Trust to take over Mysore Palace

Bangalore, July 20: The former Maharaja of Mysore, Mr. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, has given his consent to the Government proposal to convert the vast and historic Mysore palace into a trust property. This was disclosed here to-day by the Mysore Labour Minister, Mr. Aziz Sait, while talking to pressmen. The State Government wants to preserve the Palace, a landmark, in the heat of Mysore City, as a national show-piece in view of its architectural beauty. The famous Art Gallery, now housed in the nearby Jaganmohan Palace, will also be shifted to the main Palace. A broad based trust will be formed to administer the Palace. The future of the former Maharaja’s Palaces in Mysore and Bangalore had been the subject of a political controversy in the State until recently. The proposal to permit the former Maharaja to alienate his Bangalore Palace had been strongly opposed by an influential section of the Congress Legislature Party. There was also some discussion on whether it formed the private property of the former Maharaja. The position in regard to the Bangalore Palace is still not known. Mr. Aziz Sait said the former Maharaja had been gracious enough to agree to make over the Mysore Palace to the proposed trust free of cost. Appreciating the gesture of the former ruler, Mr. Aziz Sait said that it was worth noting that while many former Maharajas had chosen to convert their palaces into hotels, Mr. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar had favoured his Palace being used for a public purpose.