Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110755220300.htm

Karnataka - Mysore

Historic armoury to be relocated block by block

Special Correspondent

This is to get on with track doubling work at Mysore-end

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

The armoury at Srirangapatana station which is to be relocated.

MYSORE: The armoury at the Srirangapatna railway station, belonging to the era of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali will be cut into blocks and relocated by the railway authorities to expedite track doubling work between Mysore and Bangalore.

R. Gopal, Director of the State Archaeology Department, told The Hindu that the armoury will be cut into blocks and reassembled in the first such exercise to relocate a monument to lay a railway track. This follows the official permission issued by the State Archaeology Department to the Indian Railways to relocate the monument in the absence of a feasible solution.

The railway authorities had ruled out the track alignment given the geometry of the track and its curvature while rejecting the proposal to use the abandoned metre-gauge track as there were plans to construct a new broad gauge bridge near the same spot.

The platform at Srirangapatna station is also proposed to be broadened for which the existing broad gauge line would be shifted a few metres further. Hence relocation of the armoury was the only option left.

The authorities had rejected any other option and pointed out that two major bridges were to be laid across Cauvery North and Cauvery South, and the site identified was between the existing track and the abandoned metre gauge bridge. This would bring the new bridge in a straight alignment with the armoury.

At a meeting held at Srirangapatna recently, senior officials from the State Government and the South Western Railway explored the available options and they concluded that relocation was the only feasible solution. Mr. Gopal said there were three options pertaining to relocation.

The first was to shift the entire monument, the second was to cut the monument into blocks and reassemble it and the third was to dismantle the structure brick by brick and reassemble it.

“The last option was ruled out given the fragility of the structure and other technical aspects. The first option was thought to be expensive,” said Mr. Gopal.