JOIN USSon-et-lumiere awaits nod
The project now awaits the approval of the District Incharge Minister S A Ramdas as the Palace Board wants a clearance and green signal from the Minister after screening the production to him. However, the Minister’s busy schedule has delayed the opening of the programme.
After a delay of more than three years, the project finally inches close to provide the tourists a rich insight into the history of Mysore kingdom and the royal family. Following the approval of the scion of royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar and the high power committee of the Ministry of Kannada and Culture, the Palace Board jointly with the tourism department is pinning hopes on the early start of the show.
P V Awaradi, Deputy Director of Palace Board told Deccan Herald there was absolutely no confusion on the project. “A committee of experts comprising historians, theatre persons and linguistic experts like Sebastian Ramprasad, Suryanath Kamath, Nagabharana, Lingadevaru Halemane made changes in the script after the royal scion had some reservations to the earlier script. The royal scion approved the script, even as it was cleared by Kannada and Culture department’s panel. There is no hurdle. We want to get a final clearance from District Minister,” he informed adding the programme will begin after Minister’s approval.
Sources said the political turmoil in the BJP Government, Dasara celebrations and rains in the evenings have come as hurdles for the Board to hold the programme for Minister.
While, Awaradi clarified that there will be no formal inauguration as Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has already inaugurated the son-et-lumiere show at Palace.
All the controversies are put to rest as the Government has decided to hold a separate sound and light show at Srirangapatna showcasing Tipu’s glory and other rulers. “The Board has took several public and expert opinions on the programme which are positive. All stakeholders have approved it. We seek everyone’s cooperation in taking Mysore to a new height in the global tourism map,” the Deputy Director told this paper.
The show had invited several hiccups during since the agreement was signed between Innovative Lighting Corporation Limited, Bangalore and the Palace Board in 2008. If the concrete platform in front of Palace invited the wrath of the citizens in its early stages, the script ran into a controversy after Wadiyar objected to a few sections. The script was again vetted and the production was re-recorded under the supervision of an expert committee.