Tipu's Bangalore Summer Palace

For long I had wanted to visit the Tipu Sultan’s Bangalore summer palace just for sheer shooting them onto my camera. After a long wait I got the opportunity to go there as some of the treasures belong to the Sultan which was maintained by the Daria Daulat Bagh in Srirangapatna was being put on display for a week at the Bangalore summer palace. Since I could not shoot the pictures of the coins and other materials which were on display at Srirangapatna due to bad light, I had this double whammy luck riding on me to shoot those images which I could not at Srirangapatna and also get the images of the summer palace itself. I went there and ensure that had any fotog’s tummy fill of pictures out which some I have put on display below.

The entrance of the Tipu Sultan's Bangalore Summer Palace.

Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace in Bangalore is one of the few and best historical places in the garden city of Bangalore today. So, if you are planning for sightseeing in Bangalore, this palace is something that you can hardly afford to miss. The palace, now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, is situated amidst a picturesque garden that enhances the beauty of the old palace. The specialty of the garden lies in the fact that it was originally planted by none other than Tipu Sultan, himself.

The palace is very cool sue to the use of teak wood for roofing as well as the flooring.

Built between the years 1781 and 1791, Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace in Bangalore is similar to Daria Daulat, the other palace of Tipu that is situated in Srirangapatna. As the palace was special to the mighty son of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, he called it 'Rash-e-Jannat' which literally means the abode of happiness and the envy of heaven'. The name inscribed by him on the wooden banisters of the palace can be seen by the visitors even today.
Though a large part of the palace is preserved well, the eastern wing of Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace that housed the 'Zenana' or 'Harem' has been destroyed over the time. What exists today are the wonderfully cuspid rosewood arches that rise above the fluted stone pillars and the beautiful frescoes, painted elaborately on the ceilings and walls of the palace.
Although the palace was previously painted in the elaborate style of the Daria Daulat palace, now the arches and ceilings, made of expensive rosewood have been painted with dark-brown enamel paint. This gives the interior of the palace a rather sober look than warm. However, the delicate and serene white flowers painted on a warm brick-red background cover the walls like a bright carpet. Also the raised frieze of gold flowers and leaves on the plain white base of the borders are a feast to the eyes.

Some of the very valuable heritage used by Tipu Sultan on the special display at the Bangalore Summer Palace. These items are usually on display at the Daria Daulat Bagh at Srirangapatna near Mysore.

The Sword along with papers showing the history and time of Tipu Sultan on the special display at the Bangalore Summer Palace.

The museum hall which houses some of the heritage at the summer palace in Bangalore.

The hand written book of Tipu Sultan (left) and the jar he used to drink tea from (right).

The robe worn by Tipu Sultan when he died fighting the British army (left) and the bowl used by the Sultan himself (right) with typical markings of astrological and numerical predications.


The lock to the pistol used by Tipu (left top) the pistol itself (top right) and some of the various paisa (coins) releaseed by Tipu Sultan during his tenure as the ruler of Mysore Kingdom (left).