MYSORE PALACE

The palace of Mysore which is presently standing is probably the fourth generation of the structure that has been built on the same foundation of earlier palaces, which were destroyed due to various catastrophic causes. Only thing that did not change is the name- Mysore Palace. The original fort was built early as 1574 CE, which is believed to have constructed under Chamaraja Wodayar IV, the then ruler of Mysore.

The present palace was built in the year 1912 under Vani Vilas Sannidhana, queen of ChamarahaWodeyar X, who commissioned the British architect Henry Irwin to build the palace. This palace stands grandly with a combination of Hindu, Muslim as well as Gothic hybrid style of architecture. It is a three storied stone structure with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower.

The entrance of the palace has a Doll’s pavilion, which has a collection of Indian and European sculptures and ceremonial objects. Towards the south of the palace there is a splendid Kalyana mandapa or a wedding pavilion, decorated with beautiful multi-colored stained glass with peacock motifs. The floor shines with tiles brought from England. The second floor of the palace has a grand Durbar hall which is around 155ft long and 42ft broad. The walls here have murals of the eight avatars of Devi Shakti, and paintings that depict the scenes of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The 12 temples surrounding the compoundadds up to the grandeur of the palace.