Mysore Palace Guide to Timings, History, Images & Entry Fee
- Vishnu M R
- November 9, 2021
Also known as Amba Vilas Palace
Hey folks, This Maharaja Palace(Mysore Palace) in Mysore is world-famous. It attracts tourists from all over the world. The famous Mysore Palace or the Amba Vilas Palace is the royal residence in Mysore. It’s is the home of the Mysore Royal Family, The Wodeyar Dynasty.
It’s present in the southern state of India in Karnataka. You can see the palace in the heart of Mysore city. The city is about 140 km from the state capital, Banglore. Mysore city is also known as the cultural capital of Karnataka.
Introduction to Mysore Palace
History of Mysore Palace
The founders of the Wodeyar dynasty belong to Dwaraka. It is present in the northern part of Gujarat. They were two princely brothers. While they were on a visit to Mysore, the Mysore king had died. During this time Karagahalli was the neighboring province to Mysore. The chieftain of this province tried to marry the Mysore Queen. Later thought of controlling Mysore by force.
Seeing the helpless condition of Mysore, the brothers raised to the occasion. They killed the chieftain and rescued Mysore from invasion. The princess became happy and married the elder prince among the two. Then Yaduraya became the first ruler of Mysore.
Raja Wodeyar (1578-1617) was the 8th king of the Wodeyar dynasty. He transformed Mysuru from a feudal principality into a kingdom. He defeated the king of the declining Vijayanagar Empire. Later he shifted his capital from Mysuru to Srirangapatna. It was also during his reign that the famous Dasara festival came into lime-light in Mysore.
Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (1673-1704) was the next great Wodeyar. He gradually expanded the kingdom. He also introduced land reforms and streamlined the administration. He also stabilized the kingdom through various political policies.
During the mid of eighteenth century, Mysuru was virtually ruled by Hyder Ali. He was a general in the army of Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734 – 1766). Later his son Tipu Sultan became the ruler. Tippu Sultan died in 1799 in a battle with the British. Later the five-year-old Prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] became the ruler of Mysore.
During the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III [1799-1868] and his son Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV [1895- 1940] developed the Mysore city majestically. The modern township of Mysuru was created. The city was planned and constructed. During the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV that the Mysore Palace was built. This was also under the guidance of his mother Maharani Kempananjammanni.
After his death in 1940, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar became the 25th ruler of Mysore. He was the last ruler of the Mysuru royal family. It is during this period that India won freedom and monarchy was abolished. This closed the chapter in history and ended the era of the Mysuru Maharajas.
Once the Mysore city was the capital for the Maharajas, who ruled the state for several centuries. The Wodeyars ruled from 1399 to 1950. They belong to the Yadava community. Yaduraya Wodeyar founded the Wodeyar dynasty in 1399. After the Immediate death of Tippu Sultan in May 1799. The successor, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar III made Mysore his capital. They were under the control of the British. They have built the Mysore Palace using the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The palace is facing the Chamundeshwari temple to the east. The rulers of Mysore were great devotees of Goddess Chamundeshwari. They had built the palace using wood, which got burnt. So later they build using stone, bricks, and wood.
The Royal family continues to live in a part of the Palace. It is called the residential part of the palace. But people can see the ceremonial part of the palace. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar is the 27th head of the Kingdom of Mysore. Now he is the head of the Wadiyar dynasty. Although he has no official title or role, he is the Maharaja of Mysore.
Construction of new Palace
In 1897 the wooden Mysore palace caught fire. This was during the wedding ceremony of Princess Jayalakshmi Ammani. Nearly 40% of the palace was burnt. 60% of the palace was demolished. After this incident, the construction of a new palace took place. Lord Henry Irwin a British architect is the architect behind the new structure. Some architecture inside the palace is done by Raghavalu Naidu. The Mysore palace boundary is 72 acres. The total construction area is 4 acres. They constructed the current structure between 1897 and 1912. The final construction cost was about Rs. 4147913. Many expansions of the palace took place in 1940. This work was carried out under the rule of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. He was the last Maharaja for the kingdom of Mysore.
The architecture of Mysore Palace
The architecture of the palace has a combination of Hindu, Mughal, Rajputs, and Goths. The windows are made of Rajasthani style. The Domes are red in color. The palace is a three-level stone structure. It has also 145 feet five-level tower. The highest tower has a metallic flag made of gold. This flag is the symbol of the Mysore Kingdom. It weighs around 2.7kg. You can also see the Pancha-kalasha on the tower. The Palace covers an area of about 245 ft. by 156 ft. The palace has a total of five gates. The front gate is for the dignitaries known as Jayamarthanda marga. The south gate is for the general public known as Varaha gate. The North gate is called the Jayarama Balarama gate at the north. During Dasara, the West gate will be open to the public. Behind the palace, you can find two gates used by the corporation of Mysore. The palace has a big and beautiful garden on the premises. It’s well maintained and gives a wonderful look to the palace.
People can see the famous The Golden Throne and The Golden Ambari displayed in a museum. The Durbar hall has decorative columns, solid silver doors, and artistic mahogany ceilings. The private hall or the “Ambavilasa” is a luxurious hall with a doorway carved out of rosewood. The Doors are made of ivory. The above-stained glass used is from Scotland. The king used to hold private meetings with ministers here. The Darbar Hall is 155 ft. The high public hall was used for public announcements and hearings.
The museum has royal dresses, souvenirs, musical instruments, and weapons. These are the belongings of the Wodeyars. You can find the Italian Marble Neo-Classical statues inside the museum. The British gifted these statues to the Maharajas. The famous artist Raja Ravi Verma’s work illustrating 8 manifestations of Goddess Shakthi. This is a masterpiece one can see in the palace. You can find many 3D paintings inside the palace. These paintings look different on both sides. You can see around 12 temples built by the Maharajas from the 14th century to the 19th century. The famous ones are Someshvara Temple and Lakshmiramana. The Someshvara Temple belongs to God Lord Shiva. The Lakshmiramana Temple belongs to God Lord Vishnu. The Shwetha Varahaswamy Temple is also famous. It’s dedicated to Lord Varaha Swamy. This is one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. There are some more temples dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Bhuvaneshwari, and Gayatri Devi.
The Golden Throne or the regal seat is an archetype of brilliance. It is also called Ratna Simhasana or Chinnahada Simhasana. This Golden Throne has a splendid oeuvre on its gold plates. This is showcased exclusively to the public during the famous 10 days Dasara festival of Mysore. The Maharajas used to sit on this golden throne and run the courtroom in the Palace’s Durbar Hall.
The wedding hall or the Kalyan Mandapa is another massive octagonal-shaped hall. The pillars and arches in the hall are made of cast iron. It is imported from Ireland. It is to the south of the palace. It is made up of glass ceilings and glazed tile flooring. The ceiling is filled with intricate kaleidoscopic artwork. The doors are made using Burma Teak wood. These are polished every year. Some parts of flooring contain hard Black Granite.
The Gombe Thotti or the Doll’s pavilion is a gallery of traditional dolls. These dolls belong to the 19th and early 20th centuries. The pavilion has a fine collection of sculptures from India and Europe. You can also find many ceremonial objects that include the much-famed Golden howdah.
In Mysore, we celebrate the famous Dasara festival as the festival of the state. The palace is majestically decorated. Nearly 97,200 bulbs illuminate and light up the whole palace. During Dasara, the palace is decorated with light for almost 10 days. The Light Show timings are from 7 pm to 10 pm. Mysore will witness different cultural as well as spiritual programs during this time. The world-famous Dasara procession takes place on the last day of Navarathri. Goddess Chamundi is seated inside the golden Ambari weighing 750kg made up of gold. This elephant carries the golden Ambari in the procession.
Cafes are just like any other food place. There is a wide range of cafes that offer different menus and services. There are some cafes in Mysore that have good quality food, service, and ambiance. They also provide healthy options for their customers. This post provides information about some of the best cafes in Mysore for you to check out for yourself.
“Choo Choo, All Aboard! The next stop is – The Railway Museum, Mysore. Wait a minute, Where is Railway Museum?” – the most often raised question of all the folks visiting the city for the first time.
Follow the full guide to see what the place is about and how fun a visit here can be. This is a full guide – where we try to cover all the aspects to know before the visit, and few tips to keep you excited.
I am very excited to show you around the Railway Museum. the Museum has an amazing collection of vintage locomotives.
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The Sound & Light Show:
The Sound and light show takes place on all days other than Sundays and public holidays. The timings of the show are from 7:00 pm to 7:40 pm. The entry charge for the show is Rs. 40 for adults, Rs. 25 for children between 7 to 12 years of age, and Rs. 200 for foreign nationals. The palace remains illuminated from 7.00 pm to 7.45 pm on Sundays, state festivals, and national holidays. Other than that you can see lights from 7.40 pm to 7.45 pm following the sound and light show.
- Timings: 7:00 pm to 7:40 pm
- Entry Fee for Adults: Rs. 40
- Entry Fee for Children( 7 to 12years of age ): Rs. 25
- Entry Fee for Foreigners: Rs. 200
Mysore Palace Visit Details
- Timings: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
- Entry Fee for Adults: Rs. 40
- Entry Fee for Children( 10 to 18 years of age ): Rs. 20
- Entry Fee for Foreigners: Rs. 200
Hotels & Restaurants near the Mysore Palace.
You can find many good restaurants near the Mysore Palace. Both veg and non-veg restaurants are there near to palace.
The Gufha Restaurant is nearby and it’s a multi-cuisine restaurant. It is about 2.5km away from the palace. It serves delicious veg and non-veg dishes to the people.
The Hotel RRR is also another good restaurant near Mysore Palace. It’s an Andhra-style restaurant. Mutton Biriyani and Chilli Chicken are the main dishes there. You can also get traditional Andhra style veg meals for lunch as well as dinner. It’s about 1.5km away from the palace.
The Indra Cafe Paras is a veg restaurant famous for evening snacks and coffee. You will get a variety of Indian snacks and meals. It’s the best restaurant to visit in the evenings for beverages. This place is about 1km from the Mysore Palace.
