The Lalitha Mahal, now renamed Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, is a luxury hotel-turned royal resident and the second largest palace in the

southern Indian South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

city of

Mysore Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude o ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO 15919, ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reor ...

, after the

Mysore Palace The Mysore Palace, also known as Amba Vilas Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence (house). It is located in Mysore, Karnataka. It used to be the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. Th ...

. It is located near the

Chamundi Hills The Chamundi Hills are located 13 km east of Mysore, Karnataka, India. The name comes from the Chamundeshwari Temple at the peak. The average elevation is . Attractions The Chamundeshwari Temple is located atop the Chamundi Hills. Patro ...

, east of the city. The palace was built in 1921 by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV for the exclusive stay of the

Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...

. Built on a raised ground, the palace was fashioned on the lines of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and is one of the imposing structures in Mysore. The palace is painted pure white. It was converted into a heritage hotel in 1974. It was run as a part of the

Ashok Group The Ashok Group is a chain of hotels owned and operated as Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in India. The Group is headquartered in New Delhi * The Ashok, Delhi (Built in 1956, the property ...

of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

until 2018 when it was transferred to a unit of the

Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appoint ...

. However, a veneer of the original royal ambience of the palace is maintained.

History

The Lalitha Mahal palace dates to the early 20th century, built during the

Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in South India, southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary allia ...

and

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. The palace was constructed with a reasonable amount of money out of the kingdom's annual income of two million pounds at that time. The palace was built in 1921 initially for the exclusive stay of the

and subsequently used as a guest house for European guests of the Maharaja.

Architecture

Set amidst sprawling landscaped gardens below the Chamundi hills, the palace was planned by E.W. Fritchley, the architect from

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

(now renamed

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

) an
constructed
by B Munivenkatappa. The palace built in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...

is considered an adaptation of the

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gra ...

, particularly the central dome. The architecture of the palace reflects

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals ...

s and Italian

Palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

s. It is a two storied structure. The supporting structure of the palace is of Ionic double column. At the ground level, there is a projecting porch. Spherical domes with the dominating central dome sets the front elevation of the palace. Decorative stained glass has been extensively used to enhance the elegance of the palace both in the exterior facades and in interiors doors, windows and ceilings. A lovely view of the Chamundi Hill to the left and the Mysore city in front of the palace is seen from the balcony upstairs. The palace has exquisitely designed viceroy room, a banquet hall, a dancing floor and an Italian marble staircase (has an arresting curve) and also embellished with small ornamentations, which are said to be replicas from various palaces in Britain. The full length portraits of the Wodeyar Kings, Italian marble floors and Belgian

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

chandeliers A chandelier (; also known as girandole, candelabra lamp, or least commonly suspended lights) is a branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings or walls. Chandeliers are often ornate, and normally use incandescent ...

, cut glass lamps, heavy ornate furniture, mosaic tiles and a couple of exquisite Persian carpets gives the palace its regal ambience. With conversion of the palace into a heritage hotel, interiors have been modified to provide for modern conveniences but most of the earlier sections of the palace such as the dancing and banquet halls have been retained in their original elegance but adopted as dining halls and conference halls for holding meetings and conventions; these have polished wooden flooring and three stain glassed domes in the ceiling. The ball room in particular, which has been converted into the Dining Hall of the hotel, is a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

hall with immensely high ceiling with domed skylights made of Belgian glass. A swimming pool is now an additional provision. The elevator, carpeting and the Ottoman, upholstered with tapestry are treasured items in the palace.

Gallery

File:Lalitha Mahal Palace , Mysore - The Entrance Reception Area.jpg, The Reception Hall of the Palace File:Dining Hall of Lalitha Mahal.jpg, The Grand Ballroom which is now the Dining Hall of Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore.jpg, The main stairway made of Italian marble. File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore1.jpg, The Ballroom - Three Domed skylights made of Belgian glass File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore2.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Palace File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore3.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Palace File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore6.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Palace File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore7.jpg, Lalitha Mahal File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore8.jpg, The Ottoman or Buggy File:Lalitha Mahal Palace hotel.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Hotel File:Mysore India.jpg, Garden from the terrace of the Lalitha Mahal Palace File:Mysore si0878.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Hotel File:Lalitha Mahal Palace , Mysore - Main Hall Staircase.jpg, The Primary Stairway of the Palace and Porch File:Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel.jpg, Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel

References

{{Mysore topics Palaces in Mysore Hotels in Mysore 1921 establishments in India Buildings and structures completed in 1921 Hotels established in 1974 Heritage hotels in India Royal residences in India

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References