The origin of Ulsoor or Halsoor Lake can be traced back to antiquity and it finds mention in the chronicles of Kempe Gowda I and II rulers. Constructed by Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring, the erstwhile Commissioner of, Ulsoor Lake was in its days of inception a beautiful tourist spot wafting a refreshing whiff of fresh air into the mundane lives of its visitors. The lake also housed a couple of underground springs that have currently dried up.
Ulsoor Lake, glittering in the slanting sunshine like a jewel in a brass setting spreads across an expanse of 50 hectares and is an undertaking of the Bangalore City Corporation. The lake is dotted with islets, which would host several cultural soirees and film shootings. The shoreline is fanned by trees and is swarming with morning walkers, joggers and peddlers selling their wares while a soothing dwindling zephyr blows by. The serene and picturesque lakes are also full of families and love struck couples out on a boating spree.
However over the years, Ulsoor Lake has degraded into a murky, odoriferous and polluted water body infested with slime and choking weeds and hyacinth. The rapid urbanization, increase in pollution levels and waste and effluent matter disposal have transformed the lake from a tranquil pool to a pestilential water body.
Ulsoor Lake, the ‘City Market ‘ of the East is a kaleidoscope of memories of Old Bangalore. The lake with its 3 km radius is strategically located and is surrounded by the colorful Kensington Gardens, a luxurious swimming pool and several revered temples, churches and gurdwaras.
Attempts are being made to revive the lake to its former glory. The Save Ulsoor Lake Foundation and the Technology Alumni Association from IIT Kharagpur have drafted a report that proposes several schemes to restore the lake from its present deplorable state.
A visit to Ulsoor Lake bearing traces of old Bangalore’s history takes tourists on a trip down memory lane and reminiscent of the lakes former days of glory.
