Artistes and photographers have chronicled the city through the years. In fact, there are evidences from nearly two centuries

Most of the books or columns in the news papers and periodicals written on Bangalore history, in any language, are illustrated with one or two or some times amply, through paintings, photographs, sketches or maps to justify the content given in the story and also to arrest the attention of the reader. These artists have played a significant role, since the last two centuries, in picturising Bangalore History.

James Hunter was a lieutenant with the Royal Artillery in India. Being an artist, he sketched extensively the views of Mysore and Wars with Tipu Sultan in 1792. They were published under the title, Picturesque scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore. James Hunter’s Paintings depict the Military and Civil life of Bangalore during 1792. He has done a series of paintings covering Fort, its entrance gates, Tipu Palace and its surrounding structures. One of these paintings, titled Square at Bangalore, at the entrance of Tipu’s palace are two canons. In November 2012, when excavation was going on for Namma Metro work, two canons were found close to the location of the canons in James Hunter’s painting, 320 years after the artwork was completed! His few other paintings of the Fort show clearly the extent of damage done to the walls during the war.

James Hunter’s another work on Gavi Gangadhareshwara Cave Temple near Kempe Gowda Nagar gives vivid picture of its external features as they were seen 225 years back. On comparing the art piece with the present status of the temple, one can make out the series of changes that this Heritage centre has undergone.

Thomas Daniell, another British artist has sketched a wonderful view of the hillock attached to the Cave Temple. Very expressive feature of this picture is a security personnel sitting in Kempe Gowda Tower with a lancer like structure in his hand. It provides an evidence to prove that Kempe Gowda’s Towers were built for the security of the town, than the widely spread belief that they were constructed as border towers to fix the boundary of the then city.

one more artist, Robert Home has done in 1793, a very attractive painting titled The Death of Colnel Moorhouse at Storming of Pettah Gate. It looks like a recent colour photograph but shows the Halasuru Gate in the background. The relics of the same could be seen at the place almost till the year1990.

According to Robert Homes Select Views of Mysore… there was a Fort Cemetery nearby, where some of the officers who died in the Bangalore Siege were buried. But by 1912 they were not to be seen. Later when a Cenotaph was built near Hudson Church, many of these names were transferred to the listing of the war memorial. However, even the Cenotaph was also brought down towards the end of October 1964. In addition to these works of art, some other travellers also have sketched the life of Bangalore both at Pettah and Cantonment.

Photographers of Bangalore have made equally remarkable contributions through their lenses. C. Rajagopal considered as ‘Bhishmacharya of Indian’ photography was very widely acclaimed for his line of light style of photography in black and white medium. He belonged to the lineage of C. Rangacharlu, the first Dewan of Mysore State. He was a great admirer of my works on Bangalore. His pictures of the pond behind Bull Temple in Basavanagudi and Kempe Gowda Tower of Bellary Road have historical significance in addition to being best artistic pictures.

We have to be specially thankful to the veteran photographers like. G. Thomas, Perumal, TL Ramaswamy, Clare Arni, Sagar, M. B. Singh, Rajan, who have captured various shades, moods, and ambiance of the city that was.

Mr. C.N. Kumar’s page on social media, Bangalore from bygone age has a collection of hundreds of such pictures, in additions to memories, anecdotes, stories shared by Bangaloreans. What started as small sincere efforts in April 2012 to bring back the memory of glory of the city, has now 33,000 members.

Many Kannada movies like Mayor Muttanna, produced a few decades back give visual treat of old Bangalore to the viewers. I resourced and anchored 118 episodes on Bangalore History, Culture and Heritage a few years back for a news Channel. It was very widely viewed and considered as a very rare video documentation of the city. Even a few scholarly works in Sanskrit have depicted the scenario of the old City.

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