The Palace Story

Overview

The Mysore Palace remains one of India’s most visited living places. The erstwhile royal family of Mysore is still in residence, though parts of it are open to the public for viewing. What you do get to see still boggles the mind!

Learn about what it took to build one of the country’s most magnificent palace and the engineering challenge it posed. The old wooden palace was burnt down by a fire in 1897during  family wedding, but the new one which rose in its place and was built by the British architect Henry Irwin exudes the power and majesty of a kingly abode.  Uncover the hidden stories of the Mysore Palace as we explore the nooks and corners of this magnificent structure. The cultural contributions of the Wodeyar kings is more than legend and one of the most flamboyant aspects of this was their patronage of the annual  Dasara festivities, devoted to the presiding deity of Mysore, the Goddess Chamundeeswari. The 10-day long festivities are spread across various locations in the city; but the heart of it is the magnificent procession in the city of the goddess Bhuvaneswari, the patron deity of Karnataka, mounted atop a caparisoned elephant.

Why you will love it

• Get to know the role royalty played in shaping the city of Mysore
• The splendour of the Mysore Palace
• Learning about the Wodeyars’ patronage of the arts and crafts through the workmanship we see in the palace

What you will experience

We will visit this stunning palace and explore the areas open to the public, as the family is still in residence. We will learn what it took to build the country’s most magnificent palace which was an engineering marvel for its time. Its key points are the magnificent Darbar Hall, The Kalyana Mantapa, the jewel filled Golden Throne (on display during Dasara only) and the Golden Howdah. The Residential Museum is open to the public. A walk around the old fort will bring us to some the beautiful stone carved temples.