Mysuru Palace

The story of Mysuru Palace

Mysuru Palace is the Indo-Saracenic palace completed in 1912, and the thing to notice first is the grand durbar hall that anchors the complex. Britannica describes Mysore Palace as a sprawling three-story, gray granite, Indo-Saracenic building capped by a five-story tower that culminates in a gilded dome; the same publication links the site’s history to the Wadiyar dynasty, who ruled the area from 1399 and later made Mysore the kingdom’s capital in 1799.

The palace you are standing at sits inside Mysore Palace, the royal residence, and the building now here replaced an earlier structure lost in a fire. The present palace was designed by Henry Irwin after that fire, and work on it was completed in 1912. A separate page also notes that the complex is associated with weekly illuminations, which is one reason it draws visitors.

The palace grounds are also tied to the Mysore Dasara festival, which has been held here annually since the early 19th century and ends with an elephant procession on Vijayadashami, a tradition that gives this place its public role beyond a former royal residence.

If you want to plan your visit, the palace is open every day from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and the official website is mysorepalace.karnataka.gov.in.