Even as the city grows and expands, there are a few Bengalureans who are trying to preserve the charm of old Banga-lore. This year, on the occasion of World Heritage Day, residents from suburbs of East Bengaluru join hands with INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) for the Towns of our City exhibition.
A two-day affair, this exhibition brings to fore the rich and diverse heritage of Fraser Town, Cooke Town and Richards Town with photographs, recipes, films, walks and other activities. “It’s a collaboration with residents who are involved with this in a big way. Some of the events are being conducted by the residents. For example, the Tree Mapping activity is by artist Biju Cherayath and Jahnnavi Pai, both from Cooke Town, Songs in the Park which will happen on the second day, is again by residents of Fraser Town and Cooke Town,” explains Meera Iyer, co-convener, INTACH Bangalore. It’s taken quite a few months to put together this festival which includes other activities like mapping the neighbourhood, storytelling sessions, short film screenings, tree walks, heritage walks, a photography workshop for children and more.
But these activities will be confined to the three Eastern suburbs. Meera explains the reason behind it, “We have been documenting the architectural heritage of some of the neighbourhoods in Bengaluru.
We finished Fraser Town, Cooke Town and Richards Town recently, so we thought this would be a good time to focus on these three.” The team at INTACH is also attempting to make the photography exhibition interesting by including sketches and recipes. Each photograph will have a panel with an explanation and maps. The recipes included will be an assortment of dishes that represent different communities and their culture.
At various venues. Tickets Rs 100 upwards. Details: 9845013031