A small mining town in the erstwhile Mysore State now known as Karnataka. K G F as everyone knows had a very sizable Anglo-Indian Population who lived and worked there for generations. It was well known for its colonial ambience with elegant bungalows replete with huge lawns and gardens and many clubs with tennis and badminton courts, golf courses etc. This place, which was known as “Little England” was unique for its secular and egalitarian society not found anywhere else in the world. Even though gold was being surface extracted by the natives earlier, K G F actually came into existence in the year 1880, when a small British Trading Company called JOHN TAYLOR AND SONS established the first shaft for systematic gold extraction. They continued to be the owners till 1950, when Mr. Arthur Taylor, the last of the Taylors handed over the company to the Government of Mysore. Since then KGF has been owned first by the state Government then later by the Government of India and now it is totally defunct. The mines were closed a few years ago and with it one of the most famous Gold Mines in the world came to an end. It is the end of an era. [1]

Many generations of Anglo-Indians worked in the different mines in K G F in different capacities. Everyone was happy and contented. Since it was such a small mining town, everyone knew everyone else and for weddings, funerals, dances and other functions all the Anglo-Indians in K G F would more or less be present. Life in K G F was glorious and almost every family had a retinue of Domestic Helpers i.e. “Ayahs, Malis (Gardeners), Chokaras, Thais, Sweepers, Tea-Boys, etc. who were part of the family.[1]

1] Information from Bridget Kumar