Sir,

It was strange to read the article titled “To demolish or not to demolish Devaraja Market and Lansdowne Building — Be wise, Demolish” in Star of Mysore dated July 25 (page-5).

I have heard experienced conservation architects talking about this at various symposia and all of them are of the opinion that Devaraja Market is very  restorable. They also talk about having conserved older buildings than these at other places like Mumbai.

Travelling through Italy recently, I saw how well medieval houses that are hundreds of years old, have been preserved and are being used both as commercial and residential buildings.

The connection with our history that heritage architecture gives us is invaluable. The charm of Mysuru is enhanced by these buildings. Let us not be naive about the need for conserving heritage buildings.

– Dr. Usha Srinath, Saraswathipuram, 25.7.2024

Note: SOM has received opinions from architects and experts who too have gone to Italy and other countries with more than a century old massive buildings. But they were well-maintained all through these centuries unlike here in our city. —Ed