The conflict between humans and leopards appears to have existed even during the days of the erstwhile Maharajas of Mysuru.
A British engineer, who was involved in the installation of a power plant for lighting the Mysuru palace when it was being built, had been permitted by the then Maharaja of Mysore to shoot one of the leopards that was roaming near the foot of Chamundi Hills.
A letter issued by the Assistant Private Secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore on June 27, 1908, had permitted the British engineer, Fredrick William Willis, to shoot ‘one of the panthers’ that had been sighted near the foot of Chamundi Hills, according to a copy of the letter shared by his grandson Fred Willis, who is presently touring Mysuru with his wife, Gill Willis.
Fred Willis, grandson of British engineer Fredrick William Willis, and his wife Gill Willis pose for a photo at Mysuru palace. The couple is on a tour of India. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In 1908, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was the Maharaja of Mysore.
The British engineer not only shot the leopard, that was troubling the local population, but also took its skin as a trophy back home after taxidermy. “It is still part of the family heirloom,” said Mr. Willis, who now lives in New Zealand with his family.
According to Mr. Willis, his grandfather arrived in India in 1903 from England, first as a Station Operator before involving himself in the installation of a power plant for lighting the Mysuru Palace in 1907.
A photograph from the collection of the British engineer Fredrick William Willis shows the Mysuru palace under construction in 1907. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The construction of Mysuru Palace, designed by English architect Henry Irwin in the Indo-Sarcenic style of architecture, began in 1897 after the old wooden palace was burnt in a fire. The construction is reported to have been completed in 1912.
Historian N.S. Rangaraju said the design for electrification of Mysuru Palace, including its illumination with 90,000 bulbs, as well as the road to Chamundi Hills was prepared by Harold Douglas Rice. However, there is no information on who executed the design.
A copy of the letter dated June 27, 1908, bearing the then Maharajas permission to Fredrick William Willis to shoot one of the panthers near the foot of Chamundi Hills. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mr. Willis claimed that his grandfather, Fredrick William Willis, was also involved in the installation of street lighting in Mysuru city, besides lighting for the elephant khedda camp and installation of ‘Mysore telephones’.
He was later transferred as the Chief Operating Officer of the ‘Cauvery plant’ at Shivanasamudra before he took up a job with Tata Hydro Electric Power Supply Company, where he worked till September 1930.
Published - March 24, 2025 04:07 pm IST
