Mysore Palace also called as Maharaja'sPalace, is situated in the centre of the city at Mirza Road. The mostattractive monument in the city, was the residence of the Wodeyar Maharaja'sof the Mysore state. The original palace built of wood, was designed by a British architect for the Maharaja of Mysore, but it burnt down in 1897. In 1912 the palace was rebuilt for the 24th Wodeyar King.
Architecture :
Designed in Indo-Saracenic style, the palace has exquisite carvings and works from all over the world. The three storeyed palace measuring 245 feetin length and 156 in breadth has many square towers having arches covered by domes. The Gombe Thotti or the Doll's Pavilion is the first entrance to the palace. The elephant gate lies at the centre of the palace, which is the main entrance to the palace. The gate is nicely decorated with floralde signs, have the Mysore royal symbol of a double headed eagle. In the centre there is an enclosed courtyard, covered by a plated dome about 145 feet high from the ground. To the north of the entrance are dolls of early19th and 20th centuries and a wooden elephant howdah decorated with 84 Kilograms of 24 carat gold and other souvenirs. The Kalyana Mantapa or the royal wedding hall lies to the south of the gate. The palace has a centreoctagonal gabled ceiling, featuring chandeliers, and multicoloured stainglass arranged in peacock designs.
» Halls - The Public Darbar Hall, or the hall for public audience, lies on the second floor. The Hall houses beautiful paintings of some famous artists, and offers excellent views of the parade grounds and the Chamundi Hills. The 'Ambavilas' or Diwan-E-Khas ( hall for private audience ) lies on the same floor, it has beautifully carved doors with inlay work.
» Museum - The palace is now a museum which houses the souvenirs, paintings, jewelry, royal costumes and other items of theWodeyar rulers. In addition there are twelve temples surrounding the palace,some of them are built in typical Dravidian style.
Attractions around Mysore Palace :
» Jaganmohan Palace -
The palace is located to the west of Mysore palace. The palace served as the venue of annual day and Dassara festival celebrations, till the completion of Main Palace in 1912. The palace was built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar the third. In front of the place there is a beautiful and artistic mantap. The marriage ceremony of Naalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and Shri Kantheerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar took place in this palace.
» Jayalakshmi Vilasa - This palace is situated at a distance of about 5 Kms from Mysore palace. In 1901, king of Mysore' Chamaraja Wodeyar' built this palace for his elder daughter. The palace now serves as the administrative office of University of Myosore and folk loremuseum.
» Lalita Mahal - The palace, second biggest among the palaces is now a five star hotel. Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth, laid the foundation stone on 18 November, 1921. The palace located east of Mysore city, attracts a large number of foreign tourists and rich people. The adjacent Chamundi hills adds more beauty to this palace.
» Vasantha Mahal - Built in 1842, this palace spreads over 36 acres and surrounded by picturesque gardens. The beautiful building has unique facing portions made of soft iron. The first floor of the palace resembles the ground floor. Earlier the palace was serving as a hotel, but now it is locked for visitors.
» Lokaranjan Mahal - The palace also called as summer palace was built in 1880. It was a school for Chamaraja Wodeyar,Krishnaraja Wodeyar and young princess. The swimming pool and zoo garden arethe main attractions here.
» Cheluvambavilas -
Built during 1910-11 for the third princess, this palace offers splend our look of the surroundings. The dome at the top of the palace add more beauty to the palace. Now the palace is CFTRI (Central Food Technology and Research Institute).
» Rajendravilas - The palace built during 1822-1838is situated a top the Chamundi hills. The palace offers the breathtaking viewof Mysore city and Biligiri hills, Nilgiri hill ranges and Brindavan Gardens.
Accessibility :
Bangalore is located at a distance of 140 Kms from Mysore. Bagalore is well-connected by Air, Rail and Road, so it is better to reach Bangalore first.
» Air - Bangalore airport (140 Kms) is the nearest airport from Mysore. Bangalore airport has flights for major cities of the country, it has also international flights for Middle East.
» Rail - Bangalore is the major railway stationnear Mysore. There are regular train services between Bangalore and Mysore.Bangalore is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi,Trivanathapuram, Hyderabad and Mangalore etc.
» Bus - Regular bus services available from Bangalore to Mysore. Bangalore is well connected to Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad,Kanyakumari, Mangalore and Madras by bus. There are direct bus services from Mysore to Kerala and other major cities in the state.
Accommodation :
There are many options for tourists in the Hotels. The hotels provide a comfortable stay to the guests. The city has all types of hotels ranging from Heritage, Star hotels to business class hotels.
Best Time to Visit :
Mysore has a moderate type of climate and the weather remains pleasant throughout the year. The summers are warm and winters are cool. One can visit the city any time of the year but the best time to visit is September to March.
