A PASSAGE INTO

THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA

 

Influenced by the Aurangazeb’s style of administration Mysore ruler Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar, distributed the governance into 18 departments in 1701. Since then the Hindi name “Att’ haara” (eighteen) was coined to denote Mysore Governance. That was in this connection our Karnataka High Court building first came to be known as “Attara Kacheri” denoting government offices. Prior to the installation of ‘Vidhana Soudha’- the massive landmark of Bangalore which became almost Bangalore’s logo, it was this majestic red building which housed the government offices of Mysore State.

Karnataka High Court building then known to be ‘attara kacheri’, as such is a museum telling you a lot of the history of Karnataka and its administration. You would recall that it was ‘Mysore State’ before ‘Karnataka’ came to be in being in 1973 through Mysore State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1973. If you observe closely, the emblem on the central wing of this building is slightly different from the Karnataka’s State Emblem. If you further see you would realise, beneath it is a simple heading that says ‘Offices of the Mysore Government’.

Little more to history.

In 1799, Tipu Sultan died fighting the British in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war. Srirangapatnam was finally conquered by the British and then they recognized the claim of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, son of Chamaraja Wodeyar to the throne of the State. Thence, administration, initially run from Tipu’s Palace at Srirangapatnam got shifted to Mysore. However, this did not last long. In 1831, the Governor-General of India - Bentick issued proclamation that Raja was incapable of handling the affairs of the State and assumed administration of Mysore for East India Company. Yet again in 1881, after the death of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the British restored the throne to his adopted son Chamarajendra Wodeyar but abolished the post of Diwan and appointed a British as “Resident” who was overall in charge of the administration.

This system continued till the Maharaja executed the instrument of accession to the Dominion of India on 24-9-1947 about a month after Indian Independence. Under the Constitution of India, Mysore State was one of the 8 Part ‘B’ States with the Maharaja designated as the ‘RAJPRAMUKH’ till part B was omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956.

 

 

Attara Kacheri

It was in 1862, Levin Bentham Bowring, who succeeded Lord Cubbon, was keen on relocating the public offices to Bangalore as it was nearer to the Madras presidency. The British had already setup a well-functioning military barrack near Halasur Village (present Ulsoor) since 1809. So, Bowring decided to construct the present High Court building to accommodate all revenue offices of the state in the leafy environs of Meade’s park, later renamed as Cubbon Park.

 

The Attara Kacheri building was designed by Major Gen Richard Hieram Sankey, the Chief Engineer of the Mysore Government, after whom present Sankey Tank and Sankey Road are named. Sankey designed an arcade red building in the Graeco-Roman style. Wallace and Company, a British firm was the construction contractor who sub-contracted it to Arcot Narayanswamy Mudaliar and Rai Bahadur Bansilal Ramnathan. The building got completed in 1869 at a cost of Rs.4,27,980. The public offices initially housed here included the revenue and the secretariat and other offices including the judiciary.

In 1864 when the High Court got established, as it was for the then State of Mysore it came to be known as Mysore High Court. It was then in 1956, finally the legislature was shifted to the bigger Vidhana Soudha and the Mysore High Court occupied the entire Attara Kacheri building. After the name change of the state in 1973, the court was also renamed as ‘High Court of Karnataka’.                                                          

As can be seen here, the original building consisted of only half of the existing building and with fewer wings. There was an annexe built on the north-east corner in 1917 and an extension of entire building in 1995 that spanned across an area of 2,40,508 square feet, built in the same style of architecture.

There was a plan for the government to demolish the old building- Attara Kachery and to make a fully new building. However, there was a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in which the Court directed the government to protect the building as a heritage and most ironically, this was also the first PIL (Public Interest Litigation)to be submitted in our High Court. The court hence survived that demolition scare and for this we have to thank those heritage concerned citizens who filed those PILs.

The new extension building got constructed in 1995 behind the old one reflects a similar architecture and it is hard to identify the old from the new. Presently all the court halls are housed in the newer building and only the offices of the judges are in the old. There are 37 court halls in operation and 37 judges at present, though the sanctioned strength is 41.

The courts today have digitized boards or LCD display that provide information on the case and stage of hearing, and computerised offices. The police guarding this Highest Court of the state remain polite while lawyers rush across the passages in their flowing black gowns.

 

 

The High Court Museum

 

It is to open these treasures of historic information and to show case the rich heritage of Karnataka and its High Court the Museum of Karnataka High Court is opened in the High Court premises. It was an idea of former Chief Justice Hon’ble Mr. Cyriac Joseph to open such museum which is now housed in an attractive room decorated with ancient chandeliers and colourful paintings on the ceilings, typical of any European palace. The museum houses certain artefacts which are very unique and antique. Some of the exhibits here include –

·       A 1933 handmade chair by the then Karawara

   (Uttara Kannada) District Judge, Honourable RBH Davies.  It is said that the Judge always sat in this

    chair to pass the verdict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·       A 1902 wall-clock named ‘Ansonia’ that adorned the wall of Munsiff Court of Karkala. Shaped like the grandfather clocks of yore, it still is in good working condition and shows not only the time but also the date!

·       A stamp paper for two and a half annas bearing the Maharaja’s face issued during the Mysore Governance

·        Old bells, locks and brass seals of the Nizam Period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·       The heavy brass seals etched with Urdu lettering were worn as badges by the peons in those days.

 

 

·       The locks shaped as a lion’s head with its mouth as the keyhole

 

·       Badges for Peons during Nizam's rule

 

 

 

 

 

 

•   A letter from Sir Viswewaraya to the Maharaja’s secretary advising on the ideal site for an annexe building to the Public Offices.

 

·      A copy of Indian Constitution of 1949

 

 

Across the walls are photographs of Chief Justices of all eras, the history and making of Attara Kacheri, the eighteen kacheris of Mysore government and a huge canvas that displays the signatures of all the members of the initial draft committee of the Constitution.

 

 

Nevertheless to say, the entry to this museum is restricted as it is the seat of Honourable High Court of Karnataka which is the final asylum for justice seeker within the state!

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