MYSORE
Houses Raja Ravi Varma originals and the ornate 1861 Durbar hall — usually near-empty even when the main Palace next door is swarmed, best quiet alternative
Built between 1856 and 1861 by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III as an auxiliary royal residence, the palace served as the Wodeyar family's home from 1897 to 1912 while Mysore Palace was being rebuilt after its 1897 fire. It hosted the 1902 coronation of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the first convocation of the University of Mysore, and the inaugural session of the Mysore Legislative Council in 1907. Converted into an art gallery in 1915 and renamed the Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in 1955, it now holds over 2,000 paintings spanning the Mysore, Mughal, and Shantiniketan schools.
