Agha Aly Asker by Syeda Mirza

Agha Aly Asker

-The Persian who contributed significantly to

 the development of Bangalore in mid 19th century 

by Syeda Mirza

  Finding a book on Bangalore and its people is a gratifying experience by itself. After a lot of research, visits to the libraries & bookstores and talks with fellow city dwellers if you are lucky you may find one, if luckier you may find an author signed copy like I did. Thank you Rehana Mohammed Shakir's Pet Therapy & Surrogate Pet Programme for guiding me to Champaca a well curated book café which left the Bangalore reader in me impressed.

India has always been a melting pot of civilization. If one were to ask for a quintessential example for this statement, our city of Bangalore is the best to cite. A side lane on Cunningham Road connecting to the Miller’s Road bears the name of a Bangalorean by choice and love for his karmabhumi, Agha Aly Asker the founding father of the Persian legacy in the city. His contribution to the city of Bangalore and Mysore State during that period is incredible and forms an important part of our city’s rich legacy.

As a 16-year-old boy of Turkic origin, Agha Aly Asker left is hometown of Shiraz in Persia and came to Bangalore in 1824 as a horse trader and became more. The book initially speaks of the culture and the landscapes of his hometown. Shiraz is beautifully described as a land of mystics, poets and gardens; rightfully called ‘The City of Roses And Nightingales’. With chai khaneks and bazars, horse races and gymkhanas, carpets and chandeliers, architectures and societal structures, delicacies and cuisines, manners and upbringing, religion and culture; the author has not left one detail untouched. One is left mesmerized reading the first few chapters.

However, as they say destiny is what you make it, Agha Aly Asker had a vision for his future in the then land of Hind and Ingleesi. His courage to pursue, the adventures to reach the subcontinent through the deserts and the seas is described through and through, the reader gets drifted to those times. Along with being an equine connoisseur and contributing to the horse racing map of the city Agha Aly Asker has built many iconic colonial bungalows at the request of Sir Mark Cubbon who had a paternal affection for this young immigrant who came to the city crossing Bushehr, Mangalore, Puttur, Hasan, Adichunchanagiri only because of his love for horses.

Now from horses to houses, the list of houses built and owned by Agha Aly Asker is mind boggling, from Raj Bhavan to Balabrooie. He also played an important role in the Mysore State’s persistence of securing the Wodeyar gadi for Krishnaraja Wadeyar III adopted son Chamaraja, preventing the British plan of annexing Mysore. The list of presents that reached Queen Victoria speaks of the richness of Mysore State and only a keen observer who had a taste for such finesse could come up with such precious tokens to get things going. Such incidents reflect his relentless love for his adopted country despite his trades with the British. His sense of justness to the locals and natives deserves great respect and admiration.

The author also writes about his descendants and the other stalwarts associated with him like Sir Mark Cubbon, Sir Mirza Ismail, the Wodeyars and his comradeship with them. His kindness, honour, justice and love towards the family and friends that he made here in Bangalore is captured in its truest essence in the book with multiple references and documents. The words in this book carry the power and fragrance of his favourite pink rose ‘Gul-e-Mohammadi’ and that is the beauty of his story, a legacy that deserves all the love he has left behind for this world.

Fading histories, fading cities...

After getting this book we walked down the Agha Ali Asker Road. Coincidentally I spotted a fading yellow board in one of the crossroads, one can hardly read the name and number of the cross on it. While I was assuring myself that the road is the one, a cyclist stopped by and left his cycle leaning on the board and went about his work. The name supports a Bangalorean even after a century, and that was the moment when I felt that there must be something transcendental about him.

I wish we Bangaloreans remembered and respected the people who made us, a little more🙏🙂

A few quotes from the book:

To sit and manage a horse is the most important thing in the world- Sir Winston Churchill

The true journey is not crossing the desert or covering great distances by sea, it is arriving at a point outside ordinary experience, where the savour of the moment suffuses all the contours of the inner life.-Kevin Rushby

#booksandbangalore #aghaalyasker #syedamirza #booksonbangalore #peopleofbangalore #bangaloreheritage #citizensofbangalore #readingbangalore #aghaalyaskerroad #champacabookstore

Of Stones, Stories & Cities

ಮೂರ್ಖಂಗೆ ಬುದ್ಧಿಯನು ನೂರ್ಕಾಲ ಹೇಳಿದರು

ಗೋರ್ಕಲ್ಲಮೇಲೆ ಮಳೆಗರೆದರೆ, ಆಕಲ್ಲು

ನೀರ್ಕುಡಿವುದೇ ಸರ್ವಜ್ಞ?

Moorkhange budhiyanu noorkaala helidaru

Gorkallamele malegaredare, aakallu

neerukudivude Sarvajna

-Sarvajna-

Translation: Giving advice to a fool for hundred years is as useless as a heavy rain pouring on a stone. The stone never drinks the water.

Sarvajna summed it up quite well in the 16th century, well to add to his Tripadi the stones can stand the sun and rain but not human indifference, especially our Inscription Stones.

I am glad that I was one amongst a group of Bangaloreans who crossed the fence. Today we were at Hebbal as a part of the Brass Replica distribution ceremony for the donors who had donated to the construction of the mantappa for the Kittaiah inscription organized by members of Inscription Stones of Bangalore. 

It turned out to be a great winter morning with fellow city dwellers who care about the city's roots and history and more importantly with people who are actually doing something about it. Uday Kumar, who has been driving this citizen led project showed us the first pleasant surprise as we reached, a 18th century inscription stone tucked in a corner inside this local diety Maramma's temple. We humans in the 21st century have ensured that we give our future generation enough concrete to excavate, smeared in layers of all pastes and grilled. As we were discussing we found the localities performing some rituals of worship, this got me into a train of thought. Why don't we find out what exactly are we worshipping, why aren't we told, why don't we question? An eye for these precious details of the past is all that we need if we really wish to protect them.

Maramma temple and another inscription

 What got us all together on a cold December Sunday morning in the narrow lanes of Hebbal here was the love towards our city-Bangalore, Bengaluru, Bendakalooru, Vengalur-call it by whatever name. The eagerness to learn and preserve what we own is thankfully alive with some people. 

With the original, before it gets on the Ganga Mantapa

During the session we met a localite Dilip, he is the first person who noticed this piece of our city's history lying in a drain and approached the people of Inscription Stones of Bangalore for its revival. We got to hear about this oldest inscription in detail from the renowned epigraphist and historian Dr PV Krishnamurthy, he was the first to decipher the Halegannada letters on this stone, listening to him was better than an history class in school, such an inspiring eloquence. I couldn't stop myself from recording his words for fifteen minutes! We met Yashaswini Sharma who is the architect behind the Ganga style Mantapa that is being built for these inscription stones, I have ordered her book on Bangalore in which she has extensively researched upon the city and I cannot wait to read it! There are many others like Vinay Kumar, Dhanpal Manchenahalli, Prof. Narasimhan, Alex Kevin, Mohan, Srinivas; people whom I have read about and some of them whom I have met on other occasions. Also there were anonymous donors who gifted these brass replicas to people who have worked extensively for the history of this city. Now where else would you find such collective selflessness?

Nammoora Janaru

More often than we know we as citizens complain about the government and bureaucracy, about bad roads and power cuts, about power and corruption. Initiatives such as these where people who are pushing this first of it's kind project speak positively about the support that is received from the administration are commendable.  We Bangaloreans are indeed optimistic and can really work as a team despite our varied professional backgrounds.

The Brass replica

The oldest named Bangalorean, Kittaiah, his brass replica has reached my shelf today and I am going to share this story with whoever visits our home. There is more to this city of Kempegowda, more than the 'City of Boiled Beans' is what I am going to tell them.  

The handout with the details

The handout inside the memento has all the details about the history and deciphering, the process of excavation and installation of this inscription, both in English and Kannada. The compilation is an effort of all our fellow Bangaloreans who have cared for this cause.

The original inscription

Try reading it !

All fellow Bangaloreans and Bangalore admirers can support this initiative called Inscription Stones of Bangalore at

https://imojo.in/InscriptionStones

Your love towards the city of Bangalore and contribution will fund the building of a Ganga-style mantapa for the inscription , you will also receive a high-quality 1/8 scale brass replica of the 750CE Hebbal inscription stone in gratitude.

Do something for the city you live in.

Be a part of Bangalore.

Also do listen to this Vachana, some food for thought.

-R.

#bangalore #nammaoorunammahemme#inscriptionstonesofbangalore l#bangaloreheritage #bangalorediaries#kittaiah #bendakalooru #bengaluru#kittaiahhebbalinscription

Variar Bakery- A Walk Down Memory Lane

Take a stroll on the 12^th main road in Rajajinagar of Bangalore and a waft of sweet baked scent will drag you to the legendary bakery of OG Variar & Sons located in an inconspicuous corner near ESI Hospital. Govinda Variar, a native of Kerala is the founder of this place who used to bake at night with rented ovens and sell them during the day in Guttahalli. Eventually he opened a bakery in Rajajinagar in 1955 and the popularity kept growing. They also have a branch near Dhobi Ghat on Chord Road. The aroma in fact defines the traffic junction, that’s the only thing that makes waiting for the signal to turn green bearable.

Nothing in the world matches the yumminess of their Dil Pasand laden with all the tutti-frutti and coconut or the perfect puffiness of their Veg Puff with the right amount and kind of vegetable stuffing. The ever loyal customer base of these bakers par excellence will agree with me. Their range of biscuits and fresh breads are a must try. Fortunately they do not use any preservatives or colouring substances. A team of the most cordial men clad in white will attend to you one by one, mind you there maybe serpentine queues while their signature items like milk biscuits, ‘benne’ biscuits and ‘khara’ biscuits fly off the shelves when they are still warm from the oven.

Transactions for the ladies are easier here; we have a separate ‘Ladies Counter ‘to attend to our orders. I remember Appa asking me to stand at that particular counter so that we could get our order faster. There was a time when people used to buy these items from the bakery in modest amounts. These were small luxuries of life which were brought home only on special occasions, if brother or I wrote our exams well or our cousins were visiting home. Today I saw some pistoriophiles at the counter buying biscuits and cakes in kilo grams!

 One of the most exceptional things about this place is its originality. No matter which day of the year you go their biscuits, breads and cakes taste remarkably the same.  Therefore binging on them might not be good for health as Govinda Variar himself opined once but trying them is definitely a must! Today I literally walked down the memory lane and got a lot of their goodies home.

-R.

#foodofbangalore #sobangalore #trellingbangalore #milkbiscuit #bangalorediaries #myblr #namoorubengaluru #ogvariars #variarbakery #rajajinagar #musteatsinbangalore

Bangalored!

 ‘Be proud of your town because it is a big part of who you are!’ said some wise gentleman.

“Pride without knowledge is like a tree without roots!” said somebody else, a little wiser maybe.

Of late I have begun to follow their words and I have started learning about Namma Bengaluru. What better way than to read all the literature about the place we live in? While discussing our common interests (read books!) a friend recommended me ‘Peter Colaco’s Bangalore: Century of Tales from City & Cantonment’. I was on an eager search the same day.

“Your search ‘Peter Colaco’s Bangalore: Century of Tales from City & Cantonment" did not match any products. Try something like using more general terms or checking your spelling” said Amazon.

“Sorry, no results found! Please check the spelling or try searching for something else” said Flipkart.

 “Sorry, out of stock” said Sapna Online.

“Out of stock, it is in print Madam...” said Mr Maye Gowda of Blossoms Book House with his signature smile.

And then like all roads lead home, I sent this on our WhatsApp group of Akruthi Books.

Pat came Guru’s reply, a dear friend and the owner of the bookstore. If there is something called as cloud nine, it was this text for me at that moment. There is a reason why some book stores become your favourite, it is because they are run by warm people who make the place feel warmer than home. They make a way to your heart. They are not about sales. They are not about discounts. They are not about author meets and greets. They are not about book reading sessions. They prevail for something beyond all that, for the higher purpose of reading.

I received the book by post today and cannot wait to read it. Thank you Guru :-) I am Bangalored, of course for good. 

Off I go on a nostalgic through Namma Bengaluru :-)

PS: For all those who love reading and who live in Bangalore, do visit this bookstore at Rajajinagar, a quiet but bright basement very close to Bashyam Circle. I bet you cannot stop loving this little den and getting some books!

Here are the details:

Whom to contact: Mr Guruprasad on 098866 94580 [Ask him about a book, he will review it in a line or two within a couple of minutes for you :-) !]

And where it is: No. 28 (Old No. 733), 2nd Floor, 3rd Block, No. 31/1, 12th Main Rd, Gayathri Nagar, Rajaji Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560010

 On Map: 

 

 -R.