In 19th-century Bengaluru, Dharmarathnakara Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar (14 May 1827 – 9 February 1910), a successful merchant-turned-philanthropist, established free dispensaries and modern co-ed schools, both Tamil and English-medium, to serve the poorest and the most marginalised communities around Halasuru (Ulsoor), one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Bengaluru. The Chaturveda Siddhanta Sabha (CVS) School, established in 1873, was one of them. Today, it is home to Sabha — Bengaluru’s newest cultural haven.
Sabha was restored by the Ammini Trust — a philanthropic initiative founded by Hema and Ravichandar — which is committed to creating inclusive spaces rooted in heritage, culture, and community. With a special focus on providing arts and crafts exposure to underprivileged children, the Trust has turned this 160-year-old colonial-era school building — once home to the CVS Sabha School — into a vibrant site for dialogue, creativity, and learning.
The transformation is emblematic of a wider trend in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Kochi, where adaptive reuse is being embraced not only as an architectural strategy but also as a form of cultural reclamation. Across India, structures once considered relics — ice factories in Mumbai, havelis in Delhi, colonial-era rice mills in Goa — are being reimagined as galleries, museums, cafés, and cultural centres. This practice of adaptive reuse goes beyond restoration; it activates dormant sites as living, breathing parts of the urban landscape. Sabha is a clear example of this shift, reinterpreting the architectural legacy of Bengaluru's past to serve the cultural needs of its present.
The name 'Sabha' — drawn from the original school — signals a space of gathering and exchange. Its logo visualises each letter as a person, representing the diversity and plurality at the heart of the project.
The building retains its historic charm while embracing its new identity as a space for art, dialogue, and learning. Its mission is broad and inclusive: to celebrate visual and performing arts, to nurture children through free weekend art classes, and to serve as a space for exhibitions, workshops, and public conversations. The space is designed to be accessible and welcoming to children and underrepresented communities.
Sabha also carries forward the legacy of Dharmarathnakara Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar, who founded the RBANM's Educational Charities in 1873 with a vision for education and social upliftment. The newly restored cultural centre honours this legacy while adapting it to today's context, transforming education from the classroom to a broader cultural experience.
At a time when the face of Indian cities are losing their architectural and cultural character to rapid gentrification and redevelopment, projects like Sabha offer a sustainable alternative that preserves architectural heritage. It positions heritage not as static nostalgia but as an active foundation for civic engagement and cultural revival. As similar adaptive reuse efforts gain momentum across India, Sabha stands as a model for how old spaces can be made newly relevant, without erasing their past.
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