The Fort

Faced with the grandeur of Amba Vilas Palace, it is easy to miss the historic fort that surrounds it. The original walls were built under the Wadiyars in 1524 but gradually the defensive glacis was flattened and defensive ditch was filled, but the stone wall is still intact. Over time, the wall was rebuilt and extended several times, the mud walls replaced eventually with stone. Later, Tipu had them pulled down with plans to rebuild but died before the plans came to fruition. Subsequently, they were reconstructed by the British in 1799. Originally, the fort area was a bustling centre of life, packed with houses, but these were moved out in 1910. Taking a walk around the fort’s walls will require about one hour during which many landmarks outside the walls and a plethora of temples inside the walls will be visible. If you’re pressed for time, hop into a tonga and go around the fort walls, which is amongst Mysore’s unique experiences.