Devatha Plaza, a well known place for some Bangaloreans is a rather large green building on Residency Road opposite Bishop Cottons Boys’ High School. Built on property which at one time according to local lore once belonged to a princess it houses shops as well as offices.
It was once the location where a blast of a gas cylinder( acetylene?) took place on the first floor which rumour converted into a bomb blast. It houses the famous Casa Piccola restaraunt in the basement. A xerox shop - Paradise Xerox, a chemist - Chetak Pharma which caters to the needs of local residents, an ice cream parlour-cum cyber cafe are also part of the complex. Several florists have also taken up residence in the basement which according to the BMTF was according to original plans designed solely for parking. The BMTF only recently demolished some shops citing violation of building by-laws only to see the shops back to business as usual. The famed Casa Piccola are back to setting out their chairs in the basement though a structure they had erected there hasn’t returned.
It was once not well known in Bangalore forcing a shop selling toys, books and other goods close to a child’s heart till late in the ’90’s to close down. The shop was Jingle Bells. Now it is replaced by a jewellers shop as the complex is starting to house an increasing number of jewellers. The downside is with increasing commercialisation of an area which till recently was largely residential, parking space is at a premium here with the Traffic Police unable to tow away all the illegally parked vehicles. Also the up and coming Richmond Circle flyover will lead to an increase in traffic congestion here.