A forgotten British-era military base inside the Indian Army campus that once stood along the old Bengaluru-Chennai route has been brought back to life after decades of neglect. The fort-like structure, believed to be more than 150 years old, is located in Domlur and has been restored by the Indian Army and more than 150 volunteers from the HandsOn Foundation, an environmental NGO.
The site is now used by the Army Women’s Association and other charities for meetings and activities.
Army and HandsOn Foundation volunteers carrying out base restoration work. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
For more than 25 years, this place was completely covered by dense creepers, creepers and wild plants.
Identified during lake restoration
Gurunandan Rao M., founder and president of HandsOn Foundation, told The Hindu that the site was identified in 2024 during a lake restoration project. “We worked with the Army to create and maintain the Eagle’s Nest Lake at the 515 Army Base Workshop, which is now considered to be the highest altitude lake in Bengaluru. During this work, Brigadier RS Budhwar, the then Commandant, pointed out another neglected spot on the campus,” he said.
Image of the base before restoration. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
They discovered that two massive iron gates secured with ancient rivet technology had been stuck for years. Vegetation grew in and around the building. Due to the negligible resources available, the approach has shifted to cleaning with human power. The NGO provided workers who spent nearly 15 to 20 days cleaning the exterior, while military personnel and their family members contributed during weekends.
What was revealed
Once the area was cleared to access the gates, a JCB was used to open the gates. What at first appeared to be a small ruin opened up into a large inner ground surrounded by several rooms, confirming that it was a planned military installation, Mr. Rao said.
Experts who have examined the site have identified it as a British-era army depot and protection post that can accommodate around 30 to 40 soldiers. The size and reinforcement of the gates indicate that horses and possibly elephants were kept here. The base probably functioned as a security and observation post along the Bengaluru-Chennai road, which was a key military route.
One part of the structure includes a small circular enclosure that is believed to have been used to hold prisoners, based on design features such as limited entry points for sunlight. Experts involved in the reconstruction explained that the British routinely confined Indian freedom fighters to darker quarters.
“Inside, there are no windows facing directly outside. Instead, the structure has double-layered walls with gaps that allow air to circulate without offering a view to the outside. Small openings in the walls are thought to have been used to serve food to detainees or for surveillance. The layout suggests that control and isolation were central to the design,” he added.
Attempts to locate official records of the building have been unsuccessful. Military service records available at the site date from around 1839, but the base does not appear in them, suggesting that it may have been built earlier.
What was the structure
Based on construction techniques and materials, experts estimate that the structure dates back to the early 19th century, around the 1810s, when the British Army established a garrison here. Old maps and historical references suggest that the base may have originated as part of a larger military network connected to what is now the Indian Air Force Command Hospital area where British soldiers and their families were treated. The elevated parts of the structure appear to have been used for night observation.
Historically, the base is part of the Domlur role within the British Civil and Military Station of Bangalore. After the Treaty of Srirangapatna in 1799, after the fall of Tipu Sultan in battle with the British, the area became a key military zone, housing soldiers, a training ground, a shooting range and a polo pavilion.
The country remained under British rule until 1949, when it was transferred to the state of Mysore. It is now managed by Indian defense establishments including 515 Army Base Workshop and ASC College, Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area.
Published – 8 Feb 2026 07:00 IST
