The Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, located on the premises of Manasa Gangotri, the campus of the University of Mysore, is now all set to be renovated. The dilapidated palace is being renovated by the American Embassy, the Deccan Heritage Foundation and the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation with a grant of Rs 30 crore. According to reports, its work will be completed by 2027.
The Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion includes a museum with precious artefacts. The Karnataka government recognises it as a historic building. The mansion was built in 1905, during the period of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, for Princess Jayalakshmi Ammani, the eldest daughter of the Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar, for Rs 7 lakh.
The location was specifically chosen to be on top of a small hillock above Kukkarahalli Kere (lake). It was formerly known as ‘the First Rajkumari Mansion’.
Jayalakshmi, the first princess, married Sirdar M Kantharaj Urs in 1897, and he eventually became the Dewan of Mysore. Kantharaj Urs had a residence in the Fort of the Palace named “Gunamba House” after his mother.
The mansion was built to be commensurate with their status as princesses and dewans. It was gifted by the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar, to the University of Mysore to establish a postgraduate centre on its campus. The building was in a state of neglect for a very long time. It was repaired for a cost of Rs 1.17 crore, with funds from the Infosys Foundation. Renovations began in 2002 and concluded in 2006.
It was inaugurated by the governor of Karnataka on January 16, 2006, by switching on this new illumination system. The renovated mansion has 125 rooms, 300 windows, and 287 exquisitely carved doors, and is spread across 6 acres. There are separate entrances on each side. The entrance on the northern side has an extrusion on the stairs, presumably to be used as an alighting platform for cars and chariots.
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