Heart of city feels nostalgic

It is not easy living in century-old homes in commercial centres; many want to move out or renovate

1. An elementary school in Murphy town founded in 1913

BENGALURU: There are homes that are nearly a century old or older in the heart of the city. Owners who are still residents here say that it is not easy to maintain them, when concrete commercialisation marches in.Seventy-two-year-old D Subramani, who lives in Murphy Town, off Ulsoor, is planning to sell his home to builders. “I have been living in this house from the time I was born,” he says. “My father, the late CR Doraiswamy Mudaliar, bought this in 1942 from a businessman.

2&3. Demolished Telegu medium school with just an idol of Ganesh and a well in Thoppa Mudaliar Street 4&5. House constructed in 1936 6. D Subrahmani’s family bought this house in Palani Mudaliar Street, Murphy Town in 1942

There have been disputes over this  in my family and now I want to hand it over to builders. It is not easy to share ownership and I have spent money renovating this house often. But now I need to find a solution to the disputes, for my future generation.”

7. A shopping complex uses this house to store their goods on OPH Road, Shivaji Nagar 8 to 11. A 1887 house Kannun Hall on Lakshmi Mudaliar Road

Maintenance of such homes are difficult, particularly if you are struggling to make a living. Rajashekhar, 67, stays in the more than 140-years-old Kannun Hall in Veerapillai Street. He lives alone after his wife passed away, the couple did not have children. “I was born here,” says this roadside snack seller. “My wife died last year and my siblings left over a dispute, now I am left here alone. I am too tired to run around for the upkeep of this house and I do not know what is to be done.”

12. An abandoned house in Jewellery Street 13. The family plans to demolish their house built in 1926 to construct an apartment in Narayan Pillai Street 14 to 17. The wooden carvings of idols and animals on the old houses around Halsuru

Sneha, 23, stays in a house built by her great grandfather in 1926 on Laxman Mudaliar street. “This house is very special to us, we have been living here for a long time” she says.
“But, since this is beside Commercial Street, the pollution is damaging the building and we are planning to construct an apartment and a shopping complex here. That way we get to stay in the same place and our memories are safe,” she adds.

18. The house from 1921 converted to a commerical establishment on Dharmaraja Koil Street 19&20. A house built in 1932 on Quadrant Road

Few owners like 52-year-old Mazhar Pasha are redesigning their buildings, to include a commercial space that will give them an income. His home was was built in 1924 by his grandfather,  by the same name.He says, “It was necessary for us to convert the basement into a shopping complex. We have been staying here for the past 50 years and when the street was commercialised, we thought we could get a regular income by converting a portion of the home”.