The 150 year old building Balabrooie in Bangalore.
Bangalore:
It was a cloudy, grey Sunday in Bangalore. But several eminent citizens and concerned locals were out of doors, trying to save a slice of the city's vanishing heritage - the over-150-year-old Balabrooie building.
Under the banner "Save Balabrooie Committee," they staged a demonstration outside the British-era structure.
The bungalow stands on the city's Palace Road- the core area dating back to the 1800s - along a string of other heritage buildings. The worry is that Balabrooie, which had hosted legendary figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Sir M Visweswaraya, will have to make way for a club house for legislators.
Bangalore has a history that goes back around 500 years. But much of its architectural heritage is under threat.
That was the point artist SG Vasudev, musicians Raghu Dixit and Vasundhara Das and other residents were out to make. A smaller delegation met Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, trying to get some reassurance that the building was safe.
"It is not just about Balabrooie. It is a bigger perspective what Bangalore has become over the years," said musician Raghu Dixit. "Tree by tree, building by building, the beauty of the city has changed in the name of development. This is total self-indulgence by the authorities."
"We want to bring a legislation on heritage, that is very important. We can't protest every time," said SG Vasudev. "Bangalore has a history. It will be 500 years old in 20 years. We should have some history of Bangalore."
Nothing had been decided as yet, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa told NDTV. "No such proposal is before the government. The club is there. So far, the chief minister has agreed to hand it over."
The state government is currently using the building as a home for ministers and a guest house.
There is a possibility that the building might survive but some of the surrounding trees will have to come down for the proposed club. But the trees - huge and beautiful - are considered as precious as the building. "Not the trees, please! This is part of saving our city," said one protester.
"We are the custodians of the architectural gifts and gifts like the greenery around us. We have already seen a lot of that disappear," added Vasundhara Das.
Under the banner "Save Balabrooie Committee," they staged a demonstration outside the British-era structure.
The bungalow stands on the city's Palace Road- the core area dating back to the 1800s - along a string of other heritage buildings. The worry is that Balabrooie, which had hosted legendary figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Sir M Visweswaraya, will have to make way for a club house for legislators.
Bangalore has a history that goes back around 500 years. But much of its architectural heritage is under threat.
That was the point artist SG Vasudev, musicians Raghu Dixit and Vasundhara Das and other residents were out to make. A smaller delegation met Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, trying to get some reassurance that the building was safe.
"It is not just about Balabrooie. It is a bigger perspective what Bangalore has become over the years," said musician Raghu Dixit. "Tree by tree, building by building, the beauty of the city has changed in the name of development. This is total self-indulgence by the authorities."
"We want to bring a legislation on heritage, that is very important. We can't protest every time," said SG Vasudev. "Bangalore has a history. It will be 500 years old in 20 years. We should have some history of Bangalore."
Nothing had been decided as yet, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa told NDTV. "No such proposal is before the government. The club is there. So far, the chief minister has agreed to hand it over."
The state government is currently using the building as a home for ministers and a guest house.
There is a possibility that the building might survive but some of the surrounding trees will have to come down for the proposed club. But the trees - huge and beautiful - are considered as precious as the building. "Not the trees, please! This is part of saving our city," said one protester.
"We are the custodians of the architectural gifts and gifts like the greenery around us. We have already seen a lot of that disappear," added Vasundhara Das.
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