Lansdowne Building, initially called Range Bazaar, is a commercial complex and a heritage building in Mysore, India.

Lansdowne Building
Map
Former namesRange Bazaar
General information
LocationMysore, India
Town or cityMysore
CountryIndia
Completed19 November 1892
OwnerMysore City Corporation

This over-a-century old building was built to facilitate basic needs in commercial spaces such as pharmacy, refreshment rooms, bookstalls, hotel, printing presses, desktop publishing, letter typing, stationery, photo framing and wallpaper outlets, and other business establishments. The structure was built using wood, iron, limestone and around 200 girders. Kannada poet D. V. Gundappa called it the "ornamental festoon of the city".[1][2][3]

History

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The building was commissioned by Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X to honour the visit of the Viceroy and Governor General of India Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, the Marquess of Lansdowne.[4][5]

Building collapse

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Mysore City Corporation, the gatekeeper of the building, had formed a committee in the 2000s, headed by Sangameshwara, the then-Principal of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, to study the fate of the structure. It was reported that the building was dilapitated and could sustain damages during the ensuing monsoon. A part of the building collapsed in August 2012, killing 4 people; following this, a task force committee was formed by the Government of Karnataka for restoration. Before the restoration could be completed, an arch at the Devaraja Market collapsed on 28 August 2016, resulting in halting of the restoration process at Lansdowne Building, too. Reconstruction of both Lansdowne Building and Devaraja Market are awaited, and it was estimated that INR 135 crore (USD 18mn) may be invested for the purpose.[6][7][8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Six years after a aportion of Lansdowne building caved in, renovation efforts leave a lot to be desired | Mysuru News - Times of India". The Times of India. Times News Network. 24 June 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  2. ^ Ch, R. Raja; says, R. A. (4 July 2021). "Eyesores Galore in Mysore !". Star of Mysore. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  3. ^ Ch, R. Raja; says, R. A. (11 July 2021). "A Continuing Saga of Shameful Neglect". Star of Mysore. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Lansdowne Building, a British landmark in Mysore". Deccan Herald. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Heritage Laid Bare: The crumbling Lansdowne Building". Star of Mysore. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Reconstruction of Devaraja Market and Lansdowne buildings: MLA appeals CM for Rs.135 cr. budgetary allocation". Star of Mysore. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Budgetary allocation to be made for re-construction of Lansdowne and Devaraja Market buildings". Star of Mysore. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Place behind Lansdowne Building turns into a public toilet!". Star of Mysore. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
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12°18′27″N 76°39′09″E / 12.307481055360874°N 76.65261568337507°E / 12.307481055360874; 76.65261568337507