Mayo Hall (Bangalore)
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Mayo Hall is a government building located in the center of
Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. It was built to honor the memory of Lord Mayo, the 4th Viceroy of India. It offers a panoramic view of the city's Parade Grounds and
Ulsoor Lake Ulsoor Lake or Halasuru Lake, one of the biggest lakes in Bangalore, is located on the eastern side of the city. It derives its name from the name of the locality it is situated, namely, Ulsoor, Halasuru, close to M G Road, Bangalore, M G Road ...
on one side, and the Bangalore Race Course and Brigade Grounds on the south. This two-story structure is known for its ornate furniture and architecture. It is adorned by
chandelier A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...
s, Greek cornices, Tuscan columns, stone arches, wooden floors and beautiful furnishings. It became a popular tourist attraction.


Municipal offices

Mayo Hall houses several departments of
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area. It was the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India and ...
, Bangalore's administrative body. The government's
Kempegowda Museum Kempegowda Museum is a government museum located in the city of Bangalore, in the state of Karnataka, India. It was established in the year 2011 is dedicated to Yelahanka chieftain Kempegowda (1513-1569) who was the founder of Bangalore city. Th ...
is located on the upper floor. It was established in 2011, and is dedicated to
Kempegowda Kempe Gowda I (27 June 1510 – 1569) locally venerated as Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, or commonly known as Kempe Gowda, was a governor under the Vijayanagara Empire in early-modern India. He is famous for the development of Bengaluru Pete in th ...
, the founder of Bangalore.The museum has Kempegowda's statue as well as artistic renderings from his time. Originally, the ground floor had the Municipal Office for the Cantonment as well as several public offices and law courts. The upper floor was intended for important public meetings and exhibitions.


History

Mayo Hall was a part of a larger design to develop the cantonment into an integrated civil and military station. Accordingly, around the mid-1800s, a series of developmental activities began. The army that defeated
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
in the 4th Mysore War was relocated from the swamps of Srirangapatana to the more temperate Bangalore in 1809. The crown's administrative staff and the army's families began arriving, after sailing around the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
. Tradesmen also arrived in this manner and contributed to the westernization of Bangalore. Lord Mayo (christened Richard Southwell Bourke) was appointed the Viceroy and Governor-General of India. In the period 1869–1872, he traveled extensively in India and was greatly impressed, and stated that Britain should hold India "as long as the sun shines in heaven". On a visit to Port Blair's prison, Lord Mayo was stabbed to death by Sher Ali, a Pathan life convict, the only Viceroy to be murdered in office. The convict who killed him did so to avenge his father's death in the
First Anglo-Afghan War The First Anglo-Afghan War () was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad Khan ( Bara ...
. As a tribute to this administrator, a commemorative building was erected on the South Parade on a flat ground with trees, flowering bushes and a low wall on the south side. Terraced lawns surrounded the two-story building. It cost around 45,000, a sum raised largely through public donations. Mayo Hall was inaugurated by the British Resident on 6 June 1883. The ''Bangalore District Gazetteer'' noted that "The building in elevation is remarkable for its composition of architrave and pedimented windows, varied with key-storied arches, beautifully executed consoles, balustraded ledges and typical Greek cornice." Inside the building, framed pictures of the British nobility and notable citizens could be found in the hall. On the first floor, Italian chandeliers and ornate furniture were installed. The late Kora Chandy described the Mayo Hall as "one of the most elegant public buildings of the era in Southern India." Several Greco-Roman elements and influences are apparent in the building: architrave and pediment windows, key-stoned arches, balustrade ledges, beautiful consoles, Greek cornices, Tuscan columns, and wooden floors.


Modern era

Mayo Hall stands shorn of its greenery and breathing space. Tall buildings such as the Public Utility Building and the Central Mall are its neighbours. Heavy traffic generates significant sound pollution, and the future of this historical building remains uncertain.


References

{{coord, 12.974079, 77.610632, display=title Buildings and structures in Bengaluru Buildings and structures designed by Richard Hieram Sankey