Rs. 35 lakh sanctioned to repair Doddagadiyara

Mysore/Mysuru: There is no ban on selling tender coconut in Mysuru, clarified Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde.

In a message to the media and also speaking to newsmen, the officer clarified that the MCC has not banned the sale but vendors have to be cautious and must ensure social distancing in front of their tender coconut lots.

The MCC Commissioner’s clarification came in the wake of reports in a section of media that the MCC has indeed banned the sale of tender coconuts as there is a risk of virus spreading from person to person. If an infected person drinks the water directly from the chopped tender coconut without using a straw, virus present in his/her mouth can stick into the brim of the nut and when the vendor chops off the brim to extract pulp, the virus might stick on to the machete, the reports had said.

When the same machete is used to chop other nuts, the virus might spread, the reports had said. Now that the MCC Commissioner has himself clarified on the issue, people can drink the tender coconut water without any inhibitions. But they have to strictly follow guidelines like maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks when approaching a tender coconut vendor.

On the long pending issue of the repairs of ‘Doddagadiyara’ or the Silver Jubilee Clock Tower, Gurudatta Hegde said that a grant of Rs. 35 lakh has been sanctioned to repair the heritage structure. The beautiful heritage clock tower was installed by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar in 1927 after completing 25 years of his rule and hence in its memory was named Silver Jubilee Clock Tower. It is 75 ft. in height.

The tower was installed on August 8, 1927 and the construction expense of this historical clock tower was Rs. 7,500, which was built in just six months. Incidentally, Mysuru celebrated Rajarshi Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s 136th Jayanti on June 4, 2020. 

Over the years, cracks have developed in the structure. Cracks have developed in the area where the bell is situated at the top portion. There is a 5.5 feet bell on top of the tower and it has stopped ringing since the last 30 years. The weight of the French-made bell is around 920 kg. The arch of the structure has cracks owing to rusting of the iron used in the construction process.

“The MCC will repair the cracks and restoration work will be taken up. We have discussed the issue in the District Heritage Committee meeting and the cracks have been spotted and observed in drone cameras,” the MCC Commissioner said.