Bengaluru Pete (the historic market town)

The walled market town founded by Kempegowda I in 1537, laid out with roads on the cardinal directions and gates at the end of each. The article, citing Champaka Rajagopal, 'Bangalore: The informal economy of the Historic Pete', Journal of the Development and Research Organization for Nature Arts and Heritage, V(1), Spring-Summer 2008, pp. 137-46 (Indian Heritage Cities Network), states: 'Pete (Kannada: Market centre) forms a well-defined body of markets which were associated with various trades and professions of the populace... The well known markets are the Tharagupete - market for grains, the Balepete - for Bangles and musical instruments, the Chikkapete and the Nagarthpete for textile trade, the Ballapurpete and the Ganigarapete market where oil is extracted by people of the Ganiga community, the Tigalarapete - flower market of gardeners, the Cubbonpete - textile manufacture by people of the Devanga community.' Rice's gazetteer (Vol. II, Bangalore City) records the structural division: 'The town is divided into numerous pete or quarters. But the Dodda-pete (High-street) running from the Yelahanka gate in the north to the Fort gate in the south, separates the two comprehensive divisions of Deshada pete on the west from Nagarta pete on the east.' The same chapter names the grain market as Taragu-pete and notes 'Substantially built and imposing edifices may be seen in Chikka-pete and other parts, belonging to wealthy natives.' In 1894 the City Municipality's seven divisions were: I. Palace, II. Balepete, III. Manavartipete, IV. Halsurpete, V. Nagartapete, VI. Lal Bagh, VII. Fort - i.e. Nagarthpet was one of the seven municipal wards of Bangalore City.