About Mysore
A city of natural beauty, royal aura and quaint charm, Mysore was the
capital of Tipu Sultan and a inspired mosaic of beautiful palaces, parks and
gardens, the resplendent rustle of Mysore silk, the exotic fragrance of
sandalwood and delicious Mysore cuisines, its a world heritage city that
beckons travelers across the world.
The cultural capital of Karnataka, Mysore is the second largest district in
Karnataka. Mysore is a city of Palaces, most prominent of them being Amba
Vilas, Rajendra Vilas, Jayalakshmi Vilas (now the Mysore University
premises), Karanji Mansion (now postal training institute) and Crawford Hall
(university administrative building).
Mysore is also famous for its silk, Railway Museum, Mysore zoo, the
Chamundeswari temple (on Chamundi hill), Kalamandira, Bandipur National
Park, Raganathittu bird sanctuary etc. Temples, ghats (riverbanks) and small
riverside shrines surround Mysore and its outskirts. Lush greenery and
shrines and the idol pasted with vermilion gives it a mystic look. The city
could be easily taken for the Mysore kingdom's capital even today.
Mysore Palace- The signature monument of Mysore was designed by
English architect Henry Irwin exudes a grandeur that is unparalleled. The
Durbar Hall with its ornate and sculpted pillars and Golden Howdah(elephant
seat) are the treasures of the palace. The palace is beautifully adorned by
97000 electric bulb and the whole it covers with royal purple garb.
Jaganmohan Palace- It was built by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar in
1861 as a retreat of royal family. Still stained glass window shutters
interior hall speak about the historical saga of the palace. Inside the
palace Jayachamarajendra Art Museum maintains some fantastic collections of
paintings of Mysore and Tanjore style, sculptures and musical instrument.
Sri Jayachamarajendra Zoo- Some of the rarest animals found in this
zoo. One of the best zoo in India has a collection of endangered animals
like, tapir, chimpanzee,giraffe,zebra and white tiger. It takes almost two
hours to visit the zoo completely. Fees are nominal and tram service inside
the zoo takes you to every corner.
Chamundi Hills- Chamundi Hills are the landmark tourist spot of
Mysore. Chamundi hills are specially known for Chamundeeswari temple, which
is located on the hills and easily accessed through a motorable road. One
has to struggle one thousand steps to reach the hill at a height of about
3000 feet.
Planet X- Planet X is an amusement club specially famed for
Go-Karting track. It is situated at Maharana Pratap Singh Road in Nazarabad.
The campus includes a bowling alley,a video-game arcade, a restaurant and
Mysore’s only disco at weekends.
ST Philomena’s Cathedral- This is 175 ft high,modeled in a
gothic style is one of the tallest churches in India. It looks like a big
chocolate cake. The church is near the Five Light Circle. Photography is
permitted after a prior permission.
Rail Museum – This small museum near the station exhibits a
maharaja’s saloon carriage dating to 1899,among other exhibits.
Not To Overlook-Excursions From Mysore
Bandipur National Park - The national park is located about 80 km
away from Mysore city. The park conserve animals like swamp deer, Asian
elephants and gaurs. You can enjoy a elephant ride and stroll around the
park.
Talakad- Talakad is a serene place famed for sand dunes. It is
located on the bank of Kaveri near. It is said there were many temples but
burried under the sand dunes of Talakad. Some of the temples were excavated
in last 12 years for special worship.
Shivanasamudra : Shivasamudra a place situated 855 kms to the east
of Mysore. Here due the deluge of river Cauvery down a deep rocky gorge and
creates two magnificent waterfalls. The best time to visit the place is
during monsoon season.
Srirangapatana : This is an island fortress of Haider Ali and Tipu
Sultan, which is located 15 kms from Mysore. Ranganathaswamy temple and a
mosque still speak about the bravery of Tipu Sultan. Srirangapatana also
have Daria Daulat Bag, a beautiful lush green gardens. Neighborhood of it
Daria Daulat Palace is there,which was a summer palace of Tipu Sultan. It
has some rare collections of paintings,manuscripts and Tipu record.
Location- Mysore is a city in the Karnataka State and is located
between Mangalore and Bangalore (Capital of Karnataka). The Capital is 130
km from Mysore. It is geographically located between 12 degree North
latitude and 76 degree East longitude
Climate- Mysore enjoys wonderful climate due to its geographic
location. It's never too hot in Mysore, the maximum temperature being around
30 degree Celsius (May & June). Monsoon stays from June to October,
during which mostly the rainfall occurs. Average annual rainfall is 86 cm.
How To Reach?
By Air- Nearest airport is Bangalore,which is 139 kms away from
Mysore city. Bangalore is well linked with all major cities of India and
also with some international airport.
By Rail- BangaloreMysore is connected with Bangalore with number of
trains. The quickest and comfortable way to reach Mysore is via Bangalore.
By Road- From Bangalore to Mysore will take around 3 hours. The road
is excellent and traveling via the road is a nice experience. There are
government buses as well as private luxury coaches. There are option of rent
a cab from Bangalore.
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