South Western Railway’s Bengaluru Division has planned to rejuvenate and preserve 4 stations in phase one of a heritage preservation project.
For the first phase, old station buildings on KSR Bengaluru- Chikballapur-Kolar Railway line; Devanahalli, Doddajala, Avathihalli and Nandi Halt, will be restored and preserved.
As part of Phase 2 of the initiative, Rajanukunte, Oorgaum, Champion and Chintamani are planned to be developed as heritage railway stations.
Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Administration) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the non-profit INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage) in the presence of Divisional Railway Manager Ashok Kumar Verma.
INTACH works for preservation of heritages sites in the country and is associated with the Archeological Survey of India.
The MoU seeks to restore and preserve heritage structures at Doddajala, Devanahalli, Avatihalli and Nandi Halt based on different themes related to history and heritage. The Bengaluru-Chikabalapur-Kolar line is one of the region’s oldest.
These buildings are quaint examples of colonial-style architecture located in a picturesque area. The line, originally metre gauge, became operational in August 1915.
The plan is to fund the activity through CSR donations. INTACH will undertake the renovation, restoration and preservation of the Station buildings in consultation with Railways and identify the partners who will finance the projects.
In the second stage, ways and means of sustainable maintenance of preserved and restored buildings will be developed by creating additional amenities at the stations and surroundings.
SWR also plans to develop an Art Centre-cum-Cultural Centre-cum Conventional Centre at Doddajala. Interpretation Centre for monuments and history, café or snack counter will be set up at Devenahalli.
A silk museum and resource centre along with a park, with appropriate tree planting and landscaping, will be made at Avathihalli.
A rail museum, café, restaurant, cultural performance centre, pop-up weekend crafts markets, interpretation centre, open-air theatre and amphitheatre will be provided at Nandi Halt Station.