Bangalore Palace

Bangalore Palace stands in large grounds in Vasanth Nagar, north of the centre of Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka. It was built for the royal family of Mysore, the Wadiyars, and work on it began in 1874, with the main building completed around 1878. The land had earlier been bought by Reverend J. Garrett, the first principal of Central High School, and was later acquired for the young Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X.

The design is said to have been inspired by Windsor Castle in England, and the palace is often described as Tudor Revival. The Wadiyar family still owns it, and it is used for public visits, events and concerts.

The palace has fortified towers, turreted parapets, battlements and pointed arches, with grey granite walls covered in creepers in places. Inside are wood carvings, floral motifs on the ceilings, Gothic windows and a grand staircase. The rooms hold old furniture, a ballroom, a durbar hall with stained glass, and many paintings and photographs of the royal family, including works linked to Raja Ravi Varma. Hunting trophies, including elephant heads, line some walls. An audio guide describes the rooms and the history of the family.

The grounds are used for large concerts, exhibitions and weddings, and an amusement area operates on part of them.

Karnataka Tourism lists the ticket at ₹460 for foreign visitors and ₹240 for Indian visitors, with ₹120 for children and a separate fee for cameras. The palace opens daily from morning to late afternoon. Allow one to two hours for the interior and garden.

The estate was large from the start. The plot covered 454 acres, and the palace cost ₹1 million when it was built. The building has 34 rooms, a swimming pool and a built-up area of about 45,000 square feet. Several Indian films have been shot in the rooms and grounds.