My Letter to the People of Mysuru
Dear Mysureans,
Namaste!
Last Sunday, I was in Mysuru to participate in the L’Étape Mysuru cycling event. Congratulations on having such a wonderful cycling event find its home in your beautiful city!
The event was fantastic and very well organised. But what struck me most was just how beautiful it is to cycle in Mysuru, inarguably Karnataka’s most beautiful city.
The wide roads, massive green trees, cool morning breeze, the challenging climb up Chamundi Hill and the rewarding downhill, the beautiful roads through quaint villages towards Varuna. Every bit was absolutely beautiful.
Many fellow cyclists who have cycled extensively abroad remarked that the experience was comparable to, and sometimes even better than, cycling in Western countries.
It is precisely for this reason that I am writing to you.
Please protect what you have. Do not allow this beautiful city to be destroyed by stupid, unplanned urbanisation that eats up everything beautiful, aesthetic and life-giving about a city. Unfortunately, this has happened to a great extent in Bengaluru.
I have four humble requests.
First, please do not allow flyovers inside your city.
Flyovers are among the ugliest things we can do to a beautiful city. They do not sustainably solve traffic congestion. Instead, they create ugly concrete monsters that destroy the aesthetics and character of a city.
If anyone proposes flyovers as a solution to Mysuru’s traffic problems, reject such proposals outright. Do not allow your beautiful boulevards to become concrete jungles.
Second, demand a completely underground Metro system for Mysuru.
Mysuru will grow. Economic activity will increase, and so will the demand for better urban mobility.
Please start planning for this future today.
An underground Metro can become the backbone of Mysuru’s public transport while preserving its beauty and aesthetics. Yes, it may be more expensive initially, but the long-term benefits to the city’s character and quality of life will make it worth every rupee.
Third, protect your boulevards, trees, parks, lakes and open spaces at all costs.
One reason urban life in most Indian cities has become so stressful is the grave shortage of green and open spaces.
These are not luxuries. They are essential to our physical and mental well-being. They allow us to slow down, breathe and reconnect with our real home, nature.
Mysuru still has so much of this. Please do not allow these treasures to disappear in the name of development. Once lost, they are almost impossible to recreate.
Fourth, preserve Mysuru’s walking culture.
One of the most heartening things I noticed was how many people still walk long distances.
This wonderful culture has almost disappeared from many cities because we have started building cities exclusively for cars, not people.
Invest heavily in good footpaths, pedestrian crossings, shaded walking streets and safe public spaces. Make walking the most natural and enjoyable way of moving around Mysuru.
Along with an underground Metro and good public transport, this can make Mysuru a model for Indian urban development.
Mysuru is not just another city. It is a cultural symbol of Karnataka. Its history, heritage, institutions and contribution to modern, progressive Karnataka make it truly special.
Bengaluru has unfortunately made many mistakes in its urbanisation. Mysuru has the opportunity to learn from them rather than repeat them.
Development need not come at the cost of beauty. Modernisation need not mean destroying heritage. Economic growth need not mean making cities unliveable.
I sincerely hope Mysureans will take an active interest in how their city grows, support good urban planning, oppose bad infrastructure proposals and protect everything that makes Mysuru special.
You have inherited one of India’s most beautiful cities. Please ensure that future generations inherit an even more beautiful Mysuru.
Love,
Tejasvi Surya