Vintage Bengaluru, a timeless class

Everybody knows that the name Bengaluru comes from the ‘benda-kaluru’ (boiled beans) story, that it used to be a village, then a pensioners’ town, and that now it is the chaotic metropolis, known for tech companies, call centres, of terrible auto drivers, of the nightmarish traffic snarls, sprawling parks and the disappearing lakes and of high-rise apartments and malls.

“But there is more to Bengaluru. There is history that some say date back to thousand years,” said Sushil Mehra, a businessman, who has authored a book ‘Glimpses of Vintage Bengaluru’. The book was released recently.

Mehra, who has a large collection of postcards and postmarks, which he acquired from different sources has used them to bring out a book. The book neatly designed has photographs, cash memos, promotional brochures, first-day covers, postcards, receipts and advertisements, railway tickets, matchboxes, and more curious entries.

“Time flies and with it memories vanish into thin air and the dusty, musty archives of yesteryears. However the past holds many lessons. It has its own flavour,” said Mehra.

Talking about as why the book, Mehra said “This coffee table book captures the nostalgia of Bangalore as it used to be decades ago. From a very rustic and uncluttered South Parade (now MG Road), to the old ‘Attara Kacheri’ (present Karnataka High Court building), to the British Raj’s Cantonment, the old images of this great city thrills with their simple sophistication and timeless class is what i wanted to capture.”

Bangalore has changed so much, he further said “A price has to be paid for progress. And much of the old character has gone. But the spirit of great metropolis remains.”

“There is today, an aggressive zest for achievement, but at the same time we cannot ignore the magic of the past. It can inspire us towards recreating lost glory and learning some important lessons about conservation. The past cannot be allowed to perish. It is this philosophy that has inspired this Post Card collection. I trust it will be a valuable gift to the city as most cherished monuments of the garden city come alive in all their old charm,” he explained.

Talking about the book, city’s well known historian Suresh Moona, said “India has around 160 permanent pictorial post marks. Karnataka alone has issued over 36, which is more than any other state. This captures all the past glory.”