Mysore’s
Lalitha Mahal Palace has got to be the fanciest hotel I have ever lived in. I
almost always stay in budget hotels, but since I was in Mysore for only two
nights, my friend Sreyashi suggested this luxury hotel, built by the Wadiyar
Kings of Mysore. It wasn’t frightfully expensive, plus I thought I’d have the
chance to live in and photograph an actual palace, so we went ahead with the
booking, and I can tell you, the Lalitha Mahal Palace did not disappoint.
Brief
history
The
Hindu Wadiyar Dynasty have been rulers of Mysore since 1399. Their reign was
interrupted for a short period of 39 years when Hyder Ali and his son Tipu
Sultan usurped power. The Battle of Seringapatam (or Srirangapatnam) in 1799
restored the Wadiyars to power, and they continued to reign until 1947, when
power passed to the independent Government of India. The current titular King
of Mysore is the young Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, who ascended
the throne on the 28th of May, 2015 (incidentally, the day I visited
Mysore). The Lalitha Mahal Palace was built in 1921, during the reign of Krishna
Raja Wadiyar IV (officially Maharaja Sri Sir Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV,
GCSI, GBE) the 24th ruler of Mysore, who is said to have been a
great patron of the arts. The Wadiyars at this time were second only to the
Nizam of Hyderabad in terms of wealth and an astronomical sum was spent in
building the Lalitha Mahal Palace to serve as a guest house for the British
Viceroy of India and other important European guests. The foundation stone was
laid on the 18th of November, 1921 and it was inaugurated as a hotel
on the 13th of September, 1974.
Architecture
Lalitha
Mahal Palace was designed by the Bombay (Mumbai) based architect, E.W.
Fritchley and took around 9 years to build. Fritchley was part of Gosling,
Chambers & Fritchley which worked on many of Bombay’s landmarks, such as
the Taj Mahal Hotel (which was attacked by terrorists in 26/11) and The
Cathedral of the Holy Name on Nathalal Parekh Marg. The architecture has been
variously described as being reminiscent of English Manor Houses and Italian
Palazzo. Americans will note that there is a startling similarity between the
Lalitha Mahal Palace and American capitol buildings, especially the Texas
capitol at Austin and the California capitol at Sacramento. Visitors from
Calcutta (Kolkata) will probably think that it looks rather like Calcutta’s
Victoria Memorial thanks to its central dome, corner cupolas and colonnaded
frontage. That central dome is said to be inspired by London’s St. Paul’s
Cathedral, but I am a little sceptical about that. British authors seem to find
St. Paul’s look-alikes wherever they go! The projecting porch has a pediment
which contains Mysore’s royal crest, with the Gandaberunda, the mythical
two-headed bird, at its centre. The grandeur of the interiors of the Lalitha
Mahal Palace made me gape. The staircase of Italian marble, the lampshades of
Belgian glass, the glittering chandeliers, the spiral staircase and the ornate
elevator meant for royalty and state guests are things that one would not see
in any conventional hotel. Then there is the baroque ballroom, which is now the
restaurant, with its three colourful glass domes.
Living
experience
The
Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel is operated by the Indian Tourism Development
Corporation (ITDC), and while it is a luxury hotel, it is not comparable to a
conventional 5 star hotel. You wouldn’t find bacon in the breakfast buffet for
instance. The breakfast is sumptuous though, and there is variety. I found the
puri-sabzi to be quite delicious. There was also fresh juice, cereal, toast
with jam and butter, a live omelette station and a variety of South Indian
options, such as kara bath. Reviews on the net use terms such as “faded
grandeur”, but to be honest, I didn’t find anything seriously wrong with the
Lalitha Mahal Palace. Our room was comfortable, large and had a veranda with a
beautiful view. Room service was prompt, although I was somewhat irritated when
I asked for some snacks with my beer at around 3:30 in the afternoon and was
told that I couldn’t have any. But to be fair, I have faced this particular
issue in other hotels in South India as well. When I took a closer look at the
exteriors of the hotel through my telephoto lens I did find cracks and other
signs of wear, but nothing a round of routine maintenance wouldn’t fix. The one
night I had dinner there, I ordered the “Sultan ki Thaali” and found that 2
thalis, with a variety of vegetable curries and a choice of chicken, mutton or
fish, was more than enough for 3 people. It would be well worth it to take a
few hours to just wander the palace and explore its grounds. There is a
swimming pool in which we found guests splashing about from dawn to dusk. Since
the palace is located on rising ground a little on the outskirts of Mysore
town, it commands a magnificent view of the town and of Chamundi Hills. Sunsets
can be rather spectacular.
Note to
photographers
Do bring
a telephoto lens if you are planning to shoot here. It will allow you to get
close up shots of the architectural details. Also the areas around the swimming
pool and the grounds that surround the Lalitha Mahal Palace are full of birds,
including the Brahminy Kite. Bringing along a tripod wouldn’t be a very bad
idea either, since the Lalitha Mahal Palace is beautifully lit up at night and
long exposure shots look quite spectacular. There is also a group of monkeys
that visit the palace in the afternoons. They do make for fascinating
photographs, and generally do not bother humans, although I would advise you to
keep your distance. Since I wanted to shoot the interiors in the evening, I
used a tripod indoors as well. For this I sought prior written permission via
email and I advise you to do the same. Even if you aren’t staying at the Lalitha
Mahal, you can visit and photograph the palace, but you will be charged an
entry fee of Rs. 100/-.
-
by
Deepanjan Ghosh
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- I am grateful to my friends Prasenjit Das and Sreyashi Chaudhuri, who arranged for my stay and transport when in Mysore. They did most of the basic groundwork for me as well. Shantadeep Das gave me some great photography tips.
- I am also grateful to author Brian Paul Bach, whose inputs have been invaluable. Brian has written many books, among them a scholarly volume on Calcutta’s architecture called Calcutta’s Edifice, and one on his travels around India and Pakistan entitled The Grand Trunk Road from the Front Seat.
- Thanks also to the manager and staff of the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel for permitting me to shoot inside the property.
SOURCES
de Bruyn,
Pippa - Frommer's
India
Cannadine,
David - Ornamentalism: How
the British Saw Their Empire
Raman, Afried - Bangalore – Mysore
Windover,
Michael - Art Deco: A Mode of
Mobility
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