BANGALORE IS A CITY which changes rapidly. Sadly, much of the change involves the demolition of buildings of historical interest – so-called ‘heritage’ structures.

So, it is wonderful to come across residences (bungalows) that have been standing for many years. Some of these bungalows appear neglected and will most likely be demolished soon to make way for architecturally indistinguishable office blocks and blocks of flats. Others are still being used as homes and can be seen in varying conditions of repair. And, fortunately, some have been beautifully restored and are either being used as dwellings or for a new purpose.

One of the restored bungalows is number 2 Berlie Street in Langford Town. It is now being used as an art space (for exhibitions) by an organisation called Kaash. We visited it today (22nd November 2024) to view a temporary exhibition about contemporary designs of devotional objects, mainly diyas (oil lamps used on Hindu ceremonies) and also some almost abstract depictions of Devi created by Jayshree Poddar. The artworks were tastefully displayed in some of the rooms in the Bungalow. The other rooms contained folk art from various countries in Africa.

It would be great if most of the remaining heritage bungalows could be preserved, but this is unlikely because the land on which they stand can be sold for enormous sums of money.

All of the photos are of Kaash in Berlie Street unless otherwise labelled.