Rajendra Vilas

Rajendra Vilas is one of the palaces in the Palace city of Mysore. Though this is not as well known as the other palaces, this is definitely a palace in all its true essence and word. Located at the scenic spot on the Chamundi Hills, the palace overlooks the entire city of Mysore and is a beauty to behold. The palace that was standing in the early 19th century that served as the summer palace of the Royal Wodeyar family was the one that was replaced by the Rajendra Vilas.

History

The construction of the Rajendra Vilas started around 1920 and was finally finished almost 18 years later in 1938. However, the plans laid out for the construction was much more elaborate the construction had to be eventually cut down as the glorious days of the Wodeyars were coming to an end and financial constraints started cropping up.  So, they had to make do for and finish it or a much smaller scale.

After Independence, Srikantha Datta Narasimha Wodeyar still continued to own this place, in spite of this being considered a heritage monument by the Karnataka government. Much later it was converted to a palace hotel but eventually as luck would have it this was also plagued by labour problems and had to be closed down. The top hospitality chain of the ITC welcome group has taken up ownership of the Palace and has renovated this as a five star hotel now. Srikantha Datta Wodeyar also went on to join politics and this property was rated at Rs. 6 crore then.

Architecture

The style of the Mysore palace structure is also seen in this Rajendra Vilas. There are traces of Indo carcenic as well as some resemblances to the Rajput style.  The Rajendra Vilas has four chhatris and also houses a dome in the centre of the structure. The base of the dome is long and tall just like the ones that we see in the Mysore Palace.

The tower in the middle is structured with ribs and it enhances the beauty of the lantern inside. From the northern window structured like a half circle, visitors can enjoy a fantastic view of the entire city of Mysore. The terraces on the first level are wonderfully big and spacious. In all the Rajendra Vilas that has now been converted to the hotel have 25 suite rooms to cater to the needs of visitors.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Rajendra Vilas in Mysore is from October to February. The month of September – October wears a festive look and the entire palace is decked up for the occasion of Dussehra. This festival is amongst the most important festivals of the people in the region, so there is a lot of fun and celebration planned around this event. The educational institutions are also off during this time, so the air of fun increases multifold.

Visitor Information

Since the palace has now been converted into a hotel, the visitors might not be able to have a peek at all rooms especially during peak season days. The rooms with the best views might have been sold out and owing to privacy terms, the tourists might not be able to visit such rooms. The common areas like the sprawling terraces can be used though.

How to Reach

Mysore is a preferred destination for more than the pleasant climatic conditions. The excellent transport systems and the good connections available to most of the cities in the country has ensured that this place sees a constant tourist count to visit, so visitors to the Rajendra Vilas can come here easily without too much of discomfort.

By Air

For tourists opting to choose the air mode to visit Rajendra Vilas, the Mysore airport 11 kms away from the palace is the best choice. If however, they are not seeing too much of flights to this airport, then they can fly in to Bengaluru airport that is 200 kms away and then take a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

By Rail

The Mysore railway station is close by and there are autos and taxis that the tourists can take from the railway station.

By Road

Karnataka State Transport has up to date buses connecting various cities to Rajendra Vilas, so visitors can also comfortably take the buses.

Photo Gallery