The cityscape of Mysuru is adorned with seven palaces, Mysuru Palace being the most spectacular one. Its history dates back to the 14th century, when its foundation was laid by the Wodeyars or Wadiyars. The Old Palace was built in the Puragiri, or the Old Fort, by Yaduraya Wodeyar, the first King of Mysore.
The Old Palace, made entirely of wood, used to face the Chamundi Hills eastward. The initial construction was completed in 1574, after which the royal family began living here.
In 1638, tragedy befell upon the erstwhile fortress when it was struck by lightning. Since it was a wooden structure, the entire palace burned down. It was soon reconstructed under the reign and supervision of the 12th King of the Wodeyar dynasty, Kantirava Narasa Raja Wodeyar.
155 years later, in 1793, when Mysore came under the Islamic reign, Tipu Sultan decided not to swear allegiance to the Wodeyar dynasty. He knocked down the palace and reconstructed it to make it his new capital, Nazarbad. Soon after, in 1799 after the demise of Tipu Sultan, Mysore and the Mysore Palace went back to the Wodeyars. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III took it back and redid the palace following a Hindu architectural style.
Tragedy did not end here for the palatial abode of the rajas. In 1896, during the wedding ceremony of princess Jayalakshammani, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar, the palace caught fire and was burnt down to ashes. Thus, began the reconstruction work in 1897, which went on till 1912. British architect Henry Irwin was brought on board by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV to redo the palace. Executive engineer in the Mysore Palace division P. Raghavulu Naidu was in charge of overseeing the construction.
The structure and architecture
Architect Henry Irwin went to Delhi, erstwhile Madras and Calcutta to extensively research the predominant architectural style. The entire cost of redoing the palace went up to INR 42 lakh, back in 1912. For a palace with such elaborate history, the architecture bears a true testimony to the years gone by.
Built with stone and marble in the Indo-Saracenic style, the Mysore Palace, courtesy its multiple renovations, is now a fusion of Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic styles. Featuring dark pink domes, turrets, expansive arches and porticos, the palace is a three-storeyed structure. It also features a five-storey and 145 feet high tower which has a gold-plated dome.
There are two durbar halls, courtyards, mahogany gates with embellishments, and the residential quarters of the royal family in the palace premises. It also has 12 temples that were built over time by all the Wodeyar kings.
The palace can be accessed through four main gates. The East gate, or the Jaya Maarthaanda, is the front gate. It is opened strictly for dignitaries during Dasara. The West gate or the Varaha, is also a Dasara special. The gate that’s open for the general public is the South gate, aka Balarama. There’s also the Jayarama, or the North gate, which showcases the kingdom’s emblem and coat of arms through inscriptions.
Mysore Palace and its tradition of Dasara
The palace has the tradition of celebrating the state festival Dasara, dating back to centuries. Till today, it is celebrated across 10 days with the same pomp and magnificence. The palace hosts a special durbar, athletic competitions, music, and dance concerts to commemorate the festival.
On the last day of Vijayadashami, the city witnesses a grand procession of decorated elephants, known as the Jumbo Savari. In this procession, the lead elephant props up an idol of goddess Chamundeshwari inside a golden howdah. Several dance groups, tribal artists, music bands, decorated horses, and camels are also a part of this procession. The procession then comes to a stop at Bannimantap, where the banni tree is worshipped.
For the grand festival of Dasara, the entire Mysore Palace is lit up with more than 97,000 light bulbs and it’s a sight you absolutely do not want to miss!
Address: Sayyaji Rao Rd, Agrahara, Chamrajpura, Mysuru, Karnataka 570001
Palace timings: 10.00 am – 05.30 pm on all days
Palace illumination timings: 07.00 pm – 07.45 pm on Sundays, national holidays, and State festivals.
Tickets: Adults (Indian / Foreign) – INR 100
Children between 10 – 18 Years – INR 50
Children below 10 years – Free entry
Article Credit : Lifestyle Asia
and congratulations on your first post here.
