Kempegowda Museum, Heritage centre in central Bangalore, India
The Kempegowda Museum is a heritage centre on the first floor of Mayo Hall, a red-and-white colonial building in central Bangalore, dedicated to the city's founding history. It holds documents, scale models, and objects tracing Bangalore's origins back to the 16th century.
The museum opened in 2011 to honor Kempegowda, the Yelahanka chieftain who founded Bangalore in 1537 and built four watchtowers to mark the city's outer limits. The building that houses it, Mayo Hall, was built by the British in the late 19th century.
The museum displays photographs, old maps, and everyday objects that show what life looked like under Kempegowda, from markets and water tanks to places of worship. Visitors can trace how the city grew from a small fortified settlement into what Bangalore is today.
The museum sits close to MG Road metro station, making it easy to reach on foot from the city center. Entry is free and a morning visit tends to be quieter, giving you more space to look around without rushing.
Part of the museum floor is made of glass, allowing visitors to look down at an enlarged map of 19th-century Bangalore laid underneath. The map shows street names and buildings that have since disappeared from the city.
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