BANGALORE: Rewind to the 1920s. Mahatma Gandhi walks through the lush green expanse of Kumara Krupa Park. He might have just taken a stroll, lost in the wild, taking a moment or two to show interest in a specific sapling or at that ancient tree with strong roots. The sun must have shone across the garden, seeping in through the canopy to let the residents of the house know that it was finally morning. If it was 1927, the sunlight and the stars in the city would be shining on the future father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.Bangalore, many people believed or still believe, was not a stronghold of the Indian freedom struggle. But the June, July and August of the winter of 1927 changed the viewpoint with which everything was looked at. Bangalore was blessed with the visit of Mahatma Gandhi. While the Kumara Krupa Road is still considered to be one of the greenest localities of Bangalore with the golf course, Chitrakala Parishath and the Kumara Krupa Guest House all encompassing acres of greenery, the thought of the same, nine decades ago would present not only a greener picture but also a more peaceful one if only for the absence of thousands of vehicles.Now amidst this scene of the British guards in the red black uniforms and the peaceful fight, there stood Gandhi giving speeches to young kids about patriotism and struggle. These kids sat across the sprawling lawns of the park to listen to this great man talk. He came, inaugurated Khadi functions, distributed prizes to bright kids and brought about a wave in the city that would never recede.Cut to the present. As every person in the nation looks forward to Gandhi Jayanthi, there is a small corner in the Lalit Ashok that has a memorial which commemorates the achievements of Gandhi. It occupies barely more than a few metres of the earth but yet, stands for something that would be a matter of pride for every Bangalorean.There stands a stupa under a tree with a nameboard that informs the visitor that Gandhi held his prayer meetings here. It takes one back to a time where everything is set in an era in which, the elderly believe, that all things were right in the world. It has a charm that is unexplainable but manages to enchant every visitor into its web.Chayapathy, an elderly citizen, who visits this region whenever he is in the proximity of the Lalit Ashok has his own memories associated with the place. “The place is so peaceful. It might not stand for the beliefs that Gandhi believed in because it is set in the one of the most luxurious hotels in Bangalore. But, just the place on its own, set against this scenery, defines a lot of what Gandhi was. It is a perfect place to meditate.”Albert Einstein once said, “The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” Here the illusion remains just an illusion and Gandhi is brought to life once again.
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