From beautiful birds, to visionary builders of towns and a fort, of petes and pillars and towers, to how human migration helped develop a city’s economy, agriculture and community, the Social Sciences  topic of ‘Namma Ooru, Bengaluru’ beckoned the students of 03 to foray into the history of our city and its formation about 500 or so years ago!

After initiating discussions in our classes about the origins of our city, students were invited to interact with an expert on this topic – Ms Roopa Pai.

Ms Roopa delved into the intricacies of how a city develops at a basic, functional level, including the topography and resources available then, and how the visionary Kempe Gowda I carved out a well-planned city. She dipped into the legends and timelines of yore,  explaining the logic and reasons that went into the planning and position of the city.  She elaborated on the consequences for the city’s growth when power changed hands in the political scenario then, from Kempe Gowda I to Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the influence of the French and the British and the role of the Wodeyar dynasty. She shared visuals of these events, which stimulated many questions and observations from the students in the discussion that followed. It was truly a fascinating and enriching walk through time!