Mysore/Mysuru: The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will submit a detailed report on the now-defunct Lansdowne Building, located opposite the City Bus Stand, to the Supreme Court within four weeks, that is in August 2025. The report will assess the structure’s viability and scope for preservation.

The submission was made on July 21 by INTACH’s counsel during the hearing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before a Division Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar. The Bench also directed Karnataka State’s counsel to file an affidavit through the Archaeological Department on the feasibility of restoration.

The next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been asked to submit its own affidavit and supporting documents.

A team of INTACH heritage experts recently inspected the 133-year-old building, which has been at the centre of a prolonged legal and conservation dispute.

The team assessed structural integrity, identified portions weakened by age and water seepage, and studied the feasibility of restoration versus reconstruction. Samples of lime-and-mortar sections were collected for further analysis.

The Supreme Court has sought comprehensive reports from both INTACH and ASI after ordering inspections of the Lansdowne Building and Devaraja Market.

The SLP was filed by heritage advocate-author G. Sathyanarayana (popularly known as Gouri Satya) and Raja Chandra, son-in-law of late Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, challenging the Karnataka High Court’s Aug. 8, 2023, judgement in Writ Petition No. 15215/2020 (PIL).

The petition opposed demolition or reconstruction of the two heritage structures, citing their classification under Section 2(1ea) of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961 and inclusion in the Mysuru-Nanjangud Master Plan-2031 (Revision-II). Following the SLP, the Supreme Court had ordered a halt to all demolition or reconstruction work.

The State Government has already floated a Rs. 35.95 crore tender for reconstructing the Lansdowne Building. The Supreme Court will take a final call — whether to demolish or restore the structure — based on the expert reports, aiming to balance heritage conservation with Mysuru’s developmental needs.