Bangalore Palace

I happen to visit this palace last month during Holi (A festival of colors) weekend. There is nothing much to do here other than exploring the palace and taking a walk in the palace garden, still when you need a small break from the daily routine you can visit this palace. Its good for post lunch visit.

Bangalore Palace

In old era, this palace was being bought by one of the Maharaj from Wodeyar Dynasty of Mysore and now it belongs to the royal family of Mysore. These days it is being made available for visitors to see. 

The palace is being divided into around 20 to 22 parts for visitors sake and an audio guide is provided to each visitor. The audio guide explain each of these parts and what is being displayed there. The audio guide is quite good to listen to and talks about the old era and how the royal family spent their time here. Following are the few of the things I remember form my visit (not in particular order)

• The audio starts with the Wodeyar Dynasty 's emblem Gandaberuna (a two headed mythological bird in Hindu Mythology) which is now the emblem of Karnataka State Government.
• Then takes you to ballroom & explains how royal parties are being arranged and done there during old times.
• Tells about the architectures being used in the palace.
• It does have the durbar but access to it is prohibited. You can just view if from far end window.
• Shows how men & women of royal family lived in old ear.
• How women has been differentiated from men & how it changed as the time passed. It also gives details about how parda prath was being discontinued from royal family.
• The hunting stories thorough pictures.

  

  Elephant Feet

• The paintings from old times. Stories around them and when they have been painted.
• One place had the painting which depicted how "Dasara Festival" was being celebrated in Mysore during old times and how this old age tradition has been evolved from then to now. The royal family is Mysore still follows this tradition during "Dasara Festival" with its own evolved way.
• One of the part explain about the Silk, how it has been used in royal family's clothing and how Mysore silk came into picture. This part was getting renovate during my visit to the palace. They had royal family clothes being put up in closed glass cupboards for visitors to see (I found this quite funny).
• Display of different kinds of furniture which was being used in that era by the royal family.
• Different kinds if weighing machines and how they have been used.
• Generation of Royal family through pictures. 
• The palace is maintained well and there are few more old stuffs available to see which I don't remember now :) 

Below are few notes to take from my experience: 

• The entry fee is 230 per person for Indians. They provide the audio guide with the entry ticket, which is quite informative, but I feel the cost is in bit expensive side.
• There is no option to not to take the audio guide, if you want to enter and see the place from inside.
• Sometimes it may happen that the audio device's battery may get drained out (I had experienced this), that time better get a new pair of it from reception. You can request for a new audio device in between the tour or they let you take the tour again if you inform them at the end of the tour.
• You should have at least 2 hours or more, if you want to explore the palace.
• Visit to this palace is good for history lovers.