Tracing Bapu's footprints, 100 yrs later

Exactly 100 years ago, when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi set his foot on Bangalore, he was yet to be called Mahatma, but he wasn’t an unknown name here. Gandhi’s first visit to the city on May 8, 1915, months after he returned to India from South Africa, is a tale punctuated with a display of simplicity.
Following his political guru Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s advice, Gandhi was then touring the country to learn about its realities before plunging into politics.During that time, renowned Kannada writer and political activist DV Gundappa’s (DVG) request that Gandhi inaugurate the Mysore Social Service League — created based on Gokhale’s nationalist principles — brought him to the city, says historian Vemagal Somashekar.
According to the book ‘Bengalurinally Mahatma Gandhi’ (Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru), ‘The Karnataka’, a newspaper being brought out by DVG, had been tracking Gandhi’s fight against apartheid in South Africa. Besides, DVG had raised funds to support Indians in South Africa, which reached South Africa through writer, printer and senior journalist G A Natesan.
“Gandhi had not forgotten these contributions and the fact that the ‘League’ was based on Gokhale’s principles. So, he agreed to come and inaugurate it,” the book reads.
Gandhi boarded a night train from Chennai on May 7 and reached Bangarpet in today’s Kolar district before reaching the City Railway Station at 7am.
“In Bangarpet, a small group of Gujaratis had organised a welcoming ceremony which Gandhi took part in. A larger one was planned in Bengaluru,” Somashekar, author of ‘Bengalurinally Mahatma Gandhi’ said. “Elaborate plans had to be cut down after it was learnt that Gandhi had told people in Madras that undue expense on such ceremonies was a waste,” he added.
“Gandhi who was known to travel in third class coaches had boarded a first class one owing to Natesan’s ill health. People in Bengaluru failed to locate Gandhi initially as he was dressed in simple Gujarati attire. Once they realized he was off the train and began walking, slogans like ‘Gandhi Maharaj ki jai’ rented the air,” the book reads.
Upon reaching the City Railway Station, Gandhi accompanied by his wife refused to use a coach/carriage drawn by volunteers and decided to walk to the place he was to rest about half a mile away. A little further from present day Anand Rao Circle, one of the streets off Seshadri Road is where Gandhi stayed.
It was the fourth bungalow on the street and belonged to retired judge B V Krishnaswamy Iyer. The house had no compound or electricity. From there, he walked to present day Government Arts and Science (GAS) college where he inaugurated the ‘League’.