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Lalitha Mahal

The Lalitha Mahal is located near Chamundi Hills, east of Mysore, Karnataka. It is the second largest palace in this princely city. The then Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, ordered the construction of this palace in 1921, which got completed in 1930. Lalitha Palace was built for the exclusive stay of the Viceroy of India during that time. The palace looks more elegant due to its white color. Lalitha Mahal was transformed into a heritage hotel in 1974. One of the most opulent hotels in India, it offers the guests a peek-a-boo at the princely lifestyle. It is run as an elite hotel under the Ashok Group of the Indian Tourism Development Corporation of the Indian Government. However, this place still maintains the appearance of the original royal ambiance.

History

This palace dates back to the early 20th century, when the princely state of Mysore was ruled by the British. The British Administrator used to call Mysore as a “Model State”. The Maharajas of Mysore were second only to the Nizams of Hyderabad in terms of wealth. The magnificent palace was built with a considerable amount of money taken out from the state’s annual income of 2 million pounds. His Highness Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV ruled under the “Wodeyar” title. He was the 24th ruler of this dynasty. It is a known fact that most of the rulers in the state of Mysore were great patrons of art and architecture. Moreover, they were quite ostentatious in their living style. This is clearly evident from the numerous stunning monuments comprising of temples, palaces, gardens and temples in Mysore that were built by them to boost the architectural heritage of their kingdom. Lalitha Palace was subsequently used as guest house of the Maharajas’ European guests.

Architecture

The palace was planned by an architect from Mumbai named E. W. Fritchley and constructed by B. Munivenkatappa. The palace was built in architectural style of the Renaissance period. It was built on a raising ground and fashioned like the St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. Especially, the central dome resembles the church. The palace also reflects the architecture of the Italian Palazzos and English manor houses. It is two storied. The palace has a supporting structure of ionic double column. There is also a projecting porch at the ground level. The elevation at the front of the palace is set by the dominating central dome along with the various spherical domes. One would find extensive use of decorative stained glass in order to enhance the beauty of the both interiors and exteriors of the palace. The balcony at the upstairs gives a lovely view of Mysore city in the front and Chamundi Hill on the left.

The Lalitha Mahal has elegantly designed banquet hall, viceroy room, dancing floor and also an Italian marble staircase with a stunning curve. The palace is embellished with minor ornamentations that are considered as replicas of several palaces in Britain. The palace gets its regal charm and ambience with heavy ornate furniture, cut glass lamps, Belgian crystal chandeliers, Italian marble floors, few exquisite , mosaic tiles, lithographs portraying the battles between Tipu Sultan with the British and last but not the least, full length portraits of the Wodeyar Maharajas. The ceilings and walls have exquisite motifs, the wooden shutters are artistically carved and the wall panels are decorated beautifully.

The interiors of the palace have been modified pertaining to the conversion of it into a heritage hotel to offer modern conveniences to the guests. Though most of the sections of the place have been kept in their original condition but they have been adopted for different uses now. For instance, the dancing hall and the banquet hall have been adopted as dining hall and conference hall. These halls have three stained glass domes and polished wooden flooring. The ball room is basically a baroque hall having extremely high ceiling with Belgian glass domed skylights. Moreover, most of the furniture is used in the hotel, like the carved wooden cupboards, four poster beds, gift framed Belgian mirror and deep velvet covered armchairs. There has been an addition of a swimming pool recently. However, there has been a reduction in the size of the sprawling gardens as they are difficult to maintain. The treasured items of this palace include carpeting, elevator and the Ottoman, upholstered with tapestry.

Reason to Visit Lalitha Palace as a Hotel

  • It is a landmark palace as well as a heritage hotel.
  • Hotel managed by Central Government Organization, ITDC.
  • 54 rooms - 2 Duplex Suite, 10 Suits and 2 Viceroy Suite.
  • All rooms with TV, AC and room service.
  • Availability of bar, tea lounge and multi cuisine restaurant.
  • Recreation facilities - indoor games, swimming pool and library.
  • Other facilities- doctor on call, luggage room, safe deposit locker, money exchange and laundry.
  • Highly recommended for people who like to stay in and experience the heritage of Mysore.
  • Availability of helipad.

Places to Visit around Lalitha Palace and Mysore

There are quite a few places of attraction in and around the area where Lalitha Palace is located. Some of the must visit locations include:

  • Mysore Palace
  • Chamundeshwari Temple
  • Trinesvaraswamy Temple
  • Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
  • Mysore Zoo
  • GRS Fantasy Park
  • Planet X Mysore
  • Brindavan Gardens
  • St Philomenas Church
  • Jaganmohan Palace
  • Ashtanga Yoga
  • Datta Peetham
  • Oriental Research Institute
  • Melody Wax Museum
  •  Folklore Museum
  • Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan
  • Rail Museum Mysore
  • Happy Man Park

Things to Do

Karanji Lake is the ideal place for bird watching. There are also a Nature Park, Butterfly Museum and a Reservoir in the lake area. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is also a good place for bird watching as well as boating.

How to Reach

By Train

Mysore Railway Station is located at a distance of 6 kms from the Lalitha Palace.

By Air

Mysore Airport is the nearest airport to reach the Lalitha Palace.

By Road

The location of Lalitha Palace is well connected with roadways. State Transport buses are regularly available.

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