Bangalore Palace- A treat to the sore eye!

The ever so majestic Bangalore Palace- A treat to the sore eye!

Ever so often we find that in our eagerness to visit new places we tend to forget places that are almost in our neighborhood. One such place that many people living in Bangalore will come across is the Bangalore Palace. 

The famous Mysore Palace which people from Bangalore frequent so often has taken away most of this palace’s sheen. Though it isn’t in anyway comparable to the palace in Mysore, there are a few nuances that might manage to get your attention. For anyone wanting to spend a good evening in Bangalore this palace can provide more than what you expect from it.

The Bangalore Palace is aptly placed according to its name in the center of the city. The Tudor style architectural manner and resemblance to the Windsor Castle in England has managed to attract a lot of history lovers here. Built in the year 1887, the place belongs to the Woodeyar dynasty and is currently owned by Srikantha Datta Narasimharaja Wodeyar from Mysore. The verdant gardens surrounding the castle seem to be a very nice place for some leisure. The fact that it is placed in between the urban environment of the city gives it a stunning contrast from the other buildings.

The beauty of the castle begins right from its door which is marvelously carved. As you enter the castle you will notice a wide variety of woodwork of the 19^th century which is sure to take the breath out of anyone. The castle is extremely well furnished and the extensive paintings and carvings found in its walls is indeed a treat to the eye. The interior of the palace is filled with intricate artwork, ceiling paintings, floral décor etc. 

The courtyard is the first thing you will come across upon entering the palace followed by a Ballroom. The rooms of notice in the first floor were the Durbar Hall where the King mostly held private parties. Plus there are other antiques present here including an elephant head and art displays that have been wonderfully placed to add to the beauty of the room and the palace.

The palace is widely used today for events like concerts, programs and other exhibitions and they are open to the public. Certain preferred groups are allowed to hold private parties within the palace and the place is also rented to movie groups as it proves to be a great location to shoot films and advertisements.

To get to Bangalore Palace one can simply board a bus heading towards Carmel College from Kempegowda bus station. From Carmel College the place is just a few walks away. 

Upon reaching the place the entry to the palace is Rs.100 followed by a recommended audio guide which costs around 175 bucks. If you want to make use of cameras then you will have to pay Rs.500 extra and around 1000 bucks if it is a video camera. The rates are completely revised for the foreigners and seem a bit on the higher side. The entrance fee is around 300 and other rates are comparatively higher for non-Indians which is a let down if you are a tourist.