Sir,

Yesterday, I visited Brindavan Gardens at KRS along with a family member and a friend. What a disappointment. It does not deserve a price hike; in fact, it should be the other way around. Reduce the prices, because the Garden is not worth visiting even at the pre-hike rates.

All this talk of a makeover to turn Brindavan Gardens into a global tourist attraction is nothing but wishful thinking — or perhaps something else.

This is beyond the capability of any Government, regardless of which party is in power. The Garden has become a political ping-pong ball. Despite good rains, the authorities failed to take advantage of the opportunity to revive the place. Despite crores of rupees being spent, it is no longer an attraction. If the Government continues to advertise and promote it as a tourist hotspot, it’s nothing short of a scam.

I request the State Government to either shut it down and keep it as a private Garden for politicians and Government servants, or hand it over to a private entity — not to the fly-by-night relatives of netas, but to reputed companies, Indian or foreign.

Lay down strict specifications, dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s — though even then, political interference remains a risk.

Due to time constraints, we could not visit other side to see the musical fountains — and frankly, we didn’t even know or care to ask if they were functional — because we were curious to see the Dam and its vast water storage. However, walking or driving on top of KRS Dam was closed due to white-topping, so we returned to the Gardens.

The roads are bad, the place is filthy, and the fountain pools look like they haven’t been cleaned in ages. The Garden lights were in disrepair, some missing entirely. Yes, there was one layer where some work had been done, but the upkeep of the pools and Garden was utterly disappointing.

What should have been the pride of Mysuru and Mandya has turned into a disgrace. Please bring back the beautiful Gardens of the 1990s, set politics aside and let Brindavan Gardens once again showcase to world the richness of our culture.

– George Rego, Mysuru, 7.8.2025

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