Mysore Palace

마이소르 궁전

Mysore Palace, also called Amba Vilas Palace, is a royal palace in Mysuru, in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was the official home of the Wadiyar dynasty, who ruled the Kingdom of Mysore, and it is one of the largest palaces in India.

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At a glance

Country: India
Location: Mysuru, India
Built: 1912
Height: 44 m
Type: Palace

Quick answers

Where is Mysore Palace?

Mysore Palace is in Mysuru, India.

When was Mysore Palace built?

Mysore Palace was built in 1912.

How tall is Mysore Palace?

Mysore Palace is about 44 m tall.

The royal palace of the Wadiyars, spectacularly lit by nearly 100,000 bulbs on festival nights.

It is a famous example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, a style that mixes Indo-Islamic, Rajput, Hoysala and Gothic ideas. On festival nights it is lit by nearly 100,000 bulbs, and more than four million people visit each year.

History

A small fort stood on this land in the late 14th century, and the first palace was built here in the 17th century. That palace was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In 1897 an earlier wooden palace was destroyed by fire, and Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV ordered a new one.

The design is credited to the British architect Henry Irwin, working with Edwin Wolleston Fritchley. Construction began in 1897 and finished in 1912. In 1998 the Karnataka government passed a law taking ownership from the Wadiyar family, and the matter is still being argued in court.

Dasara and visiting today

Since the early 19th century the Mysore Dasara festival has been held on the palace grounds every year. It ends with a procession of elephants on a day called Vijayadashami.

Today the main palace holds a public museum, while part of it is still the home of the current ceremonial head of the Wadiyar family. The grounds also include gardens, several Hindu temples and the old walls of the original fort.

Fun facts

It was rebuilt after the old wooden palace burned down in 1897.
The palace was rebuilt in 1897 after an older palace burned down.
Its name, Amba Vilas, comes from Sanskrit words linked to the goddess Durga and to a pleasant residence.
The Mysore Dasara festival has been held on its grounds every year since the early 19th century.
More than four million people visit the palace each year.