Mysuru: Alyia Phelps Gardiner Krumbiegel, great granddaughter of German Horticultural legend Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel who had designed the Brindavan Gardens at the KRS Dam, has again taken objection to the State Government’s plan to develop the Brindavan Gardens on the lines of Disneyland in the US.
Alyia Krumbiegel, who had in July this year written an open letter to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy opposing the project, said that she was devastated and was disappointed to hear the government’s plans of building the Disneyland-style Amusement Park.
Speaking to Star of Mysore from her home in London, Alyia Krumbiegel said, “So much money has been released with a promise of more funds once the work starts. There just seems to have been no consideration taken into account of conservation of Brindavan Gardens which I believe is one of Mysore’s heritage assets.”
Apart from designing Brindavan Gardens, her great grandfather Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel is also credited with meticulous detailing of the greenscape and bringing many exotic plants to Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens in Bengaluru. Gustav Krumbiegel was appointed by Krishnaraja Wadiyar to work on developing the layouts of gardens in Mysuru and Bengaluru.
Continuing, Alyia Krumbiegel said, “Surely the Chief Minster should be considering the significance of Brindavan Gardens, and the impact of this proposal on Mysore. I cannot understand the need to turn a Heritage Garden into a Disney Style Amusement Park and why would tourists travel to yet another amusement park (KRS) when they have one (Disneyland) at their own doorstep.”
“Cultural heritage tourism is travelling to experience the places, artefacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes cultural, historic, and natural resources,” she rued.
Alyia Krumbiegel added that she was still very willing to meet with the Chief Minster and government officials to see whether a ‘balanced judgment’ can be made with regard to the scale of any harm or loss to the significance of Brindavan Gardens.
This post was published on November 15, 2018 6:44 pm