Being in Bangalore for over a half century, one sees the changes of the landscape and the people. Some of it for the better add some for the loss to Bangalore. As one comes out of the old drive of Queen's Road, and turns off at Cunningham Road, sorry, this has to be reversed as they have made Cunningham Road one-way from West to East!! There is a cross road that runs from under the Cantonment Railway Station under bridge to Cunningham Road called Miller Tank Bund Road [there is neither a Tank or a Bund left, both have been done away with for the sake of Bangalore's prosperity!! (hic!) ], and on this road as you are reaching the cross road , you will find on the right side of the road (2nd Cross Dobbespet) a beautiful old house that stands out like a rose in a bramble of thorns. Right opposite is an awesome coliseum of glass belonging to one of the 'call center' giants, so you will definitely not miss the location, but don't get carried away by admiring yourself in the wall of glass as you may just miss the 'jewel' and you would have a problem of returning as this road also belongs to one of Bangalore's (in)famous 'oneways'!!

The compound or what is left of it is cluttered with parts of old motor cars and accessories (as the son of the Chowkidar, Ratnam, his wife Manikkam , and family who reside in this house, is a mechanic). Ratnam is a simple man who talks about his father M. Munisawmappa the Maharaja's Chowkidar, and tries to remember the past, but then he was too small (around 5 years old so he says, he is the only surviving member of his father's 9 children, Ratnam now 75 years has himself 7 children!!) to grasp the grandeur of the Palaces of Mysore where his father was stationed. Munisawmappa true to this standard (he must have been one with a twirled handlebar moustache), and still feeling the importance of his position of 'Chowkidar', built a small house in 1935 on the side of Miller Tank Bund Road. He gave it the impression of the continuance of the Palace, by decorating the outside facade with a 'family crest ' over the frontage , and statues and a beautifully carved door , and inside courtyard. The door at first look gives the impression that is is the 'Royal Crest' or ' Ganda Bernuda emblem ' of the  Maharaja, but on a closer look, the carpenter-designer has cleverly carved two birds to give the image as one bird with two heads.

This building is so unique to it's surrounding that it stands out inquisitively to any passerby and foxed me for many a year till one Saturday when I dropped my son Andrew off at the Call Center for an interview, that I decided to pick up courage and meet the inmates, and fix a date to take out photos. I picked up as much information about the family who spoke in Tamil and in my  broken Tamil-Hindi-English re-mix, put together their history. What struck me most about Ratnam and his house was that it stood out in the middle of all the rabble of clustered houses of the lower class houses which was on the peripheral of the large mansion bungalows of Palace Road, Cunningham Road and the surroundings, and for how long would it remain. The images on the window shades have lions and a figure in the middle which also give a 'royal' ambiance, as lions and tigers are used in 'royal' symbolism. The contrasting specter between the opposite building so overwhelming and ultra modern and this so conservative and dwarfed, makes a great comparison composition of what the past of Bangalore used to be, and soon to be forgotten. Also, why should only the 'Rich & Famous' always be the ones to be figured in the 'news', while here is one who is 'rich and famous in heritage' being neglected. Well, no more!! Visit Ratnam's house and see the beauty that will soon be 'history' for all the wrong purposes, some namely 'modernisation & prosperity' of Bangalore!! 'Bangaloreans! Leave Bangalore Alone'!!!