‘Mysuru through ages’ museum at old DC office to be cultural capital’s new cynosure

Mysuru: Tourists coming to Mysuru may soon experience ‘Mysuru through the ages’ and learn about the city’s history, urban planning, architecture of its heritage buildings and life in the cultural capital over the years.

They can experience all these at a state-of-the art museum to be developed at the 129 -year-old iconic heritage building Attara Kacheri or the old deputy commissioner’s office. It has been planned to showcase literature, rare photographs and digital exhibits to give visitors an immersive experience.

Traditional art works and artefacts by local artistes will also be on display. A sound and light show, with projections on the facade of the heritage building, makes it all more exciting. 

The state directorate of tourism has submitted a proposal to the union ministry of tourism on the project to restore and conserve the building.

They have sent a detailed project report (DPR) for the ‘adaptive reuse of this old DC office building and development of an art precinct’ around it. 

Joint director of tourism M K Savitha said the project would be undertaken in three packages.

First, the museum will come up to educate and entertain tourists. Even as a ‘war memorial’ is coming up near this building, it is planned to develop a thematic garden around it and create a mini war museum in a portion of the building. 

There will be a a tourist arrival centre with a lobby, shops and cafes. Here, promotional videos featuring the city’s attractions, including upcoming ones, will be screened. 

Second, a ‘vista street’ will come up on the premises, with entrance gateway and crossing plaza, with beautification of the Krishnaraja Boulevard road, between old DC office and the Scouts and Guides grounds. There will be a public realm around the old DC office building, including the bounding roads, by aesthetically enhancing their features.

Third, it is planned to develop a historic artefacts garden having ancient sculptures, with laser light shows enhancing the beauty. There will be a curated expo ground/space to host open-air exhibitions and events/campaigns. 

The heritage building was built in 1895, during the reign of Chamaraja Wadiyar X.

Spread over an area of 29,588 sq ft, it has two wings with 27 spacious rooms. The building had offices of 18 (attara) public departments operating from it. 

In 2021, the offices were shifted to the new district office complex building in Siddharthanagar.

Dewan C Rangacharlu started the process to set up the representative assembly in 1881. The assembly, initially, held its sittings at Jaganmohan Palace.

The construction of this district commissioner’s office was completed in 1895. It was called the public offices and housed the representative assembly hall from 1895 to 1923. After India gained independence in 1947, the office was renamed DC office.

This colonial style building has a frontage of roughly 300 feet, the outer structure has arches of varying shapes, each with a floral key stone with Corinthian pilasters. Inside the building, it has Tuscan and Corinthian pilasters and molded motifs, running all around on both the floors and leading into high-ceiling inner rooms and halls. At the top of the building, the central block ends with a cut-off pyramid, on which sits a wrought Iron tiara-like crown.

The open space around it is known as Gordon Park named after Sir James Gordon, the then British administrator and has a statue of him.

The park, once a sprawling 92-acre open space, now spans just 2 acres, with much of it converted into playgrounds by University of Mysore, officials said.