Compared to some of the other opulent structures in Mysore, Wellington Lodge on Irwin Road is stark and rather plain, but there’s a reason for it. After the defeat of Tipu Sultan in 1799, the British needed their representative in Mysore and thus, this building was completed hurriedly. Its first occupant was Arthur Wellesley. It was the first headquarters of the commissioners in Mysore and a stopgap abode till the more elaborate Government House (just opposite) was built and ready for occupation. This double-storeyed white structure appears to have derived inspiration from the East India Company. It is terraced with rectangular openings with almost no embellishment. The building was used for various government offices and slowly began to fall into disrepair. A few decades ago, it was refurbished and took over by the Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya.