Bengaluru: Art project on Yelahanka New Town’s evolution

A weekend exhibition will reflect on how Yelahanka New Town has changed in the past three decades. It is a culmination of memory mapping exercises done by close to 35 residents and interviews with them.

‘Mapping Memories: The Lost Spaces of Yelahanka’ is an exercise in nostalgia but also a critical exploration of the relationship locals share with public spaces, says Lakshmi Nagaraj, visual artist behind the project. Arguing that public spaces are a true leveller, she is hosting the exhibition at a parking space.

Lakshmi moved to this locality on the northern outskirts of Bengaluru when she was in Class 4 and has witnessed the influx of malls, gyms, pottery studios and gated communities.

The 24-year-old shares key insights: “People from upper classes miss the greenery and eateries they have lost. Lower classes appreciate the development — roads, bus connectivity, canteens, and big apartments (they find work in). The latter barely had time for leisure. That really speaks about who gets to occupy public spaces.”

She interviewed a diverse set of people. Men spoke of their go-to tea stalls while women reminisced about temples. An
elderly resident recalled the owner of Sri Rama Stores, who offered to deliver her groceries free of charge during the pandemic. Another senior citizen harked back to the time when parts of Yelahanka were forested and stepping out after 5 pm was “scary”. A middle-aged woman said the beautification of Allalasandra Lake has robbed the green patches where she once went looking for soppu.

Yelahanka New Town did not have theatre spaces but had on its culture calendar the biannual Allalasandra Jatre, and the circus season. The latter has almost ceased.

Sharavathi Hotel ranked high on shared memories. Though the hotel shut down long ago, it lives on as a landmark ‘Sharavathi Hotel Bus Stop’.

A chimney at a brick factory-turned-mall was another talking point among older residents. She says, “Back in the day, when the chimney came in sight, people knew they were getting closer to Yelahanka. Now the chimney gets eclipsed by the towering mall.”

She laments that a supermarket is now coming up in place of Jnana Jyothi College Ground, where they learnt driving, and played football and cricket.

The community interactions also brushed up rusty memories. “I used to borrow books like ‘The Famous Five’ from a library. I was 13 or 14 when it closed. For years, I struggled to recall its name and then, suddenly, an interviewee dropped the name ‘Sri Sai Circulating Library’,” she shares.

Lakshmi’s relationship with Yelahanka New Town was not always one of fondness. “Before two malls came up here, I used to resent travelling far to shop or watch a movie. A boutique near my house was the only ‘coolest thing’ around. But as I grow old, I have started to appreciate the many parks and lakes and the cleaner air we still have around,” she says.

The exhibition is supported by Project 560, a neighbourhood engagement initiative by India Foundation for the Arts.

On August 3 and 4, 11 am-8pm, opposite State Public Library, Yelahanka New Town. Call 93422 39829