Bangalore Palace – The Royal Charm

An epitome of great architecture and beauty, The Majestic Bangalore Palace preserves in it the spice of old regal opulence. Currently the central attraction in Bangalore, the palace was built in the year 1878. Chamarajendra Wadiyar’s British Guardians bought the original property in 1873 from the principal of Bangalore Central High School, Rev, J Garret, from his funds. The palace is extraordinarily vast and spread across 45,000 square feet. A mixture of Tudor and Scottish Gothic architecture have resulted into the grand palace that we see today.The wooden structure of the palace along with the beautiful carvings both inside and outside showcases the royal culture in different ways.

Once surrounded by beautiful gardens, the palace has now lost much of its original charm. However, it still succeeds in attracting tourists. Fortified towers, Gothic windows, battlements and turrets lend a great degree of magnificence to the Bangalore Palace of India. Mainly constructed of wood, it boasts of splendid carvings and paintings. Today the palace serves as the venue for various exhibitions, concerts and cultural programs held in the city. The ground floor of the Bangalore Palace comprises of a massive open square.

Bangalore Palace History

The area where the palace now stands originally belonged to a school principal of the cantonment town, Reverend J Garrett. The British Guardians of the minor Maharaja purchased the area with Chamarajendra Wadiyar X’s accumulated funds so that his education and administrative training could take place easily.

April 1874 marked the beginning of the construction of the palace. John Cameron, the artistic mind behind Lalbagh took the responsibility of landscaping. During 1878 AD the initial construction got completed. Following the initial completion, subsequent years called for many additions and improvements. Maharaja Jayachamaraja during his reign added portions outside the Darbar Hall. Renovations took place so that the Palace could have an essence of Windsor Castle of London that had bestowed the king.

Bangalore Palace Architecture

The palace features mainly wooden interiors and is surrounded by gardens. The architectural style is a mix of Tudor and Scottish Gothic with many physical elements inside imported from Britain. It is believed that Chamaraja Wadiyar found inspiration in Windsor Castle and other structures of Normandy and England.

Some of the defining features of the two-level granite structure include the fortified towers and the turreted parapets, quintessential elements of Tudor buildings. Roman arches greet visitors at the entrance. The facade of the building boasts many different shapes and projections. The vine -covered walls make the palace look like it was lifted out of the English countryside.

Interesting Facts about Bangalore Palace

• Bangalore Palace was the private residence of the Wodeyars, erstwhile maharajas of the state of Bangalore
• The palace is now owned by the Mysore royal family
• Bangalore Palace was built in 1862 at the exorbitant cost of one million rupees
• The palace is believed to be designed to resemble Windsor Castle; however this is not true
• A big part of the palace has been converted into galleries featuring hunting trophies, family photos and a collection of Indian and international paintings
• The palace grounds are now Bangalore’s hottest concert arena, having hosted rock ‘n’ roll biggies such as Iron Maiden, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Deep Purple

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