BANGALORE PALACE

The land was originally owned by Reverend Garrett, a missionary and principal of Central College, Bangalore. He had a residence built there, which was bought by the guardians of Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar X in 1973. The British were in charge of the education and training of the ruler destined to occupy the throne of Mysore - on which Bangalore depended - from 1881. They decided to build a royal palace suitable for the young ruler, which he could occupy during his studies in Bangalore. This certainly explains the choice of the Tudor style which is largely reflected in the crenellated turrets and roof. The palace has 35 rooms which, at the time, were entirely furnished in Victorian and Edwardian style, very fashionable in the United Kingdom. The palace includes a 183-hectare park, designed for musical performances, and a golf course. The park is nowadays totally neglected and severely lacking in maintenance due to lack of resources.

Despite numerous legal battles and the government's attempt to nationalize the palace, it is still occupied by descendants of the Mysore royal family. A court case is still pending and could set a precedent in favor of the government for future similar cases.

If the palace is definitely worth a visit, the prices are really too high. On the other hand, the audio-guide, very interesting and available in French, allows to visit without missing anything.