Aryabhata

Aryabhata, also called Aryabhata I or Aryabhata the Elder   (born 476, possibly

Ashmaka or Kusumapura, India), astronomer and the earliest Indian mathematician whose work

and history are available to modern scholars. He is also known as Aryabhata I or Aryabhata the

Elder to distinguish him from a 10th-century Indian mathematician of the same name. He

flourished in Kusumapura—near Patalipurta (Patna), then the capital of the Gupta dynasty—

where he composed at least two works, Aryabhatiya (c. 499) and the now

lostAryabhatasiddhanta.

Aryabhatasiddhanta circulated mainly in the northwest of India and, through theSāsānian

dynasty (224–651) of Iran, had a profound influence on the development of Islamic astronomy.

Its contents are preserved to some extent in the works

ofVarahamihira (flourished c. 550), Bhaskara I (flourished c. 629), Brahmagupta(598–c. 665),

and others. It is one of the earliest astronomical works to assign the start of each day to midnight.

Aryabhatiya was particularly popular in South India, where numerous mathematicians over the

ensuing millennium wrote commentaries. The work was written in verse couplets and deals

with mathematics and astronomy. Following an introduction that contains astronomical tables

and Aryabhata’s system of phonemic number notation in which numbers are represented by a

consonant-vowel monosyllable, the work is divided into three

sections: Ganita(“Mathematics”), Kala-kriya (“Time Calculations”), and Gola (“Sphere”).

In Ganita Aryabhata names the first 10 decimal places and gives algorithms for

obtaining square and cubic roots, using the decimal number system. Then he treats geometric

measurements—employing 62,832/20,000 (= 3.1416) for π—and develops properties of similar

right-angled triangles and of two intersecting circles. Using the Pythagorean theorem, he

obtained one of the two methods for constructing his table of sines. He also realized that second-

order sine difference is proportional to sine. Mathematical series, quadratic equations, compound

interest (involving a quadratic equation), proportions (ratios), and the solution of various linear

equations are among the arithmetic and algebraic topics included. Aryabhata’s general solution

for linear indeterminate equations, which Bhaskara Icalled kuttakara (“pulverizer”), consisted of

breaking the problem down into new problems with successively smaller coefficients—

essentially the Euclidean algorithm and related to the method of continued fractions.

With Kala-kriya Aryabhata turned to astronomy—in particular, treating planetary motion along

the ecliptic. The topics include definitions of various units of time, eccentric and epicyclic

models of planetary motion (see Hipparchus for earlier Greek models), planetary longitude

corrections for different terrestrial locations, and a theory of “lords of the hours and days”

(an astrological concept used for determining propitious times for action).

Aryabhatiya ends with spherical astronomy in Gola, where he applied planetrigonometry to

spherical geometry by projecting points and lines on the surface of a sphere onto appropriate

planes. Topics include prediction of solar and lunareclipses and an explicit statement that the

apparent westward motion of the starsis due to the spherical Earth’s rotation about its axis.

Aryabhata also correctly ascribed the luminosity of the Moon and planets to reflected sunlight.

The Indian government named its first satellite Aryabhata (launched 1975) in his honour.

Bhāskara II, also called Bhāskarācārya or Bhaskara the Learned  

(born1114, Biddur, India—died c. 1185, probably Ujjain), the leading mathematician of the 12th

century, who wrote the first work with full and systematic use of thedecimal number system.

Bhāskara II was the lineal successor of the noted Indian mathematician Brahmagupta (598–

c. 665) as head of an astronomical observatory at Ujjain, the leading mathematical centre of

ancient India. The II has been attached to his name to distinguish him from the 7th-century

astronomer of the same name.

In Bhāskara II’s mathematical works (written in verse like nearly all Indian

mathematical classics), particularly Līlāvatī (“The Beautiful”) and Bījagaṇita (“Seed Counting”),

he not only used the decimal system but also compiled problems fromBrahmagupta and others.

He filled many of the gaps in Brahmagupta’s work, especially in obtaining a general solution to

the Pell equation (x2 = 1 + py2) and in giving many particular solutions (e.g., x2 = 1 + 61y2, which

has the solution x = 1,766,319,049 and y = 226,153,980; French mathematician Pierre de

Fermatproposed this same problem as a challenge to his friend Frenicle de Bessy five centuries

later in 1657). Bhāskara II anticipated the modern convention of signs (minus by minus makes

plus, minus by plus makes minus) and evidently was the first to gain some understanding of the

meaning of division by zero, for he specifically stated that the value of 3/0 is an infinite quantity,

though his understanding seems to have been limited, for he also stated wrongly that a⁄0 × 0 = a.

Bhāskara II used letters to represent unknown quantities, much as in modernalgebra, and solved

indeterminate equations of 1st and 2nd degrees. He reducedquadratic equations to a single type

and solved them and investigated regularpolygons up to those having 384 sides, thus obtaining a

good approximate value of π = 3.141666.

In other of his works, notably Siddhāntaśiromaṇi (“Head Jewel of Accuracy”)

andKaraṇakutūhala (“Calculation of Astronomical Wonders”), he wrote on

hisastronomical observations of planetary positions, conjunctions, eclipses,

cosmography, geography, and the mathematical techniques and astronomical equipment used in

these studies. Bhāskara II was also a noted astrologer, and, according to a legend first recorded in

a 16th-century Persian translation, he named his first work, Līlāvatī, after his daughter in order to

console her. He tried to determine the best time for Līlāvatī’s marriage by using a water clock

consisting of a cup with a small hole in the bottom floating in a larger vessel. The cup would sink

at the beginning of the correct hour. Līlāvatī looked into the water clock, and a pearl fell off of

her clothing, plugging up the hole. The cup never sank, depriving her of her only chance for

marriage and happiness. It is unknown how true this legend is, but some problems in  Līlāvatī are

addressed to women, using such feminine vocatives as “dear one” or “beautiful one.”

Ramanujan

It is one of the most romantic stories in the history of mathematics: in 1913, the English mathematician G. H. Hardy received a strange letter from an unknown clerk in Madras, India. The ten-page letter contained about 120 statements of theorems on infinite series, improper integrals, continued fractions, and number theory (Here is a .dvi file with a sample of these results). Every prominent mathematician gets letters from cranks, and at first glance Hardy no doubt put this letter in that class. But something about the formulas made him take a second look, and show it to his collaborator J. E. Littlewood. After a few hours, they concluded that the results "must be true because, if they were not true, no one would have had the imagination to invent them".

Thus was Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920) introduced to the mathematical world. Born in South India, Ramanujan was a promising student, winning academic prizes in high school. But at age 16 his life took a decisive turn after he obtained a book titled A Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics. The book was simply a compilation of thousands of mathematical results, most set down with little or no indication of proof. It was in no sense a mathematical classic; rather, it was written as an aid to coaching English mathematics students facing the notoriously difficult Tripos examination, which involved a great deal of wholesale memorization. But in Ramanujan it inspired a burst of feverish mathematical activity, as he worked through the book's results and beyond. Unfortunately, his total immersion in

mathematics was disastrous for Ramanujan's academic career: ignoring all his other subjects, he repeatedly failed his college exams.

As a college dropout from a poor family, Ramanujan's position was precarious. He lived off the charity of friends, filling notebooks with mathematical discoveries and seeking patrons to support his work. Finally he met with modest success when the Indian mathematician Ramachandra Rao provided him with first a modest subsidy, and later a clerkship at the Madras Port Trust. During this period Ramanujan had his first paper published, a 17-page work on Bernoulli numbers that appeared in 1911 in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society. Still no one was quite sure if Ramanujan was a real genius or a crank. With the encouragement of friends, he wrote to mathematicians in Cambridge seeking validation of his work. Twice he wrote with no response; on the third try, he found Hardy.

Hardy wrote enthusiastically back to Ramanujan, and Hardy's stamp of approval improved Ramanujan's status almost immediately. Ramanujan was named a research scholar at the University of Madras, receiving double his clerk's salary and required only to submit quarterly reports on his work. But Hardy was determined that Ramanujan be brought to England. Ramanujan's mother resisted at first--high-caste Indians shunned travel to foreign lands--but finally gave in, ostensibly after a vision. In March 1914, Ramanujan boarded a steamer for England.

Ramanujan's arrival at Cambridge was the beginning of a very successful five-year collaboration with Hardy. In some ways the two made an odd pair: Hardy was a great exponent of rigor in analysis, while Ramanujan's results were (as Hardy put it) "arrived at by a process of mingled argument, intuition, and induction, of which he was entirely unable to give any coherent account". Hardy did his best to fill in the gaps in Ramanujan's education without discouraging him. He was amazed by Ramanujan's uncanny formal intuition in manipulating infinite series, continued fractions, and the like: "I have never met his equal, and can compare him only with Euler or Jacobi."

One remarkable result of the Hardy-Ramanujan collaboration was a formula for the number p(n) of partitions of a number n. A partition of a positive integer n is just an expression for n as a sum of positive integers, regardless of order. Thus p(4) = 5 because 4 can be written as 1+1+1+1, 1+1+2, 2+2, 1+3, or 4. The problem of finding p(n) was studied by Euler, who found a formula for the generating function of p(n) (that is, for the infinite series whose nth term is p(n)xn). While this allows one to calculate p(n) recursively, it doesn't lead to an explicit formula. Hardy and Ramanujan came up with such a formula (though they only proved it works asymptotically; Rademacher proved it gives the exact value of p(n)).

Ramanujan's years in England were mathematically productive, and he gained the recognition he hoped for. Cambridge granted him a Bachelor of Science degree "by research" in 1916, and he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (the first Indian to be so honored) in 1918. But the alien climate and culture took a toll on his health. Ramanujan had always lived in a tropical climate and had his mother (later his wife) to cook for him: now he faced the English winter, and he had to do all his own cooking to adhere to his caste's strict dietary rules. Wartime shortages only made things worse. In 1917 he was hospitalized, his doctors fearing for his life. By late 1918 his health had improved; he returned to India in 1919. But his health failed again, and he died the next year.

Besides his published work, Ramanujan left behind several notebooks, which have been the object of much study. The English mathematician G. N. Watson wrote a long series of papers about them. More recently the American mathematician Bruce C. Berndt has written a multi-volume study of the notebooks. In 1997 The Ramanujan Journal was launched to publish work "in areas of mathematics influenced by Ramanujan".

Brahmagupta, whose father was Jisnugupta, wrote important works on mathematics and astronomy. In particular he wrote Brahmasphutasiddhanta (The Opening of the Universe), in 628. The work was written in 25 chapters and Brahmagupta tells us in the text that he wrote it at Bhillamala which today is the city of Bhinmal. This was the capital of the lands ruled by the Gurjara dynasty.

Brahmagupta became the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain which was the foremost mathematical centre of ancient India at this time. Outstanding mathematicians such as Varahamihira had worked there and built up a strong school of mathematical astronomy.

In addition to the Brahmasphutasiddhanta Brahmagupta wrote a second work on mathematics and astronomy which is the Khandakhadyaka written in 665 when he was 67 years old. We look below at some of the remarkable ideas which Brahmagupta's two treatises contain. First let us give an overview of their contents.

The Brahmasphutasiddhanta contains twenty-five chapters but the first ten of these chapters seem to form what many historians believe was a first version of Brahmagupta's work and some manuscripts exist which contain only these chapters. These ten chapters are arranged in topics which are typical of Indian mathematical astronomy texts of the period. The topics covered are: mean longitudes of the planets;

true longitudes of the planets; the three problems of diurnal rotation; lunar eclipses; solar eclipses; risings and settings; the moon's crescent; the moon's shadow; conjunctions of the planets with each other; and conjunctions of the planets with the fixed stars.

The remaining fifteen chapters seem to form a second work which is major addendum to the original treatise. The chapters are: examination of previous treatises on astronomy; on mathematics; additions to chapter 1; additions to chapter 2; additions to chapter 3; additions to chapter 4 and 5; additions to chapter 7; on algebra; on the gnomon; on meters; on the sphere; on instruments; summary of contents; versified tables.

Brahmagupta's understanding of the number systems went far beyond that of others of the period. In the Brahmasphutasiddhanta he defined zero as the result of subtracting a number from itself. He gave some properties as follows:-

When zero is added to a number or subtracted from a number, the number remains unchanged; and a number multiplied by zero becomes zero.

He also gives arithmetical rules in terms of fortunes (positive numbers) and debts (negative numbers):-

A debt minus zero is a debt.A fortune minus zero is a fortune.Zero minus zero is a zero.A debt subtracted from zero is a fortune.A fortune subtracted from zero is a debt.The product of zero multiplied by a debt or fortune is zero.The product of zero multipliedby zero is zero.The product or quotient of two fortunes is one fortune.The product or quotient of two debts is one fortune.The product or quotient of a debt and a fortune is a debt.The product or quotient of a fortune and a debt is a debt.

Brahmagupta then tried to extend arithmetic to include division by zero:-

Positive or negative numbers when divided by zero is a fraction the zero as denominator. Zero divided by negative or positive numbers is either zero or is expressed as a fraction with zero as numerator and the finite quantity as denominator. Zero divided by zero is zero.

Really Brahmagupta is saying very little when he suggests that n divided by zero is n/0. He is certainly wrong when he then claims that zero divided by zero is zero. However it is a brilliant attempt to extend arithmetic to negative numbers and zero.

The Taj Mahal in Agra is indisputably the most famous example of Mughal architecture. Described by Rabindranath Tagore as "a tear on the face of eternity", it is in popular imagination a veritable "wonder of the world".

The white-splendored tomb was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his favourite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal ("Chosen of the Palace"). She married Shah Jahan in 1612 to become his second wife and inseparable companion, and died in childbirth at Burhanpur while on a campaign with her husband in 1629. Shah Jahan was, it is said, inconsolable to the point of contemplating abdication in favour of his sons. The court went into mourning for over two years; and Shah Jahan decided to commemorate the memory of Mumtaz with a building the like of which had never been seen before.

Detail of carving on wall of Taj Mahal

The dead queen was brought to Agra and laid to rest in a garden on the banks of the Jamuna river. A council of the best architects was assembled to prepare designs for the tomb. Though some attribute the design to Geronimo Verroneo, an Italian in the Mughal service, evidence suggests that it was designed by Ustad Isa Khan Effendi, a Persian, who assigned the detailed work to his pupil Ustad Ahmad. The dome was designed by Ismail Khan.

The tomb which is higher than a modern 20-storey building took 22 years to complete with a workforce of 20,000. Craftsmen from as far as Turkey came to join in the work. The marble was quarried at Makrana near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Precious stones were imported from distant lands. A two mile ramp was built to lift material up to the level of the dome. It is alleged that on its completion, Shah Jahan ordered the right hand of the chief mason to be cut off so that the masterpiece could never be recreated. As one might expect, numerous other legends are associated with the Taj Mahal: thus, according to one story, Shah Jahan desired to have another Taj built across the river, this one entirely in black marble.

The tomb was provided with sumptuous fittings and furnishings, including rich Persian carpets, gold lamps and candlesticks. It is reliably reported and documented that two great silver doors to the entrance were looted and melted down by Suraj Mal in 1764, and a sheet of pearls that covered the sarcophagus was carried off by Amir Husein Ali Khan in 1720. In a manner of speaking, the pillage of the Taj continues unabated: more recently, the fumes from the surrounding industries have started deteriorating the marble, though various court orders have resulted in industries around the Taj being moved to more distant points. The latest desecration of the monument took place, ironically, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Indian independence, when the mediocre rock star Yanni, whose elevator music has attracted a world-wide audience, was allowed to give a live and certainly unprecedented performance at the Taj.

The surroundings of the Taj Mahal have been restored to the original designs of Ali Mardan Khan, a noble at Shah Jahan's court. The main vista is accentuated by a red sandstone channel set between rows of cypress trees. The main entrance is from the west, but there are two other entrances -- from the east and from the west. The main gateway is a large three-storey sandstone structure with an octagonal central chamber with smaller rooms on each side. The walls are inscribed with verses from the Quran.

The Makrana white marble of the Taj Mahal assumes subtle variations of light, tint and tone at different times of the day. At dawn it assumes a soft dreamy aspect; at noon, it appears to be a dazzling white, and in the moonlight the dome looks like a huge iridescent pearl. Not surprisingly, then, the Taj is today regarded all over the world as a supreme labour of love.

Though the architectural history of the Taj has received much attention, a cultural and political interpretation of the Taj has never been attempted. While it never fails to move and dazzle, one can scarcely forget that its history, like that of other monumental achievements of pre-modern (and even modern) states, is bound to oppression and slavery. Who thinks of the large force of serfs whose labor was exploited to satisfy the love of one man, and how brutal was the repression of the peasantry in order to increase the revenues of the state? Or consider this: is it not oppressive that the Taj charges an admission fee of Rs. 100, an amount that the majority of Indians still do not make in one day's work, for the luxury of viewing it by moonlight? The monument remains the supreme icon of India to the rest of the world, along with the over-population, notorious poverty, and "mysticism" of this ancient land. It is one of India's largest tourist-revenue earners, and no tourist image predominates as that of the visitor snapped in front of the Taj. The image of the Taj appears in countless advertisements, and the Taj has taken on another life of its own. Thus a history of the representations of the Taj is still wanting.

Red Fort

In 1638 Shahjahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and laid the foundations of Shahjahanabad, the seventh city of Delhi. It is enclosed by a rubble stone wall, with bastions, gates and wickets at intervals. Of its fourteen gates, the important ones are the Mori, Lahori, Ajmeri, Turkman, Kashmiri and Delhi gates, some of which have already been demolished. His famous citadel, the Lal-Qila, or the Red Fort, lying at the town's northern end on the right bank or the Yamuna and south of Salimgarh, was begun in 1639 and completed after nine years. The Red Fort is different from the Agra fort and is better planned, because at its back lies the experience gained by Shahjahan at Agra, and because it was the work of one hand. It is an irregular octagon, with two long sides on the east and west, and with two main gates, one on the west and the other on the south, called Lahori and Delhi gates respectively. While the walls, gates and a few other structures in the fort are constructed of red sandstone, marble has been

largely used in the palaces.

From the western gateway after passing through the vaulted arcade, called Chhatta-Chowk, one reaches the Naubat- or Naqqar-Khana ('Drum-house'), where ceremonial music was played and which also served as the entrance to the Diwan-i-'Am. Its upper storey is now occupied by the Indian War Memorial Museum.

The Diwan-i-' Am ('Hall of Public Audience') is a rectangular hall, three aisle deep, with a façade of nine arches. At the back of the hall is an alcove, where the royal throne stood under a marble canopy, with an inlaid marble dias below it for the prime minister. The wall behind the throne is ornamented with beautiful panels of pietra dura work, said to have been executed by Austin de Bordeaux, a Florentine artist. Orpheus with his lute is represented in one of the panels here. Originally there were six marble palaces along the eastern water front. Behind the Diwan-i-' Am but separated by a court is the Rang-Mahal ('Painted Palace'), so called owing to coloured decoration on its interior. It consists of a main hall with an arched front, with vaulted chambers on either end. A water-channel, called the Nahr-i-Bihisht ('Stream of Paradise'), ran down through it, with a central marble basin fitted with an ivory fountain. The Mumtaz-Mahal, originally an important apartment in the imperial seraglio, now houses the Delhi Fort Museum.

The Diwan-i-Khass ('Hall of Private Audience') is a highly-ornamented pillared hall, with a flat ceiling supported on engrailed arches. The lower portion of its piers is ornamented with floral pietra dura panels, while the upper portion was originally gilded and painted. Its marble dias is said to have supported the famous Peacock Throne, carried away by the Persian invader Nadir Shah. 

The Tasbih-Khana ('chamber for counting beads for private prayers') consists of three rooms, behind which is the Khwabgah ('sleeping-chamber'). On the northern screen of the former is a representation of the Scales of Justice, which are suspended over a crescent amidst stars and clouds. Adjoining the eastern wall of the Khwabgah is the octagonal Muthamman-Burj, from where the emperor appeared before his subjects every morning. A small balcony, which projects from the Burj, was added here in 1808 by Akbar Shah II, and it was from this balcony that King George V and Queen Mary appeared before the people of Delhi in December 1911. 

The Hammam ('Bath') consists of three main apartments divided by corridors. The entire interior, including the floor, is built of marble and inlaid with coloured stones. The baths were provided with 'hot and cold water’, and it is said that one of the fountains in the easternmost apartment emitted rose water. To the west of the Hammam is the Moti-Masjid ('Pearl Mosque'), added later by Aurangzeb. The Hayat-Bakhsh-Bagh ('Life-giving garden'), with its pavilions, lies to the north of the mosque, and was later considerably altered and reconstructed. The red-stone pavilion in the middle of the tank in the centre of the Hayat-Bakhsh-Bagh is called Zafar-Mahal and was built by Bahadur Shah II in about 1842.

In 1644, Shahjahan commenced in Delhi his great mosque, the Jami'- Masjid the largest mosque in India, and completed it in 1650. Its square quadrangle with arched cloisters on the sides and a tank in the centre is 100 m. wide. Built on a raised plinth, it has three imposing gateways approached by long flights of steps. Its prayer-hall, with a facade of eleven arches, flanked by a

four-storeyed minaret on either end, is covered by three large domes ornamented with alternating stripes of 'black and white marble. 

Mysore Palace or the Mysore Maharaja Palace is located in the heart of the city. Mysore Palace is one of the most visited monuments in India. And its one of the largest palaces in the country, also known asAmba Vilas Palace, was the residence of the Wodeyar Maharaja's of the Mysore state.

T

he original palace built of wood, got burnt down in 1897, during the wedding of Jayalakshammanni, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar and was rebuilt in 1912 at the cost of Rs. 42 lakhs. The present Palace built in Indo-Saracenic style and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. Above the central arch is an impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck, and abundance with her elephants. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. Designed by the well-known British architect, Henry Irwin, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.

Mysore Palace is priceless national treasure and the pride of a kingdom, the Mysore Maharaja Palace is the seat of the famed Wodeyar Maharaja's of Mysore. The palace is now converted into a museum that treasures souvenirs, paintings, jewelery, royal costumes and other items, which were once possessed by the Wodeyars. It's a Kaleidoscope of stained glass & mirrors. The tastefully decorated and intricately carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms. The ground floor with an enclosed courtyard displays costumes, musical instruments, children toys and numerous portraits. The upper floor has a small collection of weapons. The beautifully carved mahogany ceilings, solid silver doors, white marble floors and superb columned Durbar Hall are a fest to the eyes. The palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Exquisitely carved doors open into stunningly luxurious rooms.

The front of the Amba Vilas Palace has an open balcony supported by massive circular columns. The Royal portrait gallery, which is of historical importance, is a visual treat to the visitors. This three-storied structure has beautifully designed square towers at various cardinal points covered by domes. Craftsmen from Jaipur and Agra along with local workers were engaged in crafting them. The marriage pavilion or the Kalyana Mantapa with a center octagonal gabled roof, covered by stained glasses, is to the south of the building. The flooring of this magnificent Kalyana Mantapa has artistic geometrical patterns created by using glittering glazed tiles imported from England. The building has gorgeous chandeliers of Czechoslovakian make.

The royal throne, regal seat of the is called the Chinnada Simhasana or Ratna Simahasana with captivating artwork on its gold plates is displayed during the Dasara festival. The Maharajas of Mysore used to sit on the golden throne and hold durbars in the Palace Durbar Hall. The paintings of eight manifestations of Goddess Shakthi (strength) and an original painting of the renowned painter Raja Ravi Verma are also on display.

ILLUMINATED MYSORE PALACE

The palace complex has a selection of twelve Hindu temples. The oldest of these was built in the 14th century,

while the most recent was built in 1953. Someshvara Temple, dedicated to God Lord Shiva and Lakshmiramana Temple, dedicated to God Lord Vishnu are some of the more famous temples.

The erstwhile Royal family continues to live in a portion of the Palace. His Highness Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar is the current scion of the Wodeyar Dynasty.

A silhouette of the Mysore Palace illuminated with 98,260 bulbs, shimmering against an inky black night is one of the most enduring images of the city. Although tourists are allowed to visit

the palace, they are not allowed to take photographs inside the palace. The annual footfall to this royal attraction is 3.5 million.Mysore Palace is the venue for the famous Mysore Dasara Festival, during which leading artists perform on a stage set up in the palace grounds. On the tenth day of the festival Vijaya Dashami, a parade with caparisoned elephants and other floats originate from the palace grounds.