FACELIFT SOON: The Dufferin Clock Tower in Mysore will be embellished under the `Destination Tourism' project of the ITDC. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Adornment of three circles, construction of welcome arches on approach roads leading to the city, provision of tourist information centre and beautification of Nishad Bagh will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 5 crore under the India Tourism Development Corporation's (ITDC) "Destination Tourism" project.

Work on the ITDC project is expected to commence in due course. The authorities here studied the blueprint prepared by the project consultant on Thursday. The final design is likely to be approved soon and tenders for the work will be called within three weeks.

Mysore is one of the few cities for which the ITDC has sanctioned Rs. 5 crore under its "Destination Tourism" project.

The district administration sent a proposal to it some time ago.

Three welcome arches have been designed to greet tourists visiting Mysore and they will be located on Bangalore-Mysore Road, Ooty-Mysore Road and near Hootagalli junction on Hunsur Road.

Paresh Padgaonkar, project consultant for the ITDC, has submitted the design of welcome arches.

The arch on Bangalore Road will have a tourist information centre which will be state-of-the-art and a one-stop source for all tourism-related information. It will also include a cafeteria and play area of children.

The ITDC will beautify Millennium Circle, Gandhi Square and the Dufferin Clock Tower area opposite the Devaraja Market. Similarly, Nishat Bagh will be beautified at a cost of Rs. 1.6 crore and the surrounding space will be embellished with more signages and aesthetically pleasing lighting while the circle will be adorned with granite blocks.

The embellishment of Dufferin Tower, Millennium Circle and Gandhi Square is expected to bring about a visual change in the heart of the city.

Considering the fact that a cluster of heritage buildings, including Clock Tower, Town Hall, Chamaraja Circle, Palace premises, and Devaraja Market, is located adjoining Gandhi Square and Dufferin Tower and the area is congested, the beautification drive when completed, is expected to augment the glory of the heritage structures.

The project was approved in March and the funds sanctioned by the Government will be used for construction of welcome gates on Mysore-Bangalore Road, Mysore-Nanjangud Road, Mysore-Hunsur Road, besides beautification of Nishad Bagh.

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