A kin of Narayan had sold the house to a real estate developer, who purchased the property for a huge sum.
Writer RK Narayan’s house in Mysore was about to be demolished, when the civic authorities’ intervention came just in the nick of time and saved the day and his house in Yadavagiri.
A kin of Narayan had sold the house to a real estate developer, who purchased the property for a huge sum. Preparations were in full swing to demolish the house and turn it into an apartment block.
In fact, the builder had already demolished the chajjas of the first floor and was about to take up the demolition of cantilevers that support the main portico on Wednesday, after which it would have been impossible to save the building or to reconstruct it, the town planning joint director Chowdegowda said in his report to the Mysore City Corporation (MCC).
The real estate developer contended that he did not know the antecedents of the property. He said that even the MCC had given him all clearances, including the demolition order and commencement certificate for his project.
Only after local heritage activists alerted the MCC did the officials come to know of it. It was then that MCC commissioner KS Raikar sent Chowdegowda to the spot to stop the demolition.
Raikar, however, regretted that the damage has already been done to the building that once housed the novelist. “I have issued a show cause notice to assistant commissioner Thimmappa for allowing the demolition, without bringing it to my notice,” he said.
Earlier, the MCC had also written to the heritage department and Kannada and Culture department to declare the house a heritage site.
Unfortunately, in the meantime, Narayan’s kin had already sold the house. “We had plans to buy the house with financial aid from the department of heritage and convert it into a museum. In fact, we even moved a resolution to appeal to the urban development department to levy a heritage tax on all buildings that is in some way linked to the recent history of Mysore. But both plans did take a considerable time to fructify and, in the meantime, this horrendous incident took place,” said Raikar.
The MCC has also decided to keep an inventory of the heritage assets owned by individuals or the kin of renowned Mysoreans.
){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}
){kind=small}