Jaganmohan Palace may reopen for visitors in July

Jaganmohan Palace, which was closed for renovation, will be reopened for public in July, and the entry fee will be revised.

In a press conference, here, member of the erstwhile royal family Pramoda Devi Wadiyar said, “About 90% of the renovation has been completed and the Palace, which houses the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery, will be opened for visitors in July. The entry fee will be revised and the fee would be between Rs 120 and Rs 130. However, it is yet to be finalised,” she added.

The art gallery has nearly 2,000 antique collections of the Mysuru Maharajas. Due to space constraint, all artefacts cannot be displayed. The collection will be displayed on a rotation basis, she said.

This is the first ever major renovation work at Jaganmohan Palace, since its construction in 1861.

The works were taken up without disturbing the original design. The renovation is being taken up with the funds from the Wadiyar Heritage Centre, part of the His Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar (HHSNW) Foundation. GN Heritage Matter is working on the structure. In order to ensure safety, CCTV cameras and smoke detectors have been installed.

The wood and the walls were painted and several layers of paint have been removed to bring back the ancient glory of the structure. A large number of skilled labourers were used to remove the paint. A major portion of the civil works is completed. However, the repair works will be a regular process as the structure is old, Wadiyar
said.

The French Musical Calendar Clock has been restored and no repair works have been taken up on the antique artefact collections of maharajas. The collections are being cleaned and displayed. Wadiyar said, there are plans to establish Conservation Centre to take up the repair works of the antique collection.

Jaganmohan Palace has its own historical importance. The Palace was constructed in 1861 by Krishnaraja Wodeyar. It was an alternative house of the royal family as the Mysore Palace, the original home of the royal family, was destroyed in a fire. Later, it was converted as an art gallery.