Bangalore Red

Soil and termites in Bangalore.

If the semi-dry landscape of South Interior Karnataka or Bayaluseeme region has a signature feature, it is the red termite hills found here.

In the Bangalore Plateau, they look striking because of the red laterite or loamy soil that gives the termite hill its colour. They can also be as tall as 6 feet high.

Before the sprawl of Bangalore city ate up the open scrubland that surrounded the city, these little hills towered above the thorny shrubs in the higher parts of the plateau.

These geographical features also give names to places across this region. Several villages named Geddalahalli (village of the termites/termite hills) can be found, including one in what is now Sanjaynagar within Bangalore City, another near Nelamangala in Bangalore Rural District and one more in Tumkur District.

If you like to know more about the toponymy of places in Karnataka, you can read this.

The red loamy soil of the region is also quite sticky. In fact, temporary structures built here use the soil like cement—no wonder the local termite species use it, to create amazing structures.

I am unsure if the same species of termites also make a meal of trees. In Bangalore, where buildings and trees now sprawl over a vast area (Population: 13.6 Million), it’s common to see sights like these.

The Bangalore Red.