Incessant rain in Mysuru since the last few days has damaged the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion at Mansagangotri campus.
There is seepage inside and the wooden beams of the roof have been dislodged, endangering the terrace.
Though there was a proposal for its restoration and experts had warned of danger to the structure, no work has been initiated. The Tourism Department came forward to fund the restoration and set aside ₹5 crore for the purpose. But the DPR was not finalised and the damage to the structure is now extensive.
The dancing hall has huge beams and they have been dislocated and the stained glasses at the Kalyana Mantapa have been damaged. The varsity workers manually removed the accumulated water and scrubbed the floor but there was no respite from water dripping from the roof.
Senior officials from the University of Mysore and INTACH convener N.S. Rangaraju visited the mansion on Monday to take stock of the damage. The mansion has 123 rooms and houses nearly 1000 artefacts of archaeological importance, apart from nearly 4,000 collections pertaining to folklore.
Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion was built in 1905 during the regime of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV for princess Jayalakshmi Ammani, eldest daughter of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar. It is estimated to have cost nearly ₹7 lakh, and was later acquired by the University of Mysore.
