A community-driven archive to preserve Malleswaram neighbourhood legacy 

Discover the rich history and cultural heritage of Malleswaram through an interactive digital archive project by Malleswaram Social.

Malleswaram for most people in Bengaluru is all about “dosae” at Central Tiffin Room or idly at Veena Stores and shopping at Mantri Square. But for many generations of families that have lived in Malleswaram, it is about the area’s history, architecture, temples, cultural events, greenery, local vendors, family doctors, schools and more.

To archive the rich history of the area, Suchitra Deep an architect and founder of Malleswaram Social is working on a project which is closely interacting with individuals from the locality. This project, implemented by the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) under Project 560, is an artistic research initiative that explores the heritage of Malleswaram.

It aims to create a digital archive and interactive platform through the website malleswaram.org, which documents Malleswaram’s architectural, ecological, and cultural legacy through historical research and community engagement. It aims to collect and preserve personal narratives from residents, shopkeepers, and cultural practitioners alongside archival research from official records.

Recently Suchitra and her team organised Malleswaram Musings, a small gathering at TheSeniorCentral in Malleswaram, where senior citizens from the area came together to share and discuss their memories of the area.

During the discussion, Aandal Sharma an 84-year-old woman said her family has been living in Malleswaram for more than 100 years. Another resident, Krishnaveni, said her grandmother got to see Mahatma Gandhi, when he visited Malleswaram and that her grandmother contributed four anna to a fund Gandhi was collecting back then.

Vishalakshi shared her memory of a popular “bonda” shop that has been in the area since she was born and how as a child she took the “jatka gaadi” from Malleswaram Circle to go get “ragi biscuits” from Sheshadripuram along with her father.

The project aims to highlight well-documented and lesser-known aspects of Malleswaram’s history, from vanished landmarks like Villa Pottipatti to the resilience of Sankey Tank, said Suchitra.