BENGALURU: One of the earliest multi-storied buildings in the city, Janatha Bazaar, has been in the news ever since the government gave a go-ahead for the building’s demolition. This was to make way for the construction of a modern shopping complex. As discussions on the demolition have been underway, we take a walk-through the iconic structure to dig out its colonial past. The KG Road-located structure was inaugurated on September 11, 1935 by the then Prince of Mysore kingdom, Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar, who was popularly known as Yuvaraja of Mysore. “The building known as ‘Asiatic Building’ to this day is because it was the office of one of the earliest insurance companies Asiatic Company,” says Biradhar, assistant manager, Janatha Bazaar.
According to architect and activist Naresh V Narasimhan, the building was inaugurated on the same day as Puttanna Chetty Town Hall. “Incidentally, both the buildings were inaugurated by Yuvaraja of Mysore,” he says to which Raja Chandra Urs, a member of the royal family, points out that it wasn’t regular for the Yuvaraja to attend two public functions on the same day.
“The fact that he attended both shows how much importance he gave to the occasion. Mysuru has been the pioneer for the insurance industry. The insurance company started in Mysuru in 1890s to provides cover to all employees of the state government. Later, it was shifted to Bengaluru,” he says. In his inaugural speech, the erstwhile Yuvaraja mentioned the necessity of insurance and its additional benefit of raising money which can then be usefully invested in industry and nation building, Raja adds.
Architect and urban historian Yashashwini Sharma who recently held a walk at the building for the public says that Yuvaraja had also predicted that there would once be insurance for motor vehicles too at the gathering. “He said life insurance is important, especially for women between the ages of 15 and 50. It could help alleviate child birth problems. In his opening speech at the magnificent building erected at the cost of `2 lakh, he warns of taking insurance from small companies. He mentioned that over 7 lakh insurance policies had already been registered in India and there was an increase by 300 per cent between 1921 and 1931. It could probably be because of the aftermath of World War I.”
According to Meera Iyer from INTACH, the Asiatic Building was designed by G H Krumbiegel, a renowned German horticulturist, town planner and architect who helped design and remodel several gardens in the city, including the garden at the Bangalore Palace.
“The Asiatic Building served for a while as the location of the Store Purchases Committee of the Government of Karnataka. Thereafter, in the wake of the reforms undertaken in 1964, by virtue of which the Karnataka State Co-Operative Consumers Federation was established with a view to moderate consumer goods pricing, the first Janatha Bazaar was set up in the Asiatic Building in 1966,” she says. Some of the portions of the building were rented out to other government bodies such as the Employment Exchange, BSNL and the Mysore Silk Corporation.
As plans on razing the building have been in discussions, activists are up in arms that another ‘Krumbiegel building’ might also see the fate of Krumbiegel Hall. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, founder Heritage Beku, feels that the building is still in a great shape but just poorly maintained. “It’s been constructed and designed well. It was in this Asiatic building that insurance company was launched in the city,” she says.
Hari Doss, who runs an engineering business, recalls visiting the bazaar with his grandmother. “My grandma used to live near Janatha Bazaar. We would go shopping for household items and groceries. I recall each section of the building having shops selling specific items such as groceries, footwear and clothes,” says the 52-year-old, adding that building’s maintenance was much better during those days. “That was 40 years ago.
There weren’t too many shops in the vicinity and hence, people would all throng Janatha Bazaar. My father-in-law also used to go there, and all of us have fond memories of the place.” He is of the firm belief that the building stands strong can survive another 100 if not knocked down. “It should be restored rather than demolished for just a new shopping complex,” he says.
‘Hope the building will be a notable addition to the city’
According to reports, Dr F Noronha, one of Bengaluru’s prominent citizens and leading doctors at the said time, stated that the building ‘constituted a concrete symbol of the strength and security of the company, and it was hoped that the building would not only be a fitting monument to the successful activities of this Mysore Enterprises, but also a notable addition to the many splendid structures that contributed to the beauty of the picturesque city of Bengaluru.’
Colonial Revival Architecture
Planned as an L-shaped structure with a central porch at the corner and two wings along the two roads, the site has a spacious courtyard with a large open space. Architect and urban historian Yashashwini says, “It is built in stone and brick masonry. The Porte-cochere is where horse carriages used to come and drop off people. Motor vehicles were just kicking in at that time and hence, not many people had them.” The porch leads to the double height lobby with two wooden staircases, placed symmetrically leading to the upper floors.
The lobby further leads into a large spacious hall at all levels. The three-storied building has many interesting details and features such as the double height spaces, arched openings, teak wood doors, hand-rails, metal balusters, grand wooden staircases, tiled chequered flooring, ornamental cast iron spiral staircases and cornices defining each floor.
Save Janatha Bazaar
The government had sanctioned the demolition of the Janatha Bazaar building to make way for a new shopping complex there in 2016. Several protests were raised by activists and organisations. A PIL was filed by INTACH challenging the move. The petition, a copy of which is available with City Express, points out that the Draft Revised Master Plan of Bengaluru 2031 designates Janatha Bazaar/Asiatic building as a heritage building and that it should protected in the interest of public.
“We need to remind the authorities that such heritage buildings are important to us. We have written letter to Dinesh Gundu Rao. The building comes under his constituency. We hope they don’t bring this building down like Krumbiegel Hall,” says Priya Chetty-Rajagopal. To protect the building, they have started a campaign #notanotherkrumbiegalhall.