Restrict visiting hours at Mysuru Palace: MLC

Mysuru MLC Raghu Kautilya has called for restrictions on visiting hours and the number of tourists allowed into Mysuru Palace daily to protect the historic monument from damage caused by excessive visitor footfall. Speaking to reporters here on Friday, he said the Palace's heritage value must take precedence over unrestricted public access, and suggested fixing specific visiting hours and a daily cap on the number of visitors to ensure the long-term preservation of the iconic structure. Recalling the history of the Palace, Kautilya said the Maharajas had built the present structure with considerable effort after the earlier wooden palace was destroyed in a fire. “Do we have the capacity to build another palace today?” he asked, stressing the need to preserve the architectural and historical legacy of the monument for future generations. The MLC also demanded the immediate dissolution of the existing Palace administration board and called for a separate management board dedicated to protecting and maintaining the heritage structure. Alleging that the Palace's preservation was being neglected, Kautilya warned that he would launch a protest in the coming days if steps were not taken to safeguard the monument.