PRIDE OF MYSORE

                                                       MYORE PALACE 

        Mysore a city in India's southwestern Karnataka state, was the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947. In its center is opulent Mysore Palace, seat of the former ruling Wodeyar dynasty. The palace blends Hindu, Islamic, Gothic and Rajput styles. Mysore is also home to the centuries-old Devaraja Market, filled with spices, silk .

        The Mysore Palace, officially known as Mysuru Palace, is a historical palace and the royal residence  at Mysore in the Indian State of Karnataka. It is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. The palace is in the centre of Mysore, and faces the Chamundi Hills eastward. Mysore is commonly described as the 'City of Palaces', and there are seven palaces including this one; however, 'Mysore Palace' refers specifically to this one within the Old fort. 

        The land on which the palace now stands was originally known as puragiri  and is now known as the Old Fort. Yaduraya built the first palace inside the Old Fort in the 14th century, which was demolished and constructed multiple times. The current structure was constructed between 1897 and 1912, after the Old Palace was burnt ablaze.

        Mysore Palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, with more than 6 million annual visitors.

Construction

    The last palace, now known as the Old Palace or the Wooden Palace, was burnt into ashes during the 1896 marriage event (Dasara festivities). Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and his mother Maharani Kempananjammanni Devi, commissioned the British architect Henry Irwin to build a new palace.Meanwhile, the royal family stayed in the close by Jaganmohan Palace. The construction was overseen by an executive engineer in the Mysore Palace division. He had conducted elaborate architectural studies during his visits to Delhi, Madras, and Calcutta, and these were used in planning for the new palace. The construction cost was placed at Rs 41,47,913 (around $30 million adjusted to inflation) and was completed in 1912.

Architecture

        The architectural style of domes of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, with blends of the Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic styles. It is a three-story stone structure with marble domes, and has a 145-foot five-story tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden.

            The three-story stone building of a fine grey granite with deep pink marble domes has a facade with several expansive arches and two smaller ones flanking the central arch, which is supported by tall pillars. Above the central arch is a sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, fortune, and abundance with her elephants. There are three major exclusive temple buildings within the Old Fort, and about 18 inside the palace heart building. The palace was built adjacent to the even older Parakala Mutt headquarters, whose leaders have remained the rajagurus (royal teacher and guide) of Mysore kings. The kings of Mysore were devotees of Goddess Chamundi, hence the palace's facing the Chamundi Hills.

The palace houses two durbar halls and incorporates an array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings.

Golden Howdah

        The exact date of its making is not known. The 750-kg-howdah, used in the Jamboo Savari on the Vijayadashami day, has two wide seats in rows, bigger than the interiors of a family car. The Rajas of Mysore used this howdah in the famous Dasara procession, which traversed through the thoroughfares of the princely city during the festival every year. But since the abolition of royalty the statue of Chamundeshwari is being carried in the howdah. The Howdah is made of Pure gold. The core structure is wood and it was covered in filigreed gold sheets weighing 85 kilograms by "Swarnakala Nipuna" Singannacharya. It has three deftly carved pillars on each of the four sides. It is covered with a canopy resembling a crown. There are five sacred "Kalashas" on top of it. The seat itself is made of silver, alluring designs embellishing it, and it will be shown in only dasara times.

The procession

            The golden Howdah is mounted on the lead elephant with the idol of deity Chamundeshwari placed in it. The procession of over 5.5 kilometers passes through the Mysore city, beginning at Mysore Palace and terminating at Bannimantap. The elephant carrying the Howdah is trained and groomed to do the job years before it actually does it. Balarama has the distinction of participating in the procession 19 times and has carried the Howdah on thirteen occasions, between 1999 and 2011. After taking over from him in 2012, Arjuna has been the carrier.