Carry On Cookies: The Sparkling and Colorful Palace of Mysuru

The evening light show of Amba Vilas Palace is so spectacular that I began the blog post at night and will end with the day tour. This illumination happens one Sunday per month from 7 to 8 p.m. The Gate1 Heart of Southern India tour itinerary was scheduled for us to experience this.

I wish I had taken video when the lights came on, just to hear the collective gasp from the audience.

The crescent moon was laying in an upward position and anchored by Venus. Hundreds, or maybe thousands, of people were on hand to attend the palace lighting. (P.C. Bob)

The east gate is the formal entry gate, but tourists enter through the south gate. Traditional Indian background music was played by a live orchestra.

The Shweta Varahaswamy temple is located at the southern entrance of the Fort.

You never know when someone is going to request a photo!

It's a bit of a Disneyland-like atmosphere for the 10 a.m. opening of the Mysore Palace. The souvenir vendors are hustling and women are queuing in their colorful sarees and kurtas. Like ducklings, we toddle after tour manager, Pradeep. (Today's excursions also included those in the previous post of visits to a market, a cathedral, and meal with a local family.) After a washroom visit and photos with locals, it's time to take off our shoes (socks allowed) and enter the palace.

The palace is stunning, even in the daytime.

It is one of the most popular sights in India after the Taj Mahal.

The Shweta Varahaswamy temple during day time.

Those beautiful sarees!

Some of our group having their photo taken with locals.

Spectacular is hardly an adequate description for this beautiful Indian palace that was designed by British architect, Henry Irwin. The current structure was built between 1897 and 1912, after the Old Palace burned down. The average number of visitors per day is 30,000.