Throughout their mighty reign the Mughals and other Muslim rulers have built marvelous palaces across the country and have showcased their rich architectural and artistic skills that have been bewitching visitors for years, but when it comes to this particular monument , the center of attraction of the cleanest city of the country , I can say that in no way it is less grand or less charismatic than its counterparts. It was the residence of the Wodeyars - the Maharajas of Mysore. Located at the heart of the city, this awesome piece of majestic art is surrounded by lush gardens and overlooked by Chamundi hills , eastwards. There are three entrances on each ends and the main approach , a gigantic arch of acute architectural craftsmanship , faces the palace at the east end.
As I entered , the initial glimpse left me short of adjectives - the kind of feel one delicately archives much like witnessing Taj Mahal. A bright day, perfect cobalt afternoon sky ; just the tailor-made canvas ready to be glorified with the subject - the expansive three storied mansion fortified by high towers with red colored domes . Shot. Camera ought not miss such a naturally conducive frame of perfect light and shade thus avoiding further edits. Built of fine gray granite that dazzled atop the series of great arches supported by tall pillars. How the sculptors accomplished such finesse without any modern machinery always remains a mystery to me.
It was time to explore the interior. A rich exhibition of the articles that belonged to the royal family. The physical archives ranged from eye-catching metallic weapons , silver throne to crafty furniture and daily household items of sophisticated designs. Coupled with the tabled antics what left me amazed was the interior designs - checkered marble floors and pristine pink and amber colored marble pillars flaunting the acute artworks and carvings. It wonders me how the taste of styles changes with generations - how the buildings and mansions are going to be few centuries hence!
The big hall at the ground floor has a multi-colored glass ceiling enabling the sunlight to peep through creating a prism-like effect. Scintillating. I took a moment to teleport myself back in time of the kings and queens in my mind ; imagining the fellow visitors dressed in royal customs , the exhibited antics restoring their places in accordance with my assumption , the shine of the marble enhanced and the paintings looking more lively. Goosebumps! I wish I could practically revisit history when this history was the present.
Having done over sightseeing the royal embellishments , I strolled round the palace through the gardens and capturing shots from every angles possible. Sunset was round the corner and twilight was steadily creeping in. I decided to come in front of the main entrance to get a full frontal view of the palace against a camouflaging sky. And the sight was simply breathtaking. With every pixel of the sky changing its complexion among variety of shades of orange and red and yellow within minutes , the palace reflected the hazy glitter thus adding different flare to my shots. Eventually the fading light disappeared and the artificial lights came into prominence. And as the best is often saved for the last - the view of the dazzling palace illuminated collectively by every lamps defining every curves and arches as acutely as possible. Lovely decorations. Mind blown.
The rich architecture of the palace not only speaks volumes of the culture and artistic acumen of the people of that time but also exemplifies our history proudly in the book of world heritage. And It is as important a duty for the government to preserve its sanctity as to ours , the visitors , to maintain the place clean and safe without causing any damages out of some crazy activities.
It was time to leave and relive the stunning visuals in my memory which has definitely coveted a place for this marvel besides other famous palaces of our country. Mysore palace is indeed grand!
Having done over sightseeing the royal embellishments , I strolled round the palace through the gardens and capturing shots from every angles possible. Sunset was round the corner and twilight was steadily creeping in. I decided to come in front of the main entrance to get a full frontal view of the palace against a camouflaging sky. And the sight was simply breathtaking. With every pixel of the sky changing its complexion among variety of shades of orange and red and yellow within minutes , the palace reflected the hazy glitter thus adding different flare to my shots. Eventually the fading light disappeared and the artificial lights came into prominence. And as the best is often saved for the last - the view of the dazzling palace illuminated collectively by every lamps defining every curves and arches as acutely as possible. Lovely decorations. Mind blown.
The rich architecture of the palace not only speaks volumes of the culture and artistic acumen of the people of that time but also exemplifies our history proudly in the book of world heritage. And It is as important a duty for the government to preserve its sanctity as to ours , the visitors , to maintain the place clean and safe without causing any damages out of some crazy activities.
It was time to leave and relive the stunning visuals in my memory which has definitely coveted a place for this marvel besides other famous palaces of our country. Mysore palace is indeed grand!
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