No story to tell: Information boards blur Mysuru city’s history, heritage

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru, synonymous with its ‘Heritage City’ tag, boasts over 200 listed heritage buildings. With landmark structures dating back to the Maharaja’s era still standing, the city continues to draw tourists to its enduring architectural legacy.

Prominent buildings such as the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Office on New Sayyaji Rao Road, the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) Office opposite Mysore Palace, Chamundi Guest House on JLB Road, Rangacharlu Memorial Hall (Town Hall) near Doddagadiyara, the former residence of Dewan K. Seshadri Iyer on Krishna Vilas Road and the Maharani’s Junior College building near Sadvidya College remain standing testimony to a bygone era.

To help visitors understand their history, the MCC had installed information boards in front of these structures in both Kannada and English. However, years of exposure to sun and rain, coupled with poor maintenance, have left many of these boards faded and unreadable.

Irrelevant messages scribbled

The situation is particularly stark at the CADA office, where the board has turned completely blank. In its place, a handwritten slogan — “Save Earth, Go Vegan” — has appeared, seemingly scribbled by an unknown passerby. The building itself is over a century-old and was used as a public office during the Wadiyar rule.

At Chamundi Guest House, the board facing the main road offers little information now, apart from “Mysuru City Corporation” in Kannada and English, along with a generic appeal to maintain cleanliness and save heritage. The building dates back to 1920, during the reign of Nalwadi                                               Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

The board at the MCC Office is in a relatively better condition, still noting that the building was constructed in 1921 for municipal functions. But even here, the text is gradually fading, raising concerns that it may soon meet the same fate.

The condition is no different at the Maharani’s Junior College premises. Founded in 1868 by Ambil Narasimha Iyengar and M.V. Venkatakrishnaiah, popularly known as ‘Thathaiah,’ the institution’s historic building now houses the administrative office of the college and the DDPUE Office. The board that once detailed its rich history has also faded, leaving little for visitors to read.