Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited proposes to take up Rs. 38 cr. works; Govt. Order awaited

By Bapu Lingaraj Urs

Mysore/Mysuru: Lalitha Mahal Palace, one of the magnificent Palaces of Wadiyar era, is like a jewel in the crown of Mysuru, that stands distinctly apart for its blend of English and Italian architectural styles, making it an opulent royal abode that defines the glory after the main Mysore Palace.

Now, Lalitha Mahal Palace though converted into a hotel run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited, a Corporation incorporated by Tourism Department of the Karnataka State Government, has been crying for attention because of utter neglect of building maintenance, pushing the heritage structure into a pathetic state.

The mixture of lime and mortar used in plastering the ceiling is flaking out at places, gradually weakening the iconic building, prompting the authorities concerned to propose restoration works at an estimated cost of Rs. 38 crore.

To ensure heritage aesthetics of the Palace won’t suffer a dent, a report has been obtained from heritage experts about the nature of restoration work, which has to be executed by dedicated masons with expertise.

For record, Wadiyars of Yadu dynasty who ruled Mysore maintained a cordial relationship with the British, instead of taking a collision course. It came in handy in building modern Mysore with the Princely Mysore State credited with many firsts, that still hold a prime place in the annals of history. The British, who were also benevolent rulers, approved all the developmental works envisioned by erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who laid the foundation for modern Mysore. So, Nalwadi decided to build a suitable Palace to accommodate British Viceroys whenever they came to Mysore and that was how foundation for building Lalitha Mahal Palace came to be laid on Nov. 18, 1921.

Edwin Wolleston Fritchley, a Mumbai-based architect designed the structure (Lalitha Mahal Palace) on the lines of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The architecture of this Palace reflects English manor houses and Italian Palazzos. It was converted into a heritage hotel in 1973. It was run as a part of the Ashok Group of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the Government of India until 2018 when it was transferred to Government of Karnataka.

The Lalitha Mahal Palace on the cusp of its centenary year is a favourite among foreign tourists for accommodation, that has brought in a sufficient revenue amounting to several hundreds of crores to the Government for the last 50 years. However, neither the Central Government nor the State Government focused on its maintenance, resulting in the current pathetic state of the Palace building.

Apart from the crevices in the ceiling, the structure has become dilapidated at places, prompting the authorities concerned to make a serious effort towards restoring the building for posterity.

‘Renovation as per experts report’

Forest Department Officer (IFS) Manoj Kumar, Managing Director of Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited, said “It has been decided to take up the renovation works of Lalitha Mahal Palace on the basis of a report submitted by a team of heritage experts and officers of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Department. The team had been sent to Lalitha Mahal Palace, which camped there for four days and prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the methods to be followed while renovating the structure.”

“There are several Palaces with heritage significance in India that were in a state of neglect and restored later. I myself visited Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad and several other Palaces that have been renovated, to collate information on the nature of works.  Likewise, we finally decided to take up renovation works of Lalitha Mahal Palace on the basis of expert report at an estimated cost of Rs. 38 crore,” he said.

“Apart from submitting a detailed report to the Government, I have apprised both CM Siddharamaiah and Tourism Minister H.K. Patil about the urgency of taking up the works as otherwise the structure will suffer further damage. Both have responded positively and the works will be taken up once the required fund is released,” added Manoj Kumar.

“At some parts of the building, the old plaster has to be completely removed to plaster anew. We can’t do patch up works and cover the same with lime or paint. Such parts have been already identified,” he said.

Of the estimated Rs. 38 crore, works related to rebuilding the ceiling that is crumbling at places and other types of works will be taken up while additional Rs. 20 crore is required for other renovation works, he said.

“As the estimated amount is more, we had to seek Government funds. Or else, if the required funds was around Rs. 5 or 6 crore, we would have taken up the works through Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited itself,” said Manoj Kumar.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee will take a final call on the renovation works and then the Government Order (GO) will be issued to facilitate sanctioning of funds, he said.

Let wiser counsel prevail

After spending Rs. 38 crore, which will surely lead to a supplementary bill, if the hotel is not given to an iconic hotel group like Taj or Oberoi or ITC and others of the same 5-Star status, then this Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel will return to its present pathetic condition under the State Government-run Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd. Our elected representatives and NGOs of Mysuru City must rise to the occasion and oppose if and when such suicidal decision is taken by the State Government.—Ed