Master plan-making process set in motion 

Mysore/Mysuru: The 80-acre Mysuru Dasara Exhibition Grounds, which remains lifeless for eight months in a year except during the Dasara season, is set to host activities round-the-year. 

A Rs. 100 crore master plan is being readied and the project has picked up pace with the visit of architects and officials from Tourism Department, Bengaluru to the Grounds yesterday where a drone survey of the entire area was taken up.  

Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA), headquartered in Mysuru that manages the Grounds, has grand plans to give traction to the local economy and revive the demand for entertainment, textiles and crafts. 

Coinciding with this, plans are already underway in Bengaluru to create a ‘Hi-tech Haat’ here which depicts the art, culture, folklore and tourism aspects. The ‘Hi-tech Haat’ is proposed to facilitate the organisation of ‘India Expo 2023’ in Mysuru. 

Curtailed budget

Earlier, a Rs. 135 crore project was announced to make the Grounds a year-round activity hub but on the direction from the Government, the budget was curtailed to Rs. 100 crore. Development will be initiated in three phases and accordingly, the blueprint is being prepared and a related drone survey was conducted.

“Besides year-long activities, it is also proposed to make entertainment a permanent feature by inviting global tenders for long-lease set ups. The exhibition will be an exclusive area for cultural and thematic exhibitions, presently held elsewhere in the city. The mega project will get the Government approval soon,” said KEA Chairman Hemanth Kumar Gowda. 

The blueprint and the master plan will be prepared by New Delhi-based Mahendra Raj Consultants and the firm’s architect Mita Jain was part of the drone survey yesterday.

 “As of now, the Ground is limited to hold Dasara events, leaving it unused for a good part of the rest of the year. Several attempts were made in the past to hold exhibitions, conventions and amusement activities there on all 365 days of the year. Unfortunately, the plans did not materialise though a budget of Rs. 135 crore was finalised. Now we have a budget of Rs. 100 crore,” the KEA Chairman said. 

Infrastructure development

Some of the projects that will be taken up for the round-the-year activities include permanent sheds for art, handicraft and Government outlets, handicrafts produced by local artisans, separate hall to market a broad range of Indian exquisite handicrafts, a shelter to the spectator gallery of the ‘Kusti Akhada’, converting the storm water drain right at the middle of the Grounds into a duct-shape outlet, exclusive food court, upgrading of the existing gardens and also provide tourist information kiosks. 

Another major infrastructure planned here is an underpass from Mysuru Zoo to the Exhibition Grounds. This will facilitate the joint entry and exits of the tourists on both sides, Hemanth Kumar Gowda said. 

Tourism Department Chief Executive Engineer Krishnamurthy, KEA Chief Executive Officer B.R. Girish, Assistant Executive Engineer Yadav Giri, Engineer Prakash and others were present.