200-year-old well brought to life beneath Bowring Institute in Bengaluru

Time of India

9 hours ago

Bengaluru: A 200-year-old well — once a vital water source for British soldiers and their horses — has been rediscovered beneath Bowring Institute in central Bengaluru. The process to revive it has begun.
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On Tuesday, the historic MotherWell, dating back to the early 1800s, gushed back to life, with clear water rising from its ancient stone walls.
Concealed for decades under a building that once housed a health centre, gym and bar lounge within the club's premises on St Mark's Road, the well measures an impressive 25ft in width and 40ft in depth. The structure was unearthed after years of archival research and meticulous groundwork.
The club's management restored the well as part of a broader urban water security initiative.
"This well is not new. It existed even before Bowring Institute was founded in 1888," said Srikanth HS, secretary of Bowring Institute. "The British discovered it when they first arrived in Bengaluru. At that time, there were thousands of wells across the city, but only a few were known as Kapila Bavis or MotherWell — one that never went dry.
This was one of them."
The well once served as a primary drinking water source for colonial troops and was even linked to the water network of Kanteerava Stadium at one point.
While rainwater harvesting has been practised on the premises in recent years, it was the severe water crisis during last summer that prompted the institute to go deeper — literally.
"That crisis made us reflect seriously. We wanted to do more than just harvest rainwater.
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When IIT Roorkee began leading the Blue-Green Revolution nationally and selected Bengaluru as a pilot city, we saw an opportunity. Our goal became clear: Not a single drop of rainwater falling on our property should go to waste," Srikanth said.
Unlike a typical open well, the MotherWell is fed by natural underground water veins that draw in water and allow surplus to percolate back into the soil — an ecological feature that helps sustain the area's groundwater table.
"We've mapped seven to eight recharge points across the property. All rainwater collected here is now directed into these recharge wells that feed into the MotherWell, making it our main water source," Srikanth explained.
The journey to rediscovery began as far back as 2016 when club members first heard anecdotal references to a buried well. By 2018, hydrogeologists and archaeologists confirmed its presence using ground-penetrating techniques.
Delayed by pandemic
Plans to excavate and restore the well were in place, but Covid-19 delayed the work. Excavation finally began three months ago after dismantling the building that had been constructed over the site. What workers uncovered astonished them.
"The stone walls are nearly two centuries old, yet those remain solid and intact. We need to dig down about 25ft before we complete the project. But we already found water on Tuesday.
The water is crystal clear, though it currently appears murky due to the excavation dust," Srikanth said.
Full restoration may take up to 15 days. Once done, the well will cater to the institute's water needs, including drinking, cooking and showers. "We're also repairing the damaged upper portion of the well, likely sealed during construction in the post-Independence era. We want this structure to last another hundred years," he added.
Beyond its practical purpose, the well symbolises a blend of conservation, community responsibility, and historical preservation.
"Bowring Institute is more than a social club. We're working to offer world-class facilities, while honouring the rich legacy of one of Karnataka's oldest heritage structures. This revival is a message to future generations that heritage and sustainability can thrive together," Srikanth added.