Explore The Defunct Mines And Colonial Charm

Exploring the defunct mines and colonial charm that gild the Kolar Gold Fields, where time and progress both stand still.

- Basav Biradar

I have vague memories of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) from readings in school. Illusions of grandeur always popped up in discussions about it, with KGF’s gold touted as some of the finest at the time. Thinking that it was just another name for the city and district of Kolar in Karnataka, I planned a day trip to KGF with my father-in-law to get to know the town better. If required, his background in mechanical engineering would help me get a crisper understanding of the science behind mining.

In the late 19th century, the British saw the tremendous success of gold mining in Africa. Continuing their quest, they looked east towards India, and set up mining operations at KGF in the 1880s. Its success led to the establishment of one of modern India’s first planned townships— Robertsonpet, named after Donald Roberston, then head of the British Residency in Mysuru. Of all the mining prospects in the princely state, KGF proved to be the most profitable, with more than 120 years of gold mining until it ceased operations in 2001. At its peak, the industry had employed more than 30,000 workers.

As we got off the highway onto the road to KGF, time seemed to slow down, the hilly landscape changing to arid plains. Before exploring the Robertsonpet market, we were in dire need of some filter kaapi. A cup at Hotel Janardhan—possibly the only decent restaurant in town—really hit the spot, rejuvenating us before we headed out.

Once a thriving shopping hub for English memsahibs and the miner families in town, the market is laid out as a grid, with narrow lanes designated for different goods. The bazaar was still walking up as we walked through, its smells—from spices, to fruits, to meats—a serious test of our olfactory senses. In the past, it’s said that you could buy all the ingredients required for a multiple-course European meal here.