The Majestic Mysore Palace

There are many forts and palaces in India, but not all capture the interest and admiration of historians, writers, tourists and the civilians like that of the Mysore palace, apart from the Taj Mahal. The Mysore palace like the name suggests is located in the beautiful city of Mysore, the city also known for its aromatic Sandalwood and splendid silk sarees. The Mysore palace may not be included in the Seven Wonders of the world, but nevertheless the palace has a charm, beauty, and royalty of its own. People throng in millions every year to catch a glimpse of this structure still standing tall, especially in its full splendor in the month of September-October, during which the festival of Dasera is celebrated in its full vigor. Every autumn the palace gets illuminated in full pomp and is a treat to the eyes. Dasera is the most extravagantly celebrated festival in the city of Mysore. People eagerly await the arrival of this festival every year to celebrate the festival in its true spirits.

The Mysore palace is owned by the Wodeyars. It is still their official residence. The palace was built in the year 1912. In 1897 it was engulfed in fire during the wedding ceremonies of Princess Jayalakshmi,  but only the  temple of  Lord Ganpathi inside the palace remained untouched by the rage of the fire. The palace was then re-built with fire proof materials.  Even though a century old, the palace still stands strong telling its history to one and all who visits it. It is surrounded by a huge garden, with beautiful plants, flowers and trees.  There is a huge main entrance gate which remains closed all the time, except on few occasions like that of the dasera. The  side entrance allows people to step inside this magnificent wonder. However, one needs to buy a ticket from the counters placed outside the side entrance of the palace.

I had recently got the opportunity to visit this historical marvel. To begin with, let me tell you about the crowd that I witnessed, even during the month of January. There was a huge line standing to take tickets for the entry to the palace. Large groups of people came in buses and cars. It took me a while to get the tickets, and now that I had it in my hand, I was getting anxious to step inside and witness the magic. With each foot forward  my heart beat was racing, like that of a person running to meet his lover. The people chattering & trying to get ahead of the line, made it seem like a long wait. Finally, I was inside the palace complex.

Soaking in the view, I noticed there is a Varaha Swamy temple situated inside the palace complex, located right next to the side entrance. The temple remains closed except during the morning and evening hours when the puja is done. The temple  has excellent architecture and beautiful carvings, which can be seen on the step by step dome of the temple. Once you shift your view off the temple, you notice the majestic Mysore palace spread across the complex, like an oasis in a desert.

In order to maintain the historical site well, visitors are asked to leave their footwear at the shoe locker which is adjacent to the doors of the palace. After getting yourself free from all the checks and lockers, you get to step inside history. I was stunned, speechless, and wished to remain in that zone for a while. But, the enormous crowd that was chit-chatting loudly just broke my bubble. The palace will literally take you back in time with the pictures of the Wodeyars(from old to new), the paintings of their battalion, officers, soldiers, battles, meetings, crowd and court gatherings, celebrations, Gods, Goddesses  and many more. Each telling a story of the generation that went by. Some of the paintings are by renowned artists like Ravi Verma. On the ceilings of the Swan centerpiece, you will find  the paintings of the ten avatars of Lord Krishna. The upper section of the palace is closed to visitors. Only the Dolls Pavillion, the Elephant Gate, Goddess Chamundi, Golden Howdah, the Octagonal shaped Marriage/function hall, the Casket room, the Wrestling courtyard, Royal furniture, Public Darbar hall, the Swan centerpiece, a Hallway of doors, and the Private darbar is open to public. The architecture of the palace is a blend of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic style. Attention to the minutest details have been given to the carvings on the walls and ceiling. You can see how glass and semi-precious stones were used to design the floor of the marriage/function hall, swan centerpiece and private durbar hall. Use of teakwood, sandalwood, ivory also adds to the grandeur of the palace. 

The more you look closely at each architectural piece, the exemplary artistic work done in the palace, the more you would get lost in time. The palace has an undying charm, a gravitational pull, from which the visitors are reluctant to break. One needs to put visiting the Mysore palace in their bucket list, else trust me, you are loosing the opportunity in letting it mesmerize you.

Leo