Harshini Brahmavar
Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Aug 15: The city is hailed as a hub of temples and preferred tourism spots. It also boasts of a number of relics belonging to our grand history. Some of them have been conserved, while some others have been allowed to become dilapidated. Some of valuable artifacts have been marooned by the onslaught of commercialization.

One such historic building is located in the government high school near the bus stand here. This also remains the only remnant to remind of the British rule. The building served as jail, court building, and altar for death sentence convicts. The building, which is silently slinking into the oblivion because of official apathy, also had office of the district magistrate in the past.

This building, in addition, housed a horse-cart and a cattle shed. It had witnessed proceedings relating to a large number of complicated cases.

Vijayanath Shenoy, founder of Hastashilpa Trust, has been working hard since long to search for such rare relics and remnants from the bygone era and conserve them for the future generations. He has been roaming around the city and various parts of the state by foot to search for such neglected pieces from our past, conduct researches about them, and preserve in his rich collection.

At present, this city can boast of only three buildings which can be called as historic structures from our past. They are in the board high school. Mahesh, who was approached with the question why does the government not take interest to conserve these buildings, concurred that it is a historic building. "But the responsibility of maintaining and preserving it is not vested with us. It is impossible to maintain them out of meagre academic funds we get. An archaeological survey team which came from Bengaluru conducted a survey about the building recently before going back. For protecting these structures and maintaining them, crores of rupees would be required, which the education department, under which these structures fall, cannot meet. We can take up the responsibility if sufficient funds are allotted and the task is given to us," he explained.

The board high school has been showing impressive progress with passage of every year, and number of students has been increasing. The concerned are planning to take it to greater heights. Therefore, it will be hard to retain the old buildings in future, as they may have to pave way for expansion of the school. Everything from the roof beams, tiles, walls etc have become fragile because of vagaries of climate. Therefore, one wonders what benefit will we derive by conducting its renovation and maintenance.

Other than the building, there is no documentary proof about the existence of British rule here. The presence of the buildings looks like an eyesore in the background of new buildings. No one knows whom to approach to discuss and sort out the issue. There is doubt as to whether its maintenance is worth the effort. Just because it is old and belongs to our past, does not justify spending large sums of money on it, some argue.

The education department does not have objections if replica of these buildings is constructed at a vacant spot somewhere else, considering their historic importance. The 'People's Hall' built by Rock Fernandes for people's participation continues to function as a live example for this.

Deputy director of public instruction, Divakar Shetty, says that no one from among the populace has put forward a demand for conserving the buildings, and therefore the department has not forwarded any proposal to the government so far. He feels that private sector can involve itself in its conservation rather than looking for government's assistance. He concurs that being a building that is over a hundred years old, its maintenance and conservation work should have been undertaken. He thinks that the department concerned should think about plans to conserve the building for posterity.

Funds meant for education cannot be diverted for maintenance of buildings. Private organizations interested in such things can obtain necessary permission and get involved with its maintenance.

Whether a man like Vijayanath Shenoy will come forward and conserve these buildings. How much it might cost to conduct renovation and maintenance work on these buildings? Who will send proposal to the government? Can the building be re-built in any vacant spaces within the city? When will the department which conducted survey submit report? Why has the department concerned not given attention to these buildings? Is it a result of official apathy? Will our future generations gain from the buildings and some relics attached to them if maintained?

These are some questions which emerge from the depths of one's mind. Because although these buildings have a history of over a hundred years, no one seems to be knowing about them, and nobody has cared to throw light on their past or conserve them.