Bengaluru, August 26: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and MLA M Krishnappa inaugurated the Sri Krishnadevaraya Palike Bazaar on on August 25 in Bengaluru. Touted as South India's first underground air-conditioned market and modelled after Delhi's famed Palika Bazaar, the Sri Krishnadevaraya Palike Bazaar is located next to the Vijayanagar metro station and bus stand in Bengaluru.

The Palike Bazaar market, which houses 79 shops with central air-conditioning system, spans 1,265 square metres. Adding to it, 31 of these shops also have their own air-conditioning units. Built by Parichita Constructions with a fund allocation of INR 5 crore by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), each shop covers arounds nine square metres of space in the market. With another additional INR 8 crores added towards its two-phase construction since 2018, the project, with eight entrances, 145 lights, two escalators and a lift, finally opened to public on August 25, 2024.

Inauguration of Sri Krishnadevaraya Palike Bazaar in Bengaluru

Who Was Krishnadevaraya?

The underground market of Palike Bazaar has been named after the Karnataka region's most famed ruler, Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 to 1529. He was known as a great patron of art, literature and architecture. The kingdom witnessed many positive administrative reforms and cultural achievements under his rule. The Vijayanagara Empire was a formidable power in South India and Krishnadevaraya's rule is often regarded as a golden age of prosperity and political stability. Karnataka SSLC Result 2024: Exam 3 Results of Secondary School Leaving Certificate Out at karresults.nic.in, Know Steps To Check Marksheets.

Glimpse of Krishnadevaraya Palike Bazaar

Delhi’s Palika Bazaar

Encompassing over 6,000 square metres, Palika Bazaar is an underground market in New Delhi's Connaught Place area. Home to more than 380 stores, the bazaar is well-known for offering a wide variety of goods, from electronics and apparel to fragrances. It offers products at reasonable prices, which draws both residents and tourists to it. Even though Palika Bazaar is underground, it has good ventilation and provides a distinctive shopping experience. Karnataka 14-Hour Workday Proposal for IT Employees: What Does It Say? Why Are Techies Opposing It?

Krishnappa said that vegetable vendors and other temporary shop owners on Chord Road had shifted to the Vijayanagar market after the High Court order, and this caused unease among the existing shopkeepers who were paying rent and also pedestrians. The new Palike Bazaar was constructed to ease the troubles of shopkeepers and vendors, he said. "This underground market has been conceptualised to help everyone," Krishnappa said, according to Deccan Herald.

CM Siddaramaiah credited Krishnappa with the project and said that more such underground markets should be constructed to avoid congestion of roads due to street vendors in Bengaluru.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2024 06:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).