Bangalore Palace – A Piece of Tudor in Bangalore
Located in the heart of the city of Bangalore, lies a heritage building, hidden from the public view – the Bangalore Palace.
When Chamarajah Wodeyar left his home town to spend the summers in England, little did he know that while returning back, among all the cherished memories he would bring back with him home, he would also bring back a desire to build a huge palace. During his visit to England, Chamarajah Wodeyar happened to visit the Windsor Castle in London and was so inspired by the Tudor architecture that he decided that he would build himself a palace along the similar lines.
The first task of the Wodeyar Scion was to find a property where he could build the Bangalore Palace. He bought the property in 1873 from Reverend J Garret, who was the principal of Bangalore Central High School, using his personal funds. The Bangalore Palace stands on a 400 acre property and the main building spreads across 45,000 sq feet which took around 2 years to build incurring a cost of Rs 198,158.
Special masons were brought in from England to work on the Tudor and Scottish Gothic architecture that was complete with stained and foiled windows, towers, gardens, battlements and turrets. Wood has been used luxuriously for the intricate carvings and panel work. There is a gallery of historical photos, including those of viceroys, maharajas and other famous personalities. The Bangalore Palace has other artefacts like dressing tables, chairs, lamps, empty perfume bottles, statues and sculptures belonging to the royal collection. There are many paintings painted by Raja Ravi Varma and other renowned painters from all over the world.
Among the other items are the head and legs of an elephant found in the palace. The parts were preserved using chemicals and now the legs are part of a side stool.
The Bangalore Palace was open to the public in 2005. The funds were mainly used to meet its Rs 20 lakh annual upkeep costs. The special attraction
The palace ground has convention halls which can be hired by any private citizens for marriages and functions. The palace ground has also become a venue for various exhibitions, concerts and cultural programs.
The palace is open for visitors on all days except Sundays. The timings are from 10 am to 6 pm. The entry fee to the Bangalore Palace is Rs. 100 an Indian adult citizen and Rs 50 for children. Foreigners have to chalk out Rs 200 and Rs 100 for adults and children, respectively. Video recording charge is Rs 1000 and still photography charge is Rs 500. Guides are available at the premises. The palace has now launched an audio guide in as many as 7 languages.
For More Info: Places to Visit in Bangalore and Bangalore Tourism
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