Visvesvaraya's house gets a facelift

Restoring a legacy

Since the last few days some actitivity has been noticed in the vicinity of the house where Bharatratna Sir M Visvesvaraya was born in Muddenahalli.

There are efforts to give a new look to the house, which is a memorial. However, the original architecture of the house will be left undisturbed. The renovation work is in progress and will be completed soon.

Visvesvaraya’s house in Muddenahalli has hundreds of visitors every day sole in admiration of his work for the society. Most tourist first visit Visvesvaraya’s house and then visit his grave which is located at a short distance from his house to pay their respects.

In the vicinity of Visvesvaraya’s house, a museum is located and in the first floor of the museum building a branch of the State Bank of Mysore (which was founded by him) is temporarily located. The entire complex is managed by the Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust.

In view of the renovation work the priceless collection in the museum is being shifted to the adjacent building. The bank which was functioning on the first floor now operates for the ground floor.

The work of renovation is completed on the ground floor and is in progress in the first floor. The repair work on the windows and walls are in progress using good quality and premium materials. The renovation work is likely to be completed by two or three months.

“It is intended to maintain the original facade and structure of the building. The work has been entrusted to the Karnataka Land Army Corporation at a cost of Rs 60 to Rs 80 lakh.
The museum will be accommodated in the original location after completion of the renovation work”, said State Bank of Mysore branch manager V Sunil.

To provide better service to the customers in the village, the branch of the bank will be shifted to another location. The search is on for an ideal place.

On display in the museum are awards, titles, certificates presented to Visvesvaraya, his collection of books, passport, items of daily use and a lot more providing a glimpse of the life and times of the great visionary. The entry to the museum, which is open from 11 am to 5 pm, is free.

Tourism plans

The tourism department has plans to promote places of tourist interest in and around Chikkaballapur. Tourist will be taken around in a buy of other vehicles.
A mini tour will be organised taking people to Bhoganandishwara temple in Nandi village, Nandi Hills, Visvesvaraya’s house and grave in Muddenahalli. This plan is likely to be implemented soon, sources  said.