The Mysore Palace — official name Amba Vilas — is one of the largest palaces in India and the ceremonial seat of the Wodeyar dynasty, who ruled Mysore for over 500 years.
The current building was completed in 1912 in the Indo-Saracenic style after the previous wooden palace burned down. It attracts more than 6 million visitors a year — second only to the Taj Mahal.
A Fusion Signature
Designed by English architect Henry Irwin, the palace fuses Hindu, Islamic, Rajput and Gothic elements — a hallmark of the Indo-Saracenic style that flourished across late 19th-century princely India.
Its three-storey grey granite exterior is topped by a 145-foot five-storey tower with a gilded dome. Twelve marble domes surround it.
Inside the Palace
Highlights include the Durbar Hall, its intricately painted ceilings supported by ornate teakwood pillars; the Private Durbar Hall with stained-glass ceilings from Glasgow; the Kalyana Mandapa with its Belgian glass chandeliers; and the priceless golden throne, displayed only during Dasara.
Painters, sculptors and craftsmen from across India, Europe and the Arab world worked on the decoration.
The Mysore Dasara
Every night the palace is outlined by 97,000 electric bulbs from 7 to 8 pm. But during the 10-day Dasara festival in September-October, the illumination runs from sunset to 10 pm and the palace becomes the stage for one of India’s greatest royal spectacles.
Elephant processions, folk performances, wrestling matches and cultural parades converge on Mysore during Dasara — a tradition Karnataka has kept alive since Vijayanagara times.
Visiting
The palace is open daily 10 am to 5:30 pm. Photography inside is prohibited but the exterior can be photographed freely.
Combine with Chamundi Hills, Brindavan Gardens, Devaraja Market and — if you have time — the Somnathpur temple 35 km away.