Credit: Special Arrangement
The neighbourhood of Malleswaram is set to launch its own website on Sunday. Malleswaram.org will serve as a digital archive and interactive platform showcasing the area’s cultural, social, ecological, and architectural legacy. Architect Suchitra Deep, a Malleswaram resident for three decades, is leading the initiative.
She says the hyper-local website aims to preserve both the tangible and intangible heritage of the neighbourhood. It will feature stories not just about buildings but also about its residents, including pourakarmikas, vendors, shopkeepers, and especially women entrepreneurs. “We need to capture the voices of those who have not been heard (before),” she says.
The project is funded by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) under Project 560, an artistic research initiative documenting Bengaluru’s neighbourhoods.
The website, however, has its roots in 2009, when Suchitra began informally recording her observations of the locality. “It started as an architect’s interest, and then I began creating an archive focused on traffic and walkability in the area,” she says.
Concerned that Malleswaram’s sense of community was fading, she formed a group called Malleswaram Social in 2019. Since then, she has organised walks and talks to highlight the locality’s history.
Launch on Sunday
To mark the website’s launch, a full day of activities, including walks, talks, art sessions, live music, stalls, and community conversations, has been planned on November 23, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. While the website will be launched at the Rotary Hall in Malleswaram, events will take place outside and around the venue. All activities are free, except for a talk on the inscription stone located in a passage next to Kadu Malleshwara Temple. Presented by P L Udaya, the talk will be held in two slots, at 8 am and 8.45 am, with 50 seats each.
For details, visit @malleswaram.blr on Instagram.