by M.L. Krishnaswami

Heritage — The Oxford Dictionary meaning is Nation’s Historic Buildings or Countryside. The Government’s definition is a building which has completed its life for over 100 years; this naturally excludes private person’s buildings which have no historic value or have no significance to public interest. Public building built at public cost and being used for general or public purposes like music halls, shopping arcades, colleges, etc. which have put their physical weight on Mother Earth for hundred years or more will naturally be named as heritage structures. In any country it becomes the bounden duty of the State to preserve and maintain in good shape such buildings. In this category, Lansdowne Building, the oldest shopping complex in Mysuru built a hundred years ago, eminently qualified for this sobriquet.

In addition to the above description, even houses built and lived by eminent figures in the fields of culture and arts, literature and drama also fall under this definition. This category includes houses of Kuvempu, R.K. Narayan, Bendre, Karanth and others. When it comes to a large linear shopping complex like the Lansdowne Building, some of the owners and tenants of individual shops have made enormous contribution to the growth of their particular brand of trade or avocation over this period. They had established their brand names in Mysuru State and beyond also. In this sense they have added their own glamour to the total heritage tag of the building. An attempt is made here to highlight a few samples in this category. Now read on:

Lansdowne Building was a much longer one before 1956, extending at an angle upto the junction of the Dufferin Clock Tower on the South of Devaraja Market, when a portion was pulled down to facilitate construction of the K.R. Circle and making a through road from there westwards upto DC’s Office. This road is now called Devaraja Urs Road.

1. Phalamrutha Products, Founded by the late venerable Gundappa: Gundappa originally came from Chamarajanagar and after great initial hardships, established his industry and trading outlet for fruit juices, essences, ice creams and the like. His working place was in Ittigegud and the factory was mainly manned by his three sons and their families including the ladies. He had made such meticulous work in detail by distributing the work schedule among his sons and daughters-in-law, in shifts like an experienced works manager in a large factory. Besides, he had also employed a few people for outside work. Some of the processes were mechanised also. Utmost importance was given to maintaining the quality tag of the product. So much so, for people visiting Mysuru on vacation, both local and outside, a jaunt to the Phalamrutha outlet in Lansdowne Building was a must.

2. Late Hari Rao and his two sons ran “Brahmins Soda Factory” three or four shops towards North. The specialty of this unit was they used to make the essences of fruits at their house and bring them to their shop. Hari Rao used to trickle three or four drops of the particular essence in a glass, mix it with water or soda as per the client’s demands and serve it. This shop came under the portion of Lansdowne Building demolished in 1956 and thereafter his sons shifted the same to Old Bank Road. Another not so popular joint was the Padaki Soda Factory.

3. Khaddar Co-operative Society had occupied two adjacent shops and used to sell quality Khadi cloth. It had a large clientele comprising freedom fighters and lawyers. A small departure here: One experienced and Khadi clad tailor by name Bagare Narasingarao, popularly known by his nickname ‘Bachu,’ had occupied a part of the frontage of one of the shops here and people who bought Khaddar cloth in the Society gave him business to stitch their ware. He had good business.

My father who was a staunch Gandhian lawyer wore Khadi all his life and his sons, five in number, were perfect Khadiites. When we were school-going kids, we were taken there for measurement of knickers and pants. Bachu, the tailor, would invariably ask us which side right or left, we would hang our tool, as if he would make suitable provision for the same accordingly!! We would give a very wry small at his joke.

4. J. Nanumal and Son was another popular bookstall, selling stationery as also textbooks. They were Sindhis and the senior father was always in mill-dhoti worn with two identical pants like partitions fitting tight on both legs. His son Bhagwandas was a normally dressed person with two sons, all of whom shifted their shop up North near Chamundeshwari Talkies in 1956 when that portion of Lansdowne Building was demolished.

5. Other miscellaneous shops included a book shop (Venkateshwara), a photo frame unit and most importantly, a rubber stamp making venture, M.V.N. & Sons run by late M.V. Narasimhachar. A typing centre run by three Raju brothers had occupied two shops in a vantage location where half-a-dozen people were ready with their typewriters. The first floor portion of this linear building was occupied by auditors, lawyers, consultant engineers, who ran their professional practices there successfully for many years. A major portion of the first floor was occupied by Sarada Vilas Institutions who ran their primary and middle school sections there for a long-time.

The people who ran the above enterprises had become great hallmarks in their particular ventures and professions and had silently enhanced the heritage quotient of the brick and mortar building they occupied for a long time. Architecture adds looks to the building and enhances its livability value, but the people who live and work inside the four walls of the same breathe life into the edifice. Thus, we have ‘Stratford on Avon’ where Shakespeare’s memorial is housed and R.K. Narayan’s house in our own city which have the heritage tag not because of the buildings but because of the persons who lived there and added eternal value to the world by their works and life.

Post script: Lansdowne Building is now in a comatose state after a roof slab in a typing shop in the Southern wing collapsed on Aug. 25, 2012, and the entire building is barred for human dwelling and is earmarked for renovation. Sooner this work is taken up and completed the better as a few of the original tenants may not live to see the light of day when the renovation is completed. I am told this building is the property of the City Corporation and it is not out of place here if a request nay, appeal, is made to the Honourable Mayor and Commissioner to taken up restoration work.

Six months passed…

Whatever happened to Rs. 6 crore restoration work?

The restoration work of Lansdowne Building is being taken up as per the specifications given by the Heritage Department at an estimated cost of Rs. 6 crore — Rs. 3 crore for strengthening the building, water proofing the roof, wooden works and painting; another Rs. 3 crore for providing toilets, road and drain works and concreting. The work is yet to start as the two persons, who took part in the tender process, could not produce proper documents. Hence, the MCC has called for a re-tender. It may be recalled, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah had launched the restoration work of the Lansdowne Building and performed the ground-breaking ceremony in city on Jan. 11, 2015.

e-mail: mlkswami@yahoo.in

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / Monday – June 15th, 2015