The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : A gracious dwelling turns 100

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 28, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

A gracious dwelling turns 100

S. Rajendran

Sir M.N. Krishna Rao’s house was the third to be built in Basavanagudi

Heritage: The house of the late M.N. Krishna Rao is now all set for its centenary celebration on December 30.

BANGALORE: The third house of the sprawling Basavanagudi locality, a lime mortar residential structure belonging to the late M.N. Krishna Rao, Acting Dewan of Mysore, is now all set for centenary celebration on December 30.

The noted house of Sir Krishna Rao on Kanakapura road in the vicinity of the now famous Sir M.N. Krishna Rao park was the third house to be built in Basavanagudi in 1907. Sir Krishna Rao was honoured with knighthood in 1934 for his outstanding contribution and he held charge as Dewan twice when Sir Mirza Ismail travelled to England to attend the Round Table Conference.

Credit should go to the children and grandchildren of the late Dewan, in particular M.N. Narendra (a retired engineer of the Indian Telephone Industries), for taking pains to maintain the house in all its splendour. Even a Standard car (imported from then England in 1935) , an Ansonia wall clock imported from USA (1871) and a radio (Scott make), which has a copper wire antenna (akin to a transmitter), not merely continue to remain part of the Krishna Rao heritage but are also well maintained and in working condition to this day. It should be recalled here that the formation of Basavanagudi and Malleswaram (the two residential localities came up simultaneously) were approved in 1898 after plague hit Bangalore earlier and nearly 50,000 people lost their lives. Since the old city was hit by plague the then administrators believed that the new residential areas should come up on a higher altitude. Basavanagudi is 3,035 feet above mean sea-level while the old city (Chickpet , Ulsoorgate, Krishnarajendra market (City market) etc. are 2,900 feet above sea-level. The house of Sir M.N. Krishna Rao was the third house to be constructed in Basavanagudi amidst mango and guava orchards.

Mr. Narendra, who is one of the inheritors of the sprawling house (constructed on site measuring 150 feet by 110 feet), said the house was single storeyed until 1927 when a first floor was added following the increase in the number of members of the joint family. The 35-square house has ten rooms apart from four big halls and has red-oxide flooring. The house has an open courtyard connecting the utility rooms with the main living rooms. The terrace (popularly known as Madras Roof or Madras Terrace) has girders with Mangalore tiles placed in between and to this day the roof has been rainwater seepage free. The house has also been free of any major repair in the past 100 years. It is now for the Government to give a heritage tag to the residential structure and assist the family of Sir Krishna Rao in maintaining it. Despite pressure from various quarters, including realtors to part with the precious property, Mr. Narendra has not merely resisted such offers but has taken pains in the upkeep of the building. “Leave alone upkeep, it is difficult to even pay the annual property tax for the structure,” he said.

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