While Mysuru is currently witnessing bustling construction activity raising multi-storeyed structures all over the city in the form of residential apartments and glitzy shopping complexes commanding costs of real estate at dizzy, unprecedented amounts, the heritage city of yesteryears hosted humble dwellings that could be rented at rates rarely exceeding double digits. The palatial buildings housing public offices and the many imposing buildings belonging to royalty of the then Princely State of Mysore, such as Amba Vilas, Cheluvamba Mansion and others provided a striking contrast to the dwellings of most Mysureans until not too long ago. Even as cash-strapped aam janata of the city mostly lived in their ancestral homes, those who landed in the city either because of transfer or relocation seeking tranquil life could rent dwellings that fetched measly income to the owners prompting the popular saying of those days, “Fools build houses and wise people live in them.” The owners could be heard cursing the Rent Controller who limited the rents for houses to be wholly used for residential purposes to embarrassing amounts.
Mysuru also hosted a number of buildings constructed by both the Government of the day and some well-known philanthropics offering free lodging facilities for travellers passing through the city. Most of them have suffered loss of their original good features over years due to neglect by successors of the munificent donors of the past. We are in an age of unbridled grabbing of land and buildings by fraudulent means with some functionaries in the Government Departments extending a helping hand for tempting consideration.
