With three domes atop the Durbar Hall, Amba Vilas and Kalyan Mantap of the iconic Mysore palace springing leaks, water-proofing work is going on at a brisk pace and the leaks are being sealed with specially made silpaulin tarpaulins. It has been over 15 years since eight decorative glass panes on the roof of the Durbar Hall got damaged, causing rain water to seep in. The Mysore Palace Board had made temporary arrangements then by covering it with tarpaulins, which has ruined the beauty of the palace as it used to block sunlight. The specially made silpaulin tarpaulins being used now are semi-transparent and allow sunlight to reflect on the decorative glass panes.
Despite several attempts, the palace authorities have failed to replace the damaged decorative glass panes as they were specially imported from Scotland by the Mysore maharajas and are nearly a century-old. However, under the present Deputy Director of Palace Board, Mr Subramanya, the authorities are trying to narrow down on agencies in UK who can supply similar glass panes.
Mr Y. Veerabhadra of Mysore Tarpaulins said it was a complicated work to plug the leaks. “It’s a back-breaking task. A lot of precision is required as the slightest mistake can damage the remaining panes”.
Palace engineer Mr Murali said, “The Regional Conservation Laboratory was requested to find a permanent solution. Once the broken panes are replaced, a big part of the problem will be solved.”
Besides, the rains have caused cracks on the roof. An official said water-logging was a long unattended problem. Some of the water outlets are blocked.