Know your neighbourhood - 10: Bangalore's CBD

Overview: After the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the Pete was handed over to the Wodeyars and the British began development of Bangalore Cantonment with its centre at Parade Grounds. Both Pete and Cantonment developed rapidly in terms of gardens, lakes, roads but the Cantonment was a major revenue generator for the Raj. Cantonment area today circles around MG Road which has become the Central Business District of Bangalore. While retaining many old heritage buildings around it, MG Road and the surrounding areas have made way for several modern structures.

MG Road

Erstwhile Liberty Cinema

Oriental Building (LIC)

St Marks Church, Blighty's Tea Room (Now Hard Rock Café) are few buildings from the British era, the Bangalore Metro, which has been both appreciated and criticised, has changed the landscape of modern MG Road. MG Road was known as South Parade during British rule. The roads were named after the military names such as Cavalry Road, Brigade Road, Infantry Road. East Parade and Holy Trinity Church were built by the British built in 1865 and 1840 respectively. The Cubbon Park, named after the commissioner Mark Cubbon is one of the prime lung spaces in today's Bangalore and houses several heritage buildings in its vicinity.

Brigade Road

Blighty's Tea Room (HRC)

Bible Society

Holy Trinity Church

Higginbothams, MG Road

East Parade Church

Opera Theatre

Koshy’s: Koshy’s on St Mark’s road, voted as one of the most stylist and popular restaurants, was founded in 1940. It attracts all kinds of people across the world for its variety of cuisine.

Koshy's

Statues of Cubbon Park

Cubbon Park

St Marks Cathedral: This Cathedral was built in 1812, named after Mark the Evangelist. The structure is inspired by the St Paul’s Cathedral in London, with its dome shaped architecture.

St Marks Cathedral

Mayo Hall: This elegant styled building is named after Lord Mayo and was inaugurated in 1883. This building currently houses the lawyers and on one side there is a museum featuring old pictures of Bangalore. Initially built on a hill top, Mayo Hall offered panoramic views of East Bangalore.

Mayo Hall

Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall/State Central Library: Started off as a private book lending company in 1915, this was taken over by State Govt in 1966. This is currently a reference library and has one of the largest collection of books in Karnataka.

Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall

Vidhana Soudha and Attara Kacheri: Needs no introduction and probably features in every book on Bangalore tourism. Vidhana Soudha is the seat of Karntaka State legislature, and was built in 1951 by Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the then CM of the State. Built as a fusion of Roman, European, Indian and Gothic architecture, the building stands out as an example of contemporary art from Independent India. Attara Kacheri is a much older building, built in 1868, under the leadership of Bowring, when the temporary offices were set up in Tipu Sultan’s Palace.

Vidhana Soudha

Attara Kacheri

Museum Road: Heritage and Science meet at this place. Government Archaeological Museum was established by LB Bowring in 1865. It currently houses several archaeological artifacts from Karnataka including the inscriptions in Begur and Halmidi inscriptions, and also coins, jewellery, old papers from the past. Visveswaraya museum features all modern science and technology and the logic behind how things work.

Government Museum

War Memorial: At the junction of Brigade Road and Residency Road stands the War Memorial, dedicated to the 1st Madras Pioneers who sacrificed their lives in the First World War (1914-1918).

War Memorial

Postal Museum: A one of its kind museum in the city is the Postal museum on St Marks Road, which showcases the journey of Indian communication. This museum is situated in the old Postal Divisional Office building.

Postal Museum

Raj Bhavan: Situated at the highest point in Bangalore, High Grounds (3031 ft above sea level), it was built by Sir Mark Cubbon in 1840 when he was the Commissioner of Mysore territories of the British.

Raj Bhavan

St Patrick's Church: Built in 1844 for the Irish soldiers, this is the only church in Bangalore with North-South alignment. There is the tomb of Ms. Bowring inside the Church.