MP wants Railway Station named after Krishnaraja Wadiyar and Airport after Jayachamaraja Wadiyar

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has appealed to the Government to name the Mysuru City Railway Station after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Pratap Simha said that the reign of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar (1902-1940) is known as the Golden age of Mysore. “Nalwadi recognised that cheap, easy and quick communication was imperative for the population in congested areas to move to sparsely populated places of the country. He had the conviction that transportation through rail can have a profound moral influence on the habits and customs of people,” the MP said.

Nalwadi set out on a mission to propagate the idea that the Railways could break caste prejudices. Though the rulers of Mysuru opened the first Railway line from Bengaluru to Mysuru (86 miles) in 1882, the Railway development in the State was more significant under Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Mysore Railway Station is a heritage building built during Nalwadi’s period. Besides, the Central workshop at Ashokapuram was commissioned in 1924 for repair of rolling stock, the MP highlighted.

“The Railway network was expanded during Nalwadi’s time which triggered growth in all spheres. As a better appreciation of the contributions of Nalwadi, the Government of Karnataka should write to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, recommending the change of name of Mysuru City Railway Station to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Mysuru Junction,” he wrote. 

Mysore Airport after Jayachamaraja Wadiyar

In another letter addressed to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri, Pratap Simha has appealed for naming Mysore Airport after Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar.

The erstwhile Government of  Mysore was a partner in the setting up of  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru in 1940 and Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, the 25th Maharaja of the Princely State of Mysore (1940- 71) was largely instrumental in the setting up of HAL, which was a watershed moment in the Indian aviation history, he stated.

Noting that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister, had the distinction of flying in the aeroplane that had Mysore connection, Simha said that the Maharaja of Mysore acquired one of the  surplus Dakota DC-3 planes that were available for sale after World War-II and it was known as Mysore Dakota VT-AXX.

Post-independence, this plane was in great demand by Indian leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel and  Mysuru Maharaja had left this plane at their disposal for most of the time, the MP pointed out.

“Considering the outstanding contributions of Sri Jayachamaraja Wadiyar for the multi-dimensional growth of Mysuru, it is apt to name Mysore Airport as Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Airport to carry forward his cherished legacy, Simha said in his letter.