Bangalore Palace is a royal palace in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, built on land originally owned by Rev. J. Garrett, the first principal of Bangalore’s Central High School, now known as Central College.
He is credited with starting the palace’s construction.
Today Bangalore palace is under the ownership of the Mysore Royal Family.
Quick facts about Bangalore palace
| Location | Near Mount Carmel Institute of Management, Palace Rd, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560052 |
| Timings | 10:00 am to 5:30 pm |
| Entry Fee | ₹ 250 for Indians; ₹ 450 for foreigners |
| Camera | Different rates for Video camera / Still Camera or any other recording device. Please check at the gate. |
| Nearest Metro Station | Sampige Road (on Green Line); Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, and Sir M Visveshwarya (on Purple Line) |
| Year of Establishment | 1874 |
| Commissioned by | Wadiyar Dynasty |
| Architectural Style | Tudor Revival style |
Best Time to Visit Bangalore Palace :
You can visit Bangalore any time. Bangalore has one of the best weather in India and hence can be visited any time of the year.
You can visit Bangalore palace any time of the year.
Going in winter is better though as Bangalore weathe is very very pleasent during that time.
How reach Bangalore Palace?
In the centre of Bangalore’s metropolis, the Palace is located. It is in the Vasanth Nagar district, near Mount Carmel Institute of Management.
You can reach Bangalore palace by BMTC Buses 287, 287B, 287C, 287D, and 287E, which run from the central Bus terminal.
You can also book a private cab or take an auto rickshaw.
Bangalore Palace Architecture
The palace’s architecture is Tudor in style. Its 454-acre complex, which includes the garden, is the largest in the world.
The interior of the palace is decorated with themes, cornices, and wooden carvings. Many of the physical elements within were imported from the United Kingdom.
The coat of arms, a gift from the British to the Wadiyars, is painted in red and white on the wall. It is decorated with mythological elements and an exquisite flower design.
In the centre is Ganda Bherunda, a mythological two-headed eagle, while on the other side is a mythological animal with features of both the elephant and the lion’s heads, symbolising royalty and dominance.
The two-level granite castle’s fortified towers, turreted walls, palace gardens, ballroom, and other architectural aspects of Tudor and Scottish architecture are only a few of the palace’s eye-catching characteristics.
Tourists are greeted with Roman arches at the entrance. The roof is adorned with relief paintings, while the furniture inside the palace is influenced by Victorian, neo-classical, and Edwardian styles.
The palace features 35 rooms, as well as an open courtyard on the bottom floor with granite chairs and brilliant blue ceramic tiles.
The most important part of the Bangalore Palace is the Durbar Hall, which is located on the first floor. In the Hall, there is a massive elephant head.
On one side, it also contains stained glass windows that are influenced by Gothic architecture. Yellow is a prominent hue on the walls.
The hallway’s sofa set is the same colour as the rest of the space. A screen on the other end of the room separates the area where the women sat to view the assembly procedures from the rest of the room.
The Bangalore Palace houses many notable paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Among them is Raja Ravi Varma, India’s most famous painter. A large collection of images depicting many generations of the great Wadiyar Dynasty is another appealing feature of the palace.
These also provide insight into Bangalore’s evolution throughout time.
Everything in this room is designed in an arch-deco style.
Cool facts about Bangalore Palace
- There are as many as 30,000 photos in the palace’s collection.
- The Eddfest concert by Iron Maiden, which was held in the Palace Grounds in 2007, was one of the largest paying concerts ever held in India.
- More than 38,000 people attended the concert, with another 4,000 watching from outside the venue’s perimeter without tickets.
- In September 2011, Jay Sean, Flo Rida, and Ludacris played at the Champions League T20 opening ceremony at the Palace Grounds.
- Metallica, a well-known American heavy metal band, played in the Palace Grounds on October 30, 2011.
- It was their very first success in India. It also turned out to be the last music concert held on these grounds, as the state government no longer grants permission for such activities.
Attractions at the palace
There are many attractions at the palace which you will like and cherish. The following are some of the sights to see at Bangalore Palace:
- The Durbar Hall and the Ballroom are must visit with in the palace.
- The Palace Grounds are a wide open area that surrounds the palace and is a must visit
- Inside the Palace Grounds is Fun World, an amusement park.
Top tourist places near Bangalore Palace
| Attraction | Distance from Bangalore Palace |
| Mary’s Basilica | 2.8 Kms |
| Vidhana Soudha | 2.8 Kms |
| Ulsoor Lake | 4 Kms |
| Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum | 4.7 Kms |
| Cubbon Park | 3.4 Kms |
| Venkatappa Art Gallery | 4.6 Kms |
| Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens | 7.5 Kms |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium | 2 Km |
| Commercial Street | 4 Kms |
| National Gallery of Modern Art | 1.9 Km |
| Sankey Tank | 2.8 Kms |
| Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace | 8 Kms |
Bangalore Palace, with its gorgeous architecture and grandeur, is one of the top locations to see in Bangalore.
The palace is not only a major tourist site in the area, but it is also a must-see for art aficionados, since it includes a number of notable artworks from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The palace’s large collection of Raja Ravi Varma’s masterpieces is another major draw. There are also photographs depicting the Wadiyar Dynasty’s various generations.
Bangalore Palace will send you back in time to a time when luxury was a way of life, thanks to its architecture and regal magnificence. Apart from this palace, Bangalore has a variety of other historical sites worth visiting. On your visit to the Garden City, make sure to see at least some of these attractions.
Frequently ask question
Is Bangalore Palace worth visiting?
The answer is yes, the Bangalore Palace is the Crown Jewel of Bangalore and is worth the visit. The humongous Bangalore Palace is an epitome of medieval British architecture from late 19th century.
Rev. Garrett, the first principal of Central High School, commissioned the Bangalore Palace in 1864. The building was finished in 1884. British officials who were in charge of Prince HH Chamaraja Wodeyar’s education brought the palace in 1873. This transaction was completed for INR 40000. It was then renovated to enhance its appearance. The interior was lavishly decorated with cornices and relief paintings on the ceilings, floral designs, and extensive wooden carvings. Lazarus and John Roberts provided furniture in the neo-classical, Edwardian, and Victorian styles. Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, a horticulturist, took over the palace’s gardens
After 100 years, the royal family regained control of the palace to two companies. Chamundi Hotels Private Limited received 110 acres of the palace’s total 454 acres (including the ground), while Sri Venkateswara Real Estate Enterprises Private Limited received 344 acres. However, the act of granting possession to these companies remains a mystery because the companies were not incorporated until 1970, making it a fraudulent transaction for which Maharaja’s son Srikanta Datta Narsimharaja Wadiyar filed a civil suit.
During the period of this legal battle, Srikanta divided the land among his five sisters. Exhibitions, weddings, rock shows, tennis matches, cricket marches, and horse academies are all held here today. After winning the suit, the prince received his potion back, with the exception of 45 acres, which remained with the Chamaraju Party.