Protest in Bengaluru over demolition of Krumbiegel Hall

Bengaluru: Several residents of Bengaluru, including conservation architects, scholars and INTACH officials today staged a protest in front of Lalbagh gate demanding proper preservation policy for the city’s heritage.

The demonstration was led by the Bangalore Chapter of Delhi-based heritage body Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) following the demolition of the over 100-year-old Krumbiegel Hall in the iconic Lalbagh.

Urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth, who took part in the protest that lasted for about two hours, said, “We held placards to send out our message loud and clear to the authorities.”  “The demolition of Krumbiegel Hall should not have been carried out without a public consultation. We have asked them to involve the public in such decision-making.

“The protest was called on a short notice so the turnout was not that big, but we will again do it in sometime on a larger scale,” he told PTI. The Krumbiegel Hall was demolished on November 22 by the Horticulture Department of the Karnataka government, sparking outrage.

UK-based Alyia Phelps-Gardiner Krumbiegel, great grand- daughter of Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, who was left shocked by the news of demolition, called out for better preservation policy. “In today’s competitive world, we have to preserve the monuments and showcase them to the next generation as the contributions or achievements of our ancestors. A little effort on our side can make drastic changes,” she told PTI from Croydon in the UK.

The protesters held out images of the demolition site in Lalbagh, with a JCB (excavator) standing over the debris of what was once an iconic landmark. Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, born in 1865 was an architect and horticulture expert, who made a significant contribution to the glory of Lalbagh Botanical Garden.

“Krumbiegel Hall is no more but let this be the last building we lose. Let’s demand that the Horticulture Department take immediate steps for the restoration of the old Aquarium building in Lalbagh. “Let’s ask for the protection of public heritage buildings. It is high time that heritage regulations were adopted and passed,” the INTACH said.