The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has sanctioned ₹34 lakh for restoration of the silver jubilee clock tower in the city.
Mayor Sunanda Palanetra said the work on restoration of the clock tower will be taken up by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage soon.
Pointing out that the clock tower, situated in front of the Northern Gate of Mysuru palace, required immediate attention, but the heritage experts, who had inspected the 95-year-old structure, had barred the MCC from taking up repair works. The restoration work should be carried out under the expert guidance of heritage experts from the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, she said.
Ms. Palanetra said she also wanted to take up the development of the circle surrounding the silver jubilee clock tower, which has been named Mahaveer Circle. “Though it is named Mahaveer circle, it is called clock tower. I wanted to take up development of the Circle at a cost of ₹1 crore as it was right in front of Mysuru palace and wanted to complete it before Dasara festivities. But, now it can’t be taken up,” she lamented and hoped that the work on restoration of the clock tower is taken up as soon as possible.
The construction of silver jubilee clock tower was completed in 1927 to mark 25 years of the rule of the then Maharaja of Mysuru Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
With regard to the other key heritage structures in Mysuru – Devaraja Market and Lansdowne building – Ms. Palanetra said the royal family had opposed the demolition of the structure and the Government had kept the issue pending. However, she said the structures were in a very bad condition and the authorities were awaiting a decision from the Government on its fate.
