Row over renaming Princess Road as ‘Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga’:  Fresh evidence sheds light on existence of ‘Princess Road’

Mysuru: Fresh evidence, including maps and postcards, has surfaced to reaffirm the authenticity and historical existence of ‘Princess Road’, now largely forgotten by the public. The road, presently known as KRS Road, is proposed to be renamed as ‘Siddaramaiah Arogya Marga’.

Former Mayor Sandesh Swamy presented a map from 1921, which officially designates the road as ‘Princess Road,’ a name given by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), now the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

Further evidence includes a 1930 postcard referencing ‘Princess Road’, ‘Mysore Tour Map’ or ‘Mysore Guide Map’ released by the Central Government in 1976, and a map from 1950, all of which identify the ‘Princess Road’, its historic name.

A postal envelope dated 1930, written by R.N. Mirza — a relative of Sir Mirza Ismail, the distinguished statesman and Police officer who served as Diwan of Mysore, Jaipur and Hyderabad — carries the address ‘Princess Road, Vontikoppal P.O., Mysore State.’

R. Raja Chandra, a member of the erstwhile Mysore royal family, has brought this to the attention of Star of Mysore to refute claims that Princess Road is absent from official records. “I sincerely hope, as suggested by Sandesh Swamy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah intervenes and puts an end to the unseemly fracas,” he said.

Adding weight to the evidence, metropolitan historian and renowned social media influencer Dharmendra Kumar highlighted in a viral video that the ‘Mysore Guide Map,’ published by the Department of Survey, Government of India in 1976, includes a mention of ‘Princess Road.’

Known for his deep dives into Karnataka’s heritage, Dharmendra Kumar also cited a 1950  map, which clearly marks ‘Princess Road.’’

Moreover, the official Mysuru District website references Princess Road under the section for the Railway Museum, stating: “Located on Princess Road (opposite the main gate of CFTRI), it was established in 1979 through the efforts of P.M. Joseph. This museum showcases graphics detailing the growth of Indian Railways, along with photographs and paintings.”