The erstwhile royal family of Mysore is restoring its palaces.
The private residence of Reverend J Garret, the first principal of Bangalore Central High School (now Central College), so caught the attention of Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, the maharaja of Mysore, in 1873 that he bought it from the Englishman. This is where the Wadiyars spent summers. The Bangalore Palace, honeycombed with passages and stairways, has now been partly restored to its old glory. An audio tour has been designed for visitors by Narrowcasters, a global audio tour company that has done work in India, Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Launched in English last year, it now offers options in Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, French, German, Italian and Spanish; Urdu, Telugu and Japanese could follow. The palace had 150,000 visitors in 2010, up from 100,000 in 2009, and the number this year could touch 300,000.
The Bangalore Palace is based on the Regency architecture of the 1830s created by Anglo-Welsh architect Sir John Nash. “It is an English-inspired castle-style palace designed, built and extended from the late 19th century until the 1930s,” says Michael Ludgrove, curator of royal collections, Royal House of Mysore. Ludgrove is no stranger to India — he is a former head of Christie’s in the country.
The renovation and restoration started in 2005 under the supervision of Srikantadatta Narasimharaaja Wadiyar of the Wadiyar dynasty that ruled Mysore till Independence. It began with the plastering of the walls, then the leaking ceilings were fixed and the furniture which had lost its evocative charm was refurbished. Being a self-funded project with no deadlines, the renovation goes on at its own pace — more than one team can work on a particular area till the results are found satisfactory.
Restoration of old properties is no easy task. In most cases, the original designs and sketches are lost, the materials have gone out of fashion, and the skills of the artisans who did the intricate work are lost forever. At the Bangalore Palace, a collection of drawings and archival photographs has helped Wadiyar restore the property with local materials. Every detail has been looked into, whether it is the door latches that had to be replaced, the windows that had to be repainted, or the floor tiles that were either chipped or broken. The teakwood floor, once a hallmark, had become a pale reflection of what it was — a condition caused by termites. Likewise, the rosewood doors had lost their sheen and had to be polished vigorously.
As of now, the Durbar Hall and the ballroom have been restored. The Durbar Hall is marked by an arcade of elliptical arches and Gothic windows adorned with multi-foiled coloured glass. The maharaja held court and entertained visiting dignitaries here. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The interiors were done by Charles Lazarus of Calcutta, the well-known designer. An English band played in the background whenever the ballroom hosted state receptions and banquets.
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The ceilings in the bedrooms, reception room and courtyard are still under restoration, and therefore not open to the public. Having studied political science, Wadiyar has collected books on law. These will occupy pride of place in the library once it is restored. The exterior too is being given a facelift. While the palace is now illuminated only for public functions, a long-term illumination plan is under way. The gardens, originally laid out by Gustav Krumbiegel, formerly of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, will now have Mexican grass.
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Wadiyar is also a hotelier and a fashion designer. So, one room has been converted into a boutique. He promotes Mysore’s silk industry, and, together with his wife, Pramoda Devi, designs silk garments. Their fashion launches in the Bangalore Palace have become a highlight of the city’s social calendar. “As a child, I’ve explored every part of the palace including the terrace. I would ride horses in the morning and evening. I used to pretend that there were ghosts in the corridors and frighten my sisters,” says he. “Our family came to Bangalore every June to celebrate Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV’s birthday. Garden parties were held, the band played and a sumptuous tea was served,” adds Urmila Devi, Wadiyar’s cousin. Life moved at a languid pace even as women spent their days in a separate section. They would relax by the fountain, in the shade of the verandah.
These memories came in handy while restoring the ancestral properties, particularly the Jaganmohan Palace in Mysore which houses one of the country’s finest collections of paintings, including early Mysore School paintings and commissioned works by Raja Ravi Varma. The collection also showcases musical instruments and board games invented by Krishna Raja Wadiyar III. All through, Ludgrove has been a sounding board. Ever since he stepped in three years ago, his research on the history of the Wadiyar dynasty has put things in perspective. About the Jaganmohan Palace’s art collection, Ludgrove says it contains around 500 works of art, of which he is now creating an inventory.
Another property in Mysore that is being restored is the Rajendra Vilas Palace Hotel. The entire complex has marble floors, while the ceilings throughout are covered with mosaic mirror work in the style of the sheesh mahals (glass palaces) of Mughal and Rajput palaces. The descendents of the carpenters who made the sheesh mahals have been engaged to recreate the grandeur.
Wadiyar has also recently restored Fernhills Royal Palace in Ooty, which is now a five-star heritage hotel. The first phase began with waterproofing, followed by refurbishing and repolishing of the extensive paneling and woodwork. Earlier, the woodwork was confined to the ballroom and the reception foyer. The modern reception area is now completely paneled in polished wood. The ceiling of the foyer retains the original plaster panels with wreaths of fruit and animals. The foyer’s wooden ornamentation can be attributed to Lazarus of Calcutta.