SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 BY RAGGI MUDDE
Bangalore Palace Main Entrance
Chamarajendra Wadiyar bought the original property in 1873 from the principal of Bangalore Central High School, Reverend J Garret, from his personal funds. The main building spreads across 45,000 sq feet with a mix of Tudor and Scottish Gothic architecture. It took 2 years to build the palace, at a cost of about Rs 198,158.
The Bangalore Palace was built by a Wodeyar King in 1887 on the 400 acre space. Inspired by the Windsor castle, this palace was built in the Tudor style, complete with Gothic windows, foiled windows, battlements and turrets resembling the Daria Daulat Palace inSrirangapatanam, this summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings.
In June 2005 Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar decided to open the palace to the public to meet its Rs 20 lakh annual upkeep costs. The special attraction is a gallery of nearly a thousand historical photos, including those of viceroys, maharajas and other famous personalities inside and exquisite carvings and paintings.
The palace grounds has convention halls which can be hired by any private citizens for marriages and functions. Within the huge campus you can also find a horse riding school.
Bangalore Palace Audio Tour
The palace has now launched an audio guide instead of the traditional tour guides. It is a boon for foreign tourists, now the tourist could also decide on the spots of interest.
Palace authorities say the script was prepared after a through research and was recorded by a professional team. The tour has been launched in seven languages including English, Kannada, Hindi, French, Spanish, German, Italian and the tour lasts about an hour.
Bangalore Palace Attractions * A Chair to weigh Jockeys: This is a weighing chair to weigh jockey’s with a shape of horse-hoof legs. Every Wadiyar ruler was a passionate fan of horse-racing. The chair is carved shoe shape with a