Mysuru is known as the most well planned and perfectly curated city. Under the able leadership of erstwhile Wodeyars, Mysuru was developed ahead of its time. Though the Wodeyars who ruled Mysuru were keen visionaries, having exemplary plans to build an immaculate city, efforts of Dewans who worked hard to execute those plans cannot be forgotten.
All the Dewans have contributed for the city’s development and they were given due credit by the Wodeyars. To support this, there are many landmarks in Mysuru which carry the memory & legacy of Dewans who served the then Mysore State.
Dewan Purnaiah – Purnaiah Choultry.
Hyder Ali Khan appointed Purnaiah as the Dewan or the Prime Minister during the 1790s and he became the first Dewan of the Mysore Kingdom. Purnaiah was a Dewan for about three decades, that is, during the tenure of Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and Krishnaraja Wadiyar III. A choultry called Purnaiah Choultry has been built in his memory. It is a heritage structure located on Agrahara main road.
Dewan Rangacharlu – Rangacharlu Memorial Hall / Town Hall
Popularly called the Town Hall, this building was constructed in the memory of Rangacharlu, the first Dewan after restoration of monarchy in 1881. It was inaugurated by Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar who also unveiled the portrait of the great Dewan. This is a Victorian style Greco-Roman building which has a facade with Corinthian grand-columns, in four pairs supporting the heavy roof.
Seshadri Iyer – Seshadri Iyer road / Dewan’s Road
Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, who succeeded Rangacharlu, was the longest serving Dewan of Mysore. He is known as the builder of modern Bangalore. His notable achievement is the construction of a hydro-electric project at Shivanasamudra, the first hydro-power project in south-east Asia, and supplying power to the Kolar Gold Fields, 147-kms away from the waterfalls. The Shivanasamudra power project is named after him. Seshadri Iyer Road, popularly called the Dewan’s Road, is a major historic road in Mysuru city that cuts across many other major roads and links Sayyaji Rao Road in Bamboo Bazaar. His historic bungalow in Dewan’s Road now houses the Commercial Taxes offices.
N. Krishnamurthy – Krishnamurthypuram
Purniah Narasinga Rao Krishnamurti was the only Dewan who had an extension named in his honour in Mysuru city. Krishnamurthypuram, in the southern area of the city, is named after him. Apart from this extension, there is a bungalow in the Dewan’s Road called Alamma Choultry which had served as the home of Dewan Krishnamurthy. It was during his tenure that electric lighting was introduced in Bangalore. It was the first city in India to get electric street lighting.
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah – Vishweshwaraiah Circle
Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah is a legendary engineer who served as the Chief Engineer and Dewan of Mysore during the period of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. Among his significant contributions is the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam. He was the Dewan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. He was also awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India for his immense contributions towards the development of Mysore. The Circle opposite the Government Ayurveda College and Hospital was named as Sir M. Visvesvaraiah Circle a few decades ago by the Mysore City Corporation (MCC).
Kantharaj Urs – New Kantharaj Urs Road
Sirdar M. Kantharaj Urs was the brother of Maharani Kempa Nanjammanni Avaru of Vani Vilasa Sannidhana. He is also known as the first graduate of the Urs’ community. Sirdar Kantharaj Urs became the Dewan in 1918 and held the post till 1922 February during the regime of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. There is a road named after him near Kuvempunagar called ‘New Kantharaj Urs road’.
Sir Mirza Ismail – Mirza Road
A stretch of about one kilometre that connects Hardinge Circle and the Police Commissioner’s Office Junction is known as ‘Mirza Road.’ It is named in honour of Dewan Sir Mirza Ismail. He was the Dewan of Mysore from 1926 to 1940 during the reign of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and subsequently till 1941 when Jayachamaraja Wadiyar succeeded to the throne. Mysore State made remarkable progress in the field of industries, both in the private and public sectors, over his 14 years of service. He was responsible for developing many parks and gardens, including the famous Brindavan Gardens and the Nishad Bagh.
Madhava Rao – N. Madhava Rao Circle / Agrahara Circle
The busy Agrahara Circle is named after Dewan N. Madhava Rao who served under Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. He was the Dewan from 1941 to 1946. Succeeding Sir Mirza Ismail, Madhava Rao managed the severe food shortage the State faced during the Second World War. During his tenure, the Legislative Council and the Representative Assembly were combined to form a new Legislative Council. After his retirement, Madhava Rao became a member of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and of the first Constituent Assembly of India.
Between 1782 and 1949, spanning over a period of a century and a half, Mysore Kingdom saw as many as 14 prominent Dewans. In 1949, the role of Dewans came to an end. All of these Dewans have immensely contributed towards the development of Mysore.
What does ‘Dewan’ mean?:
Dewan is an Urdu word meaning the Prime Minister of a kingdom, more precisely an ‘Advisor’ to the monarch.