Mysuru: There is more to
Dal Lake than the famed ‘Shikaras’ nonchalantly gliding through its still waters, and the thin sheet of ice that covers its surface during the frosty Kashmiri winters – the lake, almost synonymous with Srinagar, is abutted by the verdant expanse of Nishat Bagh, a Mughal garden, a man-made natural wonder that only serves to reiterate India’s northernmost state’s reputation as Paradise on Earth. However, thousands of miles to the south of Srinagar, in
Mysuru, there is another garden with the name, ‘Nishat Bagh’. Modelled on the original
Mughal garden in Srinagar,
Nishat Bagh is one of the priced jewels of Mysuru, a heritage site that is thronged by thousands every year. One of the most attractive features of Mysuru’s Nishat Bagh is the bandstand at its centre. That the ten avatars of the Hindu God Vishnu are embossed on the glass panes of the bandstand at the heart of a Mughal-styled garden is perhaps one of the most enduring testaments to Mysuru’s essentially syncretic culture.
Neither the park’s name, nor the bandstand was a coincidence. The park was developed after then Mysuru monarch Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar visited Srinagar in 1931-32, and commissioned the creation of a similar wonder in the city. Glass panels for the bandstand or gazebo were imported from Belgium. However, citizens in the vicinity of the park pointed out that the bandstand, owing to lack of maintenance, was falling to ruin.
“The paintings of the Vishnu avatars were made using multiple colours. They were special attractions. This is art of the highest quality. Today, the panes are broken, and one can see dogs resting inside the bandstand. Even the pillars have intricate shapes painted on them, but poor maintenance is keeping tourists away from it,” rued Swarup Kumar, a resident.
Historian PV Nanjaraj Urs said that Nalwadi visited Nishat Bagh in Srinagar while returning from his pilgrimage to Kailash Manasarovar. “On returning to Mysuru, he sent his Dewan Sir Mirza Ismail to study Nishat Bagh, and the terrace gardens in Srinagar. Nalwadi ordered a replica of Nishat Bagh to be developed in Mysuru, and the bandstand was incorporated into the plan as part of the city’s beautification drive,” said Urs.
Pointing out that the glass panels used at the park could also be found at Amba Vilas inside Mysore Palace, Urs added, “The bandstand was used by the police band, which played both Indian and western music.”
Retired professor of history and archaeology at University of Mysore (UoM) NS Rangaraju confirmed Urs’s views on the purpose of the bandstand, and confirmed that the glass for the bandstand’s panels had been imported from Belgium.
“The images on the panels were created by burning the glass. Glass from Belgium was used since it can absorb heat,” said Rangaraju.
Deputy director of the heritage department Nirmala Matapadi told STOI that she would assess the condition of the bandstand at Nishat Bagh.
