For long known as the cultural capital of Karnataka, with a blend of the traditional and the modern, Mysuru is grappling with challenges that have a negative bearing on its architectural legacy.
The crisis is a lack of serious conservation initiative by the government in the absence of which the future looks grim for Mysuru’s heritage structures.
The city had 131 notified heritage buildings at the last count, but conservation specialists say that the number is not less than 500, and an upward revision of the notified list is a must. And therein lies the challenge.
Funding issues
Funding for conservation was never a priority for any of government. Even the existing 131 notified heritage buildings face financial constraints. Even if there is an annual grant, it goes towards basic maintenance, like in case of a few structures that house government offices. But the available funds do little to meet the cost of major restoration work, which is an imperative for many of the buildings.
‘’If this is the situation with regard to notified heritage structures, one can imagine the fate of the remaining buildings that meet all criteria of being labelled as a heritage building but will not be declared as such given the financial implications,” said Prof. N.S. Rangaraju, who retired from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore.
Longer the delay in notifying and recognizing the heritage value of a structure, wider will be the window of opportunity for land sharks and developers to buy them from the owners and raze them to construct commercial complexes.
Many architectural styles
Experts aver that the city landscape does not have any one specific style of architecture to the exclusion of others. One finds a tapestry of different styles dotting the skyline. Hence, it is easy to recognize both the Indo-Saracenic and the European Classical interspersed with the colonial-style bungalows, and occasionally the Neo Gothic (St. Philomena’s church). These are being swarmed by the more functional, but less aesthetic PWD-designed buildings in the present times.
Though Mysuru’s reference can be found in an inscription dated to the 10th century, it denotes a region. But the city as it is known today began to grow only in the last 250 years, and more so after the transfer of the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Mysuru from Srirangapatana to the present location after the 4th Anglo-Mysore war in 1799.
The city came into prominence during the period of the later Wadiyars of whom Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar even established a city improvement trust board for town planning in 1904.
That Mysuru was nothing much to write about till the latter half of the 19th century is evident from the communique of Lewin Bentham Bowring, the Sole Commissioner for Administration of Mysuru from 1862-70. He went on to state that if not for the seat of the sovereign, the city has little importance. But fast forward to the late 19th century, especially after the Rendition in 1881 and the early 20th centuries when public offices were built, as also the imposing Amba Vilas Palace, and Mysuru began to acquire the character of a well-planned city.
While the Mysuru palace is the top tourist attraction and is well-maintained, the Jaganmohan palace, which houses the art gallery, underwent extensive restoration during 2018-19. The funds were raised entirely by the Wadiyar family.
But there are heritage structures in the public domain whose conservation is the responsibility of the government and the local authorities.
‘’More than half of 131 notified heritage buildings require some sort of intervention of which at least 25 need urgent conservation measures,’’ said Prof. Rangaraju who is also the convenor of INTACH Mysuru.
The 25 buildings include the old DC office, whose foundation was laid in 1887 and was inaugurated in 1895. The finial on top of the octagonal dome is peeling off and is in danger. Likewise, the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, Maharaja’s College, the Yuvaraja’s College, Maharaja’s College Hostel, Government Girls School on Lalitha Mahal Road, Vasanth Mahal, which houses the teachers’ training institute, Vani Vilas Market are some of the structures that require funding for restoration, said Prof. Rangaraju.
Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion
Of all the heritage structures, Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion is reckoned to be one of its kind in the city, and has partially collapsed. Constructed in 1904-05 for Jayalakshmi Ammani, who was the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wadiyar and the sister of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, it is in the Manasagangotri campus of the University of Mysore. It has arched colonnades. The interiors are rich in carving while the façade has Corinthian and Ionic columns.
The palatial mansion was transferred to the varsity by the then maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar to house the PG departments of the then nascent varsity. A major conservation initiative was taken up in 2004 with funding by Infosys Foundation. The heritage building houses the folklore museum with a rich collection of artefacts related to folk history.
But after nearly 20 years, the structure is on the verge of collapse. A portion of the ceiling caved in few years ago rendering the entire structure fragile. Though the University of Mysore has signed an MoU with a private restoration firm, it is not clear whether the project will materialize as the cost has been pegged at ₹29 crore, said Prof. Rangaraju.
The previous BJP government wanted to house the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada in the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion. Though it was perceived that such a move would serve the twin purpose of housing the Kannada study centre and also ensure that the structure is maintained with government funding, there was opposition from a section of the academicians who were of the view that the management and ownership of such an iconic structure should be vested with the varsity. There are fears that if left unattended the heritage structure could not last long.
Amidst this gloomy scenario and like the proverbial silver lining to the cloud, there is at least one rare example of timely intervention by the authorities. This is with respect to the Silver Jubilee clock tower in the heart of the city.
The tower measuring almost 75 feet was erected to mark the silver jubilee of the reign of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, and was completed in 1927. Experts from the District Heritage Conservation Sub-Committee had time and again warned that the structure was on the verge of collapse due to weakening of the foundation.
Cash-strapped MCC
After years of cajoling, the cash-strapped Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) agreed to fund the conservation, which will cost ₹41 lakh, and is being taken up by the Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage. The office of the Cauvery Command Area Development Authority (CADA), Ayurvedic College and Hospital building too have taken up some measures that are worth emulating.
But these are rare examples, and there are many buildings that are crying for attention and require immediate intervention, including the office of the Mysuru City Corporation, said Prof. Rangaraju.
‘’A one-time grant of ₹500 crore is required as per a back-of-the envelop calculation for the conservation of the notified heritage structures of the city. This should be followed by regular funding for annual maintenance,’’ he added. Even the Mayor sought funding by way of special grants in the budget, but the plea was ignored.
Amidst the prevailing stupor on the heritage conservation front, the Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage has taken an initiative and submitted a report to the local authorities identifying 11 buildings that need to be prioritized for conservation.
The 11 buildings are Vani Vilas Market, Old DC office, Fire Brigade Building at Saraswathipuram, Maharani’s Science College, Government Certified School for Girls, Maharaja’s College, Yuvaraja’s College, Union Building, Lakshmipuram Girls School, which now houses the office of the Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Government Children’s Girls Home, and Maharaja’s Sanskrit Patashala.
The cost estimates will be prepared by the Archaeology Department and submitted to the local authorities, but the moot question is whether and when the funding will materialize.
2 iconic structures up for demolition
Amidst the general apathy to save the architectural legacy of the city, grounds have been cleared – both administratively and legally — for the demolition of two iconic structures that dominated the cityscape for decades — the Devaraja Market and the Lansdowne Building, both of which are over 125 years old. There are concerns that if left unchallenged, similar would be the fate of other structures as well, effacing a slice of the city’s history and architectural heritage.
