Fate of Devaraja Market, Lansdowne Building: SC backs IIT Roorkee report on restoration

State asked to prepare conservation plan to prevent damage; Next hearing on July 30, 2026

Mysore/Mysuru: The Supreme Court has said that the heritage structures of Devaraja Market and the Lansdowne Building in the heart of Mysuru must be preserved.

Taking note of a report by a committee from IIT Roorkee, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi observed on May 4 that both structures should be protected, with necessary renovation and restoration works taken up. “A comprehensive plan needs to be prepared by the administration,” the Bench said.

The Court was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the proposed demolition of the two structures. It directed the State Government, the District Administration and the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to proceed in accordance with the IIT Roorkee committee’s findings.

“Let the necessary exercise be undertaken at the earliest to ensure that no further damage is caused to the structures,” the Court said, posting the next hearing to July 30, 2026.

The Bench also asked the authorities to consider the recommendations made by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

IIT Roorkee report

In its report, based on a detailed structural analysis and audit conducted in October 2025, IIT Roorkee experts said both Devaraja Market and the Lansdowne Building can be restored and conserved, given their significant heritage value.

“As part of Mysuru’s ensemble of civic architecture, they embody interconnected values that remain relevant today. A detailed and scientifically sound conservation plan is essential and severely deteriorated elements may require reconstruction as part of the restoration,” the committee noted.

Petition against demolition

The SLP was filed by heritage advocate and author G. Sathyanarayana (popularly known as Gouri Satya), R. Raja Chandra, son-in-law of late Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and others. The petition challenges the Karnataka High Court’s Aug. 8, 2023 judgment in Writ Petition No. 15215/2020 (PIL).

The petitioners opposed any move to demolish or reconstruct the structures, citing their classification under Section 2  (1ea) of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, and their inclusion in the Mysuru-Nanjangud Master Plan-2031 (Revision-II).

Following the SLP, the Supreme Court had earlier stayed all demolition and reconstruction work. Meanwhile, the State Government floated a Rs. 35.95 crore tender for reconstructing the Lansdowne Building.

This is not the Supreme Court’s final order, and no conclusive decision has been taken. The case                        has been posted to July 30, 2026. We will present our arguments then. — G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru