A heritage market in Mysuru counts its days Premium

The iconic Devaraja Market sums up the characteristics of Mysuru: noisy, colourful and alluringly old world. Despite efforts to save it by conservationists, the courts have now cleared the decks for its demolition.

A slice of Mysuru which charmed generations of tourists and locals alike - being the single source for retail purchase of commodities for nearly 140 years - is on the brink disappearing from the city’s landscape.

The future is grim with the political representatives and the Government supportive of its demolition, ostensibly in ‘’public interest’’, while the litigants, who had approached the High Court to stall the Government move, have lost the legal battle though an appeal is pending before the Apex Court.

The historic Devaraja Market has brought together consumers, farmers and retailers since generations ever since it was established in 1880s. Though it faced myriad challenges that threatened its existence including multiple incidents of fire, the Devaraja Market withstood it all.

The iconic market was reflective of all that summed up the characteristics of Mysuru: sometimes noisy, colourful but also charming with an old world allure and dealing with traditional ingredients for which Mysuru is renowned: agarbathies or incense sticks, spices, flowers, garlands and piles of Kumkum stacked in a row and whose images dotted the guidebooks that listed Devaraja Market as a ‘’must visit’’ when in Mysuru.

It is not for sentimental reasons alone that there is opposition to the proposed demolition of the heritage market. It has a slice of Mysuru’s history embedded to it and is among the nearly 140 notified heritage structures. What set apart Devaraja Market from the rest is that it was planned way back in 1886 unlike the typical bazaars that evolve in most towns and was the norm till a few decades ago before the concept of shopping plazas and malls emerged.

Heritage expert and author T.P. Issar in his book The Royal City writes, ‘’In Mysore City, it is the planned markets, rather than the old evolved pettahs, which give it its familiar – in many ways unique – character’’.

Enclosed in a courtyard-kind of structure and mainly open to sky, the rectangular market is spread over 3.67 acres and was the biggest and the most vibrant of its kind in its heydays.