The 1947 Bangalore Mystery
THE CASE OF THE GANDABERUNDA PENDANT
Four days before Independence, a palace jewel vanishes from a locked case, and Inspector Nagesh Rao does not believe the obvious suspect.
Must-see stop: the Attara Kacheri of 1868, the red High Court, and Vidhana Soudha facing it.
Same walk and puzzles as Namma City Decoded — a brand-new story. If you’ve played it, you know the answers; this edition is for a different group or a different mood.
The story
Bangalore, Monday 11 August 1947. Four days before Independence, the city is stringing bunting and rehearsing anthems. Overnight, the Gandaberunda Pendant (a jewel from the palace collection in Mysore, lent to the Freedom Week Exhibition at the Public Offices) has vanished from a locked glass case. Nothing is broken. The night guard was somewhere else. The watchman won't say what he saw.
Headquarters wants it closed by Friday, and has already chosen a culprit: Mr. Reginald Hollis of the British Resident's office, whose packing crates leave for Madras on Thursday. Inspector Nagesh Rao isn't so sure.
Walk the Inspector's route through Cubbon Park, about 3 km and seven stops. Every landmark is a witness. Work out what each one tells you, and at the last stop name the person who took the pendant before the flags go up on Friday.
THE PEOPLE IN THE CASE Mr. Reginald Hollis: departing British official. Crates packed, ship booked, temper short. Mr. Muniswamy: night watchman at the Public Offices for twenty-two years. Frightened, and saying nothing. Miss Doris Fernandes: stenographer to the Exhibition Committee. Types everything, keeps carbons of everything. Mr. Ramnath Kodial: Honorary Secretary of the Exhibition Committee. The most helpful man in Bangalore; he has never refused a job in his life.
The Committee runs the exhibition through seven grandly named offices: the Builder, the Guardian, the Keeper of Justice, the Lawmaker, the Messenger, the Patron and the Scholar. Remember them. You'll need them at the end.
Who it’s for
Adults, couples and friends who like a proper whodunit.
The route
- HAL Tejas display, Minsk Square
- General Post Office
- Vidhana Soudha
- High Court of Karnataka
- State Central Library, Cubbon Park
- Maharaja of Mysore statue
- Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum (outdoor lawn)
About 3 km, around 2 hours at your own pace. The story is set in August 1947; the clues are read from the city as it stands today.
Price
₹2,499 per team, the same as the original walk.
When can we play?
This edition opens soon. Until then, the original walk is the same route and puzzles, or try a free stop.
Want one mail when it opens?