State Bank of Mysore Bengaluru. indianexpress.com |
State Bank of Mysore,Bengaluru. indianexpress.com |
Knowing the importance of banking operations and credit facilities for the business in the kingdom that was given a full thrust toward industrialization, Dewan (Prime Minister) Sir M. Visvesvaraya impressed on the ruler to start a state-aided banking enterprise to encourage the locals to start business here.
Initially in 1913 the bank was operating in the Chamrajpet area of the Old City, then a commercial hub. The present impressive old building came up in 1923 and soon the bank started functioning there. A historical fact is the building was constructed on a site that was a lunatic asylum before.
An important land mark of the city, the Mysore Bank circle bears testimony to many protests and freedom struggle activities in the past. With the progress of the city and increasing vehicular traffic in the 2000s public protests in that location declined and shifted 1 km from here to the Freedom Park - the site of the former central prison of Bengaluru; now, it is a venue of public protests.
The old stone building with a ground floor and first floor building built in an Indo-European style, has projected windows on the first as well as on the ground floors and a wide porch. Today it stands as the vestige of the first branch of Mysore Bank in this location. It is now a progressive modernized bank operating within the confines of the old structure that once witnessed slow-paced banking operation in tune with low-phase of life of the past era.
The large main arcaded hall of the Mysore Bank building which is now well-lit has all the modern facilities. In the past in the 1990s it used to be somber-looking inside. There used to be a small museum called Nenapu or Memories which documented the history of the bank.
With the merger of State Bank of Mysore not withstanding protests by more than 10000 employees in April 2017, the old SBM building in Bengaluru stands as a legacy of bank's earliest operation in the city. Its past existence is oblivious, but frozen in Karnataka's glorious history.
Meera Iyer, the convener of the Bengaluru chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, has written an interesting book Discovering Bangalore. It will help those who want to know more about the garden city and its heritage
SBM Bengaluru newsable.asianetnews.com |
Above image: In the Hindu religion goddess Lakshmi is an embodiment of money and wealth. Being a devout Hindu, the Mysore ruler had a marble statue of Lakshmi made in Jaipur and installed in the façade of the building bank. During its long journey from 1913 with a humble beginning, the bank progressed well and had 1,074 branches - over a span of 104 years. By 2014, SBM has 772 branches (79%) in Karnataka State. The bank has regional offices in Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore, Mandya, Hassan, Shimoga, Davangere, Bellary, Tumkur, Kolar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. In 2013-14 alone, the bank's turnover was about US$19 Billion and Profit about US$46 Million.
State bank of Mysore, Bengaluru.exclusivecoins.blogspot.com |
Above image: ''The Special Cover issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle, Bengaluru of India Post. It shows on the Front left side a picture of the Heritage Building of The Bank of Mysore Ltd. Head Office -1913. On the top are portraits of “H.H.Shri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar – Patron” and “Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya – Founder” In between the two portraits is the legend “Founded by Royalty, Inspired by a Visionary”. On the extreme bottom is the logo of SBM followed by the name of the Bank “State Bank of Mysore” (mentioned in Kannada, Hindi and English). The Rs.5/- stamp is of Bombay Stock Exchange issued in 2016 – one of the 3 Stock Exchanges where the SBM shares are quoted. The Cancellation Stamp is inscribed “State Bank of Mysore” (in Hindi & English) on the periphery together with “Service to the Nation since 1913. The Cancellation is of Kempegowda Road P.O. and the Cancellation is dated 16.12.2016”.
State bank of Mysore. Bengalore. upload.wikimedia.org |
State bank of Mysore, Bengaluru. commons.wikimedia.org |
State Bank of Mysore Market Branch upload.wikimedia.org |
http://apheritage.blogspot.com/2015/04/state-bank-of-mysore.html