We've come a long way!

This is the last of the 16-part series on Bangalore, which will culminate in a Quiz, Paint Your City, Photograph Your City, Treasure Hunt and so on for The Hindu NIE participants.

THE CITY has grown and changed tremendously in its area, population, and in the occupation of its people. It has acquired many names over the centuries. Once it was called Devarayapattana, Kalyanapura, and is now famous as the Silicon Valley. But despite colossal changes, the basic character and the good old name, Bengalooru, remains.

Kempe Gowda's dream city was born out of his great admiration for Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagar Kingdom. He named it Devarayanapattana after Krishna Devaraya. But people who occupied the new city were initially residents of Bengalooru, the place of Kempe Gowda's mother and the martyr daughter-in-law. Hence the old name Bengalooru stuck. Soon, people from neighbouring places joined Kempe Gowda's army. Trades grew in the 64 petes. Businessmen from Andhra (Shrestis) moved in. Temple priests, learned poets, and various artists found a new patron in Kempe Gowda. The weavers from outside kept the looms busy and crafts began to flourish. The City - with its strong fort, the busy petes, bountiful lakes and gardens, and beautiful temples - became a prosperous place to live in. Hence the name Kalyanapura.

The influx of people from distant places, the jealousy of the neighbourhood palegars, and the frequent skirmishes did not hamper the prosperity of Kalyanapura. But the attack of the Bijapur Shah's army meant a different thing altogether. The new taxation system (of Mohammed Gawan) brought in Kulkarnis, Deshmukhs, and Deshpandes, and Marathi as the official language. Persian names such as Kanango, Shiresthedar, and Daroga for village officers confused the common man. The Sanskrit and Marathi pundits, poets, and singers cornered the royal patronage. But Bangalore can be proud of being the birthplace of Rekhta (the predecessor of the Deccani Urdu) and of being Shivaji's inspiration. Shivaji's young mind was inspired by Kantirava Narasaraja Wadiyar, who had opposed the Bijapur onslaughts. Kalyanapura was the military camp for the southern expeditions of the Bijapur army.

In a span of 150 years, the city was the proud capital of Yelahanka Nadaprabhus, Jahagir to Shahaji and Ekoji, pin money to Deepa Bai, and a Subha to the Moghuls. It was finally sold to the Mysore King. The direct rule of the Mysore Kings (1690-1758) helped in attracting a number of weavers from outside (about 12,000 Devangas settled here), more Shrestis from Andhra, and businessmen from Gujarat and Rajasthan. Chikkadevaraya revamped his administration into 18 divisions in the new Attara Kacheri setup. The new administration system, the postal and night watch system, boost to industry, trade, and business, and the royal benevolence in general cleansed the dust of the military camp of Bangalore. More Kalyanis (lakes, ponds), temples, and choultries were built. A rich cultural ambiance was created.

Hyder Ali and Tippu took the first steps towards making Bangalore a Garden City. Later, it was Sir Mark Cubbon and other British Commissioners who built the Cubbon Park, the Lalbagh, and many other smaller parks in different localities. The circles, the avenues, parks, private and official buildings with beautiful plants and trees in their compound became a mark of good administration and good living. Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has, mercifully, kept up this tradition. Where Tiger Tippu failed, the tiny mosquitoes of Srirangapatna succeeded, it would appear! And the British army was moved to Bangalore Cantonment from Srirangapatna because of the mosquito menace there. With the advent of the British, Bangalore was initially divided into two distinct entities, geographically and culturally - the pete and the cantonment, the east and the west. The British introduced the drink-dance culture in place of the native song and music. The aroma of this alien culture gradually got mixed with the local fragrance. Cards games, billiards, musical soirees, fancy dress balls, domino dances, polo, golf, and horse races of yesteryears have left a mark on the lifestyle and traditions in the cantonment area. This distinction gave rise to two categories - Pete Bhoopa and Cantonment Saheba.

Bangalore's salubrious climate attracted the British and many others. There used to be a big tussle in Madras to get postings in Bangalore, even as an attendant to the British officer. Soon, the army recruits, the cooks, the bearers, the ayahs, the barbers, the dhobis, the malis, and a host of other attendants happily trod away from the heat and drudgery of their home towns to a new found haven here. Those who were pensioned elsewhere also considered Bangalore an ideal place to spend the evenings of their life. Bangalore thus became an ideal Pensioner's Paradise, right from 1809. Bangalore has now become an important educational centre. It can be said that the missionaries laid a strong foundation for education (in the early 19th Century), the Diwans encouraged modern education in technical and professional fields (in the 20th Century), and others commercially exploited education (from the late 20th Century).

Modernity marked Bangalore much earlier than most of the other Indian cities. The roads, the railways, the electricity, the cars, and the industries had an early start here. This development took long strides, thanks to eminent Diwans, Sir M.V. and Sir Mirza. The epithets of Modern Mysore for the state and Modern City for Bangalore were popular as early as the 1920s. The industrial scene progressed faster with the establishment of many public sector companies from 1940 onwards. Bangalore is also a infotech centre today. Historically, Bangalore has been attracting people from all over the country for different reasons - livelihood, education, and climate. Ideal with no burning sun, no pressures of the new language and no compulsions of adjusting to a new culture (thanks to its cosmo-politanism), an outsider stays here comfortably, without losing his own identity.

Bangalore has been called Pub City, the Yum City, and so on. But a German Institution has called Bangalore as Millennium City - a true compliment to the city of many dimensions.