TUMKUR: The stage is all set to launch the Third Front on Thursday at Dobbspet on the Bangalore-Tumkur NH-4.
Though the venue falls under Bangalore rural district, close to Tumkur, it is included in Chikballapur LS segment, making it a central hub for the JD(S) to send a clear message to three LS segments.
JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has been monitoring the preparations.
His sons H D Kumaraswamy and H D Revanna also visited the venue. As more than three lakh people are expected to gather, Gowda was assured by the police that no stampede would occur. People from Bangalore rural district, Tumkur, Chikballapur and Hassan are expected to turn up in large numbers.The pandal was erected on 18 acres and two lakh chairs are being arranged, besides food and water.
Adakamaranahalli E Krishnappa, producer of ‘Mungarumale’ fame, has taken charge of the arrangements.
Dobbspet has its origin in East India Company’s officer Dobbs, who was the district collector for Tumkur in the mid-18th century.
Since he found the place handy as it was a junction, he built a traveller’s bungalow and maintained it well. Being on the NH-4, it connects different routes from Tumkur, Bangalore, BIA at Devanahalli, Koratagere and the holy Shivagange.
It is situated 45 km northeast of Bangalore and 20 km southeast of Tumkur. The railways station, 2 km from town, is on the Bangalore-Tumkur rail route of SWR.Dobbs had constructed a smaller building as a kitchen, stables for his horses and dug a well for drinking water. But there was not a single sign board to tell the history, as all his constructions had to give way for development.
Till 1980, there was a TB which was demolished for the bus stand. Dobbs tomb and the well stayed till 1994, but was levelled for the four lane national highway, said G P Gurusiddappa, a resident.
“The TB was used to run the government school till 1970, where I too had studied,” he said.
Dobbs grandson, who lives in Italy, had come to Dobbspet in 1988, said Gurusiddappa.
Octogenarian Kantharaja Shetty clarifies that the name Dobbspet was in use during his childhood. The place was a bustling business centre with a weekly ‘santhe’. The old areas continued to be called Sompura, which has its origin in the ancient Someshwara temple, he added.
Thus, this place though familiar as Dobbspet comes under Sompura hobli and in the old records is Sompura, he said. “But my grandparents used the name Dobbspet,” he said.
Though the buildings and constructions of Dobbs were demolished, three tamarind trees planted during his time on the premises of his IB, can be seen at the bus stand.