I have always possessed a special fascination for historical places, especially old forts and palaces. I had visited many old forts and palaces of Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra till that day. But I did not get an opportunity to visit the palaces and the forts of the southern part of India. As we were in Mysore we decided to visit the old Mysore palace. Because of my habit I did a bit of research on the place and came to know that the palace was built in the year 1912. It was the official residence of the Wodeyars – a royal family of Mysore at that time. The Mysore palace drew the second largest number of tourists in India after the Taj Mahal. The palace was first built in the 14th century. Then it was demolished and constructed multiple times. It was then again built in 1912 by a British architect.
Mysore Palace | Image Resource : flickr.com/photos/7736267@N06/8196976660
I was extremely excited about visiting the palace. We had to hire a car to visit the palace, which was at a good distance from the Brindavan Gardens. When we reached the palace, I was spellbound to see such a huge structure. The architecture of the place was amazing and I was surprised to see that a 100-year old palace was still standing strong. We came to know that the architecture style of the palace was Indo-Saracenic which was a blend of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic styles.
Mysore Palace View | Image Resource : flickr.com/photos/60076991@N03/5488329902
The entrance of the palace was a huge and a beautifully crafted gate. We had to pay an entry fee to enter into the palace. We were asked to remove our shoes before entering the place. Photography was strictly prohibited inside the palace and so we had to deposit our cameras outside. The rooms inside the structure were unique and beautiful. The planning of the rooms was excellent and all of them were well-maintained. We had a great time exploring the entire palace. The architecture, planning and location of the palace truly amazed me. We came to know many things related to India’s history from the Mysore palace. It was crowded with tourists from different parts of the globe.
