Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru city, known as heritage city due to Palaces, Temples and Circles, is also home to numerous artistically designed Circles. One such Circle is the Elgin Fountain Circle (officially named as Dr. Rajkumar Circle), having oldest fountain with historic importance too.

But now, the Traffic Police, who are on a signal lights installation spree, have marred beauty of the Circle located at the junction of three roads — Ashoka Road, Shivaji Road and Bengaluru-Mysuru Road in N.R. Mohalla — by erecting signal poles inside the island of this Circle.

After the under-developed Millennium Circle (LIC Circle), it is this Elgin Fountain Circle which welcomes tourists and visitors to Mysuru city. But these traffic signal poles are marring the beauty of this Circle and may also erase the historic significance of the Circle. This development has also invited the wrath of the public, who are questioning the idea of installing traffic signal poles inside the Circle.

Mysuru City Police are adding 43 new traffic signals to the existing 53 traffic signal lights at various junctions across the city to reduce accidents and curb traffic violations. Though it may be a good move considering the density of traffic in future, steps should be also be taken to maintain the history of Circles and not spoil the beauty of the Circle with such unnecessary installations. 

History of this Circle

According to senior journalist Gouri Satya, Elgin Fountain, one of the most beautiful fountains in city, was initially erected at the present K.R. Circle in honour of the visit of Lord Elgin, the Viceroy to Mysore on Nov. 20, 1895, to console the royal family on the bereavement of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar on Dec. 28, the previous year.

The fountain was shifted from there to the present Dhanvanthri Road Circle where Dewan’s Road meets after the statue of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was installed there by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC). The statue of Krishnaraja Wadiyar was unveiled by Mysore’s Dewan and Engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya and it was named Krishnaraja Wadiyar Circle, now popularly called K.R. Circle.

But, the fountain was again shifted from there to the present place on Bengaluru-Mysuru Road, at the approach to Mysuru City and the Circle was named ‘Rajendra Prasad Circle’ to mark the maiden visit of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, by the MCC by passing a resolution. Over the years, the fountain came to be neglected resulting in minor damages to it and diminishing its beauty.

Concerned citizens recalled that in 2022, the MCC decided to beautify the Fountain Circle by removing the present fountain which had come as a shock. After much criticism from the public and heritage experts, the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. K.V. Rajendra, who learnt about the history of Elgin Fountain, gave it a fresh coat of paint and installed iron grills around the Circle.

But now, the Traffic Police have installed traffic signal poles and another pole with a CCTV camera inside the Circle, which is only marring the beauty of the Circle. The citizens have urged the authorities concerned to get the traffic signal poles removed from the Circle immediately like they were cleared from the iconic Elephant Statue Circle, officially known as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Circle (previously Highway Circle) in Bannimantap last month following public wrath.