Though Mysore district is home to 209 such historic sites, none of them, including the fabled Amba Vilas Palace (main palace), have been given a heritage tag yet.
After the crash of a part of the roof 120-year-old Lansdowne building here, the state government is thinking of forming an authority to look after historic structures in the city. Though Mysore district is home to 209 such historic sites, none of them, including the fabled Amba Vilas Palace (main palace), have been given a heritage tag yet.
“The tag comes with a great responsibility with respect to maintenance. Once it is given, the structure will have to be entrusted to the hands of special workforce trained and knowledgeable in maintaining such structures. There cannot be alterations in the structure nor any changes in the material used to repair it,” said Dr CS Vishwanath, chairman of the technical committee.
The district authorities have formed a three-member consultative committee with experts drawn from civil, structural engineering and heritage structures. They are Dr CS Vishwanath, chairman, KR Ramakrishna, commissioner of the department of archaeology, museums and heritage, and Dr Shakib-Ur-Rehman of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering and an expert from The Indian Cities Heritage Network (ICHN).
District in-charge minister SA Ramdas told DNA, “A crucial meeting has been convened on September 4 to decide the fate of the Lansdowne building. After the accident, we are concerned about safety of people who work there and tenants. The technical committee has met people and officials to know their versions first hand, though there are talks about demolition of the building, opinions favourable to total repair of it have also been aired by the experts.
“We are also looking at a larger picture of 290 historic buildings in the city and the district need to be maintained under an authority proficient enough to keep the original stature of the buildings.” The Lansdowne building had been a landmark structure, though its elegance and beauty and its heritage qualities have been compromised due to commercialisation. inbox@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}