Mysore

Mysore

Place name- Mysore

Country- India (Karnataka Tourist Place)

Location- 140 km away from Bangalore

About the place:

Mysore is the second biggest place in the state of Karnataka. This place is known for its majestic palaces, magnificent places, tree lined boulevards, sprawling gardens,

Shimmering Silks and Sandalwood, retaining its tradition of art, literature, music and dance.

Mysore Dasara is celebrated for victory of the Goddess Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hills, after killing the wicked buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura indicating the victory

of good over evil.

The word Mysore is derived from the word Mahishuru or Mahishasurana Ooru, which means the town of Mahishasura, the demon king who is believed to have lived here.

During the reign of Chamaraja Wadiyar the city is said to have reached the peak of its glory and had gained prominence.

Mysore is situated 770m above the sea level and has warm and cold climate through out the year.


Places to see:


Mysore palace- This Maharaja's palace is one of the major sights of Mysore, built in in Indo-Saracenic style with turrets, domes, colonnades and arches.

This palace is a treasure house for Intricately carved rosewood doors, marble figurines, some ceilings with inlaid ivory work, collections of caskets, objects of personal use

and paintings of the members of the royal family, all exhibit such reality though age as worn them out a bit with slight discoloration.

The palace will be illuminated by by close to 100,000 bulbs on Sundays and National Holidays between 7PM-8PM, which is a breathtaking beauty.

Wodeyar's magnificent jewel studded golden throne is displayed here during the Dasara festival.


Brindavan Gardens:

Brindavan Gardens is one of the best among all the gardens in Karnataka, located at the KR Sagar Dam [Kannambadi].

Since 1960s, Brindavn has provided the backdrop for many Indian films and is spread over 150 acres.

The special attractions include the "Dancing Mountains" and in December 2004 the entire garden was restructured with new fountains and lights.

Visit timings:

Monday-Friday: 6:30 PM - 7:25 PM and

Saturday-Sunday: 6:30 PM - 8:25 PM



Chamundi Hills:

This can be reached by a 13km road from Mysore or by climbing 1000 steps laid out by the Mysore Maharaja in the 17th century from Mysore which is 800km above the

sea level.

The huge Nandi statue, a majestic 4.8 meter monolith on the mountain is also well known. At the top we can find 12th century temple of Chamundeshwari, the goddess of

the Wodeyars.

You can find the gigantic statue of the demon Mahishasura close to the temple.



St. Philomena's Church:

This is a beautiful Cathedral, reminiscent of medieval architectural style, one of the largest churches in the country.

This is built in the gothic style with stained glass windows and lofty towers with a very well built structure.



Mysore Zoo:

This was set up in nineteenth century under royal patronage. This includes exotic species which is housed with green surroundings. The zoo is famous for breeding very rare

animals.

Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens has emerged as one of the finest zoos in the country. The zoo has embarked on a new venture to set up a state-of-the-art Rescue and

Rehabilitation Centre.

The zoo has prepared to establish the centre for emergency mobile ambulance for the animals which was an Rs 5.5-crore plan and forwarded the same to the Central Zoo

Authority (CZA) for approval.

If it gets approved then this would be the first zoo to have an emergency mobile service to rescue animals fighting for life and cater to animals in and around Brahmagiri,

Madikeri, Bandipur, Kanakapura and other wildlife sanctuaries.


The Art Gallery

In 1875, the Jaganmohan Palace was converted into an art gallery and exhibits paintings that dates back to that period.

The artists of that time used mineral dyes and natural vegetable. The famous paintings of traditional Mysore 'gold leaf' are also exhibited in the gallery.

There are also paintings of contemporary artist like Raja Ravi Varma and Svetoslav Roerich.



Daria Daulat Bagh:

This is Tippu's Summer Palace built in 1784 is located here which is made of teak includes Indo-Sarcenic structure has beautiful frescos and ornate.

It has now become a museum and tells Tipu's valor and his losing battle against the British.


Best Time to Visit: September to April


How to get there:

Mysore is well connected by road to Madras, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Cannaore, Ooty, Calicut and Panaji (Goa).

Nearest airport: Bangalore

Nearest Railway Station : Mysore

By Road: Bangalore-Mysore highway