Senior citizens help BBMP renovate Amma Makkala Park

The Amma Makkala Park or the Mother and Child Park located in LIC Colony of East Jayanagara got its first renovation following seven years of its inception.

BENGALURU:The Amma Makkala Park or the Mother and Child Park located in LIC Colony of East Jayanagara got its first renovation following seven years of its inception.

The park was built by three-time corporator, N Nagaraju with the help of 25 engineering students from Almatti.Senior citizens of East Jayanagar joined BBMP to repaint the statues in the park that showcase the bond shared by a mother and a child.
The park was originally built for senior citizens who used to roam around in search of a space to exercise. A lover of green spaces and statues, Nagaraju came up with the idea to convert the half-acre land into a “family space,” he says.

He is nicknamed “Park Nagaraju” because he has worked on 10 parks in his lifetime and has also contributed in setting up Mahatma Gandhi statues on M G Road.
The BBMP funded park boasts free-to-use gym equipment worth `10 lakh that include facilities such as cycling, leg and chest exercising and walking. “The park focuses on the essence of love and bonding and highlights the importance of health,” says Nagaraju.
The park caters to about 2,000 people on a daily basis. “There is no water source to keep the park green,” says Nagaraju. “A pipe had to be drawn from a pond that is half-a-kilometer away from the park at a Shiva temple,” adds Nagaraju.

Secretary of LCH Residential Welfare Association (RWA) Jayanagar, P K Parameswaram says the area used to be a barren ground before. “The park has idols that is symbolic of a mother-child bond and it was made for this pupose. We have 600 houses in our RWA and we realised that Chinnaswamy Stadium was far for the Jayanagar residents to go to for some space. This park has helped children enjoy outdoor activities and enable senior citizens to enjoy regular walks,” says Parameswaram.