The History Behind Bangalore’s Street Names!

What’s in a name, you might say? Well, everything! When it comes to the names of places and streets, it is what plays an important role in showcasing the history behind what was in that area and what it was known for! Here we bring you the history behind the names of some of the famous stretches of our city, Bangalore!

Krumbigal Road:
Krumbigal Road was named after Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel who was a noted botanist and was the main architect for Brindavan Gardens Park. He was, in 1908, the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore Government and was instrumental for initiating the serially blossoming street trees and for landscaping gardens at the Bangalore Palace and MEG. He lived in the city till he died in 1956.

Attimabbe Road:
This road at KIMS, Attimabbe – Danachintamani, is named after one of the most renowned women in ancient Karnataka. Attimabbe lived in the first half of the eleventh century and her ancestors belonged to Punganuru of Vengimandala.

Suranjandas Road:
Named after Group Captain Suranjan Das who was one of the two pioneer test pilots in the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Nrupatunga Road:
Earlier known as Cenotaph Road it was renamed Nrupathunga, after the famous Kannada poet. The Cenotaph that was built in memory of English soldiers was later demolished.

Alur Venkatarao (A.V) Road:
Chamarajpet 1^st Main Road was named Albert Victor Road in 1889 after the future King Edward VII of England. Later it was renamed as Alur Venkatarao Road, (A.V. Road) after the well-known Kannada writer and activist for the unification of Kannada-speaking areas.

Lavelle Road:
It was named after Michael Lavelle, an Irish soldier who made his money in the Kolar Gold Fields.

Nittoor Srinivasa Rao Road:
It was named after Nittur Srinivasa Rao who was a Gandhian who participated in the Indian independence movement and was the Chief Justice of the High Court of Mysore State.

Manjappa Road:
Earlier known as Langford Road, it was named so after Col. Pierce Leslie Langford whose resided there. Later it was renamed to Manjappa Road, after former Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Ali Asker Road:
It was named after Ali Asker who was the grand father of Dewan Mirza Ismail, who was in the business of importing horses from Iran.

Monotype Road:
Though this is not a valid street name and is only referred to as Monotype Road, the actual address is 27th Cross, BSK II Stage. It is called so because there was a company named ‘Monotype’ here earlier.

Mission Road:
Named after the London Missionary Society, which has been in Bangalore from the early 1820s.

Sankey Road:
This was named Sankey Road in memory of Colonel Richard Hieram Sankey, who contributed a lot to the city. He came to India in 1848 and later was moved to Bangalore and Mysore, where he was appointed as the assistant to the chief engineer and three years later, as the chief engineer. He is said to have improved old and new roads and also added a number of distinctive landmarks like Attara Kacheri Building, the Museum, Cubbon Park and Sankey Tank.

Cunningham Road:
One of the most popular and busiest roads in the city, Cunningham Road derives its name from military nomenclature and was named after Francis Cunningham who was an officer in the Madras Army.

Cubbon Road:
Cubbon Road that is along Cubbon Park was named after Lieutenant-General Sir Mark Cubbon, a British army officer with the East India Company who later became the British Commissioner of Mysore State in 1834. Cubbon Park has a history of over 100 years to it and was established in 1870.

St. Marks Road:
St. Mark’s Road gets its name from the very famous St. Mark’s Cathedral, which is the oldest Anglican Church in the city. It was named after St. Mark, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and was modeled after the 17th-century St. Paul’s Cathedral.

F.M. Cariappa Road:
Earlier known as Residency Road, it is now an up-market residential locality known for its beautiful houses. It was named after the British resident of Mysore who was staying there. Later in 1883, three other extensions were added to the region – Richmond Town, Benson Town and Cleveland Town; which are all named after British aristocrats.

D.V.G Road:
This is where Gandhi Bazaar is and it named after Devanahalli Venkataramanaiah Gundappa, popularly known as DVG, who was a prominent Kannada writer and and philosopher.

Sampige Road & Margosa Road:
Sampige Road and Margosa Road, running through Malleswaram, are one of the oldest areas of Bangalore and derive their names from the flowers Sampige and Margosa trees that once lined these roads

Race Course Road:
It is so called because it runs along the Race Course, which has a historic legacy in itself.

Meanee Avenue Road:
This road gets its name after the battle of Meeanee (Miani) where Charles Napier defeated a Baluchi army in 1843.

Did you know?
Did you know that there is a Bangalore Street in London! Yes, it is Bangalore St, London SW15 1QF, UK. Wondering why, there is a street named in London after our wonderful city? The answer is that it derives its name after the recruitment centre of the Bangalore Regiment, which was located in that street during the British colonial rule during the 19^th Century.

Another surprising fact!
There are streets named after our Mysore in three different continents; one in UK, one in New Zealand and three in South Africa. The one in UK was named after Mysore as there was an office of the Mysore Regiment there, which was formed then to fight Indian rulers and later enemies of the British.

Keep reading and watch out for the second part of this series, which will be out soon!