Green respite in the heart of Koramangala

In 1991, ex-Air Vice Marshal Suresh Heble and his friend Coover Gazdar began their attempts at reclaiming a park in 3rd Block, Koramangala. Twenty-three years on, the park was officially renamed Heble Park in honour of the veteran and his late wife, Lata, on January 5.

“After retirement, I moved to Bengaluru and this barren land of about three acres was right in front of my house. It was divided into three parts, one for a school, the second for a playground and the third was owned by a clinic in Chennai,” Heble recounts, adding, “At this time, there was no park in 3rd Block. My (late) friend and I decided to file a petition for the same.”

But the struggle wasn’t going to be easy, since there were multiple claimants for the land. “There was once an actor who asked for a cricket coaching centre to be built on the land. There was also a trust from Kolkata who wanted to build an auditorium. But we appealed against it all,” he says.

The matter eventually went on to receive attention from resident, the then-local MLA and media. A judgement arrived in 2001. “It stated that the land was not to be used for any civic amenities and only to be used as a public park and playground,” says Heble, adding that it took eight years for the park to be brought under the jurisdiction of the RWA since it was earlier under the Bangalore Development Authority. “Then, Lata took over the curation of the park,” shares Heble.

Previously known as 3rd Block Park, it’s been awarded Best Ornamental Park by the Lalbagh Horticulture Society eight times on the trot. It houses over 200 varieties of plants currently, including magnolia and hibiscus which were Lata Heble’s favourites.

The park’s premises also include a library with a collection of books for all ages; membership is free and the books come from resident donations. One can find a large playground and fountain, an open-air gym and a pebble park, too. After Lata Heble’s passing away in 2022, the park’s responsibilities have been divided among eight volunteers, who strive to continue the Hebles’ legacy.

“We’re constantly making developmental plans for the park. Around 70-80 people show up every morning. We also host events and are planning to host at least one every month. Recently, we hosted a carol singing evening on Christmas, a storytelling session etc. We will host flag hoisting for Republic Day, too, alongside our annual walkathon/marathon,” shares Damyanthi K, a volunteer.