The man who adjectified Bengaluru.

As I got off my scooter in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park looking for a slow-run, I happen to enter into a mood of philosophy. My run-mates, all on their way gave me some time to sit back and cherish the breezy morning, listening to the birds' chirp, watch the branches dance and enjoy the calming odor of cherry blossom trees and damp mud. The atmosphere lowered my morning stress significantly. My mind was fresh out of experiencing a thriller performance of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's season opener in Kolkata.
Sitting there, my senses experienced a kaleidoscope of emotions. It was mind blowing!  Behind me was the iconic symbol of Karnataka, The Vidhana Sauda and to my left, an example of neoclassical engineering, the most beautifully constructed High Court of Karnataka. Surrounding magnificence was a thick blanket of greenery - Cubbon Park.
As my run-mates arrived we strolled down Cubbon Park's moist roads and to the giant circular junction for a pre-run warmup session. Facing The Central library, the building that is oblivious to the passage of time. Unaware of its rich history, we continued with our business.  
After a slow run, Gratified. While I was on my way home, I Rode past Sankey Tank which had just witnessed the Cauvery Aarti. Reminiscing what I experienced in Cubbon Park, a sense of pride was felt, owing to the Monuments which I just witnessed in the city. Realising that these monuments perfectly skewer The Silicon Valley of India. 

In the following days, while reading a book on the Cauvery dispute titled, 'Cauvery: A long-winded dispute' authored by T. Ramakrishnan, I stumbled upon a name that deeply puzzled me. Ever since childhood, I had spent a significant amount of time in a park called Sankey Tank which is situated in North Bengaluru but never thought or questioned why the park held such an unorthodox name. The name that I stumbled upon was of Lt. Gen Sir Richard Hieram Sankey, the engineer who drastically improved the irrigation system of the Mysore State (now Karnataka). Curious enough, diving deep into Sir Sankey, the information that I discovered was astonishing which made me feel like I discovered a sunken treasure. It most certainly was sunken, to an extent that it inspired me to dedicate a blog for him. 

Lt. Gen Sir Richard H. Sankey.

Richard Hieram Sankey was born in Ireland on March 22, 1929. After completing his military training at The East India Company's Military College in England, he was commissioned into the Madras Sappers in the year 1846. 2 years later he arrived in Madras as part of his posting. As he arrived in India, he was sent across the country on a wide range of projects and appointments which included strengthening Allahabad's defense structures and connecting it to the Ganga River, working for the Gurkhas in building a crucial bridge connecting Gogra and Gumti rivers that helped the Gurkha Regiment in smooth movement of logistics. He was also posted to Burma and Calcatta before finally arriving to The Mysore State (Present day Karnataka). 

In the year 1861 he was appointed the assistant to the Chief Engineer, then Chief Engineer and finally the Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Mysore. During this appointment, Richard Sankey worked on a plethora of projects. First of his major projects began in the 1860s with the design and construction of a reservoir adjoining the areas of Malleshwaram, Seshadipuram and Sadashivanagar in Bengaluru. The reservoir originally called Gandhadhakotikere because of a Govt. sandalwood depot that was situated nearby. The construction of the reservoir was completed in 1882 The reservoir was later renamed to Sankey tank to honour Richard Sankey's contribution to the irrigation system in the Mysore State. Today, Sankey tank acts as an escape hatch for those trying to clear their dopamine-affected hypertonic minds. The tank acts as an epicenter for recreational activities that range from yoga, casual athletics and even photography. 

A view of Sankey Tank.

In the year 1864, his love for gardens and his general appreciation towards nature was adroitly displayed when he designed and constructed a sprawling patch of greenery between the bustling markets in Avenue Road and MG road. Meade's park (later renamed to Cubbon Park) is what holds the city's biophilia together. Bringing together dog lovers, running clubs, comics writers, comedians, poets, skaters and many more under one premises. It acts as an adhesive that holds all the residents of Bengaluru together. The park shelters those burdened by the city's rapid afforestation of concrete blocks resulting in an extravagant display of fauna. It also hosts many of the country's endangered floral species making it a true refuge for a variety of species including homo sapiens of the city. 

A view of the central library in Cubbon Park

Kukur thihar, a Nepali-Hindu festival celebrated in the park's dog park to honour our 4-legged friends. 

In the same year, Richard Sankey also started working on the construction of St. Andrew's Church. St. Andrew's Church was the second church in India built by him. The church which opened in 1866 exemplified the use of gothic architecture in India. The church's intricated design makes it a handful of churches in the city to have a 25ft. stained glass, a 144-year pipe-organ which was renovated in 2009, and a bell tower which in 2005 was damaged due to heavy rains but still stands to this day. 

The 25ft. stained glass.

In the years following the completion of St. Andrew's Church, Richard Sankey was responsible for the construction of two red coloured buildings which are currently used in administrative duties by the state government. The first of the buildings is called Attara Kacheri built in 1868. Attara Kacheri now serves the seat of the Chief Justice of Karnataka and acts as the High Court of the state. The building is arguably one of the most visually appealing offices of judiciary in the county. Bordering Cubbon Park, it sits boldly across the road from its legislative counterpart - The Vidhan Sauda and a little more than a kilometer from the headquarters of the Karnataka Police. 
In it's interesting past, Attara Kacheri was at the risk of demolition when it showed signs of wear and tear. In the year 1984 there was a plan to replace the structure with a new one but was saved by the very law it practices. To prevent the destruction of the iconic building, the very first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the history of the court was filed. After the case reached the Supreme Court, the government took the decision to rather renovate the colonial era building than to continue with its demolition. 

Attara Kacheri

The Government Museum in Karnataka was initially established in the Cantonment's jail building, it stayed there for 13 years until the new building was constructed by Richard Sankey in 1877. The red brick building consists of 2 exhibition floors with 18 galleries. The museum exhibits a rare collection of archeological artifacts. An impressive collection of coins, inscriptions and paintings exhibit various cultures. The prized collection of the museum includes the earliest Kannada inscription - the Halmindi inscription (450 C.E.), Begur inscription (890 C.E.) and Atakur inscription (949 C.E) slabs are found in museum. 

The Government Museum.

Soon after the construction of The Government Museum, he was transferred to Shimla after an altercation with the then Viceroy, Lord Lytton. Five years later, he again reached the south but this time he contributed to the layout of the Marina Beach and established the Botanical Gardens in Madras. 

Retired in the year 1884 with the rank of Lt. General. He was later knighted in the year 1892 to become Lt. General Sir Richard Hieram Sankey.

Sir Richard Sankey was an engineer who introduced himself to me through the book written by T Ramakrishnan. A colonial who helped transform The Mysore State's irrigation system, The engineer who built several buildings of importance. I was abashed to have not learnt about him earlier, but the big question that remained: Why is his name stuck only to Sankey Tank?  What made Sir Sankey so trivial that his name and contribution was left to a reservoir to honour? Are the threads of history so slender to find the gravity of Sir Sankey's work heavy? Answers to those questions shall forever remain unanswered. Unfortunate enough, Sir Sankey's lustrous park in the center of the city was named after Sir Mark Cubbon, whose statue stands near the Press Club of Bengaluru. Mayo Hall acts as another example where Sankey's name did not see the light of day. It is impertinent to remember Sir Sankey only through the reservoir that he built. As Bangaloreans his name should not be allowed to slide into the dark passages of history but should gleam high because he not only created landmarks but also gave the city the identity it strongly carries. 

References:

1. 'Why we shouldn't forget Sankey' - an article published in the Deccan Herald dated 13th February 2013.

2. Dictionary of Irish Biography - Sankey, Sir Richard Heiram.