Historic Shivappa Nayaka Palace in Shivamogga renovated, needs staff for maintenance

The historically significant Shivappa Nayaka Palace in Shivamogga, which lay in oblivion for decades as a Forest Department office, has been renovated and is now welcoming curious visitors.

The magnificent structure has regained its former grandeur on the six-acre campus on the bank of the river Tunga. The museum attached to the palace houses 92 archaeological sculptures. Armoury and palm leaf collections are yet to be put on display.

Around 30 people visit the structure daily, with numbers rising on weekends and holidays. On Wednesday, when The Hindu visited the place, several college students were touring the museum attached to the palace, while a few others were seen posing for photographs with the structure in the background.

The two-storeyed palace measures 9.75 m in height at the central ridge and has rooms and an open courtyard. It was renovated using funds under the Smart City project by spending about ₹17 crore, and an audio-visual facility has been installed to inform visitors about the palace and the artefacts on display. The structure is now under the control of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.

History

A. Sundara, who served as Director of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, wrote a book on the Shivappa Nayaka Palace in 1987. A well-known archaeologist, Mr. Sundara played a prominent role in discovering the structure, tracing its history, and conserving it for posterity.

The imposing structure, with its carved wooden columns and engraved arches, remained unknown to the wider public while it served as the office of the Forest Department’s Shankara Range. Mr. Sundara first visited the site during field work for his earlier book, Shivamogga Jilleya Darshana, published in 1978.

Local residents had brought the structure to his notice; he photographed it and included it in the book. The Karnataka Sangha, Shivamogga, and several local people subsequently took interest in the structure and urged the State government to conserve it. It was handed over to the Directorate through an order dated August 31, 1982; however, the order took physical effect only in 1984, when the Forest Department moved out of the premises.

So far, there is no definitive evidence to establish during whose reign the palace and its surrounding fort were constructed. Mr. Sundara, in his work, states: “It is more likely Hiriya Venkatappa Nayaka (1592-1619) was responsible for the construction of the fort and the palace.”

He further states that “probably the palace was partially destroyed during the attack by the Bijapur Muhammad Adil Shah’s army, which was driven away by Shivappa Nayaka. Shivappa Nayaka probably restored the palace.” The author also notes that Rajaram, son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, to whom Keladi queen Chennammaji (1662-1697) gave asylum, “is said to have stayed along with his Sardars in Shivamogga, obviously in this palace.”

College students at the museum attached to renovated Shivappa Nayaka museum in Shivamogga.
| Photo Credit:
S.K. Dinesh

Shortage of staff

During Mysuru rule, the structure was under the control of the Public Works Department before being handed over to the Forest Department.

Visitors curious about the history and significance of the structure may have to wait a little longer for answers, as there is insufficient staff to guide them. The audio-visual facility remains switched off much of the time, as there is hardly any staff to operate it.

H.C. Kumara, curator of the Hassan Museum who is also in charge of the Shivamogga Museum, told The Hindu that he has sought additional staff including a curator, people to maintain garden, security guards electricians and other support personnel to maintain the structure. He was hopeful that the department might provide the staff soon.