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Mysore Palace or the Maharajah's Palace located
in the heart of the city at Mirza Road is the most attractive
monument in Mysore. Designed in Indo-Saracenic style by the
well-known British architect , Henry Irwin, it is an eclectic
synthesis of architectural styles. The palace is one of India's most
dramatic national monuments. Today it is a museum housing treasures
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eflecting the rich and colorful history of the
erstwhile princely state of Mysore. It is also known as Amba Vilas.
The three storeyed building, 245 feet in length and 156 in breadth
has a series of square towers with arches covered by domes. There is
wide open space in the front and the open courtyard in the centre is
covered by a gold-plated dome about 145 feet from the ground.
The entry to the palace is through the 'Gombe Thotti' or the Doll's
Pavilion , a gallery of Indian and European sculpture and ceremonial
objects. To the south, the magnificent 'Kalyana Mantapa' or the
marriage pavilion has a centre octagonal gabled ceiling, covered by
multi coloured stained glass with peacock motifs arranged in
geometrical patterns and beautiful chandeliers . Multi-coloured
stained glass with peacock motif, beautiful chandeliers from
Czechoslovakia, tall iron pillars wrought at Scotland; glittering
glazed tiles imported from London, oil-paintings are found in this
Palace. Royal Wedding Hall and the Armoury are also some of the
other attractions of the Palace.
On the second floor, the 'Diwan-I-am' Durbar Hall 155 ft. long and
42 ft. broad, has an ornate ceiling, a shining floor and many
sculpture pillars which are said to have been painted with gold. On
the same floor to the south is the smaller 'Amba Vilas' or ‘
Diwan-e-khas' (hall for private audience) that has beautifully
carved doors at the entrance with inlay work. There are twelve
temples surrounding the palace within the compound like the
Someshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lakshmiramana Temple
dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The palace now under the supervision of the Department of
Archaeology and Museums of the Karnataka Government, has been
converted into a museum
A silhouette of the Mysore Palace illuminated with ninety seven
thousand bulbs shimmering against an inky black night is one of the
most enduring images of the city which one can find on Sunday nights
and Dussera.
The Mysore Palace is open all days of the week, from 10 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. The palace is illuminated on Sundays, national holidays and
state festivals from 7:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. The palace is illuminated
between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. only during the Dussera festival. You can
avail a certified guide at nominal fee to know the highlights of the
Palace.
Access to Mysore Palace: :
AIR - the nearest airport is Bangalore which is connected to
all major cities.
Train - Bangalore railway station is well connected to Delhi
, Mumbai , Calcutta , Thiruvananthapuram , Kochi , Hyderabad ,
Madras and Mangalore by Express trains.
Bus - Bangalore is well-connected to many south Indian cities
Mysore, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai etc
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