Last updated:
The Golden Path, or Palace-to-Palace Corridor, is a 4.7 kilometer route that starts from Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Chamarajpet and ends at the Bangalore Palace near Mekhri Circle. This historical expanse traverses iconic sites, heritage buildings and forgotten gems
Architects and conservationists have been pushing for the implementation of this project, which highlights 500 years of Bengaluru’s history. symbolic image/x
Basavanagudi will be developed as a heritage corridor under a proposal by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Brand Bengaluru The initiative has rekindled interest in the city’s age-old cultural heritage. The announcement has prompted heritage enthusiasts to advocate for the long-pending project, Swarna Marg, or the Golden Route, which aims to preserve and showcase Bengaluru’s rich historical narrative.
Architects and conservationists are pushing for the implementation of the project, which highlights the 500-year history of Bengaluru – from its founding by Kempegowda in 1537 to its emergence as the Silicon Valley of India.
The Golden Path, or Palace-to-Palace Corridor, is a 4.7 kilometer route that starts from Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace in Chamarajpet and ends at the Bangalore Palace near Mekhri Circle. This historical expanse traverses iconic sites, heritage buildings and forgotten gems.
‘A time capsule’
Urban expert and architect Naresh Narasimhan, who conceptualized the project in collaboration with INTACH, describes the corridor as a time capsule. He explains how the project advocates declaring the entire corridor a heritage area, thereby preventing new construction or demolition of existing structures.
“This corridor between Tipu’s palace and the Wodeyar’s palace has 53 heritage structures. “Each structure has a story to tell that also reflects the essence of Bengaluru’s history,” Narasimhan told News18.
The Golden Path initiative also aims to bring to light lesser known aspects of Bengaluru’s history. For example, the importance of Avenue Road in the heart of Bengaluru, which was a major axis of the city during the Third Anglo-Mysore War, when the British planned to attack Bengaluru. The battle fought between the British and the Mysoreans on the Avenue Road, or Shahaji Bhonsle, father of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, received Bengaluru as a jagir from the Bijapur Sultanate and settled here in the mid-17th century. His son, Shivaji, married Saibai Nimbalkar in Bengaluru before returning to his northern territories.
Stories buried by time include the forgotten tomb of Hyder Ali’s maternal uncle at Cumberpet and the grand armory of Tipu Sultan. Each of these sites represents a chapter in the city’s vibrant history but suffers from neglect.
Basavanagudi, one of the oldest planned areas of the city, was designed by Scottish engineer Standish Lee in 1896. Its unique drainage system and wide roads made it an ideal locality, and it was once home to peacocks and lush greenery. Today, only 15 of the 800-1,000 historic bungalows spread across Bengaluru still exist.
Basavanagudi and other historical areas of Bengaluru still boast of architectural marvels such as the Bengaluru Gayana Samaj and Tipu’s Armoury. However, neglect and urbanization have left many such treasures in disrepair or fallen to modern development.
“Tipu’s armory has been neglected and needs to be well maintained as part of our history. People who come to Bengaluru think it is only Whitefield or Electronic City, but there is a lot in our city that is deeply embedded in history and that can be permanently highlighted for the future,” Mansoor Ali, a said the architect-turned-historian who is curating the heritage. Padayatra to preserve and promote the rich culture of Bengaluru.
‘broken’ past
Ali, co-founder of Bengaluru by Foot, walks around the city sharing stories from the founding of Bengaluru by Kempegowda to the British-era town planning, which worked effectively until the 1970s and 1980s but has since seen rapid decline. There has been a decline.
“In places like Basavanagudi, we have Gavi Gangadhareshwar temple, Bull temple and others. The state government comes up with ideas to save such heritage structures, but they remain just ideas and never come to fruition. Ideas are born when a particular political party is in power, but once it changes, the idea becomes history.”
For example, a move was taken to save the 100-year-old structure that was the first residence of HV Nanjundaiah, founder-president of Kannada Sahitya Parishad. Later it was donated to the government to start a Government Girls High School and there were plans to make it a museum in Malleshwaram.
“It was the brainchild of Malleshwaram MLA and then BJP minister Ashwath Narayan, but nothing has happened for the last five years, and the project is in limbo. If the Congress, which is in power now, talks about Basavanagudi and making it a heritage corridor, we don’t know what will happen to it if the government changes,” Mansoor said.
In 2014, the government faced public outcry over its proposal to demolish Balabrui House, a heritage building, to construct an MLAs’ club house. The plan was eventually cancelled, but the incident exposed the fragility of Bengaluru’s heritage. However, with Balabrui House now set to serve as the home of MLAs, health experts are working on its interiors and structural upgrades.
preserving the heritage
Groups such as Bengaluru by Foot and Bygone Bengaluru have taken up the cause of reviving the city’s heritage. Through curated walks and social media campaigns, they aim to rekindle public interest in Bengaluru’s past.
Ali recalled a heritage walk, House of Malgudi, which he organized till five years ago, which included historical areas like Malleshwaram (Mal) and Basavanagudi (Gudi), from where the name Malgudi originated, but now This is a thing of the past. He says, most of the houses were demolished after the Covid pandemic. These include the houses of Justice Nitur Srinivasa Rao in Basavanagudi and Villa Pottipati in Malleshwaram. Ali explains that this walk is not just about the buildings but reflects the spirit of the bygone era.
The Golden Path and similar initiatives face significant challenges including encroachment, poor maintenance and lack of government funding. The Tipu Sultan Arsenal, a UNESCO recognized site at Kalasipalyam, lies amid garbage and broken footpaths, reflecting the neglect of most prominent heritage sites.
“Foreign citizens are in awe of Tipu’s rockets and missiles, but when they visit the armory, it is in such a dilapidated condition, and the attitude towards it so dirty that we feel ashamed. We have such world famous structures hidden behind the garbage of modern times, Ali lamented.
“Minto Hospital, one of the leading eye hospitals in the state, has walkable footpaths in front. Vani Vilas Children’s Hospital, which was built with funds donated by private citizens like Chintalapalli Venkatamuniah Setty, Sajjan Rao, SVS Setty etc., suffered damage due to the metro construction. A wing on the southern side collapsed as a result of metro tunneling work,” Ali explained, underscoring the urgent need for preservation. “Without immediate action, we risk losing more of Bengaluru’s history. There is a need for a holistic plan, not just for Basavanagudi, but the entire city.”
Narasimhan said, there is an urgent need for Bengaluru Heritage Protection Act. “Without a legal framework, these buildings will continue to disappear, taking with them the stories of the past,” he said.
Deputy CM Shivakumar said, as minister in-charge of Bengaluru, he was committed to preserving Basavanagudi, the birthplace of Vrishabhavati, which holds immense cultural significance. There was also a demand for revival of Vrishabhavati river.
The Vrishabhavati, which is currently little more than a dirty drain carrying sewage and waste water from the city, originates from the Bull Temple at Basavanagudi and flows through south and west Bengaluru before joining the Arkavathi near Kanakapura.
Narasimhan believes that the K-100 waterway project, which runs from Shantala Silk Junction in Majestic to Koramangala in BTM and drains into Bellandur Lake, covering a distance of 12 km, is a good example of how the Vrishabhavati can be transformed. How can be developed and kept free from sewage.
