Karnataka Legislative Council BJP member Raghu Kautilya has urged the state government to rename the Old Mysuru region as Nalvadi Karnataka or Nalvadi Mysuru and create a dedicated authority to manage and conserve the city’s heritage buildings. He called for the announcement to be made during this year’s Dasara celebrations.
Speaking at a press conference in Mysuru on Friday, Kautilya asked Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to move away from the term Old Mysuru for the region. He referred to the government’s use of names such as Kalyana Karnataka and Kittur Karnataka as a model for giving regions a distinct identity linked to development.
Kautilya said the proposed name would honour Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and other rulers of the Mysuru royal family, whom he credited with building and developing the erstwhile Mysuru State. He said he would submit a representation to the government seeking the change and described it as a historic declaration.
His second major demand concerns the management of Mysuru’s heritage assets. Kautilya called for the abolition of the existing Palace Board and the creation of a new authority for the management and conservation of heritage buildings, including the Amba Vilas Palace. He proposed that the authority be placed under the supervision of an officer of Secretary rank.
The demand comes as Mysuru prepares for Dasara, when the city’s palace precincts, public spaces, roads, hotels and food areas face a sharp increase in visitors and activity. Kautilya welcomed the continuation of the Dasara tradition despite drought conditions and said the festival was being organised with different approaches. He also welcomed Shivakumar holding a meeting in Mysuru, but said shortcomings remained in the arrangements.
Kautilya separately called for stronger law-and-order and public health measures during the festival. He referred to the rape and murder of a girl from a nomadic family during the previous Dasara period and alleged that the investigation had not proceeded properly and that responsibility had not been fixed. He urged the authorities to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Among his specific requests were police enquiry centres at strategic locations across the city and heightened surveillance during the festival. He also asked officials to ensure hygiene at hotels, food fairs and other public-facing venues, while making certain that visitors receive food of acceptable quality.
The proposals place heritage conservation and festival administration within the same public debate. Mysuru’s palace complex and other historic structures are central to the city’s identity and visitor economy, while their upkeep involves questions of institutional responsibility, staffing and administrative oversight. The source report does not indicate that the state government has accepted the renaming or authority proposals. Kautilya said he would submit his representation to the government.
