The Lalitha Mahal, now renamed Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, is a luxury hotel located in a former royal residence, and the second largest palace in the southern Indian city of

Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...

, Karnataka, after the Mysore Palace. It is located near the Chamundi Hills, 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. Built on a raised ground, the palace was fashioned on the lines of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

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 of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

until 2018 when it was transferred to a unit of the Government of Karnataka. 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 geopolitical realm in southern India founded in around 1399 in the vicinity of the modern-day city of Mysore and prevailed until 1950. The territorial boundaries and the form of government transmuted substantially ...

and

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. 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 Governor-General of India 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 Edwin Wolleston Fritchley, the architect from

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

(Mumbai) and <> by B Munivenkatappa. Work started in 1921 and completed in 1930. The palace built in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

is considered an adaptation of the St. Paul's Cathedral in London, particularly the central dome. The architecture of the palace reflects English manor houses and Italian palazzos.https://mysore.ind.in/lalitha-mahal-palace, title=Lalitha Mahal Palace - Mysore 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 both in the exterior facades and in interiors doors, windows and ceilings. The palace has a 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, macros ...

chandeliers, 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 Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

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 File:Interior of the Lalitha Mahal hotel in Mysore.jpg, interior

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 20th-century architecture in India

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References