Mysuru: For those Mysureans who have admired the Glass House at the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens in Bengaluru, here is some good news. A replica of the Glass House will come up at the Kuppanna Park in Mysuru and the architects are finalising the design for the structure.

Kuppanna Park is located at Nazarbad near Hardinge Circle (Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Statue Circle) which is a five-minute walk from Mysore Palace.

The Park is also called Nishad Bagh where the Dasara Flower Show was organised. The construction works are scheduled to be completed by Dasara 2017 and once completed, the Glass House (though will be different from the Bengaluru one) will be an added attraction for tourists who throng the park.

A high-level meeting was held in Bengaluru recently regarding the Glass House construction and design. In his 2015-16 budget speech, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, had allocated Rs. 6 crore for the Glass House construction and Rs. 1.5 crore was then released for the purpose.

The plan to build a Glass House got a boost when Kuppanna Park was projected as a tourist destination and when Dasara Flower Shows were organised there. Earlier, Dasara Flower Shows were being held at Curzon Park. After the location was shifted, the Horticulture Department launched a musical fountain and proposed the construction of the Glass House for more tourist attraction.

Spread over 12 acres, Kuppanna Park was handed over to the Horticulture Department by the Mysuru City Corporation for maintenance. The vast surroundings of the Park have enabled the Department to add more attractions to the park including the musical fountain and the Glass House.  

According to Horticulture Department officials, the Public Works Department (PWD) has taken up the Rs. 7.23-crore construction work of Glass House utilising the CM’s Special Grant of Rs. 100 crore. Though the CM has granted Rs. 6 crore in his budget for the Glass House, additional funds were required and hence funds under the CM’s Rs. 100 crore grant was used, said Horticulture Department officials.  

Going by the pace of work, the basic structure could be ready by September and the glass panes are awaited. Though the total completion of work before Dasara appears a tall claim, PWD and Horticulture Department officials are making every possible effort to accomplish the mission on time.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Zilla Panchayat Horticulture Department Assistant Director Thimmaraju said that they would try their best to unveil the Glass House before Dasara. “If not, we will open it by December this year,” he said.

Construction details

The vast Glass House constructed 1.5 metre above the ground spans 2,419 square metres including corridor and is round in shape with a diameter of 36 meters and has four entry points.

Solar-tempered 13.5 mm thick Saint-Gobain glass panes are being used to make the structure and the glass has lower thermal absorption so as to keep the inner ambience cool and comfortable.

The colourful interior lights would provide a grand illumination as night attraction for visitors in tandem with the existing musical fountain.

The fountain dances to 32 songs from 7 pm to 8.30 pm daily with two intervals. The entry fee for adults is Rs. 20 and for children (aged between 5 and 12) Rs. 10.