Ambavilas Palace, otherwise famous as the Mysore Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence at Mysore in the southern Karnataka state of India. It is 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 Palaces', and there are seven palaces including of this; however, Mysore Palace refers specifically to this one within the Old Fort.
The land on which the palace now stands was originally known as puragiri (literally, citadel), and is now known as the Old Fort. Yaduraya
built the first palace inside the Old Fort in the 14th century, which
was demolished and constructed multiple times. The current structure was
constructed between 1897 and 1912, after the Old Palace was burnt
ablaze.
Mysore Palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, with more than 6 million annual visitors.
Visitor information
The palace is 1.8 km (1.12 miles) from the central railway station to its west, 1.4 km (roughly 0.8 miles) from suburb bus-stand to its north-east, and 9.5 km (around 6 miles) from Mysore Airport,
and in a small portion in its backyard is the city bus stand. The
domestic airport is directly connected to the international airports of Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Mangalore, and Bombay. The city is connected through the state highway SH-17.
- The Palace Light Illumination is on Sundays and all public holidays between 7 and 7:45 in the evening, and on all ten days during the Dasara.
- Sound and light programmes are arranged on all days between the same time, 7 and 7:45 in the evenings, except on Sundays and public holidays.
The Old Fort of the palace stands open from morning 10 to night 8 and
is free of cost. Entry to the palace buildings is between 11 in the
morning and 3 in the afternoon, under tight security. Two squads, one
police and one paramilitary, stand guard during the day, and two more
during night. Children below seven are free to enter the palace, while
those between seven and twelve are charged Rs 25 per head. For adults,
tickets are available for Rs. 40. Price of admission for foreign
tourists is INR 200. Footwear are to be removed before entering the
palace complexes.
A major issue for visitors is the frequent extortion of bribes from
visitors and tourists from corrupt Police and Palace Guards. Several
scams have been reported, like guards' befriending visitors, offering to
take them to special places, and extort money. Visitors have reported
other scams perpetrated by corrupt officials which include demands to
produce tickets and further requesting bribes.
