Bangalore is said to be “A Creative City”, bringing together the art and culture with diversity being benevolent. The most highlighting among this is, The Bangalore Palace, A Charm of Royalty and the most visited place of the city. The cultural heritage burning even today despite the onslaught of western hepness taking over the city in the last three decades.
Bangalore Palace, nestled right in the heart of Bangalore city, is one of the most revered and admired monuments that citizens of Bangalore are proud of. The heritage monument was constructed and completed by the Wadiyar Dynasty in 1878.
Today it is one of the most aesthetically designed and is considered architectural beauty in comparison with the Castle in Medieval London. Proving to be a heritage of India, this superlative piece of art was built at a whopping price of one million rupees in the year 1862.
The Bangalore Palace is an epitome of exquisite interiors and is well known for its unique arteffect, wooden staircases, well laid lawns and the extravagant furniture making it look grandeur and supreme. The walls are considerably covered with vine making the palace look no less than an English countryside.
This magnificent piece of art was first a private building belonging to an Englishman resident in Garrett who was the first principal of the Central High School in Bangalore now known as the Central College. Later in the year 1884 it was purchased by the Maharaja and the total area of the Palace was 45,000 feet. The Palace was constructed with the mesmerizing sight of what we see today in the year 1944.
The architectural technique used is the Tudor Architecture, a Scottish Gothic style. This conception was perhaps created under the inspiration of medieval castles of Normandy and England.
It is a two storied Granite building with a fortified tower and turreted parapets emphasizing on the quintessential elements of Tudor buildings on the top making it noticeable from a far distance. Adding Majesty to the contour of the building, the layout is rich in pointed recesses. The structure has a number of projections which creates attractive geometrical patterns. The fortified tower is extrinsically designed with rectangular bricks, welled placed windows and ends with a roundish structure resembling a tall watch tower. The curves showing the layers of the tower are the most appealing portions of this magnificent palace.
Including the defining features of the two levels are facades which show different shapes and projections of the building. The charming interiors of this Palace reflects more of a Hindu style of tradition in terms of décor. The protagonists creating beauty to the Palace are the pillars and arches. Luxurious chandeliers add a lavish setting along with the Ornate cornices and patterned walls.
The Rajas are deemed to have been living a life of majesty and they normally use ingenious devices to make their lifestyle royal and convenient. Similarly, the Rajas who lived at the Bangalore Palace had a wooden seat with an inbuilt weighing machine, where he would keep his weight on check.
According to the scholars it is still not clear if it was for the Kings or was it just meant for the queens. This wooden sofa can accommodate two people and brings within a sense of royalty.
The Palace is a home to many renowned and illustrious paintings of the 19th and 20th century, some of which includes the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma who was one of the most famous painters in India. Adding to the paintings, the Palace also offers a glimpse into the evolution of Bangalore over the last few centuries and a large collection of photographs that chronicle the different generations of the Wadiyar dynasty.
The incarnated architecture, collection of photographs and the beautiful work of art in itself attracts the people with a niche in literature, art and culture.The pillars are the parable of light illuminating the sunlight to highlight the scenic beauty of the palace. According to legends some of the Palace jewels were stolen by Royal consort of then Viceroy of Vijayanagar named Alamelamma. When she was asked to return the jewels, she refused to part with them and cursed the King, swearing that Talakad would become a barren land and that the Raja’s will have no progeny. The chandeliers adding to the grandeur of the Palace makes it an epitome of Latin Candelabrum which denotes candle holder showing symbolizing achievement.
The place has many distinguished features like the Gothic window, foiled windows, battlements and turrets. Interiors of the Palace consist of floral motifs, cornices, moldings and relief paintings on the ceilings.
A predominant color used in the Palace is yellow. The composition and placing structure of the artefacts on the wall are the par excellence factors of this palace. The pillars have perfect curves with a blend of golden designs on it. The Furnitures and sofas of red and
burgundy blends add sparkles to the beauty
The mirror tables alongside the corridor gives an idea about the existence of the queens in the past. The tables and doors are made of rosewood. The Palace is covered with a colorful flooring filled with immense number of patterns and textures synchronizing with each other. The edges have long elements and the center is filled with geometric shapes with a creamy brown color as the background. The shapes and curves of the bricks are also vividly seen. To make the scenic beauty more profound are the paintings hanging on the wall.
The true aesthetic of this building’s architecture is defined with the final design reflections and shadows. The pillars are placed in an explicit location that it does not create disturbance for the reflection of the sun ‘s rays. As hunting was a favourite pastime of the old Wadiyar’s, the palace is also full of many elephant trophies. Overall, The Bangalore Palace is A Coat of Arms, which was gifted to the Wadiyar’s by the British making it iconic and one the most visited places of Bangalore today.
published By :- Shubham Agarwal
Edited By :- kritika kashyap
