Hello there!
Last week, my girlfriend and I found ourselves exploring the heritage city-Mysore which is in the southern part of India. The reason this city is given the title of ‘heritage’ is because of the rich culture this city holds. Once a capital city for the Mysore Empire, it is now a small city with very sweet people, clean roads and still shines on with its Indian Old Money aesthetics.
During our trip, we visited the Mysore palace. A royal residence and a historical site located in the heart of the city. The palace was once a seating area and used to be the official residence of the Wadiyar Dynasty (The royal family who ruled the Mysore Empire since the late 1300 AD).
The Palace was built in the year 1897 since the previous palace which was built of wood was burned to ashes in a mishap during a royal wedding. The current palace was built of stone, bricks and wood and continues to remain in excellent shape. The palace was built by architect Henry Irwin, and he made sure to give a unique touch of that of Indo-Saracenic architecture, with elements from Islamic, Rajput, and Gothic architecture styles.
The Palace was heavily guarded by the Karnataka State Police since the palace is the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal. Once we went past the security, we had to pay 120 INR (1.39 USD) per person. They had other entry charges such as 70 INR (0.81 USD) for children between the age above 10 years and below 18 years, and 1000 INR (11.56 USD) for foreigners. The palace is open between 10.00AM – 5.30 PM for public visit.
The palace was beautifully colored with bright yellows and mud brown for the towers. As we entered, we noticed the artillery that was once used by the kingdom. The palace had multiple displays of doll figures that the royal kids used to play, a display of all the invitations that the royal family received as well as a collection of idols used for worship during festivals.
The palace had a hallway which was filled with paintings of the royal families and other important members such as Queen Alexandra and King Edward the sixth amid others.
In the courtyard of the palace, there were two bronze tigers that were sculpted by Robert William Colton. The detailing on the tigers was just eye catching.
As we moved to the main hall, we were stunned by the architecture and the design of the area. The walls were covered with paintings of the king’s army and personals, the roof was covered with beautifully stained glasses. Each part of the hall had a different color which provides a rich contrast against the other.
Throughout the palace, we noticed vey intricate details on the floors, walls, doors, door frames, mirrors and even on the balustrade of staircase.
The palace also had a lift which was installed in the year 1921 by the England based elevator company called OTIS. FYI, at that time, the concept of a lift in India was seen as an extreme luxury and the first lift in India was installed in the year 1892.
The palace has also displayed two elephant heads that is well preserved which the King once had killed in a rampage.
We moved to the upper floor and were met by the hall that is used till date during the Dussehra festival. ‘Mysore Dasara’, is a 10-day festival, celebrating the victory of Goddess Chamundeshwari and Mysore is known for throwing a very lavish celebration right here in this Palace.
After being mesmerized at the beauty of the Palace, we moved across the area and noticed that within the compound there are multiple temples. We saw the second oldest temple of Mysore that was built in the year 1499 AD. Around the Palace, a lot of trees and plants are planted to keep the area cool which also contributes to the overall beauty of it.
We bid adieu to the palace and headed back to our hotel for a short nap after all this walking.
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