A tribute to Rao Bahadur H.C. Javaraya

Title :  a Gardener and a Gentleman

Author : Meera Iyer

Year : 2023

Pages : 160

Price : Rs. 750

Publisher :  Kewgarth Group, Bengaluru

The abundant green cover of Karnataka, the gardens and parks included, is largely attributed to the far-sightedness of Wadiyars, the erstwhile rulers of Mysore Province. Barring the learned, especially those having a penchant for history, little does anybody know about Rao Bahadur Hiralli Chennaya Javaraya (1889-1946), known as H.C. Javaraya, the genius in himself, who under Wadiyar’s rule made Bangalore a Garden City, not to ignore Mysore too.

A contemporary of another renowned name in the realm Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, a German botanist, though senior to him by age and experience then, Javaraya later goes on to carve a niche career of his own, that would have gone unnoticed if not for the efforts of his grandchildren Harish Padmanabha, Vivek Bhaktaram and Sharmila Bhaktaram to pay a literary tribute to their accomplished ancestor by publishing a biography titled ‘a Gardener and a Gentleman’ under Kewgarth Group and authored by Meera Iyer.

Javaraya was the first Indian to work as the Director of Horticulture during princely rule and before reaching this post, he had occupied various positions. He started assisting Krumbiegel and soon became noticed by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the then ruler of Princely Mysore State and his Dewan Sir Mirza Ismail. Even after retirement, Javaraya served Princely State of Bhopal as its ‘Horticultural Advisor,’ the new assignment he took up in Oct. 1945.

As Chiranjiv Singh, former Ambassador of India to UNESCO, writes in the fore-word, Mr. Javaraya had a brilliant professional career. He set up many institutions: the Govt. Fruit Research                          Station at Hesaraghatta (which later became the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research), Maddur Fruit Orchard, Ganjam Fig Garden and many more.

Mention the famous Lalbabh that still remains one of the must-visit spots in the State capital, one cannot miss the Glass House and the famous flower show. The extended portion of the Glass House was built under the supervision of Javaraya, the foundation for which was laid in 1935. A Circle outside Lalbagh still bears the name of this illustrious personality. 

A page each dedicated to Gardens in Bangalore and Mysore, managed by Government Gardens Depart-ment, gives a peek into the early works of Javaraya. The ‘Gardens in Mysore’ chapter has a mention ‘Under Java-raya’s charge’ telling about the deft hand behind the making of Public Parks — Gordon Park (Old DC Office building) in Mysore, along with Curzon Park and Hardinge Circle (now Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Circle), Minor Gardens — Government House, Seshadri House (now Commercial Tax Office on Dewan’s road), University Garden, K.R. Hospital, Maha-rani’s College, Central Railway Office, Maharaja’s College, Law Courts among others.

The biography, split into eight chapters with the black and white and sepia coloured photographs, adds a perfect colour to the well-crafted words of the author, which makes it an engaging read especially for those being inquisitive about history of Bangalore and Mysore. What prompts the urge to read more is the administrative system that was in place, when the good  officers, most of them foreigners and less of Indians proved their ability and Javaraya is one among such rare find, who earned the title ‘Rao Bahadur.’

It is only through such literary works one can easily visualise the genesis of the city and its growth, brick by brick and the author should be credited for her research bent of mind that is evident with many references, that all make for a perfect mix of water and soil that nurture the plant till it grows into a tree.

The cover page of the book is also green and it aptly denotes the freshness of memory that oozes out from the proud family members of Javaraya.—OSR