Karnataka - Mysore   

Heritage park in Mysore may soon become a reality

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Lung space: The fenced area of the proposed heritage park in Mysore. Lalitha Mahal Palace can be seen in the background.

MYSORE: The heritage park, proposed by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which will come up adjacent to Lalitha Mahal Palace here, may soon become a reality.

MUDA has submitted the park’s detailed project report to the Karnataka Urban Development Infrastructure and Finance Corporation (KUDIFC) for placing it before the State-level Approval Committee (SLAC).

The SLAC is a high-powered committee constituted to screen the State’s projects that seeks aid under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Official sources in MUDA told The Hindu that the SLAC has “approved the proposal to forward the Rs. 19 crore project to the Union Government for funds under JNNURM.”

Mysore and Bangalore are one of the two cities in the State selected under JNNURM.

The park will come up on 32 acres of land with emphasis on heritage. Sources said the park will not display concrete structures and will strive enhance aesthetics around Lalitha Mahal Palace. For this, MUDA has consulted the departments of archaeology, heritage and horticulture as well as some architects and has decided to develop the park with qualities that suit the city’s heritage image.

Infrastructure Development Corporation Karnataka Limited (I-DECK) has prepared the detailed project report of the park in accordance with the objectives with which MUDA proposed the plan.

There is also a proposal to develop stalls where visitors can interact with artisans and buy their products such as dolls, sculptures, pottery, ornamental items and so on. A performance court to showcase culture from different parts of the State will also be developed.

In addition, “Thandi Sadak” (a shaded area), a coconut grove, an arecanut grove and a food complex to serve specialities from the various districts of the State will be developed, the sources said.

“We thought of developing coconut and arecanut groves to mix farming and culture so that the concept is introduced in full,” they added.

The heritage park will be the biggest lung space provided by MUDA in the area. MUDA has installed a chain grill around the land at a cost of over Rs. 50 lakh to prevent encroachments.

The heritage park had been planned to prevent haphazard growth near Lalitha Mahal Palace which has heritage value, said sources.

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