Demolition of nearly century-old colonial-era building at BCU decried

Bengaluru Dr. Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University (DMSBCU) has demolished a two-storey building with Victorian architecture that housed the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) office and was only a few years short of completing a century. The university stated that the building, which was over 90 years old, was in a severely dilapidated condition and was demolished based on an expert report.

However, members of voluntary organisations, including Heritage Beku and INTACH Bengaluru, have objected to the move. History of the building The building in question was modelled on the University Union Building at Mysore University, built in 1920. Ten years later, in 1930, an almost identical building, the University Union of Central College, was inaugurated in Bengaluru.

Located at the intersection of Palace Road and Kempe Gowda Road, the building had a reading room and library as well as facilities for table tennis, draughts and chess. It also housed a debating hall. The South Regional Centre of the ICHR had been operating in this building since 1998.