An advocate from Mysore Palace visited the spot and took exception for taking up the works without bringing it to their notice, said Minor Irrigation Dept. AE Ramesh
Mysore/Mysuru: The works on giving a facelift to Devikere atop Chamundi Hill have been stopped with a few men claiming to be the staff of Wadiyars, the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, stalling the ongoing works this morning.
Sources told Star of Mysore that “Some of the staff of the royal family visited the spot between 11 am and 11.30 am and insisted on stopping the works. They categorically told that the lake and its surroundings are the properties of royal family. No works can be taken up without their (royal family’s) consent.”
Following the intervention, the contractor contacted the officials of Minor Irrigation Department, who are executing the works. On their instructions, but with an assurance to speak to the royal family, the contractor has stopped the works, it is learnt.
Confirming the development, Assistant Engineer of Minor Irrigation Department D.N. Ramesh told SOM that ‘an advocate representing Palace (read Wadiyars) visited the spot and raised objection for taking up the works without bringing it to their notice.’
‘They have invited us for talks, but there is no specific information about the venue and schedule. More details in this regard will be given later,’ added Ramesh, who was rushing to the spot at that time.
Meanwhile, the repeated calls made by SOM to contact the Secretary to Wadiyars, at Mysore Palace, to seek their version, went in vain.
On the other hand, some of the anxious residents of the Hill told SOM, “The development works are inevitable as the lake water is polluted by sewage, which has even proven a hurdle in using water for religious rituals. If it is Wadiyars’ property, they should have maintained it properly.”
“Moreover, the new project taken up to provide drinking water connectivity to the Hill is also stopped, with the pipeline laid till Nandi statue at the Hill. The pipeline has to be further laid through Rajendra Vilas Palace atop the Hill, which belongs to the royal family again. Even the old pipeline was passing through this Palace. We will meet the royal family and convince them about the significance of both Devikere and drinking water related works,” the villagers added.
It may be mentioned, SOM had published an exclusive story titled ‘Works begin to give facelift to Devikere atop Chamundi Hill’ yesterday. The works have been taken up by the Minor Irrigation Department at a cost of Rs. 7.5 crore.
This is how the Wadiyar family loses it’s respect from public. Now I feel that, what Ex CM Siddaramaiah did was 100% correct. Giving unnecessary importance will have it’s own problem to Mysore. Opposing all the developmental projects has become a routine thing.
Hope the royal family mends it way.
Devikere lake is not Wadiyar’s grandfather property. It is public property. Let the development begin. First take over Rajendra Vilas palace and make it free guest house for Chamundi Hills visitors who stay for more than a day.
Pramoda Devi, and her adopted son, still think that they are in 1920s, and hold power as Wadiyars! Even then, the power rested with the British rulers.
It is time that the central government took over the Mysore Palace as a whole, and the properties that belonged to Wadiyars, which they did not earn by the way. The Mysore Palace should be publicly owned, and should become a Museum with displays of throne and all other regalia.
Pramoda Devi during the days of her wayward husband Srikanta Dutta Wadiyars was powerless to stop his excesses-there were many, he suffered illnesses from them, wants to achieve with her adopted Son, Yaduveer, what she could not exercise before-power Unfortunately for her, India is now a democracy,. Best to put her crowd in their place-getting them out of the Palace. Otherwise, they will keep putting barriers such as this, thinking that Chamundi Hill as a whole is their personal property.
Who are these nameless faceless crass people hiding behind such obnoxious pseudo names like Mann ki baat , Bisi bele baat etc who are being allowed by a pliable SOM editor to write utter nonsense about a highly respected Maharaja like JCW ? None of these cheap people could have ever met him as he died almost 50 years ago ! All cheap gossip which jobless creepers are famous for ! Even assuming for a minute your baseless allegations are true , then did Nehru or Dr. Radhakrishnan above their sexual peccadilloes ? Did it diminish their greatness ! You still have a HDK amongst you dreaming of becoming CM again !
But the moot question is what do you know about the History of Mysore and who built Devikere, who built the 1000 steps, great Nandi monolith and the temple etc ? This is over many centuries history. Even otherwise are there no private property atop the Hill ? I wonder would you dare to take away Dharmasthala temples and say it is not their grand father’s property ? What did the last years Travancore Temple case exactly say. when Swamy or Sai Deepak says they want to free temples from State control most of you nod your head but when the owners from whom the temple was snatched under Muzrai Act or the Palaces are grabbed under special enactments assert their rights , you applaud the perpetrators !
we have a State which is unable to maintain the markets and colleges and even protect the Mysore Fort have suddenly spending crores taking a leaf from what is happening in places like Varanasi and Ujjain !Fine ! But take the people associated historically with these places along and do not take the law in to your hands.