Bangalore Palace

Bengaluru Palace is a royal palace in the Indian city of Bengaluru, in Karnataka. It was commissioned for Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, the Maharaja of Mysore, in 1873 and finished in 1878. It is built in the Tudor Revival style, and its design is based on Windsor Castle in England.

The palace has fortified towers, turreted parapets and walls partly covered with plants, which gives it the look of a storybook castle in the middle of a busy modern city. It is open to visitors, and its grounds host concerts, fairs and festivals. The palace sits on a large plot of about 454 acres and has a built-up area of about 4,200 square metres, so it is a big place to explore.

Who built it and why does it look English?

The palace stands on land that once belonged to John Garrett, a linguist and the principal of the Central High School. The Maharaja of Mysore had it built on a plot of about 454 acres, and it was finished in 1878 for roughly one million rupees.

Its design copies the look of Windsor Castle, so a castle from England ended up in southern India, with Tudor-style battlements instead of a typical Indian palace shape.

What is it like today?

The palace sits about 5.3 km north of the city centre and has a built-up area of about 4,200 square metres. It has 34 rooms and a swimming pool, and the inside features detailed wood carving and various art pieces.

Today the courtyard is used for concerts, exhibitions and weddings, and there is a small amusement park in the grounds. Several films have been shot here.

On the globe

The model shows the castle-like palace with crenellated walls, towers and ivy; look for the round tower.