Articles by Meera Iyer

Meera Iyer is a member of INTACH's Bangalore chapter, and a freelance journalist writing on science, environment and history.

INTACH Bangalore invites you to the Foundation stone-laying ceremony of Bengaluru Parampareya Udyaana (Bangalore Heritage Park), a one-of-its-kind, open air, garden museum showcasing urban heritage. It was conceived of as a theme park by the Government and has been conceptualised and designed as a heritage park by INTACH Bangalore.The museum will highlight the art, architecture, culture and history of Bangalore. It is spread over the Bugle Rock Park, Bull temple area and Mallikarjuna Temple area. Foundation stone-laying ceremony on:  2 September 2011, at 6.00 pm.Location: In front of the Bull Temple, Basavanagudi (opposite BMS Engineering College)Shri Sadananda Gowda, Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, will lay the Foundation…

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INTACH Bangalore invites you to the Foundation stone-laying ceremony of Bengaluru Parampareya Udyaana (Bangalore Heritage Park), a one-of-its-kind, open air, garden museum showcasing urban heritage. It was conceived of as a theme park by the Government and has been conceptualised and designed as a heritage park by INTACH Bangalore.The museum will highlight the art, architecture, culture and history of Bangalore. It is spread over the Bugle Rock Park, Bull temple area and Mallikarjuna Temple area. Foundation stone-laying ceremony on:  2 September 2011, at 6.00 pm.Location: In front of the Bull Temple, Basavanagudi (opposite BMS Engineering College)Shri Sadananda Gowda, Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka, will lay the Foundation…

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The idea of a day set aside to commemorate the world’s heritage – a day on which to highlight the efforts required to protect and conserve heritage and to underscore its vulnerability – was first mooted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). It was adopted by UNESCO in 1983 and ever since, April 18th has been observed as World Heritage Day the world over.This year, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in Bangalore is celebrating the day with a couple of different events. In association with NGMA, we have a set of talks on…

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The idea of a day set aside to commemorate the world’s heritage – a day on which to highlight the efforts required to protect and conserve heritage and to underscore its vulnerability – was first mooted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). It was adopted by UNESCO in 1983 and ever since, April 18th has been observed as World Heritage Day the world over.This year, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in Bangalore is celebrating the day with a couple of different events. In association with NGMA, we have a set of talks on…

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Heritage vs development

The Hindu carried an interesting editorial late last year on developing heritage cities in India. Most people don’t associate Bengaluru with heritage. While it is true that Bangalore has only a few monumental historic buildings like – two forts, two palaces and a scattering of temples. What we do have is: a large network of tanks, plenty of trees and parks, and a number of historic zones. Places like Basavanagudi, Whitefield and Chickpet have a unique historic character defined by their architecture, layout and/or mix of communities and professions. Charming precincts like these are what drew people to Bangalore and…

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Heritage vs development

The Hindu carried an interesting editorial late last year on developing heritage cities in India. Most people don’t associate Bengaluru with heritage. While it is true that Bangalore has only a few monumental historic buildings like – two forts, two palaces and a scattering of temples. What we do have is: a large network of tanks, plenty of trees and parks, and a number of historic zones. Places like Basavanagudi, Whitefield and Chickpet have a unique historic character defined by their architecture, layout and/or mix of communities and professions. Charming precincts like these are what drew people to Bangalore and…

Read more

Two different heritage-related events took place last weekend. The first was an INTACH Parichay which took place on Saturday, 29 January, at Shivajinagar. About 20 of us gathered at St Mary’s Basilica and then gradually made our way towards Russel Market, where Mohammed Idrees Choudhury spoke to us about the market and what makes it unique. Then followed Adams square, the mews, Renuka theatre and finally the Jain temple and the fabulous Gani Building (“Shivajinagar ki shaan”, as one shopkeeper near the building called it) on OPH Road. As walk leader Pankaj Modi pointed out, the charm of Shivajinagar lay…

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Two different heritage-related events took place last weekend. The first was an INTACH Parichay which took place on Saturday, 29 January, at Shivajinagar. About 20 of us gathered at St Mary’s Basilica and then gradually made our way towards Russel Market, where Mohammed Idrees Choudhury spoke to us about the market and what makes it unique. Then followed Adams square, the mews, Renuka theatre and finally the Jain temple and the fabulous Gani Building (“Shivajinagar ki shaan”, as one shopkeeper near the building called it) on OPH Road. As walk leader Pankaj Modi pointed out, the charm of Shivajinagar lay…

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INTACH's Parichay at Kudlu earlier this week started off most unusually - with a sacrifice. As one group of people assembled near the Muneshwara temple in Kudlu, waiting for the Parichay (heritage walk) to begin, another set of people had gathered there for a sacrifice of two goats and two chickens. INTACH Parichay to Bangalore’s Tanks, led by Rohan D’Souza. Pic: Arul Jegadish. With that auspicious beginning, this Parichay's walk leader Rohan D;Souza, began talking to the group about Bangalore's lakes. Or tanks, to be more precise. As Rohan, a researcher at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), pointed out,…

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INTACH's Parichay at Kudlu earlier this week started off most unusually - with a sacrifice. As one group of people assembled near the Muneshwara temple in Kudlu, waiting for the Parichay (heritage walk) to begin, another set of people had gathered there for a sacrifice of two goats and two chickens. INTACH Parichay to Bangalore’s Tanks, led by Rohan D’Souza. Pic: Arul Jegadish. With that auspicious beginning, this Parichay's walk leader Rohan D;Souza, began talking to the group about Bangalore's lakes. Or tanks, to be more precise. As Rohan, a researcher at National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), pointed out,…

Read more