Conducted for the first time to enhance overall tourist experience

Mysore/Mysuru: For the first time in the tourism history of Mysuru, a week-long training programme for Palace tourist guides began on the Mysore Palace Board premises this morning.

The training programme is being organised by the Mysore Palace Board and the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU). Subject matter experts, resource persons and historians will hold sessions for the guides.

The intent behind launching this programme is to enhance the overall experience of tourists who visit the Mysore Palace which will in turn lead to the flourishing of the tourism and hospitality industry. The training programme aims to make Mysuru a tourist-friendly place and also to create a pool of trained tourist guides to showcase the best.

Some of the topics that are included in the training are the political history of the Wadiyars of  Mysore — early phase, middle phase and modern middle phase, the story of the Mysore Palace (Palace Fort, Old Palace, Wooden Palace — new Palace — specialities, expenditure, art and architecture), pavilions and paintings of Amba Villas Palace, Durbar Hall, temples inside the Palace Fort, performing arts, cultural activities in the Palace, human relations for guides and dress code.

Inaugurating the training programme, the titular head of the  erstwhile Mysore royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar said that a majority of tourists come to Mysuru to see the Mysore Palace and this iconic structure is the must-visit itinerary of all tourists. “In such a scenario, the responsibilities of guides play a crucial role. Guides must stick to facts and must not deviate from the original history,” he said.

 Be faithful to history

“History cannot be altered and guides must not sell distorted history while taking the tourists around the Palace. What information you give reaches the entire world and as such, the information must be truthful and factual without any exaggeration,” Yaduveer noted.

While many other historical monuments have past history, the Mysore Palace has a history that is alive and kicking and traditions are being diligently followed without any violation even in the times of natural disasters, he said and asked the guides to update themselves on the history so that they can disseminate authentic history, without any deviation.

 “Do not digress from facts and stick to the training you have been provided. One small factual error will be damaging to Mysuru and it will sully the image of this great city that has come to us through inheritance,” he said.

Mysore Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya, KSOU’s Department of Studies in Ancient History and Archaeology ​Chairman Dr. Shalvapille Iyengar,  Member of Heritage Conservation Committee, Government of Karnataka and Convener of INTACH, Mysuru Chapter Prof. N.S. Rangaraju, historian and columnist Dr. S.V. Ranganath and resource person L.N. Swamy were present.

KSOU offers audio-visual studio to promote Mysore Palace

Addressing the guides and others at the event, KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. S. Vidyashankar offered the institution’s audio-visual studio for the tourist guides and the Palace authorities to publicise more about the Palace and its glorious history.

“Now KSOU students can watch videos of study materials and lectures in the comforts of their homes and need not depend on any other source for learning. We can use the same facility to disseminate information, videos and literature about the Palace. This way we can draw global tourists to Mysuru and we can make use of the regal glory for that,” he said.