After century-old Maharani’s Science and Arts College…

143-year-old Maharani’s Junior College

Mysuru: The heritage Maharani’s Junior College building on Narayana Shastri (NS) Road in city is in a dilapidated condition, but the students are forced to pursue their education under a grave threat.

The 143-year-old structure was built during the princely rule in the year 1883, with the noble intention of empowering girls with education. The ceiling is damaged at many places, along with cracks and crevices. The roof is in ruins, with the seepage of water especially during rainy season, destabilising the structure. Plants can be seen peeping out of the cracks in the walls and the painting flaked out in many places, taking the sheen out of the good old structure. The compound wall built around the campus is also in a pathetic state and a push is suffice to make the wall fall.

As many as 1,900 students are pursuing their studies including Arts, Commerce and Science streams, with 26 class rooms and over 50 teaching and non-teaching staff.

Initially, when the building was constructed, it was used as a primary and high school, followed by PUC. The Office of PU Education Department share space in the same building.

A concerned citizen and writer B.G. Rangegowda said, the pillar of the compound wall at the main entrance is in a totally dilapidated condition and may fall any time. The compound wall structure is about six to seven feet tall and in the event of collapse, it may prove a threat to the life of the students. A few years ago, a portion of the Maharani’s Science and Arts College building on JLB Road, also a heritage structure, partly collapsed.

If the authorities fail to wake up in time and take measures for its renovation and conservation, even Junior College building may meet the fate of the Maharani’s Science and Arts College, which collapsed in January 2025 during demolition and restoration work, trapping and killing a construction worker. This followed an earlier partial roof collapse of its Chemistry Lab in October 2022 caused by heavy rains.

Principal of Maharani’s Junior College P. Somanna, who acknowledged the sorry state of the structure, expressed his helplessness.

“That being a heritage structure, the renovation works should be carried out only through heritage experts. Meanwhile, the additional structures built 40 years ago are being repaired as and when the condition is noticed,” he added.