Mysuru is a city full of spectacular palaces. The palaces offer a glimpse of our glorious past. They were built during the reign of Wodeyars. Though Ambavilas Palace is the most famous one, there are many other stunning architectural structures that multiply the beauty of Mysuru.
1. Ambavilas Palace
Popularly known as Mysuru palace, Ambavilas palace is the iconic landmark and the face of Mysuru in a true sense. Originally, it was called Sowndarya Vilas Palace. It was later built as a wooden palace. When the wooden palace was gutted during a tragic fire mishap, Ambavilas palace was built in its place as a true testament to resilience.
This palace is built in Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The two durbar halls in the palace are decorated with beautiful paintings, impeccable wooden carvings and sculptures made by Gudigar family who hail from Sagara (Shimogga), carved columns, stained glass ceilings, rosewood doors and chandeliers. The palace has dolls pavillion, several temples and courtyards which are surrounded by beautifully laid out gardens. Millions of tourists visit this palace every year. It is a visual treat to watch the palace light up with over 1 lakh bulbs during evenings.
Timings: 10 am to 5.30 pm
Entry fee: Rs.100 (For adults) Rs.50 (For children above 10 years and below 18 years).
2. Lalitha Mahal Palace
The white and elegant Lalitha Mahal Palace which is located at the base of Chamundi Hills was built during 1921. It was built for the stay of the then Viceroy of India. It was generally used as a guest house for the European guests who used to visit Mysore. The palace was built in an amalgamation of many styles of architecture. Rajasthan marble is used in the construction. This palace is now a five-star heritage hotel with a lavish look, sprawling and exquisite landscape.
3. Jaganmohana Palace
This vintage palace is located at the heart of the city. It was built in 1869. History says that the royal family moved in and lived here when the main palace was under construction after it met with an unfortunate fire accident. This palace is now home to a beautiful art gallery called ‘Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery’. It is considered as one of the best art galleries in South India. It has the rarest and the most precious collection of art works and artefacts which belong to the period of Wodeyars. History buffs and tourists from across the country visit this gallery throughout the year.
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm (Open on all days of the week)
Entry fee: Rs.60
4. The Cheluvamba Mansion (CFTRI)
Cheluvamba Mansion is situated at KRS road. This was built in 1911 for one of the sisters of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Cheluvajammanni. The lush green surroundings, glorious architecture creates a royal and a vintage ambience around the palace. Currently, this building is the head office of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and hence entry to this building is restricted.
5. Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion
Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion was constructed in 1905 by Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar for his eldest daughter, Princess Jayalakshmammani, eldest sister of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar. The palace is set on a vast estate on a hillock to the west of Kukkarahalli Kere. It is now a part of the lush green campus of Manasagangotri and is being looked after by the University of Mysore. It houses three museums— the archaeology, folklore and the general museum which display artefacts that belongs to the era of Wodeyars.
Timings: 10.30 am to 5 pm
Entry fee: Free
6. The Chittaranjan Palace
This palace is said to be constructed during 1916 for one of the members of the Royal Family. It was later sold to a Mysorean family, who converted it into the famous Premier Studios. Several movies and TV shows have been shot in this studio. The studio shut down after a fire accident which caused the immense loss. Recently, the palace was converted into an eco-friendly heritage hotel, ‘The Green Hotel’.
7. The Karanji Mansion
Karanji Mansion, which is located at Nazarbad was constructed for one the sisters of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, Krishnarajammanni. As it was built near the Karanji Lake, it was called the Karanji Mansion. It was built in 1904 on a sprawling area of 38 acres. Since 1965, this palace has been converted as the Postal Training Institute and is being handled by the Department of Posts, Government of India. It is being used to train people who work for the department. The department has also set up a museum depicting Postal history in the country. The museum has maintained the mansion and its grounds extremely well.
8. Aloka Palace
More appropriately known as the Yelwala Residency, it was built in the year 1806. It was meant to serve as a hunting lodge for the Maharaja and his guests. The wooded area around was where the royal guests used to indulge in the sport of pig sticking, as wild boars were in abundance there then. This is now a shooting spot. There is also a tree park in front of this palace but the number of visitors is too less.
9. Vasanth Mahal
The Vasanth Mahal is located amidst lush green ambience. It is said to be built in 1842. The speciality of this Palace is that its front portion is made of soft iron. The history of this palace isn’t well-known. This beautifully designed Palace at Nazarbad houses the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) and it is being run by the State Government
10. Rajendra Vilas Palace
The Rajendra Vilas palace is located on top of Chamundi Hills, at an elevation of nearly 1,000 feet. This was used as a summer palace by the Wodeyars of Mysore. It is said that Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar was taught philosophy and English in this building. The conception of a much larger building was initiated in the 1920s. The palace was commissioned by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and was completed during 1938–39. However, its plans were down-scaled due to financial issues, and the building was not constructed as elaborately as planned.
Later, it remained in the possession of Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, who converted it into a palace hotel. In the 1980s, it was closed due to some reasons. Currently, it is being renovated.