Mysore Palace is a historical palace and a royal residence at Mysore in the Indian State of Karnataka.
Mysore Palace, also called Amba Vilas Palace, is one of the most magnificent and largest palaces in India. Situated in the southern state of Karnataka, it used to be the official residence of the Wodeyar Dynasty, the rulers of Mysore from 1399 to 1950. The grand palace stands tall in the heart of Mysore city and attracts visitors from across the world. Being one of the prime attractions in India after the Taj Mahal, it certainly deserves a place in every traveler’s bucket list. So why not visit Mysore Palace this holiday season
Of the seven palaces that dot the cityscape of Mysore, this royal edifice is the most splendid one. The palace had its foundation laid way back in the 14th century by the Wodeyars or Wadiyars, the royal family of Mysore. It is believed that Yaduraya Wodeyar, the first ruler of the Mysore Kingdom, built a palace in Puragiri aka the Old Fort during his reign. This palace, which is believed to be the predecessor of the current palace, has been demolished and reconstructed multiple times over a period of six centuries.
Initially, the palace was a wooden fortress which was struck by lightning in 1638 and reconstructed under the rein of Kantirava Narasa Raja Wodeyar. In 1793 AD, when Tipu Sultan took over the Wodeyar Dynasty, he demolished the palace and rebuilt it. In 1799, soon after the death of Tipu Sultan, the palace came under Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, who redesigned the palace as per the Hindu architectural style.
Sadly, in 1897, the palace was destroyed by fire during the wedding ceremony of Princess Jayalakshmmanni. Again, Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi and her son Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV decided to rebuild the palace. The task of revamping the palace was commissioned to a British architect named Henry Irwin, who designed and completed this palace in 1912, at a whopping cost of over 41 lakh Indian rupees. Further expansions were done and a Public Durbar Hall wing was added to the palace under the reign of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar during the 1930s.