Many of old the City’s historic buildings of immense architectural and cultural significance, and sites of great diversity and very different character, have bitten the dust. The multi-gabled Cash Pharmacy building, Hotel Victoria, and any number of once-significant landmarks of Bangalore, the old Victorian bungalows have been wiped out from the cityscape. One wonders when and what the demolition ball will hit next. Will it be the 1910 C Kannan Building and the 1844 Higginbotham’s on MG Road, or the 1910 Cubbon Park Police Station on Kasturba Road?

Still remains
Meanwhile let us celebrate what has been spared. There is the Express building on Brunton Road, the Mysore Tobacco Company’s bungalow on Richmond Road, the VST families’ bungalows on Sankey Road… to cite some fine examples of buildings of architectural and cultural value. One building though that continues to fascinate the writer from early childhood is Lenarc.

It is easily one of the most interesting urban structures of old Bangalore, a joy to behold on par with the erstwhile Dr Camillio Miranda’s Golden Threshold on St Mark’s Road. Unlike the late respected dentist’s cottage, Lenarc at 37 Vittal Mallya Road is holding strong in the whirlwind of change gripping the city.

The quaint Iberian architecture marking the two-storied building is a reminder of the glory of the old Civil and Military Station — of quiet elegance and a timeless chic. A grand old lady stylishly holding its own in a setting of svelte wannabes — cheeky glass and steel combos, and artificial palm trees.

Lenarc has an intricately designed porch with a gabled room on the first floor. Fascinating plaster carvings adorn it. There are rounded walls. Stylish awnings. Monkey tops. Extensive intricate grill work. Servant quarters, horse stables/garages, and an outside kitchen and a spacious back yard.

In its day, the gardens were the pride of the house. In the centre lawn was a delightful little fountain with goldfish in the pond, and a bird bath. Behind, a well-planned drainage system collected rain water from the house and neighbourhood, to empty into the nearby storm water drain.

“The main door is a masterpiece of craftsmanship,” says Mr. Satish Mahajan, garment exporter, of the house he grew up in, “It had brass inlay supports and a huge brass handle, the likes of which are seldom seen today.”
The interiors reflected warmth and coziness. The house had parquet as well as black and white Italian marble, and other types of flooring that were pleasing to the eye.

Remembers Satish, “We had spring cots and gold brocade upholstered sofas, and in that setting we kids felt like we were living in a grand palace, a dream world.”

This childhood home of Satish Mahajan didn’t come by easily to his father. When old DR Mahajan, a document expert, was allotted it by the Rent Controller, history was made: For first time an Indian occupied the house. In those days the white landlord preferred ex-pats to reside in the premises. As an upshot, the Mahajans had to enlist the support and protection of the Cubbon Park P S to move into the ‘allotted’ house.

Stories aplenty
The neighbours had their own reasons for not having anyone to occupy Lenarc. They had heard or seen too many strange goings-on in that building to recommend it to anyone — Indian or foreigner.  The house in one word was haunted! Had been for years. Any number of stories did the rounds to give the listeners, even third parties the willies.  Eerie, wispy figures clambered up the staircase. Sounds of ping pong happened late at night. Every morning residents woke to find that the grand piano had mysteriously moved from one end of the room to the other. Strange sounds of footsteps and conversations and arguments were often heard late in the night. But when the tenants went up to investigate they’d find no one upstairs, save for open windows with curtains aflutter in the breeze.

The owner
Presently the property belongs to J H F Lentin, a Parsi family that moved in from Ahmedabad in the late 40s.
The original foreign owner of the house, it is said, died on a ship, of a heart attack. It was rumoured that the shock of winning a huge sweepstake was too much for the man. When the glad tidings were presented to him, he stood shocked, wide-eyed in disbelief, and in the next moment, keeled over. Myocardial infarction.

As the ghost stories and other personal details of the original owners get told and retold, it is difficult to shift fact from fiction.

In the West and in cities such as San Francisco organisations such as the Friends of 1800, are in the forefront to preserve such important buildings and heritage centres.

They are respected for their historical and aesthetic merits. In Bangalore while we have the local chapter of the Indian Heritage Society, Urban Arts Commission and any number of well-wishers for preserving and treasuring the city’s rich cultural heritage and history, there are few private individuals and corporates with the wherewithal to come forward and help the situation.

Preserving the past
Says writer and Bangalorephile, M Bhaktavatsala in his requiem for the Golden Threshold, “in our country, a heavy responsibility lies on the rich — much more than the responsibility which devolves on the government.
But sadly enough, the rich in India, with some distinguished exceptions, by and large remain unconcerned with these matters, while the rich elsewhere, even while they are engaged in the business of making more money, are also zealous protectors of traditions and heritage…”

To be sure, it is an uphill task to list all the historic buildings and sites of the City.

However when such a task is undertaken, it will a good starting point to usher in a renaissance in the preservation of Bangalore’s cultural heritage and historical resources.

With support from people flush with positive ideas and programmes and the wherewithal for preserving, conserving, and even transmitting our historical and culture heritage, the city’s future can well be interesting, stimulating, and gratifying.