more-in It is a great loss for the city. This is how historians, heritage conservationists and citizens reacted to the news of the Krumbiegel Lecture Hall in Lalbagh being razed down. Historian Suresh Moona questioned the total neglect on part of the Horticulture Department towards the historic building. “The Krumbiegel Lecture Hall has been lying in a dilapidated state for over many years now. Had the department taken a step towards restoring it, it could have salvaged the building. I don't understand why this was not done?,” he said. The hall was functioning as a horticulture school till some decades back, then there was small canteen there. It was later turned into a lumber room, where old and broken furniture was dumped. “It is a disgrace that such a beautiful building was let to fall. But, even after it crumbled, the department could have retained at least the front portion which was intact. But, this is total disrespect to history and a great man. What history have we left for next generation,” said Mr. Moona. Expressing similar sentiments, Meera Iyer, co-convener of INTACH, said, “It is a shame that the building was let to fall without any attempts to restore it. Now, instead of a new building at the site, a memorial for Krumbiegel should be ideal.” Purushottam Das, who has been walking in Lalbagh for over 30 years now, said that the department had failed to maintain the park. “The department has hardly given any attention to the historic structure or cleanliness inside the garden. Instead, it is spending lakhs of rupees on unnecessary things such as foreign plants and waterfalls,” he said. Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel’s great granddaughter Alyia Phelps-Gardiner Krumbiegel expressed sorrow over the demolishing of the hall. “I am very upset that the Krumbiegal Hall is now gone. It is sad that a man who gave Karnataka so much, his contribution has been wiped away from history. I am in talks with the Horticulture Department to know what exactly it plans to do with the site where the Hall stood for a hundred years," she said.

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