MYSURU: Gun House, a century-old structure located near the Mysuru palace, will once again house a heritage hotel. A puja was performed to start the renovation work on Wednesday and a renowned architect has been given the task of converting the structure into a multi-cuisine restaurant. Surrounded by Bengaluru-Niligiris Road, Chamaraja Double Road and Purandara Road, Gun House once housed the armoury of British soldiers guarding Mysuru Maharajas.
The Gun House — with the Ghandaberunda symbol, huge windows and doors — was built in 1910. A replica of the erstwhile Victoria Hotel on MG Road in Bengaluru, the Gun House is is listed among the 201 heritage properties in Mysuru. It had, however, later become an eyesore with people littering.
The Gun House and Rajendra Vilas summer palace atop Chamundi Hills were converted into hotels by Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar in 1980s. However, they were shut after a decade.
After renovating the Jaganmohan Palace Art Gallery, the royal family has now turned its attention on the Gun House.The existing structure will be protected and interiors will be completed in next three months. The royal family has rented out the property to a private party and the authorities are determined to open the renovated structure during the ensuing Dasara festivities.