Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence. It is located in Mysore, Karnataka, India. It used to be the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. The palace is in the centre of Mysore, and faces the Chamundi Hills eastward. Mysore is commonly described as the 'City of the Palaces', and there are seven palaces including this one. However, the Mysore Palace refers specifically to the one within the new fort.

The land on which the palace now stands was originally known as mysuru (literally, "citadel"). The first palace inside the Old Fort was built in the 14th century, which was set ablaze and reconstructed multiple times. The Old Fort was built of wood and thus easily caught fire, while the current fort was built of stone, bricks and wood. The current structure was constructed between 1897 and 1912, after the Old Palace burnt down, the current structure is also known as the New Fort. Mysore Palace is one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, with more than three million annual visitors as on 2014.

History
The last palace, now known as the Old Palace or the Wooden Palace, burned to ashes during the wedding of Jayalakshammani, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1896. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and his mother Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi commissioned the British architect Henry Irwin to build a new palace. E.W. Fritchley worked as a consulting engineer. Meanwhile, the royal family stayed in the nearby Jaganmohan Palace. Construction was overseen by an executive engineer in the Mysore Palace division. He conducted elaborate architectural studies during his visits to Delhi, Madras, and Calcutta, and these were used to plan the new palace. The construction cost was placed at Rs 41,47,913 (around $ 30 million adjusted to inflation) and the palace was completed in 1912.

The palace was further expanded in around 1930 (including the addition of the present Public Durbar Hall wing) during the reign of Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.

Architecture
Designed by Henry Irwin, an English architect, the style is that of Indo-Saracenic architecture, with elements from Islamic, Rajput, and Gothic architecture styles. It is a three-story, gray granite, structure, about 245 ft long and about 156 ft wide. There are square towers, five stories tall, at each of the cardinal points, topped with pink domes. The tallest tower, 145 ft tall, is at the centre of the palace and is topped with a gold plated dome.

The façade has arches, canopies, and bay windows. There are seven arches and two smaller arches that connect to the centralized arch of the façade. Above the central arch is a sculpture of Gajalakshmi. The palace is surrounded by gardens. It has four entrances: The 'Jaya Maarthaanda' (main entrance) to the East, 'Jayarama' to the North, 'Balarama' to the South, and 'Varaha' to the West.

Attractions
The entrance fee to get into the palace grounds, is 100 rupees per adult, 50 rupees per child aged 7 to 18 years old, and free for children younger than 7 years old.

At the main entrance, there are bronze tigers, sculpted by British sculptor Robert William Colton, on either side of the walkways leading up to the palace. The Gombe Thotti, also known as The Dolls' Pavilion, was a place to display and worship dolls during Dasara festivities. Ane Bagilu, also known as Elephant Gate, is the main entrance to the palace's interior, symbolizing power and strength.