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by Madelyn Miller

On a low hill , just outside this royal city, stands a shimmering white building--a splendid Italiante palazzo, double-columned and domed, set in a sprawling, terraced garden. This is the Lalitha Mahal (or "beautiful building") built by the Maharaja of Mysore to host his most important guest, the Viceroy of India. Now, as a delightful 54-room hotel run by the India Tourism Development Corp., the most important guests are people like you who want to experience princely living inn a real maharaja's palace. What a way to give a royal start to a marriage. Although it does set certain precedents that might be hard to maintain in your everyday life.

The ambiance is indeed royal here. There are polished marble floors, pained and chandeliered ceilings, and priceless carpets and antiques. A superb marble staircase leads to the upper floors, where the guest suites and rooms are also of princely proportions.

Cool, airy and light-filled, the guest rooms are furnished with genuine palace furniture. There are four-poster beds, plush velvet armchairs and gilt-framed Belgian mirrors.

All the modern comforts have been discreetly built in, as well. The air conditioning, telephones and spacious marble baths that the original maharajah had to do without have all been added for your pleasure.

The banquet room of the Lalitha Mahal is now a gourmet restaurant where guests dine under glowing stained glass domes amidst a blue-and-white Wedgwood decor. I felt a little like I was eating inside a giant Wedgwood pot.

You can enjoy Indian food or Continental cuisine. We opted for a Palace Kitchen specialty, the Tahlia ($4), a sampling of several delicately spiced dishes typical of India's Southern region, served on a silver platter. At the front of the dining room, talented musicians entertain diners by playing traditional Indian music on the sitar. As you look outside the window, you see the tennis courts and swimming pool, surrounded by lawns and flower beds.

The hotel overlooks the romantic Mysore skyline. On one side rises Chamundi Hill with its ancient temple, a huge rock carving of Nandi the Bull and the "small" royal summer palace. Just a short drive away are sights like the exotic Brindaban Garden, the Ranganathitoo bird Sanctuary, the great carved temple of Somnnathpur and the fort and summer palace of the legendary Tippu Sultan.

The price for the royal treatment at the Lalitha Mahal is an amazingly humble one--less than $50 a night for most rooms. A world-class bargain and a princely start for any marriage.

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