As a die hard Bangalorean, I share the views of Deepa. Truly we have lost a lot of Bangalore's heritage like India Coffee House, many theaters like Plaza, Galaxy etc. Deepa has aptly and briefly conveyed the sentiments of many Bangaloreans in her well written article.

Dear Deepa, I very much appreciate the personal affinity your post implies regarding Hotel Brindavan. I am one of the family members who held a partnership in the family-run hotel, so I would like to reply to this post in that capacity, although it is quite a delayed one.

While it is true that money matters seem to be the priority regarding closures of landmarks such as Brindavan and such, it is perhaps not always the case. I cannot speak on behalf of other heritage organisations, but I will clarify with regard to Brindavan. It was a very difficult decision the entire 11-membered family (all share-holders of the hotel) had to undertake post the death of the Managing Partner (my father), and one taken with a view to keep our large family on continuing good terms rather than exchange our heritage for the quick buck. Sometimes, a wonderful piece of ancestral heirloom (such as Brindavan is for us) needs to be sacrificed for the greater good of the family - an heirloom, however priceless, can never replace the value of a human life afterall. What can I say - We are, afterall, family. :)

But it was definitely not an easy decision for us; we all certainly knew what we were giving up and it definitely hurt us regardless of the good intentions involved.

But, looking for a silver-lining in this, we find peace in knowing that a wonderful family home is going to be built where our family lives had thrived earlier. And it gratifies us immensly when we see concerned patrons such as yourself express your regrets and sadness at Brindavan's closure. Thank you very much once again for caring enough to write about it. We hope someday we can build a new heritage for generations to come to compensate for the one we had to give up today.

Regards,
Divya Rao
Bangalore