Mudhol is a small city in India that was renamed when the British conquered it. It's now called "Mudhol" as it used to be "Muduvolalu". Mudhol is located in the Bagalkote District of Karnataka, which is located south of Maharashtra, and lies about 60 kilometers from district headquarters Bagalkot. The city was ruled by the Ghorpade-Maratha royal family until 1947.
Water trough to wash feet before
entering the durbar hall
The name Mudhol is taken from the local language (Tulu). Mudhol is part of the old Muddahuli Samrajya, which dominated the region until 1565 when it was overrun by Jagirdars. The region was conquered by India in 1947 when it became a part of modern day Karnataka state.
Mudhol has a hot climate all year round, which makes it ideal for farming except during summer. The average temperature in mudhol ranges from 29 °C(84 °F) during summer to 12-13 °C(53-55 °F) during winter. The best time to visit is either October or November.
Intricately carved door entrance
A unique breed of dog, known as the Mudhol Hound - the grand hound of Indian state Karnataka - is believed to be the ideal hunting dog and is a favorite among hunters in Karnataka.
Mudhol's culture has been heavily influenced by Maratha culture, mainly because it was ruled by the Marathas before being taken over by British India. The Ghorpade family ruled Mudhol until 1799 when it was defeated by Tipu Sultan, who subsequently gave Mudhol to Savji Mane's family, who ruled until 1947 when India became independent from Britain and Mudhol became a part of modern-day India rather than an independent state.
During the British era, Mudhol was known as "Muduvolalu" or "Muddahuli", and is now referred to as "Mudhol" in English. The locals believe that the British renamed the town after Lord Mudhol, who died in 1834, because of his reputation as an expert hunter.
The palace had several extensions made to it over the centuries. However, of all the additions, the central Durbar Hall proved to be the most famous one. This is a splendid structure that reflects the architectural styles of Mudhol and Dharwad, which were two important towns in North Karnataka during the 18 th century. In addition, it portrays how rich and powerful rulers lived their lives in those times. The Durbar Hall is a large square shaped room with four pillars on all sides of it. These support protrusions that are beautifully carved and are typical of Indo-Sarcenic style architecture of India during this period.
Wooden false ceiling painted with vegetable dye colours
The temple has a row of elegantly-lined wooden columns that one can witness at its entrance which are intricately carved with artistic motifs depicting scenes from Indian mythology. The columns support a beautiful, stone carved spire. set against the skyline of the hillock, this is the focal point of this structure. This 200 year old structure was a structure that belonged to the Maratha rulers. However, only this part of the structure remained to stand strong , which was then reconstructed (with the same materials) at Hasta Shilpa Heritage village , manipal.
This was about what I have learnt about the Mudhol palace durbar hall , at the Hasta Shilpa heritage village. I hope you all enjoyed seeing the photos. If any of you ever visit Manipal , please make sure to spend one whole day here. I will be posting a series of this heritage village , with different houses and architectural styles.
