A call to demolish MS Building

Bang in the midst of a cluster of heritage structures on Ambedkar Veedhi near Vidhana Soudha, the Multi-Storeyed (MS) Building stands like a sore thumb.

So, why not break down this non-descript building lacking any aesthetic sense? Why not build in its place, a structure that blends with the heritage surroundings?

This, in essence, is a proposal suggested by urban architect Naresh Narasimhan. The new building could eventually house all the government departments currently put up in the heritage structures.

Once the old buildings are rid of the departments, they could be placed under a Heritage Trust with an eminent citizen as its chairman. The heritage structures could then be converted to museums, galleries, youth centres or temporary exhibition spaces, suggests Naresh. Eventually, these will enrich the five-kilometre Swarna Valaya/Marga (Golden Corridor) proposed to the state government last year.

Another suggestion is to convert the top floor of KR Market into a museum of Bengaluru city. This proposal to form an exclusive exhibition space to display the city’s history, heritage and handicrafts has been put before Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge. Naresh calls this “adaptive reuse” for public causes. In time, these converted spaces are expected to become Bengaluru’s tourist assets.


Heritage walks

For those who do not mind light exercise and are curious about the iconic temples and ‘petes’ of the city, there are several options to explore on foot. Typically lasting two to three hours, these walks are relaxed and offer information covering all aspects like history, food and interesting trivia.

The organisers of Bangalore Walks believe that there is much to be explored and they have created themed-tours to facilitate this. They have a ‘Military Heritage’ walk in MEG and Ulsoor, ‘Green Heritage’ Walk in Lalbagh and a 19th-century history walk on
MG Road called ‘Victorian Bangalore walk’, among others.

Another group ‘Bengaluru by Foot’ will take you on trips to R K Narayan’s ‘Malgudi Days’ with their Malleswaram and Basavanagudi walks. Their walks such as ‘Once upon a time in Johnson market’  and ‘Pettah walk in Nagarathpet’ explore specific parts of the city in detail. Be it ‘Suleimani’ tea or Masala dosas, one can taste the best of the area’s dishes too.

‘Unhurried’ is another travel company which offers tours such as ‘Bungalow Walk’, ‘Cathedral Walk’ and ‘British Walk’. For those who would rather explore the city through their tummy, they also have a dedicated ‘ Food Walk’.

If walking is too slow for you, explore the city on bicycles with Thrillophilia. ‘Temple And Thindi Trail’ explores four heritage temples and ‘North Bangalore cycling tour’ will take you to archaeological sites in the North and will give you the chance to interact with block-printing artisans.