Restoration on the right track

History lovers and heritage enthusiasts around Bengaluru have reason to cheer as three colonial-era railway stations in the city's vicinity have been renovated, with another to soon follow suit.

The venture is part of a drive by the city’s division of the South Western Railway (SWR) and the Bengaluru chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) to renovate several heritage stations. Under phase 1, four stations — Doddajala, Devanahalli, Avatihalli and Nandi Halt — situated along the Bengaluru-Chikkaballapur railway line, were chosen for the renovation. While work has been completed at the first three stations, the Nandi Halt station is expected to be ready in a few months.

As the station buildings are over 100 years old and dilapidated due to wear and tear, the SWR decided to renovate them, with a focus on retaining the architectural style without damaging the originality of the structures. The stations at Doddajala, Devanahalli and Avatihalli reflect a blend of colonial and vernacular architecture and are extremely similar.

Each station is characterised by a hall, a small storage room and a corridor. Key features of the original structure have been retained — for instance, the four-sided Mangalore-tiled gable roof and a small counter where tickets were issued in the past. The main rooms have circular ventilators and granite pillars, and the floors are made of Kadappa stones.

According to the SWR, the renovation intends to retain both the cultural significance and historical value of the structures while simultaneously giving them a facelift to improve passenger footfall. The SWR also plans to build museums at each of the stations that will display vintage photographs and highlight aspects of railway history. At the Avatihalli station, there is a plan to develop a museum on silk weaving, since the region is famous for sericulture.

These stations stand out from other colonial-era stations as they were the product of the first public private partnership in the state. They were built through an understanding between the princely state of Mysore and the Southern Maratha Railway Company — a private enterprise.

Meera Iyer, the convenor of the INTACH Bengaluru Chapter, says the current project is built on similar lines, with the funds for INTACH flowing in through the corporate social responsibility funds of two companies.

"The restoration works at the first three stations have been funded by Minerals Enterprises Limited, a Bengaluru-based company, while the works at Nandi Halt have been sponsored by Discovery Village," she added.

'Renovation with minimal intervention'

Meera says the renovation work has been carried out in accordance with internationally accepted principles of conservation. "Thus, while renovating the stations, we have retained the original materials, such as the Mangalore tiles and the Kadappa stones. We firmly believe in the principle of minimal intervention — not resorting to drastic changes unless the structural situation necessitates it," she adds.

The much larger Nandi Halt station is merely 2.5 km away from Nandi Hills. Though first renovated during the early post-independence years, it requires further repair. It is of great historical interest as Mahatma Gandhi had famously visited the hills twice. In 1927, having been diagnosed with high blood pressure and apoplexy, Gandhi was advised to take a tour of Nandi Hills. He stayed here for 45 days — from April 20 to June 5. Next, he visited the hill station in 1936 with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was unwell. Praising the atmosphere, Gandhi wrote in a letter, "The air is beautiful. I do not know a more secluded, cleaner, quieter hill." In the early post-independence years, Jawaharlal Nehru also visited the hill station.

A cultural centre will be built at Nandi Halt. Along with this, a railway museum is also being constructed in the premises of the station. Other plans for the station include an amphitheatre, restaurants and a toy train on the 13-acre land of the railways.

The SWR hopes the renovations, coupled with the historical significance of these stations, will enhance their popularity. While the station at Devanahalli is adjacent to Tipu Sultan's birthplace and Devanahalli Fort, Nandi Halt is close to the Bhoganandishwara Temple.

As per railway policy, ticket collection at halt railway stations is handed over to rural contractors. "With the renovations, we hope there is a substantial increase in passenger numbers, thus helping the contractors and also augmenting the rural economy in the process," says Kusuma Hariprasad, the additional divisional railway manager of SWR.

The increase in the number of visitors is also expected to boost tourism and other secondary economic activities in the region.