empire takes over City
• C.1120 Veera Ballala II calls it 'Benda Kalooru' or 'Town of Boiled Beans' (after a poor woman feeds him beans in the forest)
• 1537 Kempe Gowda I designs City as it exists today. (KG II builds the 4 towers)
• 1638 Shahaji Bhonsle (Shivaji's father) captures City for Adil Shah who gifts it to him
• 1640 Shivaji marries Bangalore girl
• 1687 Aurangzeb's army captures City
• 1690 Sells it to the Wodeyars for 3 lakhs!
• 1759 Wodeyar gifts it to Hyder Ali who builds Lal Bagh
• 1791 Cornwallis defeats Tipu but returns City to him
• 1799 Tipu dies. City returned to Wodeyar
• 1800 Bangalore GPO opened
• 1809 Cantonment established
• 1812 St. Mark's Cathedral built
• 1831 British take-over administration
• 1853 Sunday declared weekly holiday
• 1859 1st train steams out of City
• 1864 Sankey builds Cubbon Park
• 1867 Attara Kacheri built
• 1887 Bangalore Palace built
• 1898 The great plague. (Another plague-the 1st telephone rings)
• 1903 1st motorcar pollutes city
• 1905 India's 1st electric bulb lit in Bangalore City Market
• 1909 Indian Institute of Science built
• 1917 UVCE( University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering ) is established
• 1940 1st flight Bangalore/Bombay
• 1948 Deccan Herald launched
• 1954 Vidhana Soudha built

Bangalore Lakes

Wikipedia has very good information on these.

Please refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakes_in_Bangalore

ONCE a LAKE, Now LAND

THEN                            NOW

• Sarakki Agrahara Lake    ->> JP Nagar 4th Phase
• Challaghatta Lake            ->> Karnataka Golf Association
• Domlur Lake                   ->> Domlur Second Stage
• Siddapura Lake               ->> Siddapura/Jayanagar 1st Block
• Tumukur Lake                 ->> Mysore Lamps
• Ramshetty Palya Kere      ->> Milk Colony (Playground)
• Agasana Lake                  ->> Gayathri Devi Park
• Gangashetty Lake             ->> Minerva Mills and Open Ground
• Jakraya Lake                    ->> Krishna Flour Mills
• Dharmambudhi Lake         ->> Kempegowda Bus Terminal
• Sampangi Lake                  ->> Kanteerva Stadium
• Shule Tank                         ->> Ashok Nagar, football stadium
• Akkithimmanahalli Tank      ->> SAI hockey Stadium
• Sunkal Tank                       ->> KSRTC regional workshop
• Koramangala Lake             ->> National Dairy Research Institute
• Sonnehalli Lake                  ->> Austin Town
• Hennur Lake                      ->> Nagavara (HBR Layout)
• Vijnanpura Lake                 ->> Rajrajeshwari Layout
• Oddarapalya Lake              ->> Rajajinagara (Industrialy Area)
• Saneguruvanahalli Lake       ->> Shinvanhalli (playground/KPSCB)
• Kurubarhalli Lake               ->> Basaveshwaranagar

History of Circles

Mekhri Circle: `enayathulla mehkri square, 1937'. a member of the mehri family says, "it was a reward for service and service in those days was for the common good and not for any personal gain." enayathulla mehkri was a public-spiritedbangalore businessman who, moved by the plight of bullocks which often broke their legs while carrying loads up the steep climb from hebbal tank to what is now mehkri circle, had a stretch of the road levelled at his own cost. word of his good work reached maharaja sri krishnaraja wodeyar through his dewan sir mirza. mirza knew the businessman as an illustrious man who had been jailed during the freedom movement and spent six months in the madras central jail in the company of c rajagopalachari and ev ramaswamy naicker. wodeyar was quick to reward mekhri. he first persuaded the latter to accept a refund of the expenses he incurred on the work, on the grounds that it was the duty of the government to level the road. "it would reflect on my government if a citizen had to spend for that," wodeyar is supposed to have said. then, the maharaja released 30 per cent more than the prescribed rate for such work, in appreciation of the businessman's concern for the bullocks. (now, however, animal-drawn vehicles are banned on the road.) the maharaja also went on to name the circle on bellary road after the businessman, as m enayathulla mehkri square. later, sir rm patil, minister of home and municipal administration, through a notification in the state gazette, notified it as enayathulla mehkri circle in 1965. the square was built in april 1937 and lord john hope, then governor of madras, inaugurated it. mehkri, who built up a reputation for social service and personal integrity, later served what is now called the cantonment as municipal commissioner of the civil and military station. he also served as a councillor of the bangalore city corporation for 16 years. he was the only member from karnataka on the advisory council of the freedom fighters cell in the all india congress (i) committee. he was also president of the karnataka freedom fighters association. besides, he was the honorary general secretary of the muslim orphanage from 1942 to 1959. in his column, `looking back' kora chandy, editor of city tab, has written, "i have had the privilege of knowing mr enayathullah mehkri for over 40 years and can vouch for the catholicity of his outlook, for though he is a devout muslim, he treats the members of other communities as his brothers."

Arumugam Circle: Named after Rajasevasaktha T.V. Arumugam Mudiliar: Doctor to the king of Mysore Jaychamarajawadiar in the early 1900s and was given the title "Rajasevasaktha" by the then Viceroy of India. Resided in Basavangudi Bangalore.

K R Circle - Road Junction from Vidhana Soudha towards Kempegowda Road(K.G.Road) Named after krishna rajendra wodeyar

Sajjan Rao Circle: Circle was named after a philanthropist. Rao Bahadur Sajjan Rao (1868-1942). Rao, who set up the famous Subramanya Swamy Temple, also built free hostels, hospitals and schools for the under-privileged.

Anand Rao Circle - A major road junction along the Race Course Road in central Bangalore. Is named after Ananad Rao who was an Indian administrator and statesman who served as the Diwan of the Mysore kingdom from 1909 to 1912.
Details on Aanand Rao is available in T Aananda Rao

Hudson Circle(known as Corporation circle now): 

 Named after the Hudson church. Hudson Memorial Church is one of the major landmarks of the city. It lies at Hudson circle near Bangalore City Corporation. The church was built in 1904, in memory of Rev Josiah Hudson. This impressive structure with a tower and several stained glass windows is an example for the neo-gothic style of architecture.

Trinity Circle

Named after Trinity Church. Holy Trinity Church, located at Trinity circle at the east end of the MG Road, is a major landmark in Bangalore. It was built in 1851, for the British Regiment stationed in Bangalore. Built in the English Renaissance style, the church can accommodate 700 people and is regarded as the largest "military" church in southern India. It has a congregation of over 450 families .

Prof. BS Madhav Rao Circle: It is at the Junction of BP Wadia Road and Road stretching from Lalbagh West Gate. This circle is known as Professor BS Madhava Rao Circle. He was a Professor of Mathematics and Principal (early 1950s) of Central College Bangalore. BS Madhava Rao's House is situated at about 100 metres from the circle down the old Kanakapura Road.

HC Javaraya Circle :  Located at Main (North) Gate Lalbagh. Named after Rao Bahadur H.C.Javaraya assumed charge as the Superintendent of Governament Gardens, Mysore ( Princely State ) at 1932.

Subbanna Circle: Located b/w Ananad Rao circle and Race Course road. R Subbanna was the first mayor of Bangalore following the unification of the Cantonment and Pete areas on December 8, 1949. The Subbanna Circle in Gandhinagar is named after him.

Subbaiah Circle: At the Junction of Lalbagh road and Mission Road.

NOTE: Some of the information is extracted from wikipedia.
Refer http://ramubangalore.blogspot.in/2013/08/the-forgotten-leaders-of-bangalore.html for more details.

History of Bangalore Localities

Jayanagar came into existence in 1948 and has been named after Maharajah Jayachamrajendra Wodeyar. It was then touted as the new extension and was a model layout with broad roads and big houses. Villages like Siddapura, Marenahalli and Yadiyur were included in it. More details are in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayanagar,_Bangalore

Tata Silk Farm : gets it name from the silk business that flourished in the area from 1896. It is near the Nagasandra and Yediyur villages

Arekere Are in Kannada means half. Kere in Kannada means a water reservoir or pond. The origin of the name "Arekere" comes comes from a water reservoir which is in the area. Banashankari Banashankari is a neighborhood in South Bengaluru. It gets its name from the Banashankari Amma Temple on Kanakapura Road, one of Bengaluru's oldest and most famous temples, which was constructed by Subramanya Shetty in 1915. Basavanagudi The name "Basavanagudi" refers to the Bull Temple that is located here. It is a monolith statue of the Nandi Bull. Basava in Kannada, the local language, means Bull and Gudi means temple. Hence, the name Basavanagudi. Basavanagudi was an agricultural village called Sunkenahally and the Kadlekai Parishe (jatra) reminds us of this fact. Shankarpura was created in 1908 and was named after Shankar Math Gavipuram was named after Gavi Gangadhareshwara, the deity in the temple of the same name, in 1915. Vishveswarapuram, named for Dewan Sir M.Visveswaraya, was begun in 1918. Krishna Raja Puram(KR puram) , named after Krishna Raja Wodeyar Thambuchettypalya(T C Palya), located off Old Madras Road and just beyond KR Puram, is one such place. There were 13 diwans from 1881 to 1947 and TRV Thambuchetty was the third. He succeeded K Sheshadri Iyer to the post and served only briefly - from August 11, 1900 to March 18, 1901. Thambuchettypalya is named after him. Marathahalli Halli in Kannada means village. A fighter aircraft named Marut had an accident in this area; So the area is called Marathahalli. BTM Layout BTM Layout (an abbreviation of Byrasandra, Tavarekere and Madivala Layout) Malleswaram Malleswaram, located in the north-west of Bangalore, derives its name from the famous Kaadu Malleshwara temple. HSR Layout Hosur Sarjapur Road Layout (popularly known as HSR Layout) is a relatively new suburb located to the south-east of Bangalore, India. The layout, which is built on land reclaimed from the Agara lake, is located between Hosur Road and Sarjapur Road.

Basaveshwaranagar It is named after poet-king Basaveshwara. Basaveshwaranagar is also known to have a 100 year old tree "The Big Banyan Tree - Dodda Aalada Mara" which was a home for hundreds of monkeys now a known public park in the vicinity. Domlur Domlur is a small township located in the eastern part of Bangalore city in India. Earlier it was known as Bhagat Singh Nagar, but for some unknown reasons, it is better known as Domlur. There is a debate over the exact meaning of Domlur. From what can be deciphered from old people living in the area, Domlur is a word derived from Tombalur, a kind of flower which is used to worship Lord Shiva. This is further supported by the inscriptions found in Chokkanathaswamy temple in Domlur, which is believed to be constructed by Cholas

Wilson Garden: 
Wilson Garden is also referred to as Hombegowda Nagar, though the former name is more in vogue.

Rajarajeshwari Nagar 

received its name from the famous Rajarajeshwari Nagar temple that is located just over one kilometer from the arch.It derives its name from the Vijayanagara empire that flourished in south India during 15th and 16th centuries.

RPC Layout (Railway Parallel Colony Layout):

Vijayanagar East is popularly known as RPC Layout (Railway Parallel Colony Layout),since this layout is along the railway track. It has been recently renamed as Hampi Nagar. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire. Vijayanagar also houses a large Public Library, which is one of the largest in Karnataka.Hampi Nagar

Hoysala Nagar: OLD NAME: Murphy Town. Sir Mirza Ismail Nagar: OLD NAME:Richmond Town

Swami Shivanandapuram : OLD NAME:Tasker Town

K C Reddy Nagar: OLD NAME:Williams Town

Jeevana Halli: OLD NAME: Cox Town . A.R.Cox, who was designated as the collector of C(Civil) and M (Military) station from 1912 to November 1917. The Cox Town locality is named after him.

Kittel Nagar: OLD NAME: Austin Town. Austin Town was named after a one-time British Resident Sir James Austin. Austin Town is now Kittel nagar after Ferdinand Kittel who compiled the first Kannada dictionary 

B.I.Rice Nagar: OLD NAME:Thomas Town is B.I.Rice nagar after the archaeologist.

Cooke Town: Cooke Town is named after G H Cooke, President of the Bangalore Civil and Military Station Municipality between 1928 and 1934, with the Mayo Hall being constructed during his tenure.

Pulakeshinagar: OLD NAME:Fraser Town. Fraser Town, which had been named after Sir Stuart Fraser, the scholar who was a tutor of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, is now Pulakeshinagar

Shantala Nagar: OLD NAME: MacIver Town. L.J. MacIver was Collector and president of the Municipal Commission  between 1934 and 1937.

Kadamba Nagar: OLD NAME: Benson Town. Dr. P H Benson has Benson was a durbar Surgeon.

Coles Park came from British resident Arthur Cole. Coles Park came from British resident Arthur Cole. 

IISC: The Indian Institute of Science, which came up in the area of the Madaraninganahalli village, connected the areas of Malleshwaram with Yeshwantpur.

R.T.Nagar : Ravindranath Tagore Nagar
Halasuru formerly known as Ulsoor, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the Indian city of Bangalore. It has a predominant Tamil speaking population and is renowned for its numerous temples and rather narrow streets.Kumara Park takes its name after the residence of Dewan Seshadri Iyer which he called Kumara Krupa after his family deity.

Mayo Hall is supposed to remind you of Richard South Bourke, the then Viceroy, who was the Earl of Mayo.

JJ Nagar: Jaga Jeevan Ram Nagar.


Sheshadripuram: Named after Diwan Sheshadri Iyer. This locality added in 1892.

Rajaji Nagar: named after Rajagopalachari, the freedom fighter and the last Governor General of India.

N.R.Colony: Narasimharaja colony


Sadashiva Nagar: Sadashivnagar gets its name from social activist and humanitarian Karnad Sadashiva Rao. Sitting in the lap of luxury, this small residential area is built on what were once the gardens of the Bangalore Palace. In the 1960s and 70s, these gardens were being converted to a township 'Palace Orchards', and that was the origin of what later came to be known as Sadashivnagar

C.V.Raman Nagar:  Dr. C.V.Raman who discovered the famous 'Raman Rays' which enabled him to bag the great 'Nobel Prize'




Vyalikaval literally means a maidan (reserve) for vaihali (horses), and was a place reserved for exercising horses in the days of the Kempegowdas).Kaval means grazing ground.Here vyali is supposed to be uyyali means swing. It was called as Uyaali gudda.References

References

• Bengaluru - renaming spree

Albert Victor Road → Alur Venkata Rao Road (A V Road)
Austin Town → F Kittel Nagar
Benson Town → Kadamba Nagar
Cavalry Road → Kamaraja Road
Cox Town → Jeevanahalli
Cubbonpet Main Road → T M Naganna Road
Doddakunte → Sarvagna Nagar
East End Road → R.V.Road
Fort Main Road → Krishna Rajendra Wadiyar
Frazer Town – Pulakeshi Nagar,
Grant Road → Vittal Mallya Road
Irwin Circle → Professor Shivashankar Circle
Kanakanapalya Main Road → Ashoka Pillar Road
Double Road → Kengal Hanumanthaiah Road
MacIver Town → Shantala Nagar
Miller’s Road → Basaveshwara Road
Mission Road → Kalinga Rao
Murphy Town → Hoysala Nagar
Residency Road → Field Marshal Cariappa Road
Richmond Town → Sir Mirza Ismail Nagar
Ringwood Circle → Kantharaj Urs Circle
Sampangiramnagar Main Road → Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road
Seppings Road – Sri Devi Muthyalamma
Sidney Road → Kasturba Road
South Parade → MG Road
Sudda Guntepalya Road → Christ School Road
Tasker Town → Swami Shivanandapuram
The Oriental Circle → Anil Kumble Circle
Williams Town → K C Reddy Nagar

Bangalore - understanding short road names

Having tough time on figuring out the 'shortened' or abbreviated names of bangalore?

Information provided below might help you.

• K.R.Road - Krishna Rajendra Road
• N.R.Road - Narasimha Raja Road
• B.G.Road - Banneru Ghatta Road
• S.V.Road - Swami Vivekananda Road
• CMH Road - Chinmaya Mission Hospital Road
• M.G.Road - Mahatma Gandhi Road
• B.P Wadia Road - Bahman Pestonji Wadia Road
• SJP Road - Silver Jubilee Park Road
• K.H.Road - Kengal Hanumanthaiha Road(by default 'Double Road' refers to THIS road)
• J.C.Road - Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Road
• S.C.Road - Subedar Chatram Road
• K.G.Road - Kempe Gowda Road
• R.V.Road - Rashtriya Vidyala Road.
• OTC Road - OTC is now sometimes expanded to Old Tharagupet Cross Road, it actually stands for Old Taluk Cutchery.
• Nanda Road: Real name is 4th Main.. in Jayanagar. Nanda theater was there on 23rd cross earlier. This extends from SouthEnd circle to 44th cross(RajaLakshmi Nursing home).
• H.B.Samaja Road: Harikathe Bhajana Samaja road
• M.K.K.V.P. Road (Mahakavi K.V. Puttappa Road, why not simply Kuvempu Road?)
• M.K.K Road(Maha Kavi Kuvempu Road) 
• K.V. Lane: Kottige Veerabhadrappa Lane
• E.A.T.S. (East Anjaneya Temple Street).

History of Bangalore Roads

I always wanted to blog details on the history behind some roads and map the old to new name for the roads in Bangalore. Recently I was travelling from Lalbagh road towards Lalbagh west gate. The road name on the "bus stop" specified as 'Krumbigal road". That was the first time I happen to hear about that road name. Earlier I used to refer that road as From Lalbagh Road towards Lalbagh West gate. I never new the name of the road. I thought I start creating a blog on Bangalore history..to start with the Road Names and history behind that. Hoping this is useful for the old as well as New Generation(I preferred to call it as Gen Y).

Appreciate any comments on this.

Attimabbe Road: Starts at Devegouda Petrol Station(30th Main BSK II Stage) and goes through KIMS, Indira Nursing Home.  ATTIMABBE, DANACHINTAMANI.  Attimabbe is one of the most renowned women in ancient Karnataka.  Attimabbe lived in the second half of the tenth century and the first half of the eleventh century. Her ancestors belonged to Punganuru of Vengimandala which is presently located in Andhrapradesh.  

Krumbigal Road: Road from Lalbagh Road to Lalbagh West Gate. Gustav Herman Krumbigal was a noted botanist and before coming to Bangalore had helped in designing and laying out flower beds in London’s Hyde Park. The main architect for Brindavan Gardens park was G.H. Krumbigal, then Superintendent of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore Government.Krumbiegal Road is named after Gustav Hermann Krumbiegal, who was born in a town called Lohmen in Germany. Krumbiegel had an important role in giving our city its (erstwhile?) status of Garden City. After training as a horticulturist, he moved to England, where he worked at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. In 1908, Krumbiegel took over as superintendent of Lalbagh. Apart from setting up vigorous plant exchange programmes with gardens around the world and introducing several species to this botanical garden, Krumbiegel was also responsible for introducing serially blossoming street trees in Bangalore and for landscaping the gardens at the Bangalore Palace and MEG. Krumbiegel lived in Bangalore till he died in 1956.

Mahatma Gandhi(M.G) Road: OLD name: South Parade

Suranjandas Road - Left towards Vignana Nagar from Old Airport road. Group Captain Suranjan Das was one of the two pioneer test pilots in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
More details about Suranjandas is available in: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Legends/314-Suranjan-Das.html

Nrupatunga Road: OLD NAME: Cenotaph Road, which led from Hudson Circle to KR Circle, was renamed Nrupathunga, after the Kannada poet. The Cenotaph that stood where Corporation Circle now stands was built in memory of English soldiers. This monument and its surrounding cemetery were demolished; a symbolic action against the English rule.

Alur Venkatarao(A.V) Road : OLD name: Albert Victor Road.

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.

Lavelle Road : was named after Michael Lavelle, an Irish soldier who made his money in the Kolar Gold Fields.

Nittoor Srinivasa Rao Road: This road is from Nagasandra Circle to Madhavan park. Nittur Srinivasa Rao (Kannada: ನಿಟ್ಟೂರು ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ರಾವ್) (24 August 1903 – 12 August 2004)^[1] was a Gandhian who participated in theIndian independence movement. He was the Chief Justice of the High Court of Mysore State (now Karnataka). More details are in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nittoor_Srinivasa_Rau

Manjappa Road: OLD NAME:Langford Road: was named after Col.Pierce Leslie Langford whose residence was located on that road once.Manjappa road is named after former Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Ali Asker Road: Ali Asker was the grand father of Dewan Mirza Ismail who imported horses from iran

Monotype Road(only referred, it is not a valid street name): 27th Cross, BSK II Stage(at Kanakapur Road and HunseMara Junction). There was a company named "Monotype" on this road earlier.

Mission Road: named after the London Missionary Society, which had been active in Bangalore from at least the 1820s. In 1841, a seminary was established here, which in later years served as the first home of the United Theological College(UTC).

Sankey Road: Another road that memorialises someone who contributed a lot to the city is Sankey Road, named after Colonel Richard Hieram Sankey, later Lieutenant General Sir Richard. Born in 1829, he came to India as in 1848. Thirteen years later, he came to Bangalore and Mysore, where he was appointed assistant to the chief engineer and three years later, chief engineer. Over the next thirteen years, when he was in charge of the public works department, he is also said to have improved old roads and improved new ones in the city. He also added an astonishing number of distinctive landmarks to our city: To him we owe the Attara Kacheri building, the Museum, Cubbon Park and Sankey Tank.

Cunningham Road – Cunningham Road is one of the busiest areas in Bangalore with malls and eateries cropping up every single day. The names of several roads in Bangalore have been derived from military nomenclature and similarly Cunningham Road was named after Francis Cunningham who was an officer in the Madras Army. Francis Cunningham was the son of the poet Allan Cunningham and the younger brother of Joseph Davey and Alexander Cunningham, who spent most of their working lives in India. He was a member of the Mysore Commission and Literary Editor. For a short while the area was called Sampangi Ramaswamy Temple Road.

Cubbon Road - Cubbon Road which runs along the stretch of Cubbon Park was recently closed due to the underground Metro work. However it was named after Lieutenant-General Sir Mark Cubbon who was a British army officer with the East India Company and later became the British Commissioner of Mysore state in 1834. Cubbon Park which is now is under the control of the Department of Horticulture has a history of over 100 years and was established in the year 1870.

St. Marks Road - St.Mark’s Road gets its name from the famous St.Mark’s Cathedral which is the oldest Anglican Church in Bangalore. The Church is now under the Governing Body of the Church of South India (CSI) and is named after St.Mark, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, who was believed to have been the first Gospel writer. The church was modeled along the lines of the 17th-century St Paul's Cathedral. However the new structure is known for its magnificent stained glass work.

F M Cariappa Road: OLD Name: Residency Road – Residency Road is a posh residential locality admired for its good houses and seemingly straight roads. In the earlier days the house of the British resident of Mysore was located on Residency Road and that’s how the name came to be. Around 1883, three new extensions were added to the Municipal area of the region - Richmond Town, followed by Benson Town and Cleveland Town – all named after British aristocrats.

D.V.G Road: It is in Gandhibazar. This extends from Nagasandra Circle to Gandhibazar main road. It is named after D.V.Gundappa(Popularly known as DVG as his full name is Devanahalli Venkataramanaiah Gundappa ). DVG was a prominent Kannada writer and a philosopher. He is renowned for Manku Thimmana Kagga, a collection of verses.

SJP Road

• Silver Jubilee Park Road. To remember the celebrations of the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV.

Avenue road was earlier known as Doddapete.

Pampa Mahakavi Road: OLD Name: Hardinge Road was the old name of Pampa Mahakavi Road.

Race Course Road became Devraj Urs Road

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.

Basaveshwara Main Road: OLD NAME:Milllers road

Kamaraja Road: OLD NAME:Cavalry Road

Kalinga Rao Road: OLD NAME:Mission Road

Rajaram Mohan Roy Road: OLD NAME: Sampangiramanagar Main Road

T.M.Naganna Road : OLD NAME: Cubbon Pet Main RoadSampige and Margosa Road

Sampige Road and Margosa road are the two main roads running through Malleswaram, one of the oldest areas of Bangalore. They derive their names from the flowery Sampige (Champak)and Margosa trees that once lined these roads; in actuality they are the 2nd and 3rd main roads of Malleswaram respectively. The busy roads are flanked by commercial establishments on either side, and end in the famous Indian Institute of Science.

Race Course Road

Another of the city’s landmark roads, it is so called because of the Race Course that runs across one side of the road. On the other, it has popular hotels like the Chalukya and West End, the famous educational institute Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and the Karnataka Electricity Board.

Meanee avenue road gets its name after the battle of Meeanee (Miani) where Charles Napier defeated a Baluchi army (1843)

NOTE: Some of the information is taken from http://www.ijanaagraha.org/content/story-streets