Cheluvamba Mansion was built by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV in 1910. The mansion was built for the third daughter of the Maharaja, Princess Cheluvajammanni. There many other mansions similar to this built for the other daughters.
The mansion is situated at the heart of Mysore city on Mysore – Krishnaraja Sagar road opposite to Railway museum.
As this Mansion is now home to Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), public are not allowed without permission. Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the CFTRI on 21 October 1950. Even with permission you cannot go inside the mansion/institute and can stay for a maximum of 30 minutes. Kudos to the research institute for maintaining it well and preserving the old-world charm.
The mansion is surrounded by sprawling gardens. The old huge trees seem to be proud and happy in current times.
Right in the middle is the silver painted fountain and if I could get nostalgic seeing it after a few decades, I am sure some of the royals would have more stories to tell about the time they played on the lawns near the fountain.
The mansion is built at a higher elevation with a fantastic view of Chamundi hills.
Typical of Mysore architecture, the top of the building elevation has a small prabhavali (arch) made in concrete with goddess Lakshmi installed inside. This is seen in most of the heritage buildings in Mysore.
The pillared hallways and the tombs add grandeur to the building. I hope one day I will be able to take a tour inside the palace.
Place Statistics:
Type of place: Palace
Situated: Mysore, Karnataka
Distance: 140 Km from Bangalore
Transport: Well connected by road, rail, and air
Facilities: Mysore city has many hotels to suit all budgets
