About

 Lalitha Mahal Palace in Mysore is one of the most attractive heritage houses. It is not only one of India's most opulent hotels but also one of the most luxurious ones as well. The Lalitha Mahal Palace situated about 11km from the royal city Mysore city Located at the panoramic garden below the Chamundi Hills, Lalitha Mahal Palace happens to be the second-largest palace in Mysore only to the Ambavilas palace popularly called the Mysore Palace. the exquisite Lalitha Mahal Palace was constructed in the year 1921, by the then Maharaja of Mysore to host the stay of the then Viceroy of India of back then. Later this palace was used for hosting other royal guests and special visitors to the royal family. Lalitha Mahal Palace was planned by a popular architecture from the then Bombay E.W. Fritchley and was built by B Munivenkatappa. Known to be inspired the St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the palace has a Renaissance style of architecture. Some of it takes the cue from Italian Palazzos and English manor houses.  this palace was built with a cost of around 13 lakhs then. This two-storied palace also presents a magnificent view of the hills around. The Lalitha Mahal Palace has been painted in wholesome white color and gives an extremely elegant posture. In 1974, Lalitha Mahal Palace was however converted into a Hotel.  It was run as a part of the Ashok Group of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) under the Government of India until 2018 when it was transferred to a unit of the Government of Karnataka.

The architecture of Lalitha Mahal Palace

Lalitha Mahal Palace is known for its architectural beauty. Presenting a perfect blend of Renaissance architectural style with styles of an Italian palazzo and English manor, this palace is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful buildings of Mysore. Designed by E.W. Fritchley, it was built for the Viceroy of India by Mysore Maharaja.

This palace has been built in two stories It has a projecting porch and double columns which support the entire building. It also has spherical domes and a predominant central dome which is above the entrance hall. The entry of the palace is also worth admiring, its decorative entry is called guardhouse. Along with this, the walls and ceilings of Lalitha Mahal create breath-taking interiors. Decorative stained glass has been extensively used to enhance the elegance of the palace both in the exterior facades and in interiors doors, windows, and ceilings.  The motifs and carvings, along with Belgian crystal chandeliers, Persian carpets, exquisite cut glass lamps, and marble floors add on to the overall beauty of the palace. A lovely view of the Chamundi Hill to the left and the Mysore city in front of the palace is seen from the balcony upstairs. 

The palace has an exquisitely designed viceroy room, a banquet hall, a dancing floor, and an Italian marble staircase and also embellished with small ornamentations, which are said to be replicas from various palaces in Britain. The full-length portraits of the Wodeyar Kings, Italian marble floors and Belgian crystal chandeliers, cut glass lamps, heavy ornate furniture, mosaic tiles and a couple of exquisite Persian carpets give the palace its regal ambiance. With conversion of the palace into a heritage hotel, interiors have been modified to provide for modern conveniences but most of the earlier sections of the palace such as the dancing and banquet halls have been retained in their original elegance but adopted as dining halls and conference halls for holding meetings and conventions; these have polished wooden flooring and three stain-glassed domes in the ceiling. The ballroom in particular, which has been converted into the Dining Hall of the hotel, is a baroque hall with an immensely high ceiling with domed skylights made of Belgian glass. A swimming pool is now an additional provision. The elevator, carpeting and the Ottoman, upholstered with tapestry are treasured items in the palace.

Lalitha Mahal Palace hotel

The accommodation at this Heritage Hotel consists of 54 stately suites and rooms. The Viceroy, Vicereine, Duplex Suites and rooms of the Hotel are of princely proportions. They are cool, airy, high ceiling with plenty of natural light, period furniture, four-poster beds, deep velvet-covered armchairs, gilt-framed Belgian mirrors, etc. The huge Awe-inspiring Bathrooms are equipped with original Shanks of Scotland plumbing fixtures. For the sports enthusiasts, there is the Swimming Pool, Billiard Room, Tennis Court, Chess, Jogging Track and Health Club to choose from. LMPH has also tied up with the local Sheri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar Golf course for the benefit of Golf Addicts.

The erstwhile Ballroom has been recreated as a Gourmet Restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The stunning Durbar ambiance with rich lace curtains and Jharokhas. In the Balcony, fragrant magnolia and mogra flowers in lacquered brass bowls on each table, burnished silver, pictures of all the Kings in the Wadiyar Dynasty (24, down the line) in malleable gold, service staffin ethnic attire, exotic greens and more is nothing less than Nostalgia. Amongst the most sought after dishes are the “MYSORE SILVER THALI” which brings together in several small bowls the finest array of South India’s delicately spiced delights. The hotel plans to set up an elaborate Health Club with Ayurveda and Yoga being the core competency. A large-scale renovation is also on the cards wherein besides other things the hotel will do away with the carpets in the rooms and go for parquet tiles or wooden flooring.

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