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GoK finally issues Heritage Regulations

Targeting Traffic at Cubbon Park - Why?

Heritage Beku & Birds Eye Bangalore - Conversation with the Artist Santosh Mahale

International Museums Day 2024

Museums are such an important part of our cuty heritage. We at Heritage Beku are seized of this. we all must do more !

The theme for the International Museum Day 2024 is “Museums for Education and Research”

What better time than to look at our own beautiful museums in the city..- in this case The Government Museum, Kasturba Road - and see how we can help. The Department of Tourism under the leadership of MKs Salma Fahim has been working on this - we need to look at routes and avenues to create a partnership to enhance this beautiful and iconic museum with its precious artefacts..

These videos are for the interiors as well as for the landscaping,,

Suresh Jayaram

May 173 min read

Save the last Bangalore Baobab Tree, High Court!

-Update: Covered in Bangalore Mirror 20 May

-Also covered in Indian Express 23 May 2024:

Historian writes to Karnataka High Court Registrar to protect Cubbon Park baobab tree

According to the letter, the Cubbon Park baobab tree, which now falls in the Karnataka High Court premises, is probably the last such tree in Bengaluru.

In a letter to the Karnataka High Court Registrar, historian, author and member of Heritage Beku (a heritage advocacy group) Suresh Jayaram has recently pointed out that a baobab tree of the Cubbon Park has been “fenced” and a stationery shop has come up next to it, threatening the existence of the tree.

Cubbon Park currently falls in the premises of the High Court.

The letter, which was written on May 17, suggested the office of the Registrar to negotiate with authorities such as the Horticulture department to ensure the continued existence of the tree.

The letter further pointed out that after the death of the baobab tree in the Lalbagh garden, this is probably the last such tree in the city and hence steps should be taken by the government to conserve it. The letter added that it is important to showcase the rarity and cultural significance of the tree.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Jayaram said, “What happens is that the tree gets totally lost (from view) in this situation where there is a shop selling materials such as papers etc.”

He added, “The questions that arise are how do we make the authorities aware of it? How can the Horticulture department and the High Court come together? It is an exceptional tree and should be allowed to grow.”

Baobab trees, which are mostly native to Africa, are known for their height and width, as well as lifespan, with the oldest baobabs surviving for more than a thousand years. In Bengaluru, baobab trees are known as gorakshaks.

First uploaded on: 22-05-2024 at 16:40 IST 17 May 2024

17May 2024

The Registrar

The Karnataka High Court

Cubbon Park

Bangalore 560001

Dear Sir:

Subject: Saving the Baobab Tree enclosed by electric fence & construction at High Court

Cubbon Park is the axis of this city, the political, judicial, social and cultural space. I have been a city chronicler as an active Park user and Heritage Beku member. Cubbon Park is a place for people, representing a cosmopolitan diversity of people and trees.

We all know of the biodiversity of Cubbon Park; it has many special trees; it is interesting to note that on the High Court Premises, there is a sacred Baobab tree of African Origin, also locally called the Gorakshak tree. Unfortunately, this has been enclosed for security reasons with a fence and is occupied by an establishment that sells stationary for the public in the court.

Showcasing the tree's rarity and unique cultural significance will be important. This will involve your good office to intervene to make necessary negotiations with the horticulture department and other authorities to restore its structure and continued existence.

My heart goes out when I see a baobab tree enclosed in this manner and not visible to the public. Besides a rich historical past and medicinal values, the number of baobab trees has decreased; we lost one in Lalbagh recently. This may be on the last trees left . Now the government should take some steps to conserve it.

If the government is serious about conserving them, it should bring in some special provisions to ensure that no one cuts these trees and gives them the dignity they deserve.

Sincerely

Suresh Jayaram

1 Shanthi Road

Priya Chetty

Feb 263 min read

Exempt BBMP Property Tax for Heritage Properties

25 Feb 2024

Chief Commissioner BBMP

Bengaluru

Email: commr@bbmp.gov

Dear Sir:

Subject: Request for Heritage buildings and spaces to be exempt from BBMP Property tax

The new property tax system draft based on guidance value will potentially have a grave detrimental impact on heritage buildings. This aspect may have been inadvertently missed out in this draft as we are aware that BBMP has placed a strong focus on preserving heritage as outlined in the UDD Model Building Bylaws 2017. High Court had also reiterated set up of a Heritage Conservation Committee in Jun 23. We therefore urge BBMP to not only to exempt all buildings from this new system, but to completely exempt them from property tax at all, and to incentivize owners and tenants to preserve the building such as it is. We also recommend that incentives and given for maintenance and restoration for such buildings and a matching grant or a separate fund be created to ensure that these buildings remain as part of a glorious city history and heritage. As part of our smart city focus, this needs to be done and protected. Else this move will be viewed as an attempt to openly encourage demolition & development of such heritage properties, by penalizing already struggling owners.

On the positive side, this is actually a good time for the BBMP to demonstrate their genuine commitment to heritage and its preservation to preserve core city history. Our thoughts as are under:

• BBMP must use this & other tools (heritage fund, PPP, TDR etc) to incentivize heritage property to owners to retain & preserve Bangalore’s collective history, There are NONE at present, and a myopic, narrow view could further heritage erosion. That is not what a visionary city corporation wants, we presume.

• The capital value of such old homes will be huge given land & location. There is no additional revenue inflow while the capital value appreciates. Unrealistic Tax on such properties will be a huge disincentive to conserve. Therefore, the guidance value proposed is meaningless, even counterproductive. Delhi had proposed tax sops incl full waiver and West Bengal , Kolkata as well.

• High property tax may appear to many that the intent is to make properties available for development, as that is where the potential for the present government to make gains. In the last RMP too, there was a dramatic increase in heritage buildings being sold for development. This must be prevented.

• The reality is that most old properties have multiple, and often, adversarial owners. The others (except a few well invested ones) are sadly waiting for the right excuse to sell and this could be the final straw. It's hard to own these properties - security, maintenance and most of all costs are very difficult. There is no reason to keep them for most and this property tax revision could serve as just another excuse to give up.

• The government also should:

o Allow for higher depreciation for older buildings.

o Have tax incentives or matching grants for any building maintenance or restoration.

o Heritage Fund and ward wise budget allocation

o Discount for open spaces within private properties like gardens. For eg within the revenue ambit, there is a provision for nil revenue payable for uncultivable lands. It should be similar for heritage.

Look forward to your taking these simple steps in the property tax issue to prioritize city heritage conservation.

Thanking You,

Yours Sincerely,

Team Heritage Beku

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