Mysore - Amba Vilas Palace

The next morning we took a swim in the hotel’s rooftop pool. Rather chilly at first, we grew accustomed to it – sort of. Imagine what the locals wearing earmuffs thought of us! After a satisfying continental breakfast in the jungle restaurant, we walked towards the palace. Several “helpful” people approached us saying that the palace was closed until noon, and in the meantime, they would take us to see an incense market along with a demonstration of how incense is made. I told my friends to ignore them, as these tout’s story about the palace was likely false.

Circumnavigating halfway around the palace grounds from the North gate to the South entrance on sidewalks much better than what Chennai has, we knew we were in the right place. Even though the palace had just opened for the morning, there already were a fairly large number of people who had gathered. Young men on a pilgrimage wearing black dhotis emerged from their van that was decked out with floral garlands on the front and on the top’s rack. After paying the entrance fee, we followed the crowd through the beautiful arched gateway and into the palace grounds. Like other people, we began taking photos of the exterior of the Amba Vilas Palace, with its beautiful Indo-Saracenic architecture constructed in 1897. Large flowerbeds (including beds of roses) contrasted with the bright blue sky and grey/creamy colored palace and its red onion-shaped domes. At first the security guard would not let my friend and I in with our SLR cameras (all cameras were supposedly to be turned in to the chaotic-looking desk even though we saw scores of people successfully conceal their camera in a bag), but finally we convinced them that we would not take any photos inside.

One of the first areas we went through was the Public Durbar Hall. With its scalloped arched window openings and expansive repeating rows of more scalloped arches in the hall itself, this room reminded me of much of the Rajput and Muslim architecture styles I had seen on my travels to Rajasthan, Agra, and Delhi. Wooden portals were carved with Hindu gods. Designed for public audience, the Public Durbar Hall was 47 m (155 ft) in length and 13 m (42 ft) in width, opening into a huge balcony supported by massive columns. The ornate white and gold pillars reflected onto the polished wooden floor.

We walked through the Doll’s Pavilion, which housed a collection of traditional dolls from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This room also had a wooden elephant howda (frame to carry passengers) decorated with 84 kg of gold (185 lb) and some sculptures. Some of the pieces were quite Hindu-looking, whereas others were very Neoclassical in appearance. An ornate curved spiral staircase graced one room. Hindu gods and goddesses were painted on some ceilings, some almost looking like angels.

One of the most beautiful rooms was the Diwan e khas, or the Hall of Private Audience. Used by the king for private audiences, it would have been a sight to behold for any guest privileged enough to be invited there. Brightly painted columns similar to the ones in the Public Hall framed the diameter of the room. Above was a stained glass roof imported from Glasgow, its colors spreading on the floor below. Similar to the ornate chandeliers I saw in the palaces in Hyderabad, I presume that these floral motif chandeliers came from Europe as well. Even the floor was ornate and colorful, done in an inlaid marble style embellished with semi-precious stones.

The Kalyana Mantapa served as the marriage hall and was rather octagonal in nature. Like the Diwan e khas, it had a colorful stained glass ceiling. Peacock motifs were also included in this glass ceiling created in Glasgow. On the floor, the peacock motif was continued in mosaic tiles brought over from England. Windows were frosted and etched with what looked like the family crest and other symbols. My friends and I all agreed the palace had beautiful elements, but we disagreed as to whether the combination was distasteful and over the top, or a shining example of India’s unique ability to combine rather disparate elements into a new aesthetic.

I enjoyed Mysore. Perhaps I'll return again - but making sure I'm there on the weekend so I can see the palace lit up at night with its 97,000 lightbulbs.


See more photos of Mysore on my Flickr Mysore page

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