The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : A grand palace for a grand festival

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

A grand palace for a grand festival

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, OCT. 13. The architectural splendour of the Mysore Palace will come alive and light up the night sky from Thursday.

The city is getting decked up for a cultural razzmatazz with Dasara festivities commencing from Friday.

The Indo-Saracenic structure was completed in 1912 at a cost of Rs. 41.47 lakhs and built on the foundations of a wooden palace, which was destroyed in a fire in 1897 during the wedding of Princess Jayalakshmammamaniyavaru.

The only photograph of the wooden palace was taken by John Birdwood who later became the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.

The new palace was designed and conceived by Henry Irwin, who was also the architect of the Vice Regal Lodge in Shimla and the consulting architect to the Government of Madras.

Local materials

Art historians point out that the Mysore Palace is unique as it was built mostly with local materials.

The main building is an impressive three-storeyed granite structure and has a curvilinear dome atop a five-storeyed tower that is around 145 feet above the ground.

However, the most imposing features of the palace are the seven giant arches that dominate the frontal portion.

An open courtyard is the main feature of the landscape and provides a majestic view of the unique structure from a distance.

The interior of the palace has been lavishly embellished with the great durbar or the "Diwan-e-Am," measuring 155 feet in length and 42 feet in width, occupying the pride of place.

Raja Ravi Varma's paintings adorn the walls of the durbar. An interesting feature of the central panel of the pillars is the artistic rendition of four generations of Kings of Mysore encased in teakwood frames.

Stained glass ceiling

The private durbar or the "Diwan-e-Khas is located in the Ambavilas and adjacent to it is the "Kalyanamantapa." The octagonal painted pavilion has a colourful stained glass ceiling designed by artists from Mysore.

However, it was executed by the Walter Macfarlane Saracen Foundry at Glasgow.

The theme of the stained glass decoration as well as that of the mosaic floor is the peacock and hence the hall is also called the "Peacock Pavilion."

The Durbar Hall was extended on the eastern side in 1932.

The facade has nine arches supported by ornamental pillars and the absence of intermediate pillars facilitates a clear view of the golden throne during special occasions.

However, it is the Ambavilas that is reckoned to be the most breathtaking of the halls, complete with inlay works of Agra, a teakwood ceiling with intricate decorative patterns depicting the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

Golden throne

The golden throne, which consists of the main seat, a staircase and a golden umbrella, is another attraction at the palace.

A benedictory verse in Sanskrit consisting of 24 shlokas in the "Anusthub" metre is engraved on the rim of the umbrella.

A fort with five entrances surrounds the palace.

The main gate is the Jayamartanda Gate has an imposing appearance befitting the royal palace.

Over the years, the palace has emerged as a major centre for cultural activities as the Wadiyars of Mysore were patrons of art and literature and many an eminent persona in the field of music, literature and other forms of fine arts, have received training and encouragement here.

It is only befitting that the palace continues to occupy centre stage for cultural programmes during Dasara.

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