Imperial City of Palaces
140 Kms from Bangalore lies the abode of untold grandeur and glory.
Mysore,the capital city of the Wodeyars has always enchanted its
admirers with its quaint charm,rich heritage, magnificent palaces,beautifully
laid-out gardens, imposing buildings,broad shady avenues and sacred
temples. There's an old world charm about the city that reaches
out and leaves no one untouched. Mysore,or Mahishur as it was called
then, traces its history back to the mythical past,when Goddess
Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hills killed the wicked buffalo-headed
demon, Mahishasura. Mysore Dasara is the celebration of this victory
of good over evil. Mysore also has associations with the Mahabharata
and King Ashoka of the 3rd century B.C. During the Wodeyar rule
Mysore reached the Zenith of its glory as a fabled centre of oriental
splendour. Mysore is one of the major cities of Karnataka. Today,
Mysore is a vibrant city teeming with tourists and visitors. It
is known the world over for its exotic sandalwood and rich silks.Its
grand and imposing palaces,majestic temples,gardens leave an ever-lasting
impression on the visitor.
Situated 770m above sea level,Mysore has a warm and cool climate
throughout the year.
Local Sights
Mysore Palace
The Maharaja's Palace is one of the important sights in Mysore.
Built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades,the
Palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art
from all over the world. Intricately carved doors open on to luxuriously
furnished rooms. The majestic Durbar Hall has an ornate ceiling
and many sculpted pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden
throne of the Wodeyars is displayed here during the Dasera festival.
Illuminated on Sundays and public holidays ,the palace presents
a spectacle of breathtaking beauty.
Chamundi Hills
A well known 335 metres high landmark,Chamundi Hill can be reached
by a 13 km road or by climbing up the 1,000 steps laid out by the
Mysore Maharaja in the 17th century.Half-way up along the stone
steps is Nandi, Lord Shiva's Bull, a majestic 4.8 metre monolith.At
the top is the 12th century temple of Chamundeshwari, the patron
goddess of the Wodeyars.Close to the temple is the gigantic statue
of the demon Mahishasura. The summit offers a panoramic view of
Mysore's lakes, parks and palaces.
Brindavan Gardens
Located at the KR Sagar Dam [Kannambadi], Brindavan Gardens is
one of the best gardens in South India. Spread over 150 acres, Brindavan
Gardens has since the 1960s provided the backdrop for many Indian
films. Special attractions include the 'Dancing Fountains'. In Dec
2004 the entire garden was revamped with new fountains and lights.
Timings: Monday-Friday: 6:30 PM - 7:25 PM and Saturday-Sunday: 6:30
PM - 8:25 PM
St. Philomena's Church
A beautiful Cathedral, reminiscent of medieval architectural style,is
one of the largest churches in the country. Built in the gothic
style,the Church is an imposing structure with stained glass windows
and lofty towers.
Mysore Zoo
The Mysore Zoo was set up under royal patronage in the nineteenth
century. Its fauna includes rare and exotic species which are housed
in lush, green surroundings. The Zoo is famous for breeding some
very rare animals in captivity.Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens,
which has emerged as one of finest zoos in the country to breed
a wide range of animals in captivity, has embarked on a new venture
to set up a state-of-the-art Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.As
of Jan 2006 the zoo has prepared a Rs 5.5-crore plan to establish
the centre and forwarded the same to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)
for approval. The plan envisages procuring a, emergency mobile ambulance
for the animals.The zoo would become the first in the country to
have an emergency mobile service to rescue animals fighting for
life and cater to animals in and around Bandipur, Brahmagiri, Kanakapura,
Madikeri and other wildlife sanctuaries.
The Art Gallery
The Jaganmohan Palace was converted into an art gallery in 1875
and exhibits paintings which date back to that period. The artists
of that time used natural vegetable and mineral dyes. The famous
traditional Mysore 'gold leaf ' paintings are also exhibited in
the gallery, as are oil paintings of contemporary artist like Raja
Ravi Varma and Svetoslav Roerich.
Around Mysore
Daria Daulat Bagh Tipu's Summer Palace,built in 1784,is located
here.Made of teak,this Indo-Sarcenic structure has ornate and beautiful
frescos.It is now a museum and tells eloquently of Tipu's valor
and his losing battle against the British.
Fort
It is here that Tipu charged at the British soldiers with his legendary
sword.An obelisk in the fort marks the place where he fell -betrayed
by his own men.The fort holds within it,a mosque and the Ranganathaswamy
Temple.Outside the fort is the Gumbaz,Tipu's tomb with splendid
ebony doors inlaid with ivory.
Himvad Gopalaswamy Hills
This is a popular hill resort and a trekker's delight as well.It
is situated in the verdant western ghats of Mysore District.The
temple here is dedicated to Lord Hoysala.
Melkote
Situated 50 Kms.north of Mysore,Melkote is a sacred pilgrim centre,known
for its Vairamundi festival in March-April.More than one lakh devotees
congregate here for the festival.Melkote is also famous for its
handlooms.Ramanucharya,the Shrivaishnava saint-philosopher,took
shelter here from his persecutors.
Talakad
48 Kms from Mysore,It is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery
and is completely buried beneath sand dunes.Only the Dravidian style
Vaidyeshwara temple is visible above the ground.Its temples are
opened for ceremonial worship on special occasions -once in twelve
years.Shivsamudra 85 Kms east of Mysore,where the river Cauvery
cascades down in two picturesque waterfalls,is Shivsamudra.Falling
down from a height of 75 m into a deep gorge,these falls are best
during the monsoons.1.5 kms.away is Asia's first hydro-electric
power project set up in 1905.
Nagarhole National Park
93 kms.from Mysore, in the forest of Nagarhole, is a National Park.Abounding
in a rich variety of wildlife, one can find elephants, antelopes
and even leopards here.Kabini River Lodge Situated 80 kms. from
Mysore in the Karapur forests is the old hunting lodge of the Maharajas
and Viceroys. The lodge on the banks of the river Kabini arranges
jeep rides into the jungle and coracle rides on the Kabini for bird
watching. A naturalist guide helps you identify the many varieties
of birds and wild beasts.
B.R. Hills
This picturesque hill range,at a height of 5091 ft.,is 120 kms.
from Mysore and is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna.The
temple on the hill,dedicated to Biligiri Rangaswamy attracts devotees
round the year.Mysoreans are stauch believers in protecting the
greenery of their awesome city. On September 28, 2005 the forest
department decided to set up a 'Tree Court' to look into the problems
and permit felling of trees. The tree court would meet on the third
Saturday of every month and look into applications to fell trees.
Essentials
Getting Here
Mysore is well-connected by road to Bangalore, Madras, Mangalore,
Coimbatore, Ooty, Cannanore, Calicut and Panaji(Goa)
Shopping
Mysore is famous for carved sandalwood, pure silk sarees and incense.
The best place to shop is the Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium
on Sayyaji Rao Road, which is the Main shopping area. There are
also many other craft shops on Dhanavanthri Road.
The shopper's stop: Mysore is known the world over for its exotic
sandalwood and rich silks. At the Government Sandalwood Oil Factory,you
can buy Sandal Powder, Sandal Oil and scented incense sticks.At
the Government Silk Factory you can see the master weavers at work.
Buy shimmering silks straight off the looms. Shop at Cauvery Handicrafts
Emporium or in the little back streets and by lanes that offer some
exiting bargains.
North
India States
