Rai Bahadur Arcot Narayanaswami Mudaliar (1828-1910), middle name often anglicized to Narrainswami, was a Tamil businessman, land developer and philantropist who is best known for his role in the construction of the Karnataka High Court

Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court is the High Court of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka. The High Court functions out of a red brick building known as Attara Kacheri...

 building in Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

 in 1868.

Early life

Narayanaswami was born to Muniappa Mudaliar in the town of Arcot, Madras Presidency

Madras Presidency

The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...

 in 1828. Extreme poverty forced Muniappa Mudaliar to migrate along with his children to the city of Bangalore

Bangalore

Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...

 where Muniappa died shortly afterwards. Barely ten years old, Narayanaswami was forced to work as a transporter of vegetables in order to look after his big family. Narayanaswami, gradually, rose to become a popular vegetable merchant and amassed a fortune. He was patronised by Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the then Maharaja of Mysore.

Business ventures

Narayanaswami forged a tie-up with Messrs. Wallace and Co. and Bansilal Ramratan and soon bagged a contract to build the "Bangalore High Court". The building was designed by Colonel Richard Hieram Sankey, Chief Engineer to the Mysore government. The Bangalore High Court or "Attara Kutcheri" constructed in 1868 became Narayanaswami's most acclaimed work. Soon afterwards, he set up a real estate firm "Bangalore Agency" in South Parade.

Death

Narayanaswami died in 1910 at the age of 82. He was interred in the coconut grove surrounding his residence.

Honours

Narayanaswami was given the honorific title"Rai Bahadur" by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton at the Delhi Durbar in 1877. The Arcot Narayanaswami Circle in Bangalore is named after him.