Mysore Palace(Amba Vilas Palace)

     Mysore Palace



The Palace of Mysore (also known as the Amba Vilas Palace) is a historical palace in the city of Mysore in Karnataka, southern India. It is the official residence and seat of the Wodeyars — the Maharajas of Mysore, the former royal family of Mysore, who ruled the princely state of Mysore from 1399 to 1950.The palace is in the central region of inner Mysore, facing the Chamundi Hills eastward.

Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces. There are about seven palaces inclusive of this; however, Mysore Palace refers specifically to the one within the Old Fort. Built by the Maharaja Rajarshi H.H. Krishnarajendra Wadiyar IV, Mysore Palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India, after the Taj Mahal, and has more than 4 million visitors annually.
The original palace built of wood, got burnt down in 1897, during the wedding of Jayalakshammanni, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar and was rebuilt in 1912 at the cost of Rs. 42 lakhs. The present Palace built in Indo-Saracenic style and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. Above the central arch is an impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck, and abundance with her elephants. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. Designed by the well-known British architect, Henry Irwin, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.

The Maharaja's Palace is a beautiful three storied stone building of fine gray granite and rich pink marble domes, overlooking this structure is a five-storied 145 foot tower whose domes are gilded in gold. One enters the Palace through the Gombe Thotti or the Doll's Pavilion; this is a pavilion of traditional dolls from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This collection also has a wooden elephant howdah (structure for carrying people on the elephant) that is decorated with 84 kilograms of gold.
Special events
Mysore palace in the evening

Every autumn, the palace is the venue for the famous Mysore Dasara festival, during which leading artists perform on a stage set up in the palace grounds. On the tenth day of the festival Vijaya Dashami, a parade with caparisoned elephants and floats originate from the palace grounds.

Dasara is the most extravagant festival of Mysore. It is celebrated in September and October of each year. The festival celebrates and commemorates the victory of the great Goddess Durga, also called

This festival has been celebrated by the Wodeyars at Srirangapatna since 1610, and in Mysore with great pomp since 1799. The tradition is still carried on, although the scale of the celebrations has diminished. The Dasara festivities have become an integral part of the culture and life in Mysore. To celebrate this festival, the Palace of Mysore is illuminated with more than 96,000 lights during the two-month period.

Chamundeshwari, after she slew the demon Mahishasura, thereby symbolizing the triumph of good over evil according to Hindu mythology.

During the Dasara the Royal throne made of 200kgs of pure gold is displayed. It is claimed that the ancestry of the throne can be traced to the Pandavas.


ATTARACTIONS NEARBY MYSORE PALACE:

Chamundi Temple
Prasanna Krishnaswamy Temple
Lakshmiramana Swamy Temple
   Mahabaleshwara Temple
Trinesvaraswamy Temple
Shweta Varahaswamy Temple

Mysore Palace Timings:
10.00 am - 05.30 pm
Mysore Palace is open all days of the week
Mysore Palace Entry Charges:
Adults Rs. 40/-
Children between 10 - 18 Years : Rs. 20/-
Children below 10 years : Free Entrance
Foreign Tourist Rs. 200/- (Audio Kit Facility Included)
Tickets are sold at southern gate of the Mysore Palace.
Mysore Palace Illumination Timings:
07.00 pm - 07.45 pm on Sundays, National Holidays and State Festivals.
07.40 pm - 07.45 pm on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) after the sound and light show.
There is no charges to watch Mysore Palace lighting
Mysore Palace Sound and Light Show:
07.00 pm - 07.40 pm
On weekdays (Monday to Saturday) except Sundays, National Holidays and State Festivals.
Sound and Light Show Entry Charges:
Adults Rs. 40/-
Children between 7 - 12 years : Rs. 25/-
Foreign Tourist Rs. 200/-
Tickets are sold at southern gate of the Mysore Palace.
How to Reach Mysore Palace
By Road
Mysore is 139kms to the south west of Bangalore. The state highway that connects these two cities is very well maintained. Travelling from Bangalore to Mysore by road is a pleasant experience and will take about 3hrs.  There are ordinary buses, semi-luxury buses and luxury buses operated by the Government of Karnataka. Every half an hour there is a non-stop bus to Mysore from Bangalore Bus Station.
By Train
Mysore is connected with a number of trains to Bangalore. The super fast luxury train the Shatabdi Express connects Mysore to Madras. The quickest and most comfortable way to reach Mysore is via Bangalore.

By Air
The nearest airport to Mysore is Bangalore (139 km). All the domestic airlines in the country operate their flights to Bangalore from all the major cities in the country. Some international airlines too have flights to Bangalore. Bangalore is to have an international airport shortly.

Best Time to Visit Mysore:

 

Mysore is one city that can actually be visited anytime! The summer is not scorching hot and neither is the winter too cold, making it pleasant enough to visit any time of the year.In September/October during Dussehra time, celebrations are on in full swing and the Mysore Palace is a pretty sight as it is lit up and festivities are in the air.

Where to Stay in Mysore:

Mysore has a variety of places to stay with accommodation options ranging from deluxe to budget hotels.

 

The Nubra Valley (the valley of flowers)

                               The Nubra Valley (the valley of flowers)

The Nubra Valley
Nubra (Tibetan : ལྡུམ་ར; Wylie : ldum ra; English : Nubra) is a tri-armed valley located to the north east of Ladakh valley. Diksit the capital of Nubra is about 150 km north from Leh town, the capital of Ladakh district, India. Nubra Valley Known as Ldumra (the valley of flowers). The Shyok River meets the Nubra or Siachan River to form a large valley that separates the Ladakh and Karakoram Ranges. The Shyok river is a tributary of the Indus river. The average altitude of the valley is about 10,000 ft. i.e. 3048 metres above the sea level. The common way to access this valley is to travel over the Khardung la pass from Leh town. Non-locals require an Inner Line Permit (obtainable in DC office, Leh town) to enter Nubra. Permit is not required anymore for Indian tourists (w.e.f May 1, 2014), though foreign tourists still require the permit.

Until 1994, the lands north of Leh were off-limits to tourists and had been unexplored by outsiders since the nineteenth century. Now, the breathtaking Nubra Valley, unfolding beyond the world’s highest stretch of driveable road as it crosses the Khardung La (5602m), can be visited with a seven-day permit, which gives you enough time to explore the stark terrain and trek out to one or two gompas. The valley’s mountain backbone looks east to the Nubra River and west to the Shyok River, which meet amid silver-grey sand dunes and boulder fields. To the north and east, the mighty Karakoram Range marks the Indian border with China and Pakistan. In the valley it’s relatively mild, though dust storms are common, whipping up sand and light debris in choking clouds above the broad riverbeds.
Before the region passed into the administrative hands of Leh, Nubra’s ancient kings ruled from a palace in Charasa, atop an isolated hillock opposite Sumur, home to the valley’s principal monastery. Further up the Nubra River, the hot springs of Panamik, once welcomed by footsore traders, are blissfully refreshing after a day on a bumpy bus. By the neighbouring Shyok River, Diskit, surveyed by a hillside gompa, lies just 7km from Hundur, known for its peculiar high-altitude double-humped Bactrian camels.

The route north to Nubra, a steep and rough road that forces painful groans from buses and trucks, keeps Leh in sight for three hours before crossing the Khardung La, and ploughing down more gently towards the distant Karakoram Range. Due to its strategic importance as the military road to the battlefields of the Siachen Glacier, the road to Nubra is kept
How to Reach Nubra Valley?
By Road:
The road journey to Nubra valley leads through the world highest motorable road, Khardongla Pass which is at a hight of 18380 ft above sea level and around 50 kms from Leh.
Road Distance:
Srinagar - Leh - 434 Km
Manali - Leh - 473 Km
Srinagar - Kargil - 204 Km
Delhi - Leh - 1047 Kms
Leh - Kargil - 234 Km
Kargil - Padum (Zanskar) - 240 Km
Leh - Deskit (Nubra Valley) - 118 Kms.
By air:
Nearest airport :Leh
Leh is the nearest airport. From Leh, one can hire a taxi or board a bus to reach Nubra Valley. Srinagar is also a good option to reach Diskit. Flights connect Srinagar with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jammu, Leh and Dubai.
By Train
Jammu is the nearest railway station. One can either hire a taxi or board a bus to reach Leh and then Diskit in Nubra valley

Best time to visit Nubra valley:  June To August
Accomodation:
Diskit has guesthouses in mid-budget range. The guesthouses also provide tents for camping. Sumur has deluxe camps with all basic facilities. Hunder also has good hotels.
Places to visit in Nubra valley:
Panamik
Hundur
Diskit
GET DIRECTIONS:

View Larger Map