Mysore Palace: A Royal Heritage of India

Are you looking for a place to visit in Mysore, Karnataka, India? If yes, then you should definitely check out Mysore Palace, one of the most iconic and magnificent monuments in the country.

Mysore Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of the rich and diverse culture of India. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about Mysore Palace, its history, architecture, timings and more. Read on to find out why Mysore Palace is a must-see attraction for anyone who loves history and culture.

History of Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace was built by different rulers of Mysore over six centuries, from Tipu Sultan to Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. The palace witnessed many historical events and witnessed many renovations during each ruler’s reign. Some of the famous paintings and sculptures that adorn the palace walls and halls are:

The Hall of Wonders: This hall is decorated with 12 paintings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology, such as Rama’s exile, Krishna’s birth and marriage, etc.

The Hall of Mirrors: This hall has 16 mirrors that reflect the light and create an illusion of infinity.

The Hall of Weapons: This hall has 12 weapons that belonged to Tipu Sultan, such as swords, spears, daggers, etc.

The Hall of Musical Instruments: This hall has 12 musical instruments that were used by Tipu Sultan’s courtiers.

The palace also has many other halls and chambers that showcase the ruler’s personal belongings, such as weapons, jewels, paintings, etc.

Architecture of Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace is an example of Indo-Saracenic style architecture that blends elements from Hinduism, Islam and Rajput culture. The palace has a unique blend of architectural styles such as:

Hindu: The palace has many temples within its premises that reflect the Hindu faith and beliefs.

Muslim: The palace has some mosques within its premises that reflect the Islamic faith and beliefs.

Rajput: The palace has some Rajput influences in its architecture such as domes, arches, pillars, balconies etc.

The palace also has some Gothic influences in its architecture such as pointed arches, stained glass windows etc.

Some of the features that make Mysore Palace stand out are:

The domes: The palace has many domes that add to its beauty and grandeur. Some of the domes are octagonal, circular, pyramidal, etc.

The arches: The palace has many arches that create a sense of elegance and symmetry. Some of the arches are pointed, arched, horseshoe, etc.

The pillars: The palace has many pillars that support its structure and add to its charm. Some of the pillars are carved, decorated, etc.

The balconies: The palace has many balconies that offer a scenic view of the surroundings. Some of the balconies are wooden, stone, marble, etc.

You can book your tickets online or offline for these attractions. Booking online will save you time and hassle while booking offline will give you more flexibility and convenience.

Timings of Mysore Palace

According to the official website of Mysore Palace, the palace is open to visitors from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM every day. The palace gates are closed on Sundays and other government holidays for the tourists.

The palace also has a sound and light show that depicts the history of Mysore, which runs from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) except Sundays, national holidays and state festivals.

The show costs Rs. 200 for Indians and Rs. 500 for foreigners. The show also has a 15-minute illumination at the end of the show, which is free of charge.

Also check out: The Many Marvels of the Mysore Palace

Best Places to Stay Near Mysore Palace

If you are planning to visit Mysore Palace, you may want to stay near it for convenience and comfort. There are many hotels and resorts in the vicinity of the palace that offer various facilities and services for visitors.

Some of the best places to stay near Mysore Palace are:

Photo of Mysore Palace 4/4 by — (c) RADISSON Blu plaza hotel

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Mysore:

This is a 5-star hotel that is located just opposite the palace, on the Sri Harsha Road. The hotel has spacious rooms, a restaurant, a bar, a spa, a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and a conference hall. The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi, free parking, and 24-hour room service.

To book a stay at this hotel click here.

Hotel Pai Vista

Hotel Pai Vista is located in the royal city of Mysore, only 500 metres from Mysore Palace and St. Philomena's Church. An Ayurvedic spa, a fitness centre and an outdoor pool are available. Air-conditioned rooms have free Wi-Fi.

Comfortably furnished, all rooms are equipped with a satellite TV, minibar and free bottled water. Some rooms have a seating area. En suite bathrooms have either a shower or bathtub.

Hotel Pai Vista is a short walk from the City Bus Terminus. It is a 10-minute drive from Mysore Railway Station and 12 km from Mysore Airport.

To book a stay at this hotel click here.

Emerald Clarks Inn Suites

Situated in the heart of Mysore, 6.1 km from Mysore Palace, Emerald Clarks Inn Suites features accommodation with a fitness centre, free private parking, a terrace and a restaurant. This 4-star hotel offers a bar. The accommodation offers a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, room service and free WiFi throughout the property.

The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms with a desk, a kettle, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a bidet.

To book a stay at this hotel click here.

Best Time to Visit Mysore Palace

The best time to visit Mysore Palace depends on your preference and convenience. Some factors that you may consider are:

The weather:

The weather in Mysore is generally pleasant throughout the year, with moderate temperatures ranging from 10°C to 35°C. However, there may be some variations in temperature depending on the season and time of the day. For example, the summer months (March to May) are hot and dry, while the winter months (November to February) are cold and wet. The monsoon months (June to September) are humid and rainy.

The crowd:

The palace attracts a large number of visitors every day, especially during peak seasons such as weekends, festivals and holidays. Therefore, it may be advisable to visit the palace early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid long queues and crowds. You can also book your tickets online in advance to save time and hassle.

The activities:

The palace offers various activities for visitors such as exploring its halls, chambers, gardens, fountains, etc., watching its sound and light show, taking photos, etc. You can also enjoy other attractions in Mysore such as Chamundi Hills, Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Zoo, etc., which are close by or easily accessible by public transport.

You may also like to check out: Our Rich Heritage - The Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace is a must-visit attraction for anyone who loves history and culture. It is a royal heritage of India that showcases the diversity and richness of its past. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts millions of visitors every year. If you want to experience this amazing monument, don’t miss this opportunity. Book your tickets now or book a hotel near it. You won’t regret it!

Mysore Palace Reviews

tnzn cq Changlaqueen

78 Followers

View Trip

Date: 7-01-2019 It was on 3rd of January i got two missed call from unknown number, who knew that the phone was ringing for an adventurous trip...!! When i taped the green button to call back, it came to my mind that why i am calling back (usually i don't ).. But then it started ringing and one girl from other side said: Hello Me: hello, who's this? She: Achy naa rigzen dolma en ba (sister i am rigzen dolma) Me: shyy!! Ohh you😄... What happen?? Then she told me about her plan that she and her friend is leaving for bangalore on 5th and she asked me whether i can (me) join them after 7 (as i was having exam on 7th) I didn't confirm it at that time. Later we two decided to leave!!!! On 7th of January : i wrote my exam!!! And leave the hostel. Our bus was only at 6:30pm so we walked here and there with no destination, doing our madness. " On that day for the first time i liked something which i don't like " Can you Guess! what would be that?? When it was 6:30 we went to our bus stop but there we got to know that bus will be late and we have to wait. We sat there and my friend got a message from her friend that it is "BHARATH BANDH" on 8 and 9! We thought it is only in kerala and we googled it but we were wrong!! It was written with a bold black colour on the top of the page " 2- day Nation-wide strike from 8th of jan." But still we decided to go. Later bus came around 8 pm. That was long wait. And our journey to Mysore (Karnataka) from Trivandrum (kerala) began.. On 8th of January : I was on the window seat and my friend, she was calling me to look outside the window. When i looked out, literally i felt that i am dreaming or else i am watching any 9-D movie... The outside scenery mesmerized me!! A straight road having trees on both the side was covered with the fog and mist. (I remembered the 1920 horror film, where that ghost was flying over those long straight trees between the fog and the hero and heroine were fleeing to escape from the ghost ). After sometime the sun rose and bus conductor started shouting "mysore! Mysore Wale!! Mysore wale!!! We got down the bus and took auto from there to one nearby hotel. We rest for a while and got ready. Our two friends were coming from bangalore to join us and we had to wait for them. Then we went to have our first breakfast of mysore. We ordered simple poori and bhaji, thought that it would be best to start a new day rather than appam,idli, and dosa. After having breakfast we had lots of time to kill, since it would take time to reach our friends from bangalore. somehow we had to wait for our two friend from Bangalore, so we two went to Mysore palace by walking through the city. And i think if we had gone by any vehicle we would not be able to see the city beauty. In between we noticed a lots of things. And we were able to differentiate the surrounding of mysore,trivandrum, and ladakh. When we were about to reach near the palace, we saw that some people were shouting in front of a bank and we thought that it is for the nation-strike and we won't be able to get into the palace. We stood there for a while and took some pictures, then we came to the front gate of Palace, and unexpectedly we got tickets to enter. Mysore palace: I heard about it when i was in 7th standard (social studies ). It was built in the year 1912 by 24th ruler of Wadeyar Dynasty. It is an incredibly breathtaking example of Indo - Saracenic style of architecture. Chamundi hill in the front enhanced the beauty of the palace more. And I had a strong desire to go to Chamundi hill so that I could see the beauty of the palace from that height. But time didn't permit me to go their. We entered one temple there and met with some beautiful soul.(still remember the laughter of aunts ) When we reached in front of the palace i realized how rich our Indian culture is. We sat there for a while and went to each and every corner at the outside. It was around 1'o clock our friend reached. And We entered inside the palace, i stopped there for a while and thought, the subject which made us to sleep a lot in the class is literally the most interesting one. And i guess word will fall short to describe the beauty of mysore Palace. After the palace we went to one restaurant to have some north indian food. Then we went to bus stand to get the bus for Byllakuppe. i put my headset,played the song, open the window and felt the calmness and peace of air on my face. . .Continued.....

Vinay

348 Followers

View Trip

Lively with the lightning decoration. Completely different to what you see in day. Crowd, music and walk. I searched for Mysore palace on Google maps and it was walkable and so I went towards it passing through small streets and dark empty roads till I was welcomed by the lightning land of Mysore palace. There it was standing still and calling everyone towards it. From far away where I was standing all I could see is lightning and not the building behind the light. That moment would spark a light in our eyes and in our lives regardless of our mood when we see it for the first time. I stood there looking at that pleasant decoration and its beauty. I went towards it and I could see hundreds and thousands of people going in and out the gate. The atmosphere was amazing and everyone were smiling and enjoying their time out from their daily life. I went closer and closer towards the main building of palace and I was blessed with a band playing musical instruments beautifully which was perfect for the moment I was living in. I stood there enjoying the music and looking at the beauty as the music went on and on and on and when the music stopped the cheers began with appreciating whistles and claps. I walked for some time as the cold wind accompanying me and the moon looking upon me. At around 8:00 pm lights went off and the police began evacuating the place. As I went towards the exit there was a temple which took my attention. I went in and sat there for some time. I left the place and came out towards the road. After exploring the place filled with horse carts and eateries I booked an ola auto and went back to mansion. I freshened up and changed my clothes. I sat out with an uncle guarding the mansion at night and spoke sometime about each other and he gave me some advice for the trips next morning as I told him I was there to visit Mysore. I thanked him for the advice and went to sleep early and I believe you know the reason for it. Don't you? Yes, because of the sleepless train ride after working yesterday at night. I slept keeping an alarm early morning tomorrow to continue my tour around and tell you about my experience. Until then good night. Continue the journey : Day 2 - https://www.tripoto.com/trip/my-way-to-mysore-5a2d9824a1e1b Day 3 - https://www.tripoto.com/trip/my-way-to-mysore-day-3-5a2db23534dc3 Day 4 - https://www.tripoto.com/trip/my-way-to-mysore-5a0dfd44c4284 PICS OF THE DAY :

Karim S A

215 Followers

View Trip

Dussehra is the time to see the grandeur of the Wodeyars which comes alive in this City of Palaces, Mysuru in Karnataka. Mysuru is referred to as the City of Palaces, because it is only city with seven Palaces, and prominent among them is the Palace of Mysuru. It was the royal residence of the Wodeyars who ruled between 1399 to 1950. Now Mysuru Palace is the second most visited Place in India after Taj Mahal, with an estimated 6 million annual visitors. And the best time to visit Mysuru to see the grandeur of this Palace is during the 10 Day Dussehra Festival which is celebrated in a royal pomp. Popularly called as the Mysuru Dasara, it is State Festival of the Karnataka state. This festival falls during September/October and this is the best time to visit Mysuru. The festivities in this Palace city are so elaborate and grand that it's audience include even foreigners from different parts of the world who come here just to witness the extravaganza and the pomp. This year the Dasara Festival completes 407 years. The Mysuru Palace is illuminated during these 10 days with one lakh bulbs from 07.00 PM to 10 PM which is the main attraction. Dance, Music and cultural programs mark the highlight which are performed in front of the illuminated Palace. The festivities included a special durbar, a tradition followed since the period of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. After the death of Srikanta Wadiyar in December 2013, this tradition has been continued by placing the royal sword on the golden throne. The ninth day of Dasara called as Mahanavami is also an auspicious day on which the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession involving elephants, camels and horses around the city. On all the 10 days of Dasara, various music and dance concerts are held in auditoriums around Mysore city. Musicians and dance groups from all over India are invited to perform on this occasion. Another attraction during Dasara is the Kusti Spardhe (wrestling-bout) which attracts wrestlers from all around India. Come to Mysuru and be a part of Dasara habba and soak yourself in the royalty. "THE GREATNESS OF A CULTURE CAN BE FOUND IN ITS FESTIVALS" Cover Picture Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_Dasara#/media/File:Mysorepalace.jpg

Devyani Kalvit

376 Followers

View Trip

Having satiated our hunger, we hit the road again. For the first time in days, XUV was cruising at 165 kmph on the straight roads. We were all happy and that was the best sunset witnessed in the past few days. Finally we reached Mysore, but it was only a pit stop. We took a quick look at the Mysore Palace which looked brilliant with all the mercury lamps bathing it in their divine glow. It was already 7:30 in the evening and we had a long way to go. We took the route that would take us straight to Coorg. Ok, but here is a catch, having been to Coorg before, we wanted to circumvent it and try something new and hence we chose Subramanya. Make sure that you take the shortcut to reach there, otherwise you’ll have to go to Coorg and then proceed which will be a good extra distance. So, coming back to the drive, we were unfortunate that we had to do it practically in night when nothing was visible, first, because the place is covered with forest and second, there is absolutely no village for a stretch of some kilometers. The road is a single-lane tarred road that winds through dense foliage and now and then you could see some small rivulets and bridges on them. So, we decided to switch off the engine at one location and listen to what nature had to tell. The song of the silence was mindblowing. Because it was monsoons, so frogs were croaking their way to glory, crickets and cicadas tried to provide a background score. Deep in the jungles, the soft crushing of twigs and leaves could be heard piercing through silence. And not to forget the boisterous brook rushing past the stillness of the night. In short, it was divine. But if you ever need to go to Subramanya, go to this place in morning as you wouldn’t want to miss this scenic drive. Finally, we reached Subramanya at 12:30 am, midnight, that is. We chose hotel Vijay comforts and took a west-facing room and dozed off to sleep. Rest for the next day, indeed! Day 2: Subramanya(Song of the day – Muskurane ki wajah tum ho: Citylights)

Smita Joshi

76 Followers

View Trip

Strolling around the city during the day, visiting the Mysuru Palace to plan the next day’s shoot and enjoy some rain photography that day – this was my day. I soon realized that Mysore is a paradox. It is calm, lazy, and a peaceful town that turns exactly opposite with grand lighting all over the city, active, celebratory mood thrown around the entire locales, and everyone in a festive mood for the ten days of Dasara. People from across the world gather on the streets surrounding the historical palace on the Vijayadasami, the concluding day of Dusshera festival to witness the grand ‘Jamboo Savari.’ The event was inaugurated by the chief minister of Karnataka by offering floral tribute to the statue of Goddess Chamundeswari ensconced in a grand 750 kg golden howdah. The ‘Balarama’ Gate is the exit from where the procession would come out, take a turn and proceed towards the Bannimantap Grounds to mark the end of Dasara celebrations. As an independent photographer and a solo traveller, this is the maiden attempt at capturing such a massive festival. I finalized my trip during the beginning of August but it was already late to apply for a photographer pass to witness the festival from the palace premises. This was, though, an opportunity to witness the festival from the public perspective. The Police were amazing, showing extensive patience in controlling the multitudes, sometimes unruly, crowd that tried to rush past the barricades.