Mysore Palace Palace

Address: Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas Palace), Sayyaji Rao Road, Mysore, Karnataka, India

Hours: Daily (palace interior typically open ~10:00am-5:30pm; illumination evenings on certain days)

Admission: Entry fee for the Mysore Palace interior (charged); different rates for Indians/foreigners and separate charges for the evening illumination show

Mysore Palace (Amba Vilas Palace) is the historic royal residence of the Wodeyar dynasty in Mysore, Karnataka, rebuilt in an Indo-Saracenic style after a late 19th-century fire and completed in the early 20th century. The palace is the city’s principal historic monument and museum complex.

Visitors tour richly decorated public rooms, the Durbar Hall and ceremonial halls with ornate ceilings, stained glass and carved woodwork. The palace houses exhibits of royal paraphernalia, paintings and textiles and is noted for its blend of Hindu, Muslim and European architectural elements.

The palace is particularly famous for its evening illumination during the Dasara festival, when the building is lit with a large number of lamps and light bulbs, creating a major civic spectacle. Interior rooms, the royal gallery and the palace grounds are arranged to show the sequence of ceremonial spaces used by the former ruling family.

After a major fire in 1897 the current palace was commissioned and designed in an Indo-Saracenic style by architect Henry Irwin, with construction carried out over the following years and completed in the early 20th century. It served as the official royal seat of the Wodeyars and later became a museum and public monument.

The palace stands in the centre of Mysore city, Karnataka, with the urban fabric and the nearby Chamundi Hill forming prominent local landmarks.

• Dasara illumination: During the Dasara festival the palace is illuminated with approximately 100,000 electric bulbs in an annual ceremonial display that draws large crowds.

What to See#

• Durbar Hall: The Durbar Hall is the principal ceremonial chamber with ornate ceilings, stained glass and a raised platform used historically for royal audiences.
• Kalyana Mantapa: Kalyana Mantapa is the wedding hall pavilion known for its intricate ceilings, stained glass and carved pillars used for royal ceremonies.
• Amba Vilas (main palace): The Amba Vilas (Mysore Palace) main building includes royal apartments, private chambers and an art collection displayed for visitors.

Mysore Palace sits in the centre of Mysuru city, a short drive from Mysuru Junction (Mysore Railway Station). From the station it’s about 2-3 km to the palace - roughly a 10-15 minute taxi or auto-rickshaw ride, or a 25-35 minute walk. If driving from Bengaluru, follow NH275 (Bengaluru-Mysuru Road) into Mysuru; the road distance from Bengaluru city centre is about 150 km.

• Visit right when the palace opens on weekday mornings to see the lavish interiors with far fewer tour groups and better photo opportunities of the Durbar Hall and royal galleries.
• Buy entry tickets online in advance (official palace/municipal portals) to skip the ticket queue and head straight to the interior exhibition areas that often have separate lines.
• If you can time it, attend during the Dussehra season for the full ceremonial display and illuminated palace events-expect heavy crowds then, so arrive very early or plan for limited mobility.