Whitefield grows from sleepy settlement to IT and realty hub

Over the last one decade, Whitefield has developed as a self-sustaining suburban area with the development of residential projects, malls, hospitals, hotels and social infrastructure.

With it developing as an IT hub, over 3.5 lakh techies commute from the city, making the suburb has grown by leaps and bounds. It has 6 international schools and 30,000 apartments.

There were the early days when the Anglo-Indian settlers in Whitefield used to make trips to the city to buy meat. The open countryside for miles around was one of the attractions. “When I came in 1976, there were just a few houses here and there. A single-cart road, no street lights and hardly any civic amenities then. There used to be only one bus to the city.”

With the construction of a railway station, the influx into Whitefield increased as the Anglo-Indians who worked in Kolar Gold Fields, chose to live in Whitefield and travel to work by train.

The area was known for its poultry and vegetables. “We used to get vegetables at our doorstep, and milk was easily available as the villagers here used to rear cattle. I remember how the baker used to come to our doorstep with freshly baked loaves of bread. There used to be rivulets near our houses and thus for many Bangaloreans, coming to Whitefield used to be like a fun trip,” recalls Thomas Graham Mackay, who settled in Whitefield in 1980.

From the tranquil, sleepy settlement, today it has become a commercial and residential destination.

The growth has been phenomenal in the last ten years. However, this has also been parallel to the moving away of native Anglo Indians. “The colonial houses were broken down as the community members preferred to live with their children abroad. Good old properties were bought by Muslim communities living in and around Whitefield,” he says.

Yet another milestone is the coming up of Vaidehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, that has gained popularity among the top medical colleges.

In the good old days, the Whitefield Club, the only heritage structure, used to suffice the cultural needs of the residents. With the onset of mall culture, the club stands out as a remnant of the Settlers’ colony.