Name : Attara Kacheri(Karnataka High Court)

Location: Opposite Vidhana Soudha

Main attraction: Gothic Style of architecture

The Attara Kacheri, is a beautiful 19th century stone structure in an intense red hue.which is known as  Karnataka High Court is the High Court of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka. The high court functions out of a red brick building known as Attara Kacheri. It is in front of Vidhana Soudha, which is the seat of the legislature of Karnataka. Attara Kacheri radiant in its vibrant hues boasts of Karnataka’s history from the glorious days of Tipu Sultan’s reign and hence is one of Bangalore’s most popular tourist spots.

During Tipu Sultan's reign the offices of the eighteen departments of Revenue and General Secretariat grew beyond limit. It became difficult to contain in his palace. So he decided to construct a new building and named it Attara Kacheri (meaning eighteen offices or departments) in Hindustani. The history of the Karnataka High Court can be traced back to the year 1884 when the Chief Court of Mysore was created with three judges and was designated as the highest court of appeal, reference and revision in the State of Mysore, the earlier name of Karnataka.The court had District Courts, Sub-ordinate Judges' Courts and Munsiff Courts to assist it on civil cases and a Court of Sessions, District Magistrate and First, Second and Third Class Magistrates to assist it on criminal cases.In 1881, the office of the Chief Judge was created and the designated person had the utmost authority in the court. In 1930, it was renamed as the High Court of Mysore and the Chief Judge was given the new name of Chief Justice. Till the year 1973 it was known as the Mysore High Court. In 1973, it got its present name of Karnataka High Court.

This graceful, two storeyed Building with Corinthian columns, was completed in 1864 and housed the Public Offices from 1868 until 1956. These were later moved to the Vidhana Soudha, and this building became the high court. On the ceiling of its Central Hall is a Portrait of Sir Mark Cubbon, Commissioner of Mysore from 1834 to 1861. Behind the building is an equestrian statue of him by Baron Marochetti.

The Attara Kacheri building was completed in 1868 at a cost of Rs 4.5 lakh. The work on the building was executed by Rao Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswamy Mudaliar. It is an impressive two-storied building of stone and brick, red in colour and has been built in the Greco-Roman style.

Attara Kacheri (meaning Eighteen offices). It has been built in the neoclassical style. It was earlier named as Old Public Offices and got its name of Attara Kacheri when the eighteen departments in the general and revenue secretariat of the Mysore Government were shifted here from their crowded premises in Tipu Sultan's summer palace. There was a proposal to demolish this building in the year 1982. However, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in order to save this ancient building from getting demolished. This was the first PIL to be filed in the Karnataka High court and the case was heard in the very building that was supposed to be demolished. In August 1984, the judges M. N. Venkatachaliah and Vittal Rao pronounced a judgement that stayed the demolition.

Attara Kacheri Photo Gallery