Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace, India

The grand facade of Mysore Palace during a golden sunset, viewed from the gardens.

Mysore Palace is a royal residence whose Indo-Saracenic halls and carved interiors make it the clear highlight of the city.

The place

Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, stands in the centre of Mysuru in Karnataka, southern India. The Wadiyar royal family made it their home, and it served as the administrative heart of the Kingdom of Mysore. The present building was begun in 1897 after an earlier palace was lost to fire, and it was finished in 1912. Henry Irwin, a British architect with earlier experience on the Madras High Court, is credited with the design, and Edwin Wolleston Fritchley also took part. The style blends Indo-Saracenic forms with Indo-Islamic, Rajput, Hoysala and Gothic touches, so the façade feels both familiar and unexpected. Walking through, the first impression is of carved and decorated surfaces: rosewood doors and ceilings with inlaid ivory, marble figurines, collections of caskets and portraits of royal family members. The Durbar Hall, where the court once gathered, is the room most people come to photograph. Outside, the grounds hold older shrines and gardens, and the building is especially striking when it is lit at night and during festivals. Parts of the complex can close for ceremonies and maintenance, so it is wise to allow flexible time. Mysore is a relaxed city, so the palace is usually the anchor of a visit rather than a rushed stop on a longer tour.

Its story

Mysore Palace has stood on the same ground for centuries, though the buildings on it have been burned, pulled down and rebuilt. In 1524, a fort with earthen walls was raised in the village of Puragere, the settlement that later grew into the city. The first palace recorded there dates from 1638, when the ruler Kanthirava Narasaraja I rebuilt a structure that a lightning strike had destroyed. For much of that period Srirangapatna was the real capital, and the palace served mainly as a stopping point for the maharaja on visits to worship at the Chamundeshwari Temple.

Decline came in the later 18th century. Tipu Sultan found the town neglected, and in 1793 he pulled down the palace and parts of the fort walls, reusing the stone for a new fortress called Nazarabad. After Tipu died at the Battle of Srirangapatna in 1799, the British placed the young Krishnaraja Wodeyar III on the throne and set about rebuilding. The job took four years, and the new palace was largely timber, built in a Hindu style. Once it was finished, Mysore became the capital, and the first durbar, or royal assembly, was held there in 1805 during Navaratri. The Dasara festival has been celebrated on the palace grounds since the early 19th century, and it closes with elephants parading on Vijayadashami.

The present palace is the answer to a later loss. Work began in 1897, after an earlier building burned, and the new structure was completed in 1912. Its story is therefore one of repeated rebuilding, each phase reflecting the political power of its moment: a small fort, a royal residence under the Wadiyars, a palace damaged by Tipu's campaigns, and finally a grand building in the Indo-Saracenic manner.

What to see

Culture

Mysore Palace is a royal residence that still carries ceremonial weight, and the city takes pride in it. The Wadiyar family's link to the building is part of everyday talk in Mysuru, and the Dasara festival, held on the palace grounds and closing with an elephant procession on Vijayadashami, is when the whole city turns out. Expect crowds, slow queues at the entrance and groups who stop often in the galleries, especially at weekends and during festivals. Much of the decoration is fragile carved wood and painted ceiling, so staff may ask visitors to keep moving through some rooms and to stay back from the walls. The Lakshmi Ramanaswami temple within the grounds is a working shrine, and the Chamundeshwari Temple on its hill draws worshippers all day. Dress modestly, and remove footwear at temple thresholds, which is standard at Indian shrines. Photographing people at prayer without asking is considered rude, so ask first or keep the camera lowered. Remove your shoes at every temple doorway, and ask before photographing anyone at prayer.

What to wear

Mysore Palace sits in a city long associated with silk, and traditional dress here reflects that. Mysore silk, a fine silk weave linked with the city's workshops, is the textile most associated with formal occasions, and a silk saree with a zari border is a familiar sight at weddings and festivals. Men traditionally wear the dhoti, a long wrapped cloth often in white or cream, with an angavastram draped over the shoulder. Today Mysuru looks much like any Indian city: students and office workers wear jeans, shirts and kurtas, while women mix sarees with salwar kameez or western clothes depending on the setting. Temple visits still call for covered shoulders and knees, and many women choose a saree or long kurta for shrines. For a visit to the palace itself, light cotton clothing suits the heat, and a scarf or shawl helps when entering shrines. A visitor should choose comfortable sandals or shoes that come off easily, because they will be removed at temple doorways and the walk is over stone and gravel. Dress for the climate rather than the palace: a light cotton shirt, loose trousers or a long skirt, and a sun hat cover most needs.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. December to February is the most comfortable stretch, with cooler and drier weather for walking the grounds and climbing Chamundi Hill. April and May get hot, and the monsoon brings rain from June to October.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Bengaluru (BLR) is the nearest international airport, about 185 km north-east. From there, trains and road transport run to Mysuru Junction, the city's main station, with frequent services between the two cities.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources