Mysore Palace also called Amba Vilas Palace - Historical Palace
The abode of the royal family of Wodeyars, the Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, is one of the largest palaces in India. Any trip to Mysore is incomplete without visiting it. The palace is the official residence of Mysore royal family, Wodeyars; who ruled over Mysore between 1350 and 1950. The history of Mysore palace goes back to the 14th century when the first structure was laid out. It is said that the very first construction was with wood. It was unfortunately struck by lightning in 1638. Hence, a new palace with many added features, extensive pavilions and buildings was built and reconstructed by Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar.
The renovated palace boasted of great architecture and captivating looks. However, this too was short-lived as the unfortunate death of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673 - 1704 AD) led to a period of political instability in the kingdom. During the early 18th century, when Mysore was under the rule of Muslim sultanate Tipu Sultan, the palace saw complete negligence and deteriorated further. In 1799, five year old Krishnaraja Wodeyar III took hold of the throne (1794-1868) and a new commission was passed for renovating the Mysore Palace. The new structure which was the third version of the original palace was completed in 1803. It was designed in the Hindu architectural style.
However, the palace had to face a misfortunate again in 1897. It was during the wedding of the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar, the palace caught fire and was burnt completely. During the rule of Queen Regent Kempananjammanni Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, she assigned a British architect Henry Irwin to restart the construction. This fourth structure, the present one was completed in 1912. It was built with the intention to pay homage to the Mysore kingdom and Wodeyar families. The Palace borrows heavily from the Indo-Saracenic and then blends in elements from the gothic, Rajput and Muslim styles. This is mostly because of the ample times the palace has been renovated and restructured.
The Mysore palace does a fantastic job of integrating India’s cultural richness in its design. A three-storied structure, the palace shows the Islamic style of architecture in its deep pink domes. It does a fantastic job of integrating India’s cultural richness in its design. There are 3 gates that lead to the palace. The front gate (East gate) opens for the delegates and otherwise during Dasara festival. The South gate is for the general public and the West gate opens during Dasara. The palace has many secret tunnels connecting several confidential portions. A sculpture of the Goddess of prosperity & wealth Gajalakshmi, with her elephants is seated atop the central arch. The palace facing Chamundi hills shows the devotion of the kings of Mysore towards Goddess Chamundi.
A well-maintained garden around the palace makes the site even more spectacular. The Palace is the centre of attraction during the famous Mysore Dussehra festival where various artists perform on stages within the grounds. It happens for 10 days in the 3rd week of October. On the 10th day, a grand parade with elephants and elaborate floats commences at the palace. On the eve of Dasara festival for 2 months, the palace is illuminated by 97000 gleaming light bulbs to create an ethereal light extravaganza against the ink black sky. The sheer elegance and magnificent glare of power that the palace emanates is high enough to keep any visitor enamoured for lifetime.