By: Chetan.KrishnaOften, streets are named after personalities who have left their imprint in sports and cultural avenues, and defence or public service. It’s very rare for geometry to become a factor when it comes to naming a stretch. But Bengaluru being an outlier, it’d be a bummer if the city didn’t have a road named after a geometric concept. So, voila, you get Chord Road, connecting Mysuru Road near Nayandahalli with Tumakuru Road near Govt Soap Factory.Chord Road derives its name from a geometric concept. Just as a chord cuts directly across a circle, Chord Road slices through western Bengaluru, offering a shorter link between key corridors instead of having to follow the city’s older radial road network.Although there are no definite records that show when it was first conceived and developed, Chord Road is often regarded as a precursor to Bengaluru’s modern ring-road network. In the 1970s, Bengaluru city effectively ended at Chord Road. Everything beyond it was viewed as the city’s growing edge, long before today’s suburbs stretched far and beyond.Chord Road was planned well ahead of its time — it had a broad, divided arterial corridor with service roads on both sides. This road is a strategic link between Tumakuru Road in the north and Mysuru Road in the south, helping distribute traffic across western Bengaluru without forcing vehicles through the crowded city centre.Layouts such as Basaveshwara Nagar, Kamalanagar, Nandini Layout and Mahalakshmi Layout were developed to the west of Chord Road, and those areas are referred to as West of Chord Road. Initially developed by the City Improvement Trust Board and later the Bangalore Development Authority in the 1970s and 80s, the area has now emerged as one of the most sought-after localities in Bengaluru.Organisations such as LIC, SBI, Kirloskar and BEML developed some pockets around Chord Road for their employees. These areas have retained a quieter residential identity with tree-lined streets and open spaces.The coming of Namma Metro further enhanced the road’s importance, with various West of Chord Road localities dotting the Green Line and Purple Line map.The signal-free corridor on this stretch makes travelling a breeze. Vijayanagar offers several pit stops serving a variety of cuisines. The underground market here, inspired by Delhi’s Palika Bazaar, has not been a major success as envisaged by city planners.For the spiritual-minded, there is Gali Anjaneya Temple on Mysuru Road, Maruti Mandira in Vijayanagar, Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swami temple and Guruvayurappan Temple in Mahalakshmi Layout and Iskcon temple.Chord Road was a key contributor to the development of west Bengaluru as it acts as a vital link between Peenya Industrial Area and Rajajinagar industrial suburb. What began as a stretch cutting across the city’s western arc eventually helped shape the Bengaluru we know today. Chord Road is not merely a thoroughfare but a landmark in the city’s urban journey, where history, planning and everyday life continue to intersect.
