Historical Bookends

We visited two historic sites in Bangalore today; Tippu Sultan’s Palace and Bangalore Palace. Built in very different times by very different people, the two palaces are today more like distant bookends holding the long and varied history of Bangalore between them.

Tippu’s Palace was originally enclosed by a mud fortress built by Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar in the 17th century. Construction of the actual palace was started in 1781 by Tippu’s infamous father Hyder Ali. Known as the Lion-Hearted Prince of Mysore by his Muslim followers, Hyder Ali was a perennial foe of the British. British power was steadily growing in the1700’s and conflict with local nawabs and nizams was common.

The death of Hyder Ali in 1782 brought no relief to the British. The throne of the lion-hearted prince passed to his son, the Tiger of Mysore. The new sultan’s declaration that “I would rather live two days as a tiger than two hundred years as a sheep” fittingly captured this new monarch’s temperament. Among his possessions was an organ in the shape of a tiger mauling a prostrate British soldier. Tippu was killed by the British in the Fourth Anglo – Mysore war 1799 in the capital city of Seringapatam (Srirangapatna).

Much of the Tippu Sultan’s wooden palace has disappeared in time. The eastern portion crumbled during the third Anglo - Mysore war. The remaining carved wooden columns create an airy courtyard. The upper story has balconies where the sultan would sit and hold court. Small hallways at the ends of the building give entrance way to small chamber rooms. Most unfortunately, years of graffiti mar the once beautifully decorated walls of the upper chamber rooms. The gardens on two sides of the palace are well maintained.

The repercussions of the British victory in the Anglo – Mysore wars continued. With the death of Tippu Sultan in 1799, the British installed the five-year old Prince Krishnaraja Wodeyar III on the throne of his ancestors. Aside from the time ruled by Haider Ali and Tippu, the Wodeyars had ruled the kingdom of Mysore since the fall of theVijayanagar Empire in 1565.

Bangalore Palace was built by Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore in 1887. Unlike Tippu Sultan’s architectural nod to Islamic architecture of Northern India, the Bangalore Palace is architecturally styled upon the English Windsor Castle. The Palace flaunts turreted parapets, battlements, towers and arches.

Our 45 minute tour was enough to catch a glimpse of former glory. A large, mounted elephant head hung over the staircase leading upstairs. The ballroom retained its elegance as did several other rooms. Mostly the palace was in ruinous shape. As we left we could only imagine the aura in former days, of the palace with lush grounds surrounding an ornate palace with the denizen of Mysore royalty mingling with the British raja class. Rarely, we are sure, was there mention of their long vanquished nemesis, Tippu Sultan.