If the blooming flowers and lush green trees in Bengaluru soothe your mind, then you should be indebted to botanist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel. The German had laid the groundwork for Bengaluru’s pursuit towards earning the sobriquet ‘Garden City of India’.
With October being an important month for Germans as they celebrate ‘Oktoberfest’, it is time for Bengalureans to reminisce about the contributions of Krumbiegel who gave his green thumb to the growth of the city’s landscape.
Krumbiegel is responsible for deliberating and promoting a visual splendour for Bengaluru through his horticultural lens, at a time when many urban planners and engineers had focused on the infrastructure development of Bengaluru. In fact, conservationists point out that the Bengaluru ‘weather’ that everyone celebrates, is because of the ground works laid by horticulturists like Krumbiegel.
From the famous Janata Bazaar in Gandhinagar to the directorate office of horticulture in Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Krumbiegel’s stamp has all over the design of these buildings.
Krumbiegel’s contribution to Bengaluru and the erstwhile Mysore kingdom dates back to the meeting between him and Mysuru king Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar at Baroda (or Vadodara – a city in Gujarat). When the king of Mysore visited Baroda, he was so impressed with Krumbiegel’s work on the gardens that he wanted to hire him for a few years to work in his kingdom.
Krumbiegel was thus appointed the consultant architect for Mysore. In Bengaluru, the German botanist was responsible for the planning and designing of the garden and fountains of Central College, the terrace garden of Bangalore Palace, planting serial blossoming flowers on the streets of the city, among other works.
“The avenue trees on the streets of Bengaluru contain flowers that bloom based on different seasons. There isn’t a season where nothing is in bloom in Bengaluru. The idea of planting avenue trees is actually credited to Krumbiegel,” said Yashaswini Sharma, an architect and an urban historian, said.
Tucked right in the heart of Bengaluru is Janata Bazaar, which was inaugurated by Sri Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the Yuvaraja of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom on September 11, 1935. In fact, on the same day, he also inaugurated the iconic Town Hall on Mysore Road.
Janata Bazaar was actually built to house the Asiatic Company, a life insurance pioneer. The Mysore king ensured that insurance coverage was given to all his ministers and members of the court.
Designed by Krumbiegel, the bazaar consists of industrial lighting, spiral staircases, and semi-circular arches in the facade. On top of the building’s porch stands a statue of two Asiatic lions. Gulmohar trees planted by the botanist around the bazaar still exist.
“Krumbiegel is known more for his landscape architecture. The bazaar has also got a steep gable on the roof and the building welcomes you with a grand double staircase and industrial lights which actually call for preservation. From the decorative facade to plain facades of the building, Krumbiegel actually changes the architectural language for the bazaar,” said Sharma.
However, after the insurance company became nationalised, the ownership changed hands, and eventually it fell under the public works department in the latter half of the 20th century.
Currently, the bazaar houses wholesale commercial units, offices, and some goods. Unfortunately, the bazaar is facing a demolition scare from the government to make way for a multi-storey commercial complex. However, conservationists have filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the demolition.
Sharma said that although the structure is stable it needs minimal restoration work. “Certain parts of the building have developed vegetation and dampness while the teakwood has suffered minor wear and tear issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, the accounts office and the directorate office of Karnataka’s horticulture department designed by Krumbiegel are still located in Lalbagh. The buildings have got a heritage value and are more than 100 years old. The accounts office is a classic colonial building that has got a wooden truss. Krumbiegel himself worked in the horticulture office. He served as the superintending horticulturist who administered the horticulture work in Lalbagh.
Since he was trained in gardening, he brought in his expertise and has also designed the parks at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Victoria Hospital garden and Silver Jubilee park.
“He brought in a lot of tree species from Indonesia, Australia, England, Singapore and Italy. Most of the raintree species were brought from Africa. While M Visvesvaraya emphasised on industrialisation, Krumbiegel focused on promoting robust agriculture and horticulture practices,” said Sharma, founder of Esthétique Architects who has undertaken the restoration work of the accounts office at Lalbagh.
Lalbagh Botanical garden was a research hub for horticulture, said Sharma.
“When Krumbiegel took over as the head of the horticultural work, his task at hand was to develop the botanical garden and conduct research in bringing in different saplings, resins that produce sufficient yield. The planting of the green cover in the botanical garden was also to generate economic returns through trade, improve the overall health of the city and of course to add to the visual splendor of Bengaluru.
According to Sharma, Krumbiegel carried forward the legacy of erstwhile rulers and urban planners of Bengaluru, who laid thrust on creating lakes, gardens in the neighbourhood that supported irrigation.
“Bengaluru was a rocky terrain earlier with thorny shrubs and less greenery. The present appearance was upon the deliberation by planners to make the city look beautiful through robust horticultural activities. Krumbiegel has actually taken this legacy forward through his ideas like planting serial blossoming and avenue trees,” Sharma said.
Krumbiegel’s intervention also had a significant impact on the microclimate of the city. “This is because he understood the sensibilities of the local people and carried a vision where he wanted people to celebrate greenery and experience the outcomes of his horticultural work,” said Sharma.
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