Considering the heritage value of 86-year-old Johnson Market, which is proposed to be demolished, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has written to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner G. Kumar Naik with a request to reconsider the decision to bring down the market.

The communication comes in the paradoxical backdrop of the market finding its name prominently in the first comprehensive heritage listing for Bengaluru and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announcing that tenders would be called to bring down the structure to make way for a modern multi-storeyed complex.

“From the time it was built when the British ruled us to the day when its heritage value was considered and included in T.P. Issar’s book The City Beautiful, Bengalureans know that Johnson Market is steeped in heritage value,” says Meera Iyer of INTACH, which had also included the market in its list of heritage buildings drawn in the 1980s.

Johnson Market also finds mention in the recent heritage structure listing backed by the Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums, undertaken by Hubballi-based ADEI Consultants.

Johnson Market made it into the heritage listing as “it is one of the few landmarks left in the area; a public realm with distinct architectural and urban design character. It reflects a strong associational value built through the ages, bridging the past and the present,” explained architect and urban designer Gitanjali Rao of ADEI Consultants.

“The market structure has not reached a complete state of deterioration which calls for pulling it down,” says Ms. Rao, although she suggests that the condition assessment for the building, even in a case of adaptable reuse, has to be done by bringing together traders, local people and experts along with local bodies for taking a decision.

‘No structural threat to the building’

Pankaj Modi, conservation architect of INTACH, says their first-hand “visual assessment” or the “architects’ scan” of Johnson Market done in January this year says, “It is stable, with no structural threat to the building seen.” What is required though is a redevelopment of the open spaces within the market and providing better infrastructure and services, says Mr. Modi.

“The plan is excellent with four large open pockets running through the length of the building. The building should be redone and made adaptable to include better flooring, lighting, along with new toilet blocks. The defunct water tank has to be made accessible to all. Imagine all this with cultural activity in the open spaces?” he says, underlining the fact that markets don’t really work on upper floors, as proposed by the BBMP.

* Johnson Market in Richmond Town was built in 1929 and was part of then Bangalore Cantonment.

* The market is Sir Mirza Ismail’s gift to the city, as recorded in T.P. Issar’s The City Beautiful

* Shaped like an aeroplane, Issar called this market the poor brother of Russell Market

* Earlier called Richmond Town Market, it was renamed Johnson Market after a Municipal Commissioner of the British times.

* The market has the evenings up and alive when the surrounding kebab joints spring to life, and the aroma of smoking meat on skewers goes well with Irani cafes, giving the market a distinct Hyderabadi flavour.

***

Such a heritage listing is crucial to a city where urban design, and land and building use come into play in urban contexts. The inventory leads us to special areas of importance when city plans and regulatory frameworks are being drawn up. The growth of a city can be guided by such ‘selection lists.’

Gitanjali Rao, architect and urban designer, ADEI Consultants, Hubballi

In association with the Kannada and Culture Department and the BBMP, INTACH can speak of the glory of Johnson Market with a plaque installed on its premises for the public to be aware of its heritage value. I had suggested to INTACH that heritage buildings and areas with a hoary history in Bengaluru could be highlighted by installing boards akin to the ‘blue plaque’ system of the U.K.

Chiranjeev Singh, former IAS Officer

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Rajani Govind /Bengaluru – July 03rd, 2015

She looks like a toy car. Yet, she is just like the present-day automobiles. The ‘queen’ who once graced the French roads, she remained a competitive car for a long time because of her front wheel drive and fuel efficiency. The 1973 Citroen Dyane 6, she is the prized possession and a ‘member’ of Steven Rebello’s family.

“She is a second generation car in our family. It all started with my dad Ronald Rebello, who was a car afficionado. I lost my parents early in life but I have terrific memories associated with them. The same holds true for the car. Whatever was close to my father is very precious to me,” says Steven.

His passion is an inherited one as “the only talk in his house would be about cars, gear boxes and power steering.”

A small but strong car, she came all the way from Delhi to Bengaluru. “It was in 1975 that my dad learnt about this car, which was in Delhi then. An adventurer, he took my mother and my infant brother to Delhi. He bought this little car and started his journey to Bengaluru. It took him three days in that sweltering heat to reach but the car did not give any problem,” he explains.

It was after this journey that Ronald fell in love with Citroen and from here began Steven’s passion for these unmatched machines as well.

“This car looked very funny when we saw it the first time. But then, they were far ahead in terms of technology. She has travelled the rough terrains of Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga and she is perfect till date,” he says.

A 600 cc air-cooled engine, this car has a canvas roof, radial tyres, high clearance, synchromesh gearbox and is one of the first cars to have a front wheel drive. While it is the mechanism of these cars that holds great value to Steven, it is also the priceless memories attached to it that makes it a part of his family. “We have spent our childhood popping our heads out from its roof and waving at people. It has a bouncy suspension, which is why the villagers would start shouting ‘kappe car’ (froggy car), whenever they saw her on the estate roads,” he reminisces and laughs.

As the saying goes, ‘history repeats itself’, Steven’s daughters, Keya and Fiona, treasure the beautiful car. “It has been great having this car,” says Keya. The story does not end here.

“I have always been a lover of Citroens. As a teenager, I had seen another Citroen in Shivamogga that was owned by two Catholic nuns and was used as an ambulance. I admired it back then and moved on. But after 20 years, when I had the money, I went looking for this van.” He made a sketch of the van, which was a 1974 Citroen AK 400, and went to all the garages of Shivamogga.

“The nuns still had it and one of the mechanics told me the rank of the nuns and where it was available. It wasn’t an easy task as I had to beg them for it,” he explains. As the van needed restoration, Steven restored it with a touch of creativity by combining two of his passions — Citroen and coffee. “I am into the coffee business, so I converted the Citroen van into a mobile cafe,” he says. As the coffee was brewed and cookies were baked, the van surely “steered up all his five senses” and his love for the Citroen grew multifold. His wife Anjali too has a soft corner for it.

“While dating her, I used to pick her up in this car and it has been a part of our lives. These cars have a mind and soul,” he says.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> MetroLife / by Prajna GR / DHNS – June 30th, 2015

by M.L. Krishnaswami

Heritage — The Oxford Dictionary meaning is Nation’s Historic Buildings or Countryside. The Government’s definition is a building which has completed its life for over 100 years; this naturally excludes private person’s buildings which have no historic value or have no significance to public interest. Public building built at public cost and being used for general or public purposes like music halls, shopping arcades, colleges, etc. which have put their physical weight on Mother Earth for hundred years or more will naturally be named as heritage structures. In any country it becomes the bounden duty of the State to preserve and maintain in good shape such buildings. In this category, Lansdowne Building, the oldest shopping complex in Mysuru built a hundred years ago, eminently qualified for this sobriquet.

In addition to the above description, even houses built and lived by eminent figures in the fields of culture and arts, literature and drama also fall under this definition. This category includes houses of Kuvempu, R.K. Narayan, Bendre, Karanth and others. When it comes to a large linear shopping complex like the Lansdowne Building, some of the owners and tenants of individual shops have made enormous contribution to the growth of their particular brand of trade or avocation over this period. They had established their brand names in Mysuru State and beyond also. In this sense they have added their own glamour to the total heritage tag of the building. An attempt is made here to highlight a few samples in this category. Now read on:

Lansdowne Building was a much longer one before 1956, extending at an angle upto the junction of the Dufferin Clock Tower on the South of Devaraja Market, when a portion was pulled down to facilitate construction of the K.R. Circle and making a through road from there westwards upto DC’s Office. This road is now called Devaraja Urs Road.

1. Phalamrutha Products, Founded by the late venerable Gundappa: Gundappa originally came from Chamarajanagar and after great initial hardships, established his industry and trading outlet for fruit juices, essences, ice creams and the like. His working place was in Ittigegud and the factory was mainly manned by his three sons and their families including the ladies. He had made such meticulous work in detail by distributing the work schedule among his sons and daughters-in-law, in shifts like an experienced works manager in a large factory. Besides, he had also employed a few people for outside work. Some of the processes were mechanised also. Utmost importance was given to maintaining the quality tag of the product. So much so, for people visiting Mysuru on vacation, both local and outside, a jaunt to the Phalamrutha outlet in Lansdowne Building was a must.

2. Late Hari Rao and his two sons ran “Brahmins Soda Factory” three or four shops towards North. The specialty of this unit was they used to make the essences of fruits at their house and bring them to their shop. Hari Rao used to trickle three or four drops of the particular essence in a glass, mix it with water or soda as per the client’s demands and serve it. This shop came under the portion of Lansdowne Building demolished in 1956 and thereafter his sons shifted the same to Old Bank Road. Another not so popular joint was the Padaki Soda Factory.

3. Khaddar Co-operative Society had occupied two adjacent shops and used to sell quality Khadi cloth. It had a large clientele comprising freedom fighters and lawyers. A small departure here: One experienced and Khadi clad tailor by name Bagare Narasingarao, popularly known by his nickname ‘Bachu,’ had occupied a part of the frontage of one of the shops here and people who bought Khaddar cloth in the Society gave him business to stitch their ware. He had good business.

My father who was a staunch Gandhian lawyer wore Khadi all his life and his sons, five in number, were perfect Khadiites. When we were school-going kids, we were taken there for measurement of knickers and pants. Bachu, the tailor, would invariably ask us which side right or left, we would hang our tool, as if he would make suitable provision for the same accordingly!! We would give a very wry small at his joke.

4. J. Nanumal and Son was another popular bookstall, selling stationery as also textbooks. They were Sindhis and the senior father was always in mill-dhoti worn with two identical pants like partitions fitting tight on both legs. His son Bhagwandas was a normally dressed person with two sons, all of whom shifted their shop up North near Chamundeshwari Talkies in 1956 when that portion of Lansdowne Building was demolished.

5. Other miscellaneous shops included a book shop (Venkateshwara), a photo frame unit and most importantly, a rubber stamp making venture, M.V.N. & Sons run by late M.V. Narasimhachar. A typing centre run by three Raju brothers had occupied two shops in a vantage location where half-a-dozen people were ready with their typewriters. The first floor portion of this linear building was occupied by auditors, lawyers, consultant engineers, who ran their professional practices there successfully for many years. A major portion of the first floor was occupied by Sarada Vilas Institutions who ran their primary and middle school sections there for a long-time.

The people who ran the above enterprises had become great hallmarks in their particular ventures and professions and had silently enhanced the heritage quotient of the brick and mortar building they occupied for a long time. Architecture adds looks to the building and enhances its livability value, but the people who live and work inside the four walls of the same breathe life into the edifice. Thus, we have ‘Stratford on Avon’ where Shakespeare’s memorial is housed and R.K. Narayan’s house in our own city which have the heritage tag not because of the buildings but because of the persons who lived there and added eternal value to the world by their works and life.

Post script: Lansdowne Building is now in a comatose state after a roof slab in a typing shop in the Southern wing collapsed on Aug. 25, 2012, and the entire building is barred for human dwelling and is earmarked for renovation. Sooner this work is taken up and completed the better as a few of the original tenants may not live to see the light of day when the renovation is completed. I am told this building is the property of the City Corporation and it is not out of place here if a request nay, appeal, is made to the Honourable Mayor and Commissioner to taken up restoration work.

Six months passed…

Whatever happened to Rs. 6 crore restoration work?

The restoration work of Lansdowne Building is being taken up as per the specifications given by the Heritage Department at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 crore — Rs. 3 crore for strengthening the building, water proofing the roof, wooden works and painting; another Rs. 3 crore for providing toilets, road and drain works and concreting. The work is yet to start as the two persons, who took part in the tender process, could not produce proper documents. Hence, the MCC has called for a re-tender. It may be recalled, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah had launched the restoration work of the Lansdowne Building and performed the ground-breaking ceremony in city on Jan. 11, 2015.

e-mail: mlkswami@yahoo.in

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / Monday – June 15th, 2015

by S.N. Venkatnag Sobers

One of the heritage structures in Mysuru is the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Though, there are no authentic documentation regarding the building, it is said that the foundation for the building was laid on June 20, 1887 and the construction was completed in 1895.

The building constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.75 lakh, had two halls and 27 rooms which served as the offices and chambers. It was also the place where the Mysore Representative Assembly was held during the Wadiyars rule in early 1900s. Built in European style, the building has octagonal dome with an unusual double-bulb final resting on an elaborately composed square drum, ardhes of different shapes, with corinthian pilasters, open verandahs leading into high ceilings.

The area where DC office is located was called as ‘Gordon Park’ named after Sir James Davidson Gordon, the British Administrator, who was the guardian of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar.

The building which is spread over 30,000 sq ft was surrounded by 92 acre open space. The building was dedicated to Sir Gordon as a gratitude for his services extended to Mysore Kingdom till Chamaraja Wadiyar became an adult and took over the administration. Chamaraja Wadiyar was coronated at the age of five.

Some of the important offices which were housed at Deputy Commissioner’s office were the District Treasury, District Excise Office, Judicial Records Room, Revenue Records Room, Office of the Superintendent of Police, the District Forest Office on the ground floor and District Health Office, Mysore Sub-Divisional Office on the first floor.

The present DC office building which is 120-year-old heritage building houses the offices of Additional Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner (Mysuru Taluk), District Treasury, Department of Food and Civil Supplies, Deputy Director of Land Records and District Urban Development Cell (DUDC). Offices belonging to Department of Social Welfare, and Department of Backward Communities and Minorities (BCM) which were at the DC’s office have been shifted owing to space constraint.

Attara Kacheri: The Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mysuru was earlier known as ‘Attara Kacheri’ as it housed offices of 18 different departments. It is believed that the then King Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar (1673 to 1704) had divided the administration of Mysore State to 18 departments for smooth functioning of the kingdom. Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar was influenced by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb who had also divided the administration into 18 departments. After the British left the Kingdom, the Deputy Commissioner’s Office was converted into Dewan’s Office which housed the offices of 18 departments.

Sir James Davidson Gordon: Right in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, there is a bronze statue of Sir James Davidson Gordon, who served as the Chief Commissioner of Mysuru from 1878-81. He was also the guardian to the then King Chamaraja Wadiyar from 1871-1873.

Sir Gordon was born to Evelyn Meadows during 1835. After joining the Civil Service in 1854, he worked as the Private Secretary to Governor General Lord Lawrence from 1866-73. Later, he became the Judicial Commissioner of Mysore, Chief Commissioner in 1878 and a Resident of Mysore in 1882. Sir Gordon retired in 1883 and died on June 27, 1889.

When Sir Gordon was serving as the Chief Commissioner, Chamaraja Wadiyar was the heir to the throne. Since Chamaraja Wadiyar was a minor, Sir Gordon took care of his education and guided him with the administration. After he became the King, Gordon continued to guide him and resided in the building in Mysuru.

New DC office: The construction of the new Deputy Commissioner’s Office will be taken up on a 15 acre land located in German Press premises in Siddharthanagar. Around 100 acre of land belonging to State Government was leased to Central Government for a period of 99 years for Re.1 annual rent agreement. Now, the Central Government has handed over 15 acre land to the State Government following its request to accommodate the new DC’s office. The matter was also pursued by Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha.

Though, the lease period of the land was valid till 2061, the Central Government handed over the land back to the State Government to go ahead with the project. Previously, the State Government had earmarked Rs. 35 crore for the construction of new DC Office complex and had instructed the District Administration to identify the land.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, DC C. Shikha said that the new building with a basement and two floors will have offices of 25 departments including those which are functioning in rented premises.

The built up area will be around 17,000 sq mts and will be designed by the State Public Works Department keeping in mind the heritage and cultural values of the Mysuru district, said Shikha.

She also mentioned that new building will be public, disabled and senior citizen friendly with ample parking space and lung space around the building.

When asked about the new DC office being too far from the city, DC Shikha mentioned that it would not be difficult for people to reach the new DC office as it was well connected with transport facilities and was near to the sub-urban bus stand.

Adding that the land identified for the new DC office was ideal, Shikha mentioned that it would have been difficult for the District Administration to find a suitable land in city limits.

Now the question arises as to what would happen to the old DC office building after completion of the new building. Reacting to this, DC Shikha said that the old office building will be retained by the Revenue Department and the State Government would decide on the measures to be taken to preserve and conserve the heritage structure.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / Sunday – June 14th, 2015