Every evening
The illumination
At seven each evening of the festival a lakh of bulbs come on across the Amba Vilas Palace at once, and the whole forecourt lifts its phones. It is the image of Mysuru the world knows.
The lights
A lakh of bulbs
About a hundred thousand incandescent bulbs trace every arch, dome and cornice of the Palace — a scheme first lit for the Maharaja’s Dasara a century ago and maintained since by the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation. They are switched on together, at once, at seven.
- 7 PM to 10 PM every evening of the festival
- Till midnight on Sundays and on Vijayadashami
- Also lit on public holidays through the year
Where to watch
The forecourt and the streets
Inside the Palace grounds, from the forecourt, is the classic view — arrive by 6:30. From outside, the Balarama Gate on Sayyaji Rao Road frames the whole facade, and the streets around the Palace are themselves lit through the festival.
- Palace forecourt, free entry from 6 PM
- Balarama Gate, Sayyaji Rao Road
- The lit streets: Ashoka Road, Albert Victor Road
Also lit
