Brief History of Mysore

Mysore city was the capital of the former royal Mysore province. The word Mysore expands to 'Mahishasurana Ooru', which means the town of Mahishasura. According to Hindu mythology Mahishasurawas a demon king who was killed by the warrior goddess Chamundeshwari on Chamundi hill near Mysore. Ever since, the people of Mysore have worshipped Chamundeshwari as their tutelary deity.

The Wadiyar royal family ruled Mysore since the 14th century except for a short period of 40 years in the 18th century when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers. Hyder Ali was a general in the army of the Wadiyar king who rose to become the ruler of Mysore. His son Tipu Sultan followed in his footsteps expanding Mysore’s territories in a series of daring battles, until he was killed when fighting the British.

From this Hall one can have a panoramic view of the open yard consisting of lawns and fountains, towers of temples, the majestic Jayamarthanda Gate and in the horizon, a view of the famous Lalit Mahal Palace as well as the rugged, uneven contours of the Chamundi Hill.

•Gombe Thotti (Doll’s Pavilion)Entry to the palace is through the Gombe Thotti or the Doll’s Pavilion, a gallery of traditional dolls from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The pavilion also houses a fine collection of Indian and European sculpture and ceremonial objects like a wooden elephant howdah (frame to carry passengers) decorated with 84 kilograms of gold.

Other features of the GombeThotti are the seven canons which is situated in front of the GombeThotti and are still fired to mark the beginning and end of the annual Dasara procession.

The kalyana mantapa or marriage hall

Kalyana MantapaThe Kalyana Mantapa or marriage hall is a grand octagonal-shaped pavilion with a multihued stained glass ceiling with peacock motifs arranged in geometrical patterns. The entire structure was wrought in Glasgow, Scotland.

The floor of the Mantapa continues the peacock theme with a peacock mosaic, designed with tiles from England.

The hall is lined with elaborately detailed oil paintings, illustrating the royal procession and Dasara celebrations of bygone years.

A Hallway of Doors in Palace

The Ambhavilasa palace

Ambavilasa or Diwan e khasThe Ambavilasa, a hall used by the king for private

audience, is one of the most spectacular rooms of the

palace.

Entry to this opulent hall is through an elegantly carved

rosewood doorway inlaid with ivory that opens into a shrine

to Ganesha.

The central knave of the hall has ornately gilded columns,

stained glass ceilings, decorative steel grills, and

chandeliers with fine floral motifs, mirrored in the pietra

dura mosaic floor embellished with semi-precious stones.

ArchitectureA dramatic three storied stone building of fine gray granite with deep pink marble domes dominated by a five-storied 145 ft tower with a gilded dome mounted by a single golden flag.

Designed by Henry Irwin, the Mysore Palace is one of the finest achievements of Indo-Saracenicarchitecture, summing up many diverse themes that have played through Indian architecture over the centuries. Muslim designs and Rajput style combine with Gothic elements and indigenous materials in an exuberant display of grandeur.

Elephant GateElephant Gate of the Mysore Palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenicmode of architecture. The architecture of Mysore Place is a perfect blend together with Hindu Culture, Muslim Culture, Rajput Culture, and Gothic stylesofarchitecture.

Public hall dharbar

The new Durbar Hall (1938) of the Mysore Palace

is a part of the main palace enclosed on three sides

and completely open on the eastern side. This hall is

of a unique kind with magnificent

proportions. Having a clear height of about 15.24 m.

above ground level and hall measures 74.68 m long

and 24.38 m wide without any intermediate

pillars. The ceiling of the hall is adorned with the

paintings of the ten incarnations of Vishnu

(Dashavatara). The cnetral panel has the 12 signs of

the Zodiac placed around the Hindu Trinity-Brahma,

Vishnu and Maheswara. The main frontage of the

palace has nine arches, supported by ornamental

pillars carrying a beautiful balcony without

intermediate pillars.

Public Darbar Hall

The Public Darbar Hall for public audience is 155 feet in length and 42 feet in breadth, with majestic bottle-shaped columns tastefully painted in pleasing colors. The hall contains a priceless collection of paintings by great Indian artists including Raja Ravivarma.

The hall opens into an expansive balcony supported by massive columns that has a fine view of the Chamundi Hills and parade grounds.

Golden Howdah that is the elephant seat or Chinnada Ambari is a Howdah, which is the carrier mounted on the lead elephant during the "Jamboo Savari" (Elephant Procession) of the famous Dasara festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r7eR2F2MNY