Rajendra Vilas, building in India
Rajendra Vilas is a hotel sitting at the top of Chamundi Hill, above the city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka, India. The building was designed in the Indo-Saracenic style, with a large central dome and smaller towers in a Rajasthani manner at each corner.
The building was originally constructed as a guesthouse for the royal family of Mysore and their guests during the period when Mysore was a princely state. When Mysore was absorbed into the state of Karnataka after Indian independence, the government took over the property and opened it as a hotel.
Chamundi Hill is a place of pilgrimage for people from Mysore, and the hotel sits right at the top, near the Chamundeshwari Temple. Staying here gives a visitor a sense of the hill after the day crowds have left, when the surroundings are at their most still.
The hill is outside the center of Mysore and is reached by car or bus, with the drive taking around one hour from the city. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as the grounds around the building are worth walking through on foot.
The building is visible from the city of Mysore below, which means it has served as a landmark on the skyline long before it became a hotel. At night, the view works in reverse: the lights of Mysore spread out far below, making the hilltop one of the few places where you can see the whole city at once.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
