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A mishmash of
architectural styles, the Mysore Palace resembles, in roughly equal proportions,
everything from a medieval Mughal mausoleum to an opulent French chateau- and almost any
form of magnificent building in between. Uninhibited grandeur is the buzzword here- and it
has to be seen to be believed.
The site where
today’s Mysore Palace stands was once the site for an earlier wooden palace, which
burnt down in a fire during 1897. For those with a penchant for the sumptuous, this proved
to be a stroke of luck- for the building that was constructed in its stead was one which
goes the whole hog when it comes to sheer splendour. |
Once the residence of
the former Wodeyar kings of Mysore, the palace was designed by the British architect Henry
Irwin (who was also the brain behind Shimla’s Viceregal Lodge). The building combines
a range of architectural styles- Dravidian, Indo-Saracenic, Roman and Oriental. Towering
columns, bulbous red domes, glistening marble floors, carved mahogany ceilings, ornate
arches, stained glass and massive doors inlaid with ivory are all part of the show- and as
much as the building itself, the regalia it houses is worth a tour.
Spread across the
palace are a series of galleries which contain a vast and impressive array of memorabilia-
from huge paintings to imposing sculptures, weaponry to old costumes and jewellery.
Amongst the must-sees are a bejeweled golden throne and a really quirky howdah equipped
with red and green lights to enable the Maharaja to instruct the mahout to `stop’ or
`go’! On Sundays, government holidays and festivals, the entire palace is illuminated
with all of 50,000 light bulbs- a spectacle which is truly magnificent.
The Mysore Palace is
open to visitors from 6 am to 9 am and from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm daily. Entrance fees to the
palace are Rs10 per person.
Best time to go
Like much of India, Mysore
too gets uncomfortably hot and humid during the summer months, between about April and
August. The city’s best avoided at this time, and really the best time to visit is at
Dussehra, in October. A major Hindu festival, Dussehra is celebrated with much pomp and
gaiety in Mysore, and even includes a grand procession with much trumpeting and fanfare,
headed by Mysore’s now defunct Raja. Dussehra also heralds the start of the tourist
season, which adds to its suitability as a time to visit the city.
Getting there
and around
The
nearest airport is at Bangalore (139 km from Mysore), which is well connected to airports
across India. Getting from Bangalore to Mysore shouldn’t be a problem: there are a
number of rail and road options to choose from.
Mysore
has good rail and road connections to the rest of Karnataka, and there are weekly
connections to Chennai and Mumbai as well. Buses- regular, deluxe, super deluxe and
express- ply between Mysore and a number of cities and towns in both Karnataka and
Tamilnadu.
Once you get to Mysore, you can hire a cab for the day to do the
sights; it’s probably the most convenient and price-wise option. Taxis are not
metered and a quite a bit of haggling is required for settling a price. Auto-rickshaws
work out okay for short distances and cycle-rickshaws are good for slightly over 'walking
distance’. Buses also take you around the city and to tourist attractions around
Mysore.
Accommodation
The accommodation
available in Mysore is fairly varied- stretching all the way from budget (as low as a
couple of hundred rupees a night) to luxury, going well beyond Rs 8,000 a night. The
budget accommodation scene is good, usually no-frills but clean and neat. There are some
value-for-money, good mid-rung hotels as well as a few luxury hotels that have a pool,
coffee shop, restaurants and health club. |
