Attara Kacheri – Karnataka High Court

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Attara Kacheri

The Attara Kacheri building that houses the High Court of Karnataka is one of the places of interest in Bangalore. We all are lucky to get a glimpse of this 19th-century neoclassical building that had escaped its demolition at least twice.

Attara Kacheri (Karnataka High Court)

Attara Kacheri
Karnataka High Court (Attara Kacheri)

According to the historical records, there was a plan to demolish this red silhouette and build a new structure for State Legislature. Probably the Vidhana Soudha.

The people of Bengaluru opposed this plan which eventually led to the building of Vidhana Soudha right opposite Karnataka High Court. 

The second demolition plan came in the 1980s which the citizens stopped by filing a PIL in the Karnataka High Court which is in the same building. 

History

The name Attara Kacheri dates back to 1701 when Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar, inspired by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb’s style of governance, created 18 administrative departments. The name ‘attara’ means 18 and ”kacheri’ means office or department which translates to ’18 departments.’ 

The plan to construct this neoclassical began in the 1830s but was dropped due to the first war of Indian Independence of 1857. The plan was revived in 1864 under Lewin Bentham Bowring, then Commissioner of Mysore. 

Historical Records

The Governor-General Lord William Benticks approved the construction. The British Firm M/s Wallace & Company won the contract and sub-contracted the project to Rai Bahadur Arcot Narainswamy Mudaliar and Rai Bahadur Bansilal Ramrathan.

It cost ₹427980/- to construct this beautiful structure and they named this building as Bowring Attara Kacheri. The offices started functioning from 1868.

No doubt, the Attara Kacheri building is one of the prominent places to visit in Bangalore. This red building is the High Court of Karnataka and so the authorities may not permit tourists inside the building.  The police may not allow you to photograph the building from proximity. Moreover, It is not possible to capture the entire building in one frame. Thanks to the compound, trees, and metro. However, you can do photography from the main road and from inside Cubbon Park.

Nearby Places to Explore

Follow this link to explore other places to visit in Bangalore.

Other resources – Wikipedia

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