Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace in the southern Indian city of Mysore (Mysuru) is the official residence of the Wodeyar dynasty, the royal family of Mysore, and stands as the finest example of Indo-Saracenic architecture in India. The current palace was designed by the British architect Henry Irwin and completed in 1897, though a wooden palace on the same site was destroyed by fire in 1897 and rebuilt in the new Indo-Saracenic style.

The exterior is distinguished by its main building of pink and cream Kolapur stone, intricately carved gopuram (tower gateways) at the east and west ends, and domes topped with Islamic-style finials that give the skyline a distinctive silhouette. Three monumental entrance gates lead into the public courtyard: the Northeast Gate with green glass mosaics, the Gate of Thitimathi with red and white chunam (polished lime plaster), and the West Gate with blue glass mosaics.

The palace interior revolves around the Mantapa, a public audience hall of octagonal plan with a soaring wooden ceiling of rosewood painted in gold leaf and inlaid with ivory; the floors are Italian marble. The private quarters (Zanana) contain painted and gilded ceilings, Belgian stained glass windows, and ceramic tilework ordered from leading British and German manufacturers.

Most remarkable is the solid silver door weighing 16 tonnes that was displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition and subsequently installed in the Durbar Hall. Every Sunday and public holiday the palace illuminates with nearly 100,000 incandescent bulbs in a display that draws thousands of visitors; the illumination is visible across the Mysore skyline and has become one of the most photographed events in South India.

The palace also contains a museum with a collection of royal costumes, weaponry, paintings, and the coronation throne of the Wodeyar rulers including the famous ivory throne taken by Tipu Sultan after his conquest of Mysore in 1799.

The Dasara festival held each October is the pinnacle of the Mysore calendar, a 10-day celebration commemorating the goddess Chamundi's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura; on the final night the palace is illuminated and a torchlight parade (Jumboo Savari) processes from the palace to the Chamundi Temple, attended by hundreds of thousands.

The palace complex covers approximately 40 hectares and includes several smaller structures: the轻 (Clock Tower), the Karanth Parmeshwari (a royal bedroom converted to a museum), and the village-type residences used by the royal household. The Dasara celebrations at Mysore date back to the 14th century when the Vijayanagara rulers began the tradition, and the Wodeyars continued it after establishing their sovereignty. During the ten days of Dasara, the idol of the goddess Chamundi is brought from the Chamundi Temple to the palace and displayed for public worship before the final Jumboo Savari procession.

It is the supreme example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and one of the most spectacular royal palaces in India.

The solid silver door, painted ivory-inlaid ceilings and Belgian stained glass combine in an interior of extraordinary opulence.

The Sunday illumination and the annual Dasara festival are events of national significance that transform the palace into something close to a living ceremonial centre.