Janatha Bazaar stays for now

PWD had planned to raze a lovely 83-year-old building on KG Road, but the High Court has intervened. Conservationists tell you the story behind their PIL.

Citizens and conservationists are thrilled the High Court has stayed the demolition of the 83-year-old Asiatic Building housing Janatha Bazaar.

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had filed a PIL, seeking heritage structure status for the building on KG Road. The stay was granted on March 22.

Meera Iyer, convenor of INTACH Bengaluru, says efforts to stop the demolition began in April 2018.

“We first wrote to the PWD and also asked citizens to write, which they did. We had a structural engineer take a look at the building and make a preliminary report. He said there was no problem with its longevity,” says Meera.

The group also met Chief Secretary Rathna Prabha. “After this, I spoke to Sridhar Pabbisetty, then with Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF). They filed an RTI asking for information about what was planned, and it took a couple of months to get information. In the meantime, we spoke to Poovayya and Co who agreed to take up the case pro bono,” says Meera.

Intensive paperwork, documentation and research went into the filing of a strong petition, she says.

Research revealed that the building was designed by G H Krumbiegel, legendary town planner and botanist. His connection with the building was not widely known till then.

Meera thinks heritage structures are the pride of Bengaluru and wonders why the government doesn’t work towards preserving them. “It’s a pity we have to work against the government to save heritage structures---there is zero support from them. There are economic incentives, loans, grants and other mechanisms that the government could bring in to help heritage owners, but our government is singularly uninterested,” she says.

She believes the Janatha Bazaar building can easily be upgraded and used as a public space. “There are so many ideas which could earn the government money while the city retains its heritage,” she adds.

Alyia Phelps-Gardiner-Krumbiegel,
great-granddaughter of
Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel
(who designed Asiatic Building).

Alyia Phelps-Gardiner-Krumbiegel, great granddaughter of Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, town planner and botanist, is thrilled the court has stayed the demolition of Janatha Bazaar, by Krumbiegel and inaugurated in 1935.

A heritage conservationist based in London, Alyia spoke to Metrolife over the phone.

Excerpts:

Did you expect a stay so soon?

I was sure the sheer number of people fighting to save Janatha Bazaar would return with a favourable result. When the news came through, I remember smiling and heaving a sigh of relief and thinking “Great grandfather, they did it!” It is a victory for citizens. We have lost so many historical buildings. Our heritage is a patchwork quilt of everything we call home. It offers a window into our origins.

Why is the government not preserving heritage structures?

I think governments are realising public opinion is important. There has been some effort to list out important buildings, implement heritage zones, and formulate new guidelines to preserve heritage structures. It is great that there are now many citizen groups who want to be involved in what’s happening to their city.

What is the biggest takeaway from this case?

Apart from the historical tourism aspect, it would be wonderful for tourists to walk around a repurposed, vibrant building. Janatha Bazaar repurpose may be a movement based on emotion but the concept should be a standard operating procedure for all heritage buildings in Bengaluru.

Blue sheets keep customers away

Shopkeepers who continue to carry out business in Janatha Bazaar say the footfalls are low, despite the building being in the city’s busiest business district.

Ravi Kalaburagi, who manages a sports store, says “Our business has dropped by 80 per cent. It is great that the court has stayed the demolition but the PWD has put up large sheets around the building. This is a misleading sign because people think the building isn’t functional. The sheets have to be removed.”

Chandravathi, a who runs a shop that sells footwear and bags, says: “We have been here for 20 years and we are glad we can continue here. But our business have fallen by 70 per cent.”

Why we must preserve Janatha Bazaar building

Research shows Janatha Bazaar is a strong structure and its architecture is one-of-a-kind. Here’s why it should be preserved:

*For its architectural aesthetics, and contribution to the landscape

*For its associations---Krumbiegel is an internationally acclaimed architect and planner and did a lot for Bengaluru.

*The Wadiyars, who ruled from Mysuru, are an important part of Bengaluru history, and they commissioned the building.

*We need more public and open spaces. Janatha Bazaar has one, and it can house another.

*Trees inside will be chopped if PWD demolishes the building to build another urban monstrosity.

A precious piece of history

Commissioned by the Mysuru maharaja Narasimharaja Wadiyar, Janatha Bazaar was designed by the famous town planner Krumbiegel, and inaugurated in 1935.

Initially, it housed a company patronised by the Maharaja to provide insurance for his staff. Janatha Bazaar came into the picture many decades later.

The building is located on bustling K G Road, within walking distance of the Kempegowda bus station.

Archival help came from abroad

For the documentation, INTACH called many Bengalureans now settled in the US and UK.

“And the minute they knew what it was for, they were more than happy to scour their libraries and archives for the information we needed. People from San Francisco, London, New Jersey, New York and Pittsburgh helped! Ultimately, a crucial bit of info came from New York,” Meera Iyer, who heads the Bengaluru chapter of INTACH, told Metrolife.