The ever-bustling Bengaluru market which was built in collaboration with the Bangalore City Municipality and Mysore Kingdom in 1921 during the Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar rule, was earlier a place that bustled with cultural activities, greenery and general merchants.1 However, cut to 2022, the market is now an eyesore dotted with poor maintenance, a mucky meat market, faulty solid waste management and drainage system. What is also disappointing is the red-coloured heritage buildings that existed since the inception of the market but are now losing their significance. The city market has three heritage buildings — the main building that houses the police station, the building facing the Mysore Road flyover, which also houses the meat market, and another one in the backyard along Gundopanth Street.

Sadly, the shops housed in the heritage building on the meat market side have now been served an eviction notice by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Smart City project, in the wake of a renovation. The meat market traders along with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Institute of Urban Designers India (IUDI) are presenting a design proposal of 21 urbanists, planners and designers to the BBMP on how to retain the meat market and the heritage building, with minimalistic renovation and installing basic facilities like drainage system, toilets, electricity, drinking water among others.

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• 1. According to a blog titled Karnataka History, the design for a new market was given by Sri Lakshminarasappa on the model of Sir Stuart Hogg Market of Kolkata with certain modifications and was opened on October 11, 1921. The inaugural function was attended by B K Garudachar the then President of the Bangalore City Municipality and by other municipal councillors.