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Aptly called the city
of palaces , Mysore is the erstwhile capital of
Karnataka. The majestic Mysore Palace may be
regarded as a jewel in the crown of Mysore. The most
striking feature of Mysore's landscape, the Mysore
Palace is one of the largest palaces in the country.
Also known as Amba Vilas, the palace was the
residence of Wodeyar Maharaja's of Mysore state.
Mysore being one of the few fortunate cities of
South India to enjoy good weather throughout the
year, the palace attracts large number of visitors
all the year round.
Accommodation and Connectivity
The Bangalore airport at a distance of 130 kms from
Mysore is the nearest landing place from the city.
Many express trains run frequently between Mysore
and Bangalore. Bangalore is connected with all major
cities of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and
Chennai through a network of express trains. There
are regular bus services between Bangalore and
Mysore. Direct bus services from Mysore to different
places of Karnataka and Kerala are also available.
The Palace is located in Mysore's main Mirza road.
From economy to high-end, good accommodation
facilities are available in Mysore. Most tourists
also make the trip to the city of palaces from
nearby Bangalore.
The Mysore
Palace
History
The Mysore Palace was home to the Wodeyar rulers of
the princely state of Mysore.The palace was
originally built of wood. It was destroyed in a fire
in 1897 and was rebuilt for the 24th Wodeyar
Maharaja in 1912. The palace was designed by
renowned British architect Henry Irwin in Indo-Saracenic
style. After independence, the palace was converted
into a museum. At present, the Department of
Archeology of the Govt .of Karnataka looks after the
palace.
Architecture
The Mysore Palace is a three storeyed building with
a length of 245 feet and breadth of 156 feet. There
is a gold -plated dome about 145 feet in the open
courtyard. The palace's front side is a wide open
space. 'Gombe Thotti' or the Doll's Pavilion is from
where the visitor enters the palace. But the main
entrance to the palace is the elephant gate which
lies halfway across after entering from 'Gombe
Thotti' . The Mysore royal symbol of a double headed
eagle is imprinted on the main gate. On the
different sides of the gate, many collections of the
erstwhile Wodeyar rulers have been kept.
On the northern side are many dolls of 19th and 20th
centuries. An elephant howdah decorated with 84
kilograms of pure gold has also been kept on the
northern side. On the southern side, there is the
royal marriage pavilion richly decorated with gold,
stained glass, peacock motifs and beautiful
chandeliers. The floor is decorated with tiles
imported from England and laid in geometric patterns
very artistically. Wall paintings depicting Dusshera
celebrations in the palace have been hung on the
walls leading to the mandapa.
Equally enthralling is the second floor of the
palace where 'Diwan-I-am' Durbar Hall is located.
The hall has an ornate ceiling and a shining floor.
The pillars there have been painted in gold. Some
valuable paintings depicting scenes from the
Ramayana, Mahabharata and those of renowned painter
Raja Ravi Verma have been kept.
In the second floor itself is the Diwan-e-khas, the
hall for private audience. The doors of the hall
have been very meticulously carved out. The ceilings
at both the floors have also been very richly
decorated. The 200 kg royal throne of the Wodeyars
made of pure gold and further enhanced with
magnificent artwork is displayed before public
during the Dusshera festival. There is also a small
private Museum at the back of the palace.
Timings
for tourists
The palace is open for tourists from 6 A.M to 9 A.M
in the morning and from 3.30 P.M to 6.30 P.M in the
evening. The palace is illuminated in the evening on
Sundays, national holidays and special festivals. It
is worth mentionable that the best time to visit the
palace are the months of September and October when
special festivities are held for Dusshera.
The Surroundings
There are 12 temples surrounding the palace. Most of
the temples have been built in the typical Dravidian
style. The temples throw light on the fact that the
Wodeyar rulers were religious in nature. Even in
present times, religious ceremonies are held in the
temple on special occasions. According to the
Tourism department of the government, the Mysore
palace is one of the highly visited tourist
attractions of India.
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