Whitefield: between a colonial past and a post-liberalization future

The gray-bearded, impassive-looking gentleman has a penetrating gaze, which seems to follow us as we pass by his photograph hanging on the thick walls of the Whitefield Membership. “That’s a photo of Mr. White,” says Deepa Peck, a longtime Whitefield resident who leads us on a heritage walk through the neighborhood.

Most people new to the city associate Whitefield with the IT hub, luxury shopping malls, traffic congestion and never-ending water problems. But the suburb also has a long history dating back to 1882, as constantly reiterated by Deepa, who developed a keen interest in the town’s heritage since her husband’s family, the Pecks, were among Whitefield’s first settlers. According to her, the man in the photograph, David Emmanuel Starkenburgh White, after whom the area is named, founded Whitefield on land given to the Eurasian and Anglo-Indian Association by Chamrajendra Wadiyar X, the Maharaja of Mysore.

Agriculture never took off

At that time, Whitefield was conceived as an agricultural settlement, and the first inhabitants of Whitefield were called settlers, explains Deepa. Whitefield was built in two concentric circles: the Inside Circle, consisting of wedge-shaped residential plots, in the center of which was the Unexperienced Village, from which four radial roads lead to the Outer Circle, comprising larger tracts of land with residences, she explains more. “To the east was the main road with residences on both sides,” says Deepa, adding that the initial concept of a self-sufficient agricultural settlement never took off, partly due to water scarcity. “Water problems are nothing new here. It has been a problem since 1882,” he comments wryly. Furthermore, “most settlers had little or no agricultural experience.”

At that time, the Whitefield Settlers Association, headed by Mr. White, was the only governing body looking after the affairs of Whitefield, long before it came under the Panchayat and, today, the BBMP. . “However, with the advent of apartments and gated communities, each with its own RWA, the Settlers Association ceased to have much relevance,” says Deepa, who currently holds the position. In fact, at the last Annual Normal Meeting it was decided that the Whitefield Settlers Association would merge with Whitefield Rising, a citizens’ movement in the area, as it “seemed better to be under the aegis of a larger unifying umbrella.”

The concept of this walk dates back to a project carried out as part of Gully Excursions Metropolis Explorer, the walking tour company’s annual flagship program, which seeks to create more ambassadors for the city. “As part of the programme, participants were divided into groups and asked to design a walk on a given theme,” says Dr Gayathri Talapula, who is also part of the walk. “Our group chose Whitefield because some of us live here and have always been intrigued by its past.”

Investigation of the past

As part of their research, the group explored the older areas of Whitefield, such as the inner and outer circles, visiting some of the old houses and speaking to the people who lived there to obtain “as much information as possible about Whitefield’s past.” says Gayathri. , who with his group designed the heritage walk. During their research, they met Peck, who is deeply interested in Whitefield’s legacy and takes people on these little walks. Gayathri wants to officially launch the Whitefield trek later this year.

Some of the other stops we make include the small but charming Memorial Church, consecrated in 1886; the picturesque Excellent Peace, one of the first bungalows built in the area, today owned by inventor Paul D’Souza and his mother; the largest Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, behind which is a majestic mound representing Calvary; the deteriorated remains of the Meer Saheb convenience store and Waverly Inn, abandoned and overtaken by dense undergrowth.

Talapula admits to being quite intrigued by the “racy” legend linked to this inn: it is believed that Winston Churchill, then living in Bengaluru, often visited the inn to woo Rose Hamilton, the daughter of innkeeper James Hamilton. “Of course, there is no proof of this, but I think everyone wants to believe that story,” he says. “It’s quite an interesting link between the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Whitefield.”

The constant struggle between Whitefield’s former identity as an Anglo-Indian settlement and what it is today, an IT hub full of people for whom this is a stopover and not a destination, clearly saddens its lifelong residents, Peck says. | Photo Credit: EMAIL BROCHURE

Between the past and the future

The vestiges of old Whitefield have managed to hold on to the few historic buildings still in use here thanks to the constant attempts of its long-time residents to preserve them. For example, the Whitefield Membership, founded in 1905, was renovated in 2006, with great efforts put into keeping the appearance of the façade to match that of the original building.

Then in 2005, residents rallied to preserve the historic Whitefield Memorial Church from damage due to road widening plans. “The authorities don’t seem to care about our history,” he says. But this is a rich heritage. How can you destroy it?

The constant struggle between Whitefield’s former identity as an Anglo-Indian settlement and what it is today, an IT hub filled with people for whom this is a stopover and not a destination, clearly saddens its longtime residents, including Peck. “While words like ‘progress’ and ‘development’ often have a positive undertone, residents feel that ‘development’ in Whitefield seems quite the opposite,” he says. “

Instead, roads are being widened haphazardly while the water issue has become more important than ever as supply cannot meet demand for this basic resource. Large gated colonies and commercial establishments, many even illegal, have multiplied and continue to spring up throughout the neighborhood, taking over what was once a quiet residential area. Some residents are actively involved in trying to improve the problems Whitefield faces, but many do not want to get involved. “They come here in search of employment and will probably then return to where they came from,” says Deepa. “Very few of the original families are left here now.”

A Whitefield heritage building. | Photo credit: Ruth Dhanaraj.

Victim of his own success

However, when the Worldwide Tech Park (ITPL) was built here in the late 90s, Whitefield residents really welcomed it, Deepa recalls. “Until then, others would talk about how we lived in the country! But things improved with the arrival of ITPL and other companies in and around Whitefield,” he recalls. “It generated employment, not only for the technicians but also for the locals, so it was welcome.”

Whitefield, like the city of Bengaluru itself, seems to have become a victim of its own success. “Resources and infrastructure are woefully inadequate to cater for the growing population and the feverish construction taking place everywhere,” explains Deepa. Take, for example, the constant water shortage in the locality. “Although technically drilling wells is prohibited, new ones are drilled every few days,” he says. “We informed the officials, but the drilling continues.”

A lot of illegalities

But she and other longtime residents who care about the place continue to fight in their own way. “We are coming together to preserve the character of the inner and outer circle areas, which have been classified as primary residential areas as per BBMP zoning, and no commercial establishments are allowed here,” he says. “But it is a constant and uphill battle in which the officials themselves turn a blind eye to such illegalities.”

That is why he believes that walks like this, which expose people to the hidden heritage of the neighborhood where they work, live or pass through, are very important. “When you go on these walks and talk about the history and heritage of the area, a certain awareness arises, and they realize that Whitefield is much more than just an easy place where you stay for a while in a 2-bedroom apartment! ”