Bengaluru’s Revival Heritage Hub takes up a practical approach to preserving history
The Hindu
Revival Heritage Hub founded by Rajeev Nrupathunga aims to preserve the city’s heritage one stone at a time
Did you know that the history of Bengaluru dates back several centuries before the city’s famous chieftain Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempegowda? Or that the city was originally called Kalyanpuri? Well, these are just some interesting facts one discovers when speaking to Rajeev Nrupathunga. An accounting professional, Rajeev dons many hats including that of a teacher, historian, author and documentary film maker.
Buoyed by a passion to seek history in our day-to-day surroundings and preserve the rich heritage around us, Rajeev is the brain behind Revival Heritage Hub, a not-for-profit organisation based out of Bengaluru.
An opportunity to teach Social Science while still pursuing his BCom, proved to be a turning point in Rajeev’s life. “I started teaching part time in a small school while I was doing my degree and it was then that my love for History blossomed. I began studying the subject deeper, reading more books, visiting libraries and researching topics. I also believed students needed a more practical approach to the subject rather than just studying the text book,” says Rajeev.
“I would encourage them to prepare models and take them to sites such as the Bangalore Fort and Srirangapatna where I would teach them about Tipu Sultan, the Mysore war and more. It resulted in students enjoying these lessons and appreciating the subject,” he adds.
The experience also motivated him to complete his masters in History after which he joined the Oxford PU College in Bengaluru as a lecturer. All the while, Rajeev continued to visit museums and monuments and was often appalled at the condition of neglect at heritage sites.
“I would find head stones and memorial slabs buried under mounds of trash or being used as washing stones. Many ancient temples are in dire need of maintenance. I would write to the Archaeological department notifying them of these issues but seldom was any action taken,” says the 37-year-old.
It was then that he decided to do something on his own, taking inspiration from Gandhiji’s words to, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
