India, Feb. 1 -- From a historical perspective on architectural symbolism, the British exhibited a distinct preference for clock towers and memorial parks, displaying a rather ambivalent attitude towards the significance of gateways. Due to this reason, one finds very few gateways in Britain as compared to other European countries like France, Spain or Germany. In the Indian sub-continent, imposing gateways seemingly represented the authority of Indian rulers, and the British sometimes destroyed them to impose their own dominance. They did build a few notable gateways, such as the Gateway of India in Bombay (Mumbai), and the India Gate in Delhi, but these were not to honour indigenous rule but to commemorate a specific moment of British authority. During their construction, 'Orientalist' or 'Indo-Saracenic' architectural motifs were freely adopted, but often re-interpreted by the British in their own monumental style. In this way, they produced structures that ultimately glorified imperial, not indigenous traditions. The British Residency complex at Lucknow, built around 1780, had been originally porous in nature, with public pathways criss-crossing the site. John Baillie, who was Resident at Lucknow during 1807-1815, attempted to secure the premises from its immediate neighbourhood and the Baillie's Guard Gate, colloquially known as 'Beligarad', erected in 1814-15, was a step in this direction. The architectural features and elevations of Lucknow's Baillie's Guard Gate drew 'inspiration' from the proposed entrance gateway to Langley Park, Norfolk, England (1784). One can easily recognise the similarities between the two, right from the basic structure, to the ornamentation, which included the oval cartouches near the spandrels and a single rectangular block on top, decorated with double festoon swag. Since the Baillie's Guard Gate was manned by troops from the Madiaon Cantonment, the cemetery in Madiaon also came to be known as 'Beligarad' Cemetery, a part of which is extant even today; in fact the entire area is sometimes referred to by locals as 'Beligarad.' The Baillie's Guard Gateway suffered extensive damage during the events of 1857-58. After the British regained control of Awadh, it was patched up, but never fully restored. Its scars served as an eloquent reminder of the travails, which the British had faced 'at the hands of the natives' or 'enemy' during that period. However, in addition to its prominent role in 1857, the Baillie's Guard Gate of Lucknow, and its builder, John Baillie, also had a connection with Mysore (Mysuru), and Tipu Sultan in particular, which is not known to many heritage aficionados. The Battle of Pollilur of September 10, 1780, a part of the Second Anglo-Mysore War, was fought between the forces of Haider Ali (led by Tipu Sultan) and the French on one side, and the British side, led by Col William Baillie of the Madras Army on the other. Major Gen Hector Munro had earlier camped at St Thomas' Mount, near Madras. Munro, the victor of the Battle of Buxar, had earlier defeated Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of Awadh, who had supported the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II and the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Qasim. Munro sent a detachment led by Col Fletcher to reinforce Baillie. The latter set out to join Munro on the evening of September 9. However on the way, Baillie came across Haider Ali's forces, and suffered a humiliating defeat, although some of the facets of this decisive battle remain shrouded in mystery even today. Col Baillie and several British soldiers, who survived the battle, were captured and thrown into an underground prison, popularly known as 'Baillie's Dungeon.' Situated near the Ranganatha Swamy temple at Srirangapatana, near Mysore, the structure is still extant, in fairly well preserved condition. Originally meant for use as a powder magazine or armoury, it has been alleged that it was used as a prison, the prisoners being chained, forced to stand neck-deep in water and put through various tortures. Baillie survived a mere two years in captivity; he died in this dungeon on November 13, 1782. John Baillie, Resident of Lucknow, who was the nephew of the late Col William Baillie, visited Srirangapatana and had a cenotaph erected in honour of his uncle; this domed structure, recently spruced up, stands a few yards left of the entrance to the 'Gumbaz', the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his family. From an Indian perspective, the cenotaph represents the colossal defeat of the Company's forces in India, and surely deserves to be conserved and highlighted. From a British perspective, it represents the travails of a gallant Scotsman, who fought bravely in an uneven battle and ultimately faced death at the hands of the native forces - yet never got the honour or encomiums due to him. Today, Col William Baillie and his memorial remain a forgotten element in the history of Mysore, just as many tourists, without actually knowing who John Baillie was, pass through the famed Baillie's Guard Gate at the Lucknow Residency in blissful ignorance. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...