In 1880s, people were coaxed to move out of city to Malleswaram

MALLESWARAM: Did you know that Malleswaram got its pin code 560003 because it was the third `extension' created out of the old city? Or that the temple after which it was named contains an outcrop indicating it was built with a grant given by Maratha Sardar Venkoji (alias Ekoji), halfbrother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj? Or that the St Peter's Seminary on 18th Cross was a hospital for wounded soldiers of World War II?

Many stories, oral and documented, lie hidden in this northwest locality , originally a 291-acre area allocated as an extension to the Old City expressly to accommodate ris ing population and contain disease. Created in the late 1880s, it joined the municipality 1895.

"It is named after the Kaadu Malleswara Temple that existed amidst the jungle that Malleswaram was. Kaadu in Kannada means forest. The temple is an Archaeological Survey of India monument," said Archana Prasad, founder, Jaaga. Her greatgrandfather Setlur Venkataranga Iyengar was the assistant commissioner of the then municipal corporation and was instrumental in the area's formation. Her project 'Malleswaram Calling' had an interactive art installation connecting the area's illustrious past to its present.

Also called Kaadu Mallikarjunaswamy temple, the 17th Century Shiva temple is one of the oldest in the city. It is located alongside the Lakshminaraswamy and Nandeeshwara temples on 15th cross road.

An 1878 Survey of India map indi cates that Malleswaram originally came under a village called Ranganatha Palya. Old-time residents say that before the outbreak of the bubonic plague of 1898, which brought hordes of people to the locality, the corporation had to coax people to move there. Sites were made available for '40, payable in instalments of' 1 per year.

Separate wards were created for Muslims, native Christians and Hindu sub-castes. "Over the past 100-plus years, Malleswaram became the place for rich dewans like Sir Mirza Ismail, Sheshadri Iyer and HV Nanjundiah to retire to," said Prasad. The dominant community's inclination towards arts and culture made it a hub for classical arts. Maya Rao, Veena Doraiswamy Iyengar, TAS Mani, Venkatappa and Vimala Rangachar are from Malleswaram. It was home to Sir CV Raman and the Indian Institute of Science.