VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities

Abstract

As one of the fastest-growing metropolitan cities in India, Bangalore stands as a testament to the rapid urbanization process shaped by deep-rooted historical legacies. Beneath the bustling, tech-driven exterior city, lies a layered history that has tremendously contributed to its urban and cultural identity. This paper aims to address two crucial questions: how the historical sites in Bangalore have played a pivotal role in shaping and preserving the evolving identity of the city, and how does the culture of the city influence and shape in preservation of these historical sites? By focusing on seven historically significant landmarks, the paper investigates the idea of heritage site attributed to these places is recognized and celebrated by the residents of Bangalore who have witnessed the transitions in these sites and in the surrounding areas of these sites. This paper adopts an ethnographic and field research approach to explore how the historical sites in Bangalore contribute to the evolving identity of the city. These seven historical sites are selected based their historical relevance, visibility in the urban discourses and their symbolic value in shaping the cultural narratives of the city. Field observations combined with semi-structured interviews with the long-time residents will be adopted as the primary methods of data collection. This method helps in capturing the lived experiences and cultural meanings associated with each site today. By drawing on Jan Assmann’s concept of Cultural Memory, the analysis of historical landmarks emphasizes the role of physical spaces in preserving and transmitting collective memory across generations. Through a critical examination of these sites, the paper aims to uncover how past narratives are woven into the contemporary urban fabric, thereby contributing to Bangalore’s cultural positioning as a modern metropolis and a city of cultural heritage.
Keywords: Bangalore, Collective Memory, Cultural identity,Heritage