Something old, something new

for the people

Malleshwaram boasts of residents from all walks of life. The charming locality is on its way to becoming a high-tech hub, says Prashanth GN

The northwest area of Bengaluru, better known as Malleshwaram, is one of the earliest colonies of the City. This residential space has housed and continues to house top bureaucrats, researchers, musicians, artists, writers, politicians, sportspersons and noted institutions. It is one of the few areas of Bengaluru, which remain untouched by IT companies and thus, retain the old-world charm that many people crave for.

Its easy access to places like Sadashivnagar, Mahalaksmi Layout, Rajajinagar, Yeshwantpur, Majestic, Seshadripuram, BEL Colony and Marathahalli, makes it an attractive destination for residential as well as commercial space hunters.

You will probably recognise the area by the iconic landmark of Bengaluru – World Trade Center (WTC), situated at the Yeswantpur-Malleswaram junction. The Brigade Group of apartments, numbering to 1000, is also situated right next to WTC. You can also find Columbia Asia Hospital in this area.

Malleshwaram is home to many noted personalities like the badminton ace, PrakashPadukone and renowned space scientist, K Kasturirangan, to name some. In the past, CV Raman stayed in Malleswaram during his stint at IISC.

Musician Doraiswamy Iyengar, writer-poet GP Rajaratnam, film star Saroja Devi and educator MPL Shastry were all Malleshwaram residents, too.

A residential boost

Malleshwaram was said to be the first among all the localities to usher in the apartment culture with the establishment of the Chitrapur Apartment Society. The demand for modern housing here comes mainly because of three reasons: desire to be a part of the old-world charm and the inherent intellectual appeal, easy accessibility to the city centre and the rise of post-modern entertainment spaces.

The establishment of WTC spurred residential growth and gave a boost to northwest Malleshwaram in terms of homes. Apartments ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs one crore and more were most sought-after by the elite middle-class.

This, in turn, promoted retail growth and the result was the rise of Orion, one of the biggest shopping malls in Bengaluru. Housing multiplexes, retail outlets, coffee shops and art works, the mall has become the weekend destination for majority of families in Malleshwaram. Giving tough competition to this venture  is another mall on Sampige Road, the Mantri Square. In fact, Sampige Road, 8th Cross is at the centre of one of the busiest shopping hubs in the City.

Sanjeev Seshadri, a young IT professional, who stays in an apartment close to 18th Cross says, “The WTC and Orion Mall lend an international feel to the space. I take my mother and nephew out to Orion, where we see movies, go bowling and enjoy the attractive eats in the mall. Sometimes, we also head to Mantri Square to try out different
restaurants.”

Another belt of residential space near Malleshwaram is Sadashivnagar, which housed cultural personalities and politicians like the late Ramakrishna Hegde, Jeevaraj Alva and Kannada’s most famous film icon, Dr. Rajkumar. People, who own houses in this area, are
perceived to be bestowed with considerable status and taste.

This space has numerous sites measuring nothing less than 80 x 100 sq ft. The site costs that ran up to Rs three to five crores a few years ago, now come upto Rs 10 crores and above. Currently, you will find it difficult to find sites here, although most of the old structures are being brought down to make way for new apartments. These apartments are easily priced around Rs five to ten crores. If you are looking for bigger, spacious homes here, be ready to shell out more.

The CV Raman Avenue is home to one of the major science institutions of India –  the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), which has been around for nearly 105 years. Out of IISC grew some of the biggest research and manufacturing establishments like HAL, DRDO, ISRO, BEL and other institutions. IISC is one of the many contributing reasons to the high prices of plots around the Avenue. Says Sharath Gowda, an IISC alumni: “Though I live in Rajajinagar, I would have loved to stay in Malleshwaram and walk to the campus, which is one of the greenest areas in Bengaluru. I know of many retired professors who do that to this day.”

Huge potential

Suresh Hari, secretary, Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India (CREDAI), Bengaluru, reveals that the real estate development in Malleshwaram will largely be focused around its core. “In the core, projects are not that pervasive. What will move things is the demolition of old properties. The number and intensity of this will depend on how many large tracts of land are available. Development in Malleswaram will also mean development in areas of Rajajinagar First Block, Yeswanthpur and Mathikere. You will notice that the interiors of Malleshwaram has small, dense properties, that are interconnected with each other. Modern development will start once these structures turn old and are brought down. It’s too packed right now for any kind of modernity.”

All said and done, the fact remains that Malleshwaram is drawing a new generation of youngsters – mainly professionals, who are purchasing apartments that are built in place of older properties. Security is of paramount importance for the young and old alike. Consequently, palatial bungalows are being brought down to make way for swanky apartment complexes.

What was once a charming, intellectual – albeit sleepy – residential locality is now set to dazzle with the latest styles in odern-day living. The Malleshwaram realty story is far from over.