The historic Mayo Hall that houses the city lower courts today was established to address the issues of aggrieved parties and providing various forms of relief. However, the irony is, the present state of the building is so dismal that it is crying for help. Over the years, this historic building has been subjected to lot of wear and tear but nothing much has been done to retain the past glory of this building.
As one enters the court, a strong foul smell will greet you. In fact, it is highly impossible to bear the stench. Sandeep Katti, a practising lawyer says, “The court premises is undoubtedly in a pathetic condition. There are marks of gutka spits and small packets of gutka dumped in every nook and corner of the court.”
Voicing a similar opinion, Madhukar, another practising lawyer says, “The toilets are unusable. They are never cleaned. In fact, you can see spider webs all around the court walls.”
Presently, the building is undergoing renovation work. The criminal court and small causes court has been shifted towards the right side due to the ongoing construction activities. It used to look much more regal than what it is today. Built in memory of the fourth Viceroy of India in 1872, Lord Mayo, the Mayo Hall is a remarkable colonial structure. However, with advent of urbanisation and competitive life, citizens in Bangalore seem to have forgotten its significance.
Once upon a time, Mayo Hall was the venue for municipal council meetings. But today it only houses the office of Joint Commissioner of East. The erstwhile Bangalore Municipal Authority started functioning from here in 1883. Although the construction began in year 1875, it could be completed only in 1883. The Mayo Hall has left a profound impression all over the country and this led to the construction of a number of memorial institutions like the Mayo Hospital and the Mayo School of Arts at Lahore, according to a contemporary gazetteer.
On a positive note, there is Kempegowda Museum in one part of Mayo Hall which showcases the life and times of Kempegowda from 1513-1569.
Again, the response from the citizens has been quite disappointing. The museum is dominated by portraits of temples, forts, tanks and inscriptions displayed on a screen. It is basically a pictorial representation and a treasure of valuable information from the period of Kempegowda. When City Express visited the museum, we did not find a single soul unlike other museums in the city.