News and Updates

The Deccan Heritage Foundation continues its work to conserve, document, and share the extraordinary heritage of the Deccan region of India. In this newsletter, we bring you updates from our ongoing restoration projects in Mysuru, Sudi, and Hyderabad, and share how restored monuments like Gagan Mahal in Anegundi are becoming the heart of community life.

Banner image: The Anegundi Folk Festival at Gagan Mahal, hosted by the Cultural Industries Centre (CIC) and The Kishkinda Trust. Photograph by Aditya Fernandes.

Visit a museum in the making: Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, Mysuru

Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion & Museum, Mysuru, Karnataka

Restoration of the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion & Museum is well underway, and the team is now offering special guided tours of this historic building, which dates back to the early 1900s. Visitors can walk through pillared mantapas, explore vast rooms that were once inhabited by Princess Jayalakshmi of Mysore and her family, and step behind the scenes to see conservation and documentation of the museum’s vast folklore collection in progress. Follow @jayalakshmivilasmansion for dates and details of upcoming visits.

In collaboration with the University of Mysore, this project is supported by the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation, the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), and the Aikyam Foundation.

Nagakunda Stepwell, Sudi, Karnataka

At the Nagakunda Stepwell in Sudi, our conservation team has been experimenting with different lime mortar mixes, using traditional ingredients like lime, local stone dust, jaggery, and kadukkai water (Myrobalan). The challenge lies in finding the right shade to match the stepwell’s masonry, which has weathered and aged for over a thousand years. After testing several combinations, including surki (brick powder) and yellow oxide, the team has now arrived at a mix that blends seamlessly with the historic stonework.

This project is supported by Gandipet Welfare Society, a zero-waste NGO, along with the Government of Karnataka.

Physics Block, Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University, Hyderabad, Telangana. Photograph by Anushree Kabra.

Restoration of the Physics Block at the Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University (VCIWU), housed within the former British Residency Complex campus, is nearing handover. Damaged walls have been dismantled and rebuilt, while old paint layers are being carefully removed to revive the building, and to create safe and functional classrooms. Projects like this stand as models of adaptive reuse, preserving heritage while creating better spaces for women’s education.

This project is supported by ADVA Enviro Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (The Rainwater Project).

The Anegundi Folk Festival at Gagan Mahal, Anegundi, Karnataka.
Photographs by Aditya Fernandes.

Since its restoration in 2022, the Gagan Mahal in Anegundi has once again become the heart of village life, welcoming visitors, hosting events, and supporting both culture and livelihood. This September, it came alive with The Anegundi Folk Festival, hosted by the Cultural Industries Centre (CIC) and The Kishkinda Trust (pictured above).

This restoration of Gagan Mahal was undertaken by the DHF in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage (Government of Karnataka), INTACH (Anegundi-Hampi chapter) and Heritage Matters. Its upkeep is managed by the DHF under the Government of Karnataka’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.

We look forward to bringing you the latest updates about our ongoing projects and initiatives across the Deccan region of India.

To support the DHF’s restoration and conservation efforts, consider making a donation by clicking the button below.

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