Bangalore Palace

It was a bright sunny afternoon, and my boyfriend and I decided to visit the Bangalore Palace. I had wanted to visit the palace for a long time after viewing interesting pictures posted by my friends on Facebook. The drive through the vast lawns to the palace was breathtaking. The first sight of the palace evokes the feel of a marvelous fairytale castle in the English countryside.The King of Mysore, Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, resided there with his family. He was a great lover of art and a passionate hunter. 

At the entrance of the palace, above the main door is a huge elephant skull which the King himself had shot. On the right-hand side of the main door is an elevator – this is believed to be one of the first of its kinds in India.  

To the left is a spiral staircase leading to the courtroom on the first floor. A huge wall mirror at the centre of the room is the main attraction. Opposite to it is an elevated structure from where the queen and the women folk observed purdah and witnessed the court proceedings.

The interior of the palace wall abounds with artwork and paintings – replicas of world famous art and an endless collection of photographs from the king’s hunting trips. The furniture in the palace is crafted out of bamboo, wood, steel and different parts of elephants. 

There are two big courtyards at the centre; surrounded by the palace on all sides. These courtyards are decorated with vibrant colours giving the whole place a magnificent look. 

The topmost part of the palace has long cone-shaped structures which gives it the look of a castle. The view of the garden at the front of the palace from the terrace is simply mesmerising.

If you are in Bangalore, make it a point to visit this beautiful palace at least once.