Colonial Architecture of Bangalore-Bungalows

By- V.R. Vasihnavi

The British established the post of 'Mysore Resident' in 1799 and in 1804 the Mysore Resident was
shifted
from
Mysore
to
Bangalore.
In 1806, the British established a new cantonment area in Bangalore (at Ulsoor) for its army and called it
the 'Civil & Military Station'. Till India's independence this Cantonment area was ruled directly by the
British and became a military base for their army. The Cantonment area under the British consisted of
Shoolay, Blackpully (now Shivajinagar), The Parade (M.G road area), St.John's Hill, Fraser Town, Benson
Town, Cleveland Town, Cox Town, Richard's Town, Ulsoor, Murphy Town, Richmond Town, Langford
Town,
Austin
Town,
Whitefield,
etc.
History

and

evolution

of

the

Bungalow

As the British consolidated their rule in Bangalore and their building needs grew, there was a debate as to
which style of architecture should be followed. Some like T.Roger Smith argued that they ought to be
European both as a rallying point for ourselves and as raising a distinctive symbol of our presence to be
beheld with respect by the natives of the country. Some like William Emerson favoured an indigenous
architectural style. However the final outcome was an amalgamation of architectural elements from both
India and Europe.
Within the colonial style of architecture there was difference between public buildings. While Public offices
such as the Attara Katcheri were representations of colonial power, the residential buildings were
designed bearing in mind the climatic conditions and the wishes of the residents to create houses that
resembled their homes in Britain. This need was best satisfied by the Bungalow type.
The Bungalow type, which developed in India and later spread to Australia and Africa, was derived from
the detached rural Bengal house placed in a compound and the British suburban villa. The initial
bungalows were same as the kutcha local ones but later became elaborate in design. From the basic plan
of the main central room and the curvilinear thatching of the roof over, it got upgraded to the sloping titled
roof and the verandah and side rooms. The elementary plan of the bungalow was the porch, the
verandah, the drawing and dining rooms with bedrooms on the sides and the service annexes in the rear
yard. The building was situated in the middle of a compound, which had a garden of roses, fernery etc
which were psychological references to British homes.
The architectural style of bungalows went through 2 distinct phases namely the earlier classical phase
and the later gothic phase. This was unlike public architecture in which the gothic phase was followed by
the classical phase. Long low classical lines and details characterized the early phase of bungalows,
while later the bungalows had an additional floor with multi-planned gabled roofs and monkey tops with a
profusion of ornamentation.
Bungalow
and
its
social
implications
The features of a bungalow were the result of a process of architectural evolution as well as the product
of the imperial politics of power and control. The bungalow evolved by both selecting aesthetic and
structural references from other systems of architecture as well as by appropriating its ideological and
psychological connotations. For example, the British preferred features from Indo- Sarcenic architecture
like the arch and the dome for not only reasons of structural stability but also because it was symbolic of
the powerful Mughal Empire.
In Bangalore, bungalows played a role in establishing social and psychological boundaries between the
British and the Indians. The tall imposing gates and the long drive to the porch and the spacious verandah
leading to the drawing room, which were the ideals of a residential building, were also symbols of the
insularity of the residents from the natives. The features of a Bungalow such as thick walls and high
ceilings were on one hand adaptations to the Indian weather while on the other hand acted as a boundary
from the locals. Similarly the inner courtyard of a traditional Indian house, was replaced by the hall, which
helped in segregating the servants from the family members. The amount of land used for the bungalow
was also socially dictated. For example for a senior officer the area of the garden would be fifteen times
the size of the house, while for a low ranking officer it might be a ration of 1:1.

Therefore the Bungalow and the space it occupied became a tool to not only assert the social and
cultural superiority of the British over the Indians, but also to establish a hierarchy between the British
officials. In other words, the Bungalow was an architectural entity shaped by an ideology of hierarchy,
power and control.
Features of the bungalow
One of the most important features of a colonial bungalow was the monkey top. The monkey top was a
pointed hood or canopy of tiles over a window composed of vertical wooden slats and topped off with a
crest. Though the monkey top was often added as a touch to many buildings in the strictly classical style,
it characterizes the Gothic style. The monkey top was ideal for the climate of Bangalore as it helped keep
away the sun in summer and in winter prevented rainwater from entering the house.
Other features associated with colonial bungalows were the driveway leading to the porch with elaborate
trelliswork and Tuscan pillars, pierced parapets or balustraded railings and stone work at the wall corners
and intricate floral or symbolic design in the pedimental front top. Cast iron decoration such as
weathercocks, intricate grill works and stained glass windows were also distinguishing features. Since
only the engineers who laid the plan for the building were British, but the craftsmen executing the design
were locals, plaster decoration, which is a typical feature of Indian architecture, is found on the
bungalows. The roofing consisted of painted Mangalore tiles with design work done at the back.
The influence and present status of Bungalows
The present day Bangalore and much of is extant architectural tradition have their origin in the
cantonment seeding of the city and the introduction of Bungalow style architecture for private building.
-T.P.Issar
The impact of colonial buildings, especially bungalows is evident throughout the city of Bangalore. Apart
from the cantonment area, bungalows are found in other areas like Malleshwaram too since when plague
broke out in the city in 1898, two new extensions were laid, to meet the demand of people leaving
affected areas. Unlike the cantonment bungalows, which were mostly designed by British architects,
some of these bungalows were designed by Indian architects like Byanna Reddy. At the architectural
level, bungalows continue to influence contemporary architecture such as in use of the monkey top and
the plan of a central hall with rooms along the side. At the socio-cultural level, bungalows define popular
attitudes towards the relation between architecture and social status, since till date bungalows are seen
as symbols of wealth and distinction.
Bungalows despite being a vital part of Bangalores cultural heritage are today facing the risk of
demolition, with many of them giving way to modern construction. However some buildings such as the
Hat Works Boulevard on Cunningham Road and the Pottipati villa in Malleshwaram, have been
effectively restored and converted into heritage hotels and shops. It is important that such examples of
self-sustainable conservation are adopted so that there are spaces within the city where other than the
dominant voice of contemporary architecture, one can hear the whispers of other architectural legacies.
Bibliography
The
City
Beautiful,
T.P.Issar
Tata
Press,
Mumbai
2002.
The Search for Identity India 1890 to1980. John Lang, Madhvi Desai and Miki Desai.
Oxford
University
Press,
2000.
An Imperial Vision, Indian Architecture and British Raj. Thomas Metcalf. Faber and Faber Ltd, 1989.