Didn't feel like historic monuments replica or anything. Just ordinary traffic circle.

It's a famous junction in Bangalore. Back in 1969, my father built a house in South Bangalore in the residential area of Jayanagar. However, my parents started living there only after my father’s retirement from the Indian Army in 1986. Jayanagar back then was considered the southern end of Bangalore and was one of the first planned neighbourhoods of Bangalore- and an extremely livable place. Hence, you see the ‘South End Circle’, the point where six roads meet. To mark this southern end of Bangalore the historic Ashoka Pillar was built by the then civic authority CITB. Circa 1986, every weekend as I drove home from my hostel accommodation at the Indian Institute of Science, I would have to go past this iconic ‘Ashoka Pillar’, that is now a landmark in South Bangalore. A landmark that every Bangalorean worth his/her salt is aware of. So, if you are wondering if there is a story behind this landmark, then do read on as it is an interesting one. Before the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) came into existence, the civic authority was known as CITB (City Improvement Trust Board). In the month of August 1948, the CITB approached a civil contractor P. S. Ranganatha Char asked him to build a pillar in a record time of ten days. Char, a civil engineer had founded the civil engineering company Messrs Ranganatha Char & Co. Engineers took this up as a challenge. Ranganath Char was born in Chitradurga in 1913 to Shamiengar and went on to study in an engineering college in Lucknow. After a stint in Bombay (now Mumbai), and then Goa, he finally came to Bangalore to be mentored by the legendary philanthropist and businessman Sajjan Rao.

It is located at centre of a road junction, the place is very good and many people come for jogging in the morning. The road is very good and has a footpath well maintained. Nice place for a morning jog. A few dogs were there, so be careful in the mornings.

A small Monument in centre of a roundabout. We can see it easily while driving. Well maintained. But it is difficult to go near . We took few rounds in the car to have a good view. Since it is a junction, it wouldn't be possible all the time.