Finally, Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace will go in for renovation at Rs 6 crore

MYSURU: The Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace inside Manasagangothri, the PG campus of the University of Mysore (UoM), will finally be renovated. With the UoM sanctioning Rs 6 crore to renovate the heritage structure, the work is likely to commence by the end of June. Given the intricate and skilled work, the project is expected to be completed in nine months.
The two-storey structure was last renovated about 15 years ago with funds from the Infosys Foundation. One of the three palaces the Mysuru maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar built for his three sisters is in a dilapidated condition and leaking. Built in 1904-1905 as the residence of the maharajakumari, the sister of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar at a cost of about Rs 7 lakh in a vast estate of 800 acres, the building leaked every year during rainfall. Several complaints and pleas for renovation fell on deaf ears.

Sources at the palace stated that it has been leaking during the rainy season since four years. "We have tried to bring the issue to the notice of the administration. But our plea has gone unheard. The palace has five staffs and there are no CCTV cameras. It is necessary to renovate the Palace is renovated. Otherwise, the university will lose its precious sight," they said.

Severe rainfall four months ago made the walls damp, posing a threat to visitors. There was also a short circuit at the palace. It houses the Folklore Museum, the first of its kind in Asia, which is also facing problem.

In-charge director of the palace, Nilgiri Talavar told STOI that an estimate for the renovation has been prepared. "As it is a heritage site, the renovation work should be done delicately," he said.

UoM executive engineer Kishore Chandra told STOI that the renovation will be carried out by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), the institution which renovated Oriental Research Institute building. "After June 12, tenders will be invited and soon the renovation process will commence," he said.

Chandra added that the work will concentrate on the leaky walls, roofs and scraped floor. "The work will not hamper the treasured articles and instruments preserved in the museum which is likely to remain open for the public," he said.

Poet laureate Kuvempu, who was serving as the vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore in 1959, bought Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace for Rs 10 lakh. Since then, the palace is maintained by the varsity.