A trove of cultural heritage in Mysuru, within and without

Rare manuscripts housed at the ORI.

One of the most striking heritage buildings in Mysuru is the Oriental Research Institute, famed for its collections of over 70,000 priceless books and palm leaf manuscripts, among them the earliest complete manuscript of the Arthashastra.

This treasure trove of Indian culture is housed in an edifice that was erected to commemorate 50 years of Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne.

On June 20, 1887, the Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wadiyar, laid the foundation stone for the Victoria Jubilee Institute as it was originally called. Four years and Rs 32,000 later, the building was opened. The monarch’s name was soon dropped and the building became known as the Jubilee Institute.

In 1891, the Oriental Library was established and housed in the Jubilee Institute, with a mandate to collect and preserve manuscripts and books in Sanskrit and Kannada. In 1916, the library became part of the University of Mysore. It was renamed as the Oriental Research Institute (ORI) in 1946.

The building was designed by John Watts Brassington, then the Consulting Architect to the Madras government. Archival photographs show that the handsome pile was a cynosure in the open grounds of Gordon Park. Today, there are other buildings in the vicinity and a fence hems in the front, yet the ORI still stands out as an imposing structure.

Brassington’s design marries Indian elements with neoclassical features to startling effect. The symmetrical building has a central, triple-arched entrance emphasised with Corinthian pillars and topped with a huge square dome. Rooms stretch on either side, fronted by an arcade of Ionic double columns. The halls at the ends of the arcade have typically Romanesque Corinthian columns and prominent triangular pediments.

Where classical and neoclassical architecture featured friezes narrating episodes from Greek mythology, here, the prominent space above the main entrance features a terracotta bas-relief of the Girija Kalyana, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati.

Terracotta bas-reliefs depicting episodes from the epics appear above each of the doors in the corridors. These panels were all made at the Madras School of Arts.

Above the entrance, and occupying pride of place on the dome, is a sculpture of the goddess Chamundeshwari. The square dome is topped with wrought iron railings and is reminiscent of the mansard roofs of City Market and Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru.

The dome is by far the most striking aspect of the building, and the eye is drawn to it again and again. Besides being visually arresting, its construction technique is also unique, says conservation architect Krupa Rajangam.

Terracotta tubes

“A layer of hollow terracotta tubes (set in lime mortar) has been laid over a timber skeleton which defines the dome profile. This is followed by three layers of small, square terracotta ‘chadurbille’ tiles that are typically used for waterproofing. The final finish is in lime plaster. The finished surface is divided into ridged panels in imitation of tiles,” explains Rajangam, who worked with INTACH on the restoration of the structure in 2012.

Pankaj Modi, conservation architect at INTACH Bengaluru Chapter, speculates that this unusual construction was adopted “to enhance sound absorption and to ensure thermal insulation.”

Domes are famous for their echoes — think Gol Gumbaz! However, the air cavities in the hollow tubes not only absorb sound, they also act as barriers to heat transfer, thus keeping the room cool in summer.

The use of hollow cavities in roofs has a long history around the world. The ancient Romans used hollow terracotta cylinders to build lighter domes. In north Africa, interlocking terracotta vaulting tubes were used to build roofs and domes since at least the 3rd century CE. Many regions in India have a tradition of placing terracotta pots on the roof to improve thermal comfort.

The 18th century saw a revived interest in using hollow clay tubes in construction. The first modern example of a hollow tube roof is from 1793, when John Soanes famously used terracotta cones to build a fireproof dome in the Bank of England. By the early 1800s, hollow tube roofs and floors were not uncommon in England. However, in India, ORI is a rare example of this kind of construction.

In 2012, the US Consulate granted US $50,000 to the University of Mysore for the restoration of ORI. The work was undertaken by INTACH and completed in 2013. The restored building was formally inaugurated in 2015.

(The author is the Convenor of INTACH Bengaluru Chapter and the author of Discovering Bengaluru)