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Viral 1948 vs 2025 photo of Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park sparks debate: ‘Is the city’s lung greener now?’
A 1948 photo of Cubbon Park has gone viral, igniting discussions on Bengaluru's lost greenery and urban development politics.
A Bengaluru man’s nostalgic post featuring a rare photograph of Cubbon Park from 1948 has gone viral on social media, sparking conversations about the city’s lost lakes, vanishing greenery, and the politics of urban development.
The man captioned the then-and-now comparison with, “So Bengaluru actually made the central lung space much greener over the past 77 years! Cubbon Park aka Chamarajendra Park.”
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Check out the post here:
The viral Cubbon Park photo has been widely reshared online, though the original source of the 1948 image remains unclear.
The post quickly drew mixed reactions. While some users pointed out that Bengaluru was once filled with hundreds of lakes and several mini-forests, they argued that Cubbon Park’s importance as a “lung space” became prominent only after the city lost most of its other green zones.
Others suggested restoring its old name Chamarajendra Park, while some drew parallels to Mumbai’s Aarey Colony, where activists had opposed the Metro car shed project.
One comment read, “Cubbon Park was never the big lung space in those times. Its impact is visible today only because other green spaces have disappeared.”
Another user added, “This should be done in every open space, even deserted jungles. With cheap technology and water supply systems, greening is possible anywhere.”
The viral discussion comes just days after the Horticulture Department clarified that no Art Complex will be built inside Cubbon Park, putting to rest concerns about privatization and encroachment.
Earlier, BJP MP Pc Mohan had strongly opposed the proposal for a 5-acre “Art Park” inside Cubbon Park, calling it an environmental threat. On Wednesday, he posted on X, “Victory for Bengaluru! The 5-acre ‘Art Park’ in Cubbon Park, proposed under the pretext of privatization, has been scrapped after my strong opposition.”
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