Ready to work with govt to preserve 136-year-old Devaraja Market: Mysuru royal family

Structural weakness had caused the north entrance gate of the market to collapse in 2016. The Mysuru district heritage committee recently recommended that the structure be demolished and rebuilt.

"The market has not reached a point that it has to be demolished, but can be conserved," said Pramoda Devi Wadiyar. (Express Photo)

With the Karnataka government deciding to raze the Devaraja Market in Mysuru, a 136-year-old iconic structure built by the Wadiyar royal family, matriarch Pramoda Devi Wadiyar has said that she will be happy to assist the government to preserve the monument.

“The market has not reached a point that it has to be demolished, but can be conserved. It is not the right attitude to pull down monuments but better to retain structures,” Pramoda Devi said. Her statement comes as the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) prepares to demolish the historic market and rebuild it under a Rs 80-crore budget from the state government.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha and Mysuru district minister S T Somashekar had earlier said that they would consult the royal family before deciding the future course of action in the matter. (Express Photo)

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha and Mysuru district minister S T Somashekar had earlier said that they would consult the royal family before deciding the future course of action in the matter.

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Meanwhile, Mysuru citizens have launched a campaign against the demolition. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the 27th head of the royal family who joined the march held in Mysuru recently, said preservation, not demolition, is the solution. The rally was held after the Mysuru district heritage committee’s recommendation to demolish the structure and rebuild it. Structural weakness had caused the north entrance gate of the market to collapse in 2016.

Built in 1886, Devaraja Market is one of the iconic spots in Mysuru. The market is spread across an area of 3.67 acres in the heart of the city, close to the Ambavilas palace or Mysuru palace. The market was named after Dodda Devaraja, the Mysore dynasty king who started its construction. Many of the families involved in businesses on its premises have done so for several generations. Even today, the market sees a footfall of 8,000-10,000 a day.

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