Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery Mysore

About Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery:

The Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in Mysore is considered one of the best art galleries in South India because of its excellent collection of paintings and artifacts that once belonged to the Wodeyars of Mysore. The three-storied Jaganmohan Palace was converted into this art gallery in 1875. The Jayachamarajendra art gallery has a remarkable collection of Rembrandt paintings. This collection is so unique that such works of Rembrandt can be found nowhere in the world except in Russia. The western collection section of the museum has works by master like P.P. Ruben, Titan, A. Caddy and miniature paintings by Gunoy. The gallery also has the rare and valuable art collection made by Col. Scott, a British Army Officer, who served in the British Army that fought against Tippu Sultan. But this collection was shifted to Srirangapatna in 1950. The gallery also boasts of a collection of Gravure prints by Britsih Army officers showing details of the Mysore wars against HyderAli and Tipu Sultan. One hall has exclusively been used to display the exquisite works of the famous Kerala prince -painter, Raja Ravi Varma. His paintings depict various incidents from the epics and these paintings attract a huge number of visitors to the Art Gallery. On display at the gallery are traditional gold leaf paintings of the Mysore, Bengal and European Schools. This collection includes traditional paintings dating back to 1875. The other famous artists whose works are displayed at the gallery include Nikolav Roerich of Russia, Jiladin Ville of Germant, Sterling of England and Colton of Italy. The Indian artists displayed include Mysore K. Venkatappa, Raja Rama Varma who was the brother of Raja Ravi Verma, Ishwardas, Haldenkar, Subbukrishna and M. Verappa. M. Ramanarasaiah was the Palace artist and was responsible for the exhibits in the gallery. He was the curator of the gallery for a long time and has made a number of paintings of the Mysore royal family. Before him the renowned artist G. Venkatachalam was the Curator. The walls of the third floor of the gallery are covered with rich colorful paintings relating to the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. On one side is depicted his Dasara procession. The gallery has one of the earliest authentic visual records of the Dasara celebrations in Mysore. The painting depicts Krishnaraja Wodeyar III going in procession in a charior drawn by elephants. On the adjacent wall a number of games are depicted, that arouse the curiosity of the observer. Games displayed include Devi Sayujya and Srikanta Sayujya, these games are played in such a way as to direct the thoughts of the players towards heaven. The game of Indian chess has been very well depicted on this wall. Krishnaraja Wodeyar III was an expert at these games. He invented many new games that are depicted in the art gallery. This gallery has an excellent collection of musical instruments that is displayed on the second floor. The Maharajas especially Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV used many of these musical instruments. The gallery also houses some ornamental furniture, glass and Chinaware, sculptures and photographs. The art gallery is opposite the City Bus stand and at a walking distance from the KSRTC bus stand or Main Bus Stand.

General Information about Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery:

Location: Mysore

State: Karnataka

Capital: Bangalore

Language: Kannada, Malayalam, English

Temperature: Max 30˚C, Min 21˚C (summer), Max 21˚C, Min 11˚C (winter)

Best Season: November to April

How to Reach Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery:

By Air:

The nearest airport to Mysore is Bangalore (139 km). All the domestic airlines in the country operate their flights to Bangalore from all the major cities in the country. Some international airlines too have flights to Bangalore. Bangalore is to have an international airport shortly.

By Rail:

Mysore is connected with a number of trains to Bangalore. The super fast luxury train the Shatabdi Express connects Mysore to Madras. The quickest and most comfortable way to reach Mysore is via Bangalore.

By Road:

Mysore is 139kms to the south west of Bangalore. The state highway that connects these two cities is very well maintained. Travelling from Bangalore to Mysore by road is a pleasant experience and will take about 3hrs. The Karnataka Road Transport Corporation has excellent bus service to Mysore. There are ordinary buses, semi-luxury buses and luxury buses operated by the Government of Karnataka. Every half an hour there is a non-stop bus to Mysore from Bangalore Bus Station. Corporations of other states and private tour operators have buses plying to Mysore as well. All these facilities have made Mysore extremely accessible by road.