MysorePalace

About The Palace Located in the heart of the city, Mysore Palace or the Maharajah's Palace is one of the most splendid palaces in Mysore. The palace was the residence of the Wodeyar Mahararaja's of the Mysore State, also known as Amba Vilas. This imposing, magnum opus is visited by hundreds of people from all over the world daily. Initially the palace was chiseled out of wood but was burnt down in 1897. Later in 1912 it was reconstructed by "Ranadheera Kantheerava Narasaraja wodeyar". The masterpiece collections of precious works of art and exquisite artifacts from all over the worlds are the treasures of the palace, showcased in the palace museum. Other attractions of the palace are Soundarya Vilasa, Naama Teertha and 11 canons, which are placed in the palace complex. There is a small private palace built by Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, an ancestor of the Wodeyar rulers as well as a member of the parliament who still resides in the palace. The ground floor of the Mysore Palace of Karnataka displays the personal belongings of the Wodeyar Mahararaja while the upper floor displays collection of weapons belonging to the Maharajah. The 200 kg gold royal throne of the Wodeyars is the most attractive artwork possessed by the Mysore Palace at Karnataka that is exhibited to the public only during the Dussera festival. The Mysore Palace is stunningly lighted every Sunday nights and in the Dussera month.

History of the palace

The word Mysore is a corrupted version of "mysooru", which is derived from the word "mahishur" or "Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of Mahishasura in Kannada, the local language. Mysore has been associated with the Puranic story found in the Devi Bhagavatha. According to the story in the Devi Purana, Mysroe was ruled by the demon Kind Mahishasura. Mahishasura was a buffalo-headed monster. In response to the prayer by the Gods and Goddesses to save them from the demon, Goddess Parvathi, took birth as Chamundeshwari and killed the monster on top of the Chamundi hill near Mysore. Hence the hill and the city have the names Chamundi Hill and Mysore respectively.It is said that after killing the monster the Goddess stayed on top of the hill, where she is worshipped with great devotion to this day. The famous 10 daylong Dasara of Mysore is in honour of the Goddess Chamundeshwari and is a celebration of this victory of good over evil. Before the rise of the Gangas in the 10th century there is little historical evidence relating to Mysore. The Gangas established their supremacy in the 2nd century and they ruled over a large part of Mysore till about 1004 AD. In the 3rd century they established their capital at Talakad on the banks of the river Cauvery. There is an inscription on Chamundi Hills that was done in 950AD during the reign of the Gangas. This inscription is the oldest inscription found in Mysore. The Cholas ruled Mysore for over a century after the Gangas. The Chalukyas followed the Cholas