A 120-year-old Mutt in Bengaluru has been converted into bright, colourful community space

Tucked inside a quaint street in Halasuru in Bengaluru, a 120-year-old Mutt has been converted into a bright and colourful community space.

Sthala, located on Milkmen Street, was inaugurated on Saturday. The two-storey community centre houses a co-working space, a cafe, a pottery studio, and a market space, among other things.

The idea behind the project is to build a sustainable and inclusive space, Shantanu Kalambi, founder of Sthala and a wildlife veterinarian by profession, told DH. "Since the seer who used to reside in this Mutt passed away many years ago, the building was abandoned and it was in a dilapidated condition. We didn't want to see a heritage structure like this go to waste, and wanted to turn it into something useful for everyone around," he said.

Currently, some of the organisations and businesses working out of the space include Yellow Veranda Cafe, Above Zenith, Green Thumbi Hydroponics, Sthira Pottery, and Reefwatch.

Shantanu plans to host weekly events at Sthala. "The space is open to all forms of art, culture and wellness events. People interested in hosting events can also rent out the space," he elaborated. His long-term plan involves turning the narrow street, tucked away next to high-rise buildings, into Bengaluru's very own art district. "This street has several such buildings that are over a hundred years old. Many of them are open to being rented out. In the long run, we want to get the whole community involved and have interactive spaces spread across the street," he added.

Shantanu Kalambi, founder of Sthala

The inauguration on Saturday was packed with various activities such as a yoga session, a talk on coral reef conservation, pottery, and a community movie screening, among other things, providing a glimpse of what's to come at the heritage space.