West End Hotel In British Era Bangalore, 1900 Postcard

West End Hotel In British Era Bangalore, 1900 Postcard

A 1900 postcard of the West End Hotel in British Era Bangalore (Bengaluru). The West End Hotel was opened by an English Lady, Mrs Bronson, in 1887. It still exudes an old-world charm and character to a city that has gone overly fast-paced. It changed hands several times, first, it was sold to Spencer’s in 1912, finally in 1984 to the Taj Group’s Taj West End.

It is now operated by the Taj West End Hotel in Bangalore. Mrs Bronson initially set out the building as a small boarding house with ten rooms. However, it soon outgrew and expanded to a full-fledged hotel. The British military stayed on after the Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799), because of Bangalore’s strategic location and cool weather,

This small town, comprised of villages, gradually became an important British Cantonment town. There were many European and non-European dignitaries and visitors with and without families. Thus, the enterprising Mrs Bronson took the opportunity to open a boarding house. The Cyclopaedia of India of 1909 mentions that there were six buildings, three cottages, a large dining room, a billiards room, etc, in the hotel. Click on the image for better view.

Read more La Grande Dame.

Did you know – the 1887 Block – the oldest block of the hotel–still stands tall and so does the 1905 Block, the second oldest block bearing testimony to the lasting beauty of the colonial architecture.

Past posts – Raja Ravi Varma’s Balamani Actress, 1902 Postcard., Polo Player Captain Malone British India Era, 1890 Photo., Bandora or Bandra In British Era Bombay, 1882 Print., A Page On Calicut From A Rare 1713 Latin Book.