One of the largest palaces in the country, Mysore Palace or the Amba Vilas Palace is amongst the popular sightseeing places in Mysore that captivate everyone’s interest with incomparable beauty. It’s a royal edifice that exhibits a fine blend of rich history and cultural heritage to attract history buffs, wanderers, and explorers in large numbers every year.
The overall experience you get here is something you cannot put into words, making it the second most frequently visited historical monument in India after the famous Taj Mahal in Agra.
Don’t miss the light and sound show whenever you pay a visit to the Mysore Palace as it displays the 600 years old history, traditions, and the culture of Wodeyar dynasty. The light and sound show is organised every evening for 45 minutes from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on all days except Sundays and Public holidays.
Best Mysuru Tours 2023/2024
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History
Dating its history back to the 14th century, the foundation of the Mysore Palace was initially laid-out by the royal family of Mysore. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, it was struck by lightning in 1638 and hence, a new palace was reconstructed here from the scratch.
In the year 1793, when Tipu Sultan came into power, he again demolished this palace to make it look like a typical mosque. However, after his death, the palace once again was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty and it was redesigned as per the Hindu architectural style.
Sadly, in 1897, the palace got caught in a fire at a wedding ceremony and hence, it was rebuilt one more time. This time, the entire work related to the revamping of the palace was assigned to Henry Irwin who was a famous British architect. It took almost 11-12 years to complete its construction at a handsome amount of INR 41 lakhs. Later, several amendments were done to it and a Public Darbar Hall was added to address the people by the ruler of Mysore.
Architecture
Boasting an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture that catches the attention of people from far and wide, Mysore Palace is a 3-story building surrounded by a sprawling lush-green garden. It has 3 gates that allow you to step into its structure with a group of 12 temples that are worth visiting within the premise – all constructed between the 14th century and the 20th century. Here you can also find several secret tunnels that were earlier used by the rulers of Mysore to access the confidential areas.
While the exterior side of the Mysore Palace comprises several arches, columns, canopies, bay windows, and 2 durbar halls, the interior side is tastefully designed and decorated with stained glass ceilings, spectacular chandeliers, carved doors, and finest works of art that make it look even more appealing. Make sure to explore its rooms as well as they work like a cherry on the cake.
How to Reach
Getting to Mysore Palace is quite easy. Due to its exquisite location in the center of the city, Mysore Palace can be accessed by people via all means of transportation. Depending on your comfort level, you can either choose to commute through an auto-rickshaw, a state-owned bus, or a private cab from some of the best car rental companies in Mysore. It is only a short stroll away from Mysore Bus Stand and Mysore Junction Railway Station.