Some Interesting Facts about Mysore Palace | The Tourists Most Prominent Choice

If you are looking for such a splendid site where you get to enjoy the luxurious gardens and royal style along with the grandeur, then the Mysore Palace is perfect for you. Situated in the heart of the Mysore in the Indian state of Karnataka, is considered to be one of the most spectacular structures in the country, also known by another name of Amba Vilas.

Firstly It was built in the 14th century by the Wadiyar kings and was the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty. It is believed that in the year 1638, the palace was badly damaged due to the strike of lightning from the sky, which was refurbished by the rulers there.

The Mysore palace was built with a very beautiful interior especially using wooden design, but due to some reasons, the palace caught fire in 1897, due to which, it was burnt ablaze. But later it was rebuilt with the blends of the Rajput, Mughal, Hindu, and Gothic styles. For which the famous British architect Henry Irwin was appointed, and he began the construction of the palace in 1897 and was completed almost 15 years later in 1912 and its construction cost was about Rs 41,47,913.

The palace is a three-storied stone structure with marble domes and has a 145-foot five-storied minaret. The main complex of the palace is 156 feet in width and 245 feet in length, in which common minor works are done.

There are mainly 3 entrances in the palace, in which the first is the eastern entrance which is for all festivals, the second is the south entrance which is generally for tourists and the third is the west entrance which is opened only for the festival of Dussehra.

The palace is the main place of the most famous festival of Mysore, Dussehra, where people celebrate this festival with great pomp for ten days. During Dussehra, the palace is decorated with various lights and then it becomes difficult to take your eyes off its beauty and seeing the Mysore Palace gleaming in such majestic lights it seems as if the stars are shining in the sky.

While entering the palace, there are several pavilions (Mantapa), one of which is a Dolls’ Pavilion or Gombe Thotti which also houses a fine collection of Indian and European sculpture and ceremonial objects, including the Golden Howdah, an elaborately decorated throne made of 84 kg of gold and precious stones.

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The most beautiful Mantapa of the palace is the Kalyana Mantapa which is also known as the Marriage Hall, which is a grand octagonal-shaped pavilion with a multi-colored stained glass ceiling, with depictions of peacock motifs in geometrical decorative design.

The palace has a golden throne which was the royal throne of the rulers of the Kingdom of Mysore, which is believed to be made of pure 24-carat gold, weighing about 200 kg, making it one of the main attractions of the Palace. There is such a belief about the Golden Throne that it is kept for public viewing only during the Dussehra festival and during the rest of the days, it is taken apart and kept in secure lockers of the palace.

In olden times kings and emperors used to build temples within their forts or palaces, so at that time there were about fourteen temples in Mysore Palace.

The Mysore Palace receives over 6 million visitors annually, making it the most visited place in India after the Taj Mahal.