Daly Memorial Hall (Bangalore, Karnataka)

 The essence of a place is defined by its heritage, cultural history and overall social transformations across space and time. With the advent of colonialism and modernity, interactions and exchanges amongst and between people resulted in the emergence of dynamic communities and a new cosmopolitan landscape. The historical trajectories of early modern and colonial South India produced distinct changes that eventually came to shape the socio-cultural and intellectual milieu of the heart of Karnataka – the city of Bengaluru. It has always been a beautiful melting pot of customs and traditions from South Asia and beyond, and it continues to be one even in the present. The Daly Memorial Hall and Mythic Society are significant historical examples that illustrate this point extremely well. With a magnificent architectural structure that appears to be rooted in colonial and neo-colonial practices of construction, the building exhibits influences from Greek and classical methods of architectural design.

Daly Memorial Hall opened in Bengaluru in 1917, inaugurated by the Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The site, located on Nrupathunga Road, was donated by Sir M. Visveswaraya, enabling the establishment of a forum for discussions on history and civilisation, as envisioned by F. Richards and Reverend Father Antoine Marie Tabard. It became home to the Mythic Society of Bengaluru, one of the city's oldest libraries, and by 1924, was associated with the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Sir Hugh Daly, the first honorary president of the Mythic Society, was instrumental in its growth, and the hall is named in his honour.

Architecture has always been a noteworthy aspect of tangible forms of heritage for any given place. Daly Memorial Hall has the same value for Bengaluru and its 20th century colonial legacy, with additional intellectual significance. The surveyors at INTACH studied the structure’s external build and the designs that appeared prominently inside the main hall. They concluded that the site’s facade bore a striking resemblance to neo-colonial design practices with a strong aesthetic influence that can be traced back to Greek and classical architectural elements. The towering pillared columns that support the roof of the structure attest to this. The main hall of the building is where luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore delivered lectures on the syncretic identity of the nation and its social diversity. A small staircase leads to its main entrance.

Once inside, visitors can view panels situated on the uppermost part of the walls with intricate floral motifs painted in the subtle shades of white, cream and peach, with vines spread across the surface area in lush green. These are similar to the designs that were popular among artists who were recipients of Mughal patronage. Appearing against beige walls, the simplicity of design only appears to elevate the beauty of the structure’s interior portions. In its entirety, with the exterior bearing the same shade as the main lecture hall, there is a sense of aesthetic consonance that makes Daly Memorial’s colonial features and inheritance quite evident. The Deccan Herald refers to the Hall as “Mysore’s friend” and has observed that it was (and is) important for Bengaluru, and ultimately Karnataka’s, intellectual legacy.

The high roof of the structure, also known as a pediment, is covered with Mangalorean tiles. There are granite plaques on either side of the central wooden door, and they were installed for the commemoration of the original foundation event for the structure. Flanking the main entrance are two stone elephants, inviting people inside Bengaluru’s repository of knowledge.

The team at INTACH examined the floral motifs described above as well. As already indicated above, they bore strong similarities with 18th century Mughal styles of painting, which employed the tempera technique, bearing an obvious imprint of Indo-Islamic cultural inheritance. Jayati Gupta writes for the Statesman and notes that the structure resembled many colonial and neo-colonial buildings in Bengaluru. Gupta also observed that the “approach of the Hall itself, in the unique combination of sculpted oriental artefacts displayed against a distinctly European architectural background, encapsulates the ideal meshing of cultures and civilisations that the Society upholds”. In its architectural entirety, the structure truly embodies Bengaluru and attests to the fact that it is, indeed, a melting pot of cultures, with Mughal, colonial and local/indigenous style sensibilities fusing together in perfect harmony.

                                     

                                                                Daily Memorial Hall (facade) 

Painted Panels

Mughal Aesthetic Sensibilities in Floral Motifs 

Mythic Society, based at Daly Memorial Hall, showcased the cultural and intellectual cosmopolitanism of the city, with figures like Rabindranath Tagore and C.V. Raman involved. It represented critical thinking in 20th century India, despite colonial constraints, and had an interdisciplinary focus on philosophy, history, sociology, and anthropology. Scholars collaborated across fields such as archaeology, numismatics, and folklore.

During its Silver Jubilee in 1934, Sir Mirza Ismail noted that the hall effectively united Indians and Europeans, fulfilling the intellectual needs of civilised life. The portraits of these luminaries adorn the top panels of the main lecture hall, with Mughal-style floral panels serving as an aesthetic background. The pictures of its patrons belonging to the high-ranking, aristocratic families of 20th century. Karnataka can be seen right above the main stage. The site is also illuminated by a chandelier on the ceiling. High-ceiling windows allow sunlight to enter and give the structure a more sublime character. While these are more recent interventions, the structure continues to retain its original architectural character. The Society, since its inception, has always been an elite institution of learning and contemplation.

The architectural design of the structure reflects South Asia’s colonial past and was originally a centre for Indology, the study of Indian culture, civilisation, art, and philosophy. This discipline emerged from the need to understand the customs of the people under British East India Company rule. By 1858, the Company was disbanded, and control passed to the British Crown. This made the urgency of being aware of the customs of the land even more pressing. The Mythic Society and its endeavours partially fulfilled this requirement, especially in the context of the Deccan region and the rest of southern India. It was, indeed, a ‘treasure trove for Indologists’ as stated by Divya Shekhar’s article for the Economic Times.

                                                                   Lecture Hall

Daly Memorial Hall and the Mythic Society, despite being colonial creations, went on to encourage the growing political consciousness of the masses in the 20th century. Additionally, they supported the development of a liberal Indian national identity. To conclude, it seems appropriate to quote Jayati Gupta once again, who commented that “preserving such enclaves of liberalism and socio-cultural interaction cannot just be about heritage buildings being maintained but about the continuity of a catholic spirit into our own turbulent times.” In an era where intellectual intolerance, neglect and ignorance are on the rise, these associations are stark reminders of goals and aspirations that we, as a composite society, must achieve.

Author: Ramya Ramanathan

Editor: Srishti Safaya

 

References

·         Deccan Herald (2013) ‘In memory of Mysore’s friend’. Deccan Herald. Available at: Deccan Herald – In memory of Mysore’s friend (Accessed: 13 July 2026)

·         Gupta, J. (2017) ‘An enclave of liberalism’, The Statesman, 9 July. Available at: The Statesman – An enclave of liberalism (Accessed: 13 July 2026)

·         Mythic Society (n.d.) Newspaper clippings. Bengaluru: The Mythic Society. Available at: Mythic Society newspaper clippings archive (Accessed: 13 July 2026)

·         Royal Asiatic Society (n.d.) ‘V. Nagaraj on the Mythic Society of Bangalore’. Available at: Royal Asiatic Society – V. Nagaraj on the Mythic Society of Bangalore (Accessed: 13 July 2026)

·         Shekhar, D. (2015) ‘Daly Memorial Hall is a treasure trove for Indologists’, The Economic Times (Namma Bengaluru). Available at: Mythic Society newspaper clippings archive: Mythic Society newspaper clippings archive (Accessed: 13 July 2026)

·         The Economic Times (2017) ‘Standing tall for 100 years: Daly Memorial Hall’s centenary celebration tomorrow’. The Economic Times/Times of India. Available at: Times of India – Daly Memorial Hall centenary article (Accessed: 13 July 2026)