TIPU SULTAN'S SUMMER PALACE

Hello everyone,

This weekend I visited one of the ancient relics of Bangalore, emperor Tipu Sultan's summer palace. Situated close to the vibrant century old Krishnarajendra Market this palace is situated within the Bangalore Fort which was built by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore in the year 1537. Though the fort no longer exists in whole now, as after the defeat of Tipu Sultan, the British dismantled the fort and only a small portion of the fort remains now but the palace remains still.

The summer palace was built by Tipu Sultan in the year 1790. Built entirely out of teak wood the palace used to be the summer residence of Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan used to conduct his Durbar or court from the eastern and western balconies of this palace.The palace has been designed according to the Islamic style of architecture and is two stories high.It is adorned with pillars and arches and has a number of balconies on all sides of the palace.

There are beautiful floral patterns adorning the walls and ceilings of the palace. Only four main rooms in the ground floor were open to the public and these showcases the history of the palace and achievements of the emperor himself.Also on display here are two swords believed to have been used by the emperor and a replica of Tipu Sultans Tiger which is a popular toy owned by the emperor. There is also a painting of the grand throne of Tipu Sultan which the emperor commissioned but was never able to use it, as he vowed to defeat the British before ascending the throne.Though all the original paintings adorning the palace are all gone given the palaces' age but what still remains are the intricately carved arches and pillars which are very interesting and will leave viewers mesmerized.

The palace is being restored slowly as I could see from the patches of cement in the walls. After the palace I wanted to visited the remains of the fort which I heard was nearby but could not locate it as the adjoining road leading to the fort was under construction and on asking for directions from the locals they could not provide me with a proper route. I hope to visit it next time.