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Mysore Palace
Though Mysore is commonly referred to as the City of Palaces, the name Mysore Palace refers to the erstwhile home of the Wodeyars who ruled the city of Mysore in the pre-independence days. Standing the tests of time, and still looking stunning, the Mysore Palace is on the second position after the Taj Mahal in the most visited by tourist’s monuments’ list. All through the year, the Mysore Palace sees a lot of tourists arriving from all over the world to take a look at its architecture and its glory. During the days of the Wodeyars, the halls of the Mysore palace used to be the place where the Dusshera festival was celebrated every year in the month of October and this tradition continues even now. Tourists gather to view these celebrations and to take part in them.
History
The Mysore palace was constructed by the Wodeyars for the first time in the 14th century, but this was razed to the ground and reconstructed several times in the history of the palace. The palace that is standing in all glory today was started to be built in 1897 and was done in 1912. There are references of some modifications and changes that have happened just before independence in 1940 as well.
Architecture
The temple is a beautiful blend of Hindu, Islam, Gothic and Rajput architecture and can be termed Indo-Saracenic. The Mysore palace made of grey granite has three floors with scintillating pink domes made or marble and 145 ft tall towers, and seven welcoming arches. The main archway has been embellishment of Gajalakshmi, a form of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and is flanked by elephants on either side.
The Mysore palace has many special rooms that are of its kind and are quite rare to find. The best of these is the Ambalavilasa which is the most exceptional and aesthetically adorned with intricately carved doors made of rosewood and decked with ivory and housing an idol of Ganesha. This was used by the rulers to host their private visitors. The Gombe Thotti is the other room and this is the entry point for the palace. Here there are doll arrangements and most of this span across the 19th and 20th centuries and the show stopper here is the elephant with howda made in wood and decorated in 84 kg gold. The Kalyana Mantapa with peacock motifs from Scotland and English tiles are a pleasure to behold and admire.
There are quite a few important temples that dot the palace and these are dedicated to the Hindu Gods of Siva and Vishnu. Apart from these, the palace also had other prominent chambers that served different purposes earlier, but are today a standing example of the great expertise of the artisans who lived in the earlier generations.
Best time to Visit
Other than the months of January and March tourists can visit Mysore all through the year. If tourists visit around the months of September – October, then they can also be a part of the grand Dusshera celebrations conducted every year.
Visitor Information
Visitors must note that though can visit the palace and enjoy the grandeur of architecture they are not allowed to photograph any places. Photographs on the premises or in the garden surrounding the palace are allowed though. Also, visitors are not allowed to wear footwear in the palace.
How to Reach
Since Mysore is easily accessible through road, air and rail, the tourists can choose the best mode of transport that works for them to reach this palace. The good connections have also resulted in the high tourist activity at the Mysore Palace.
By Air
Mysore is the nearest airport at a meagre distance of 11 kms away from the palace. This makes it very ideal for the domestic travellers. But, this is a smaller airport with limited connectivity and so international travellers and tourists who are looking for more flexibility and choices can also use the Bangalore airport that is close to 181 kms away.
By Rail
The Mysore railway station is just 2.5 kms from the palace and can be easily reached by hiring an auto from the railway station.
By Road
The Mysore bus stand is just a wall away from the palace, so arriving by bus on road is the most convenient option to reach here.
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