Mysore Palace is a historical palace and a royal residence at Mysore It is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore who ruled Mysore for more than 500 years, known as the City of Palaces, Mysore retains a quaint charm, that never fails to enchant. Mysore is a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendor of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centers, and scenic spots. The royal lineage can be traced back to 1399, when Yaduraya, a royal prince of the Yadava dynasty, was on a pilgrimage visit to Chamundi Temple with his brother Vijaya. They took shelter in the Kodi Bhairava temple on the banks of Doddakere, the ‘Big Lake’. There they came to learn that the local royal family was in great danger. Their ruler had just died, and Maranayaka, a neighboring chief, was threatening the queen. He wanted her daughter’s hand in marriage. The queen and the princess were in a very vulnerable position. With the help of Jangama (Wadiyar) killed Maranayaka and married the daughter of Chamaraja and succeeded to the Mysore principality. And so the Wodyer dynasty was established – a succession of 25 kings who ruled until 1947 when Mysore became part of the Indian Union. The Wadiyars were great patrons of the arts, and the finest craftsmen in the state were employed to work on the Palaces. Wadiyar period was a new era of prose literature as an independent literary medium and it was, in other words, a prose writer in the form of the history of the Mysore rulers. Chamaraja Wadiyar encouraged Kannada scholars like Ramachandra, author of Hayasaara Samuchchaya.
The original palace built of wood got burnt down in 1897, during the wedding of Jayalakshammanni, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar and was rebuilt in 1912 at the cost of Rs. 42 lakhs. The present Palace built in the Indo-Saracenic style and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. Above the central arch is an impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck, and abundance with her elephants. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. Designed by the well-known British architect, Henry Irwin, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.
Designed by the English Architect, Henry Irwin, the Mysore Palace dominates the skyline of Mysore. A three storied structure in the Indo-Saracenic style built between 1897-1912, the palace has beautifully designed square towers at cardinal points, covered with domes. The Durbar Hall with its ornate ceiling and sculpted pillars and the Kalyanamantapa (Marriage Pavilion) with its glazed tiled flooring and stained glass, domed ceiling are worth noting. Intricately carved doors, the golden howdah (elephant seat), paintings as well as the fabulous, jewel-encrusted golden throne (displayed during Dasara) are amongst the palace's other treasures. The walled palace complex houses the Residential Museum (incorporating some of the Palace's living quarters), temples and shrines including the Shwetha Varahaswamy temple. The palace is illuminated on Sundays, Public Holidays as well as during the Dasara Celebrations when 97,000 electric bulbs are used to illuminate it.
MYSURU PALACE ARCHITECTURE
Designed by Henry Irwin, the Mysuru Palace is one of the finest achievements of Indo-Saracenic architecture, summing up many diverse themes that have played through Indian architecture over the centuries. Muslim designs and Rajput style combine with Gothic elements and indigenous materials in an exuberant display of grandeur.
The palace is set among meticulously laid gardens and has an intricately detailed elevation with a profusion of delicately curved arches, bow-like canopies, magnificent bay windows and columns in varied styles ranging from Byzantine to Hindu. The striking façade has seven expansive arches and two smaller ones flanking the central arch, which is supported by tall pillars. Above the central arch is an impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi - the Goddess of wealth with elephants.
The sumptuous interiors of the palace, in keeping with the grand exteriors, are replete with exquisitely carved doors, expansive pavilions, delicate chandeliers, exquisitely stained glass ceilings and decorative frescoes depicting scenes from the Indian epics. An enduring reminder of the splendor of the Mysuru maharajas and a testament to the dexterity of the local artisans and craftsmen.
PEOPLE’S PALACE
In the tradition of city-building all over the world, ever since people started congregating for worship, the city-center is often the site of the principal shrine, with its plaza, towering columns, and grand-steps.in Mysuru City, the Palace, which constitutes the central axis of the planned city, is in fact built in the spirit and style of a temple with its approach halls of myriad pillars, its mantapa-like corridors, its pavilions reserved for special occasions, the throne room situated and sumptuously adorned like the sanctum sanctorum, and a cluster of satellite temples, lower in architectural rank but each seating a deity deeply revered and regularly visited by royalty.
As noted earlier, the Mysuru Durbar studiously built up, and punctiliously sustained, a culture and administrative tradition of easy accessibility to the public. The Palace was the focal point of the Dasara, the people’s festival when crowds thronged to its grounds and corridors. There was never an attempt at isolation or keeping people away. This spirit was visible even when the new palace was being built. l here is a contemporary account (1905) of the palace under construction, evocatively penned by7 one Prevost Battersby: “ The place resounded to the mallet, the chisel was everywhere eating its way into uncompleted carvings; chips of granite flew from the low-vaulted roofs; the floors were littered with men at work upon blocks of marble, slabs of porphyry, junks of teak, and panels of sandalwood, intricate lattices and delicate inlay, on ivory doors and jambs of silver; ;yet there was no attempt made to exclude the public, whether it came in a loin cloth or a black silk coat. Men, women, and children, the whole populace streamed in, watching with wondering eyes the brown teak, turn to birds and flowers, and the shapes of gods and beasts grow out of the green serpentine; shook the granite chips from their hair, brushed the dust and the mire of masonry from their saris, humbly removed themselves when found in the way, and wandered on from room to room (Quoted in The Palaces of India by Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad, Maharaja of Baroda).
MYSURU PALACE HISTORY
The current Mysuru Palace – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the British architect Henry Irwin after its predecessor was destroyed in a fire in 1897. The imposing building that stands today was completed in 1912, but it is believed that a Mysuru Palace was established as part of a wooden fortress, by the royal family of Mysuru, the Wodeyars, as early as the fourteenth century.
In 1638 the palace was struck by lightning and rebuilt by Kantirava Narasa Raja Wodeyar (1638 - 1659 AD), who extended the existing structures, adding new pavilions. The glory of the new building was to prove short-lived. The death of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673 - 1704 AD) in the eighteenth century plunged the kingdom into a period of political instability. During these turbulent times, the Mysuru Palace slipped into a state of neglect culminating in its demolition in 1793 by Tipu Sultan, the son of Hyder Ali, a maverick general in the king’s army who rose to become the ruler of Mysuru.
In 1799, when upon the death of Tipu Sultan the five-year-old Krishnaraja Wodeyar III (1794-1868) AD assumed the throne, the coronation ceremony took place under a marquee. One of the king’s first tasks, on his accession, was to commission a new palace built in the Hindu architectural style and completed in 1803. The hastily constructed palace soon fell into disrepair and in 1897 was razed to the ground by a fire at the wedding ceremony of princess Jayalakshmmanni. The destiny of the Mysuru Palace now passed to Queen Regent Kempananjammanni Vanivilasa Sanndihana, who commissioned well-known British architect Henry Irwin to build a new palace that would be a tribute to the legacy of Mysuru and the Wodeyars.
Completed in 1912 and at a cost of Rs. 41,47,913 the result was the Mysuru Palace you see standing today. A masterpiece in Indo-Saracenic architecture, on par with great Mughal residences of the North and the stately colonial public buildings of the South. Designed by the English Architect, Henry Irwin, the Mysuru Palace dominates the skyline of Mysuru. A three storied structure in the Indo-Saracenic style built between 1897-1912, the palace has beautifully designed square towers at cardinal points, covered with domes. The Durbar Hall with its ornate ceiling and sculpted pillars and the Kalyanamantapa (Marriage Pavilion) with its glazed tiled flooring and stained glass, domed ceiling are worth noting. Intricately carved doors, the golden howdah (elephant seat), paintings as well as the fabulous, jewel-encrusted golden throne (displayed during Dasara) are amongst the palace's other treasures. The walled palace complex houses the Residential Museum (incorporating some of the Palace's living quarters), temples and shrines including the Shwetha Varahaswamy temple. The palace is illuminated on Sundays, Public Holidays as well as during the Dasara Celebrations when 97,000 electric bulbs are used to illuminate it.
THE ROYALS
Patrons of art and culture, fierce warriors and astute administrators, the Wodeyars grew from provincial chieftains to a mighty dynasty that would rule Mysuru for nearly six centuries. The founding of the dynasty is veiled in the chivalrous legend of two princely brothers from Dwaraka, in the Northern State of Gujarat. While on pilgrimage in Mysuru the two princes heard women lament the fate of the local Princess Devajammanni. The King of Mysuru had died and the Chieftain of Karagahalli, a neighboring province, was trying to marry the princess and acquire Mysuru by force. Rising to the occasion the two brothers mobilized troops, killed the Karagahalli Chieftain and rescued the princess. The grateful princess married the elder of the two brothers, named Yaduraya, who became the first ruler of the Wodeyar dynasty.
It was Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617), the eight king of the Wodeyar dynasty, however, who transformed Mysuru from a feudal principality into a kingdom. Defeating the king of the declining Vijayanagar Empire, he shifted his capital from Mysuru to Srirangapatna. It was also during his reign that the famous Dasara festival was revived. Ranadhira Kantirava Narasaraja Wodeyar (1638-1659) consolidated the kingdom won by his predecessor, thwarting two invasions by the powerful Bijapur Adilshahis. He also fortified Srirangapatna and Mysuru and began minting coins with his seals. Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673-1704), the next great Wodeyar, further expanded the kingdom. He also introduced land reforms and streamlined the administration. Following his death, a series of inept rulers plunged the kingdom into political instability.
By the mid-eighteenth century, Mysuru was virtually ruled by Hyder Ali, a general in the army of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734 - 1766), and then his son Tipu Sultan. Finally, following the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 in a battle with the British, the five-year-old Prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] was installed on the throne of Mysuru. It was under the reigns of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] and his son Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV [1895- 1940], that the modern township of Mysuru was created. It was also during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV that the Mysuru Palace was built, under the commission of his mother Maharani Kempananjammanni of Vanivilasa Sanndihana who served as Regent during his minority from 1895-1902. After his death in 1940, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar became the 25th and last ruler of the Mysuru royal family. It is during this period that India won freedom and monarchy was abolished, closing a chapter in history and ending the era of the Mysuru Maharajas.
GOLDEN HOWDAH
In the northernmost bay of Gombe Thotti is the Golden Howdah also called the Ambari. The core of this Howdah is a wooden structure in the form of a mantapa which is covered with 80 Kgs of Gold Sheets having intricate designs consisting of scrolls, foliage, and flowers. The focus of the Dasara Procession’s grand finale. Either side of Howdah are 2 ivory fly whisks, finely cut strips of ivory from the bristles which are tipped with zari, type of thread made from thinnest gold or silver wire. 2 Lights attached to the Howdah red and green are battery operated and used to control the pace of the procession by the King. King would customarily stop to receive floral offerings form his subjects. The elephant would lift the garland up to the king who would touch the flower then the elephant would hand it back. During the days of yore, the king would sit in the Howdah accompanied by his brother and nephew. Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar as the last member of the royal family to ride in Golden Howdah. Seven cannons were fired to make momentous events. The tradition of the Dasara Procession continues to this day also but the idol of the presiding deity of the Mysuru city, Goddess Chamundeshwari, is taken in procession in the Golden Howdah.
GOLDEN THRONE
The golden throne consists of the main seat, a staircase, and the golden umbrella. A benedictory verse, forming part of the Sanskrit inscriptions, consisting of 24 slokas in Anusthup meter, engraved on the rim of the umbrella, states as follows: ”Oh, King Krishna, Lord of the earth, sone of the illustrious Chamaraja, you are resplendent with the blessings of Goddess Chamundeshwari. You are the lord of the Karnataka Ratna Simhasana. You are the full moon of the autumn to the milky ocean of the Yadu race. This golden umbrella of the golden throne which you have inherited from your illustrious ancestors evokes the awe of the whole world.” According to this epigraph, which is addressed to Krishnaraja Wadiyar III, the bejeweled golden throne has come down to the Mysuru Royal Family from generations of Kings.
The seat has a tortoise seat (Kurmasana). The four sides of the throne are decorated with Vyalas and creepers. Elephants on the east, horse on the south, soldiers on the west and chariots on the north decorate the royal seat. Brahma towards the south, Maheshvara on the north and Vishnu in the center from the Trinity. In the corners are found Vijaya and four lions, two of the mythical Shardulas, two horse and swans in the four corners. It is further adorned with Naganymphs and Asthadikpalakas or the guardians of the eight quarters.
PUBLIC DARBAR HALL FOR PUBLIC AUDIENCE
Visitors will first see imported French lamp stands in the corner representing Egyptian figurines, just before entering the Durbar Hall there is a life-size statue of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. This plaster of Paris sculpture is the creation of B.Basavaiah, Palace artist, near him is the cut-out photograph of his favorite servant, Jamedar Peer Bait. Sajje or Dasara Hall measuring 42.75 mt x 12.70 met on the first floor is reached by a broad stone staircase. This hall is traversed by granite pillars, roofed over with a fine stucco ceiling in a variety of designs. The rear walls of this large pillared hall contain one oil painting that sita swaymvara by the celebrated royal artist from Kerala Raja Ravivarma. Hall is adorned with the pictures of Goddess Devi in eight forms
TEMPLES INSIDE MYSURU PALACE
- Kodi Bharravasvami Temple – dedicated to Shiva in the form of Bhairava derives its name because of its location in the past. Sri Lakshmiramana Swami Temple – Oldest temple in the city. Located towards the western part of the fort, inside the Palace. An inscription found in Cole’s Gardens (present-day Bannimantap) registers a Grant for God Lakshmiramana in 1499 AD. According to the annals of the Mysuru Royal Family, a half-blind Brahim has cured his blindness around the year 1599 at the interposition of Raja Wadiyar. The temple is also important as all the religious ceremonies in connection with the coronation of child Raja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III were held in this temple on June 30, 1799.
- Sri Shweta Varahaswamy Temple - located beside the south gate. It’s constructed in the famous style of the great Hoysala Empire, which controlled most of Karnataka from the tenth until the fourteenth centuries.
- Sri Trinayaneshvara Swami Temple – an Ancient temple which existed even before the time of Raja Wadiyar, located outside the Original Mysuru fort, on the bank of Devaraya Sagar (Doddakere). It was during the time of Kanthirava Narasaraja Wadiyar and his successor Dodda Devaraja Wadiyar that the fort was enlarged and the Trinayaneshvara temple came within the fort.
- Sri Prasanna Krishanswami temple – The Mysuru dynasty claims its descent from Yadu Vamsa (Yadu Race) founded by Sri Krishna of Mahabharata. Therefore, Krishnaraja Wadiyar III felt sad that there was no temple dedicated to Krishna. To fulfill this lacuna, he started the construction of Sri Prasanna Krishna Temple in 1825 and according to the inscription, it was completed in 1829.
- Kille Venkatramana Swamy Temple – During the time of Tipu, the Mysuru family was still in Srirangapatna. Queen Lakshmammanni, wife of Krishnaraja Wadiyar II was deeply worried about the dynasty and its future. Then lord Venkataramana is said to have appeared in her dream and directed her that his statue which is in Balamuri should be consecrated in Mysuru. By this pious act, her dynasty would get salvation. She, therefore, proceeded to Balamuri without the knowledge of the Sultan and brought the image of Venkataramana, consecrated it in the temple, and offered continuous worship. This is said to have helped the family and after the fall of Tippu, the Kingdom was restored to the Wadiyar dynasty.
- Sri Bhuvaneshwari Temple – located on north side of the Palace Fort corresponding to the Varahaswamy temple in the south, thus providing a symmetrical structure in the fort complex. Constructed by Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar in the year 1951. One of the important objects in the temple is a copper Surya Mandala which is said to have been transferred from the Palace to this temple by His Highness Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.
- Sri Gayatri Temple – located in the south-east corner of the fort directly corresponding to the Trinayaneshara Swamy temple constructed by Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar in 1953. Three shrines dedicated to Savithri, Gayathri and Saraswathi.
ILLUMINATION TIMINGS - SUNDAYS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 7.00 PM - 8.00 PM (There are no charges to watch Mysore Palace lighting)
SOUND AND LIGHT SHOW (SON ET LUMIERE) AT THE PALACE (On weekdays (Monday to Saturday) except Sundays, National Holidays and State Festivals.)
- A 45 minute sound and light show, depicting the 400-year history of Mysuru.
- 15 Minutes Palace Illumination can be seen at the end of the Sound and Light Program Show.
- The ticket will be issued only at Varaha Gate Counter (South Side) from 6.30pm onwards
- Tickets for (Indian / Foreign) Adults Rs 50 / head, Children above 7 years and below 12 years Rs 30 / head.
Entrance to Palace for Tourists from Varaha and Amba Vilas Gate at South and Jayarama Balarama Gate at North.
Audio Kit available at Mysore Palace in the following Languages
- English
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Italy
- France
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