Chowdiah Memorial Hall (CMH), is a jewel in the crown of beautiful Bangalore. For the art and culture savvy Bangaloreans, watching shows in CMH provides a wonderful experience. The ultra modern hall is named after late T. Chowdiah, the violin maestro of national eminence and pride of Karnataka. That is why the hall has been constructed in a violin shape. It is centrally located in Bangalore. It is the brainchild of K K Murthy, a great lover of music and culture.

The CMH is built on a 275x220 ft. site at Gayathri Devi Park Extension below the Sankey Tank Bund Road. From the tank road, a bird's eye view of the violin shaped hall can be seen.

The work on the building was started in 1973 and completed on November 14, 1980. The total cost of the construction was Rs 36 lakhs. Grants in the form of loans were given by the State Government, Syndicate Bank, etc. Public donations and personal funds, have also gone into financing the construction of the memorial hall. Bangalore till then was served by only one such ultra modern auditorium - Ravindra Kalakshetra. Arts and artists in the State were further encouraged with the opening of the CMH.

What is unique about CMH?
The violin shape. Chowdiah and violin were synonymous. That is why it took a violin shape, the exact copy of a seven stringed violin, complete with strings, the keys, the bow, the whole works. It is unique for the reason that it is the first building in the shape of a musical instrument in the whole world. It is also the first ever memorial to a musician anywhere in India.

The CMH shape, the marble foyer lit with chandeliers, the false ceiling of the foyer inscribed with music notations and figures of the violin, the cymbal, the drum, the glass ceiling of the curved stem lit with concealed lights, the highlighting of the violin contour by halogen lamps, the strings coated with luminous paints and lighted by rays from black-wood lamps to give a special effect, the fountains, the garden surrounding the building, all add grandeur to the Hall. In front of the foyer and in the compound of the CMH, a beautiful and well-maintained garden adds glory to the building.

Two decades are over since it was opened and CMH is a high-profile functional cultural centre in Bangalore. Many prestigious educational institutions and other commercial organisations as well, hold their cultural and entertainment programmes here. It is well suited for even seminars and university convocation ceremonies. In fact, it has become a custom for Bangalore University to hold their convocations here.

CMH has a very big stage with fully equipped green rooms on either side. It is also suitable for dramas, dance, opera, ballet, music concerts, screening of newsreels, film festivals, children's films, etc.

The hall capacity is 1045 seats, equipped with cushioned push back seats. The skew lines of the auditorium walls provide an unobstructed view of any part of the stage from anywhere in the auditorium. It has a delightful acoustic property accentuated and reinforced by the treatment given to the false ceiling (including the shape of the false ceiling) and to the entire auditorium wall. It is provided with the most modern public address system consisting of three 40 W speaker system and twelve microphone points concealed in the stage floor.

The hall is centrally air-conditioned with a plant consisting of two independent units providing a total capacity of 70 tons. During less severe months, it is possible to operate only one unit. The stage is provided with adequate flood and spotlights. It also has a double projector system with additional facility for slide projection for use during lectures, demonstrations, etc. There is a rehearsal room, a conference room, spacious foyer and lounge, clean marble floored toilets. Lot of glass, marble, teak and aluminium have been gone into this huge construction.

Some more Special features of CMH: Automatic power change over system to DG set - 2 Nos. 125 KVA enabling continuous supply of power to lights, sound and air conditioning, non-stop supply of water and canteen. Special Officer at CMH, Sudaram told bangalorebest.com that the facilities were being added and frequently updated to keep the CMH contemporary and to continue to provide the audience with a memorable experience.

Keep a watch on the programmes being held at CMH and enjoy the glittering evenings here.

Click here to read on Ravindra Kalakshetra.

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