mysooru

Mysuru was the political capital of the Wodeyar dynasty which ruled the state of Karnataka for about 150 years till the independence of the country . It is also known as the city of palaces. Located 770m above sea level this picturesque city has pleasant weather for much of the year. 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. Besides its numerous palaces and royal buildings, Mysore city is also known for proximity to several other places of interest such as Srirangapatna, Krishna Raj Sagra dam and Sivasamudram falls.
The city has a mythical history which explains the origin of the name - apparently, this was the place where the demon Mahishasura was slain by the Goddess Chamundi. You will find a statue of the demon on Chamundi hill which commemorates this event. Mysore Dasara is the celebration of this victory of good over evil.
Mysuru is famous for silk sarees (Mysore Silk), sandalwood carvings and the many varities of perfumed incense sticks. Mysore's market places can be a good place to start.

Places of Interest
Mysore Palace
Brindavan Gardens
Chamundi Hills: This hill named after Devi Chamunda is situated on a hill top and Chamunda Devi killed the demon called Mahishasur (city named after this demon) and devotees come in great number to offer their services.
Lalit Mahal Palace
Jagmohan Palace [Art Gallery]: This palace is now a beautiful are gallery and showcases weapons, drapery, work on wood, marble and paintings by great artists like Raja Ravi Varma.
Datta Peetham
Bonsai Garden
St. Philomenas Church
Mysore Zoo: This zoo is 4th largest zoo in Asia.
Karanji Kere
Rail Museum
Oriental Research Institute
Folk Art Museum
National Museum on Natural History
Around Mysore
Shrawanbelgol
Nagarhole National Park
Shivsamudra
Talakad
Melkote
Himvad Gopalaswamy Hills
Fort
Daria Daulat Bagh

History of Mysore

The city of Mysore is situated in the south eastern Indian city of Karnataka. Located 130 kilometers from the state capital Bangalore, it is the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyars, Royal Family of Mysore. Known as the ‘City of Palaces', the history of Mysore is clearly reflected in the rich architecture of the city. Few of the historical attractions in Mysore are the Amba Vilas, Rajendra Vilas also known as the summer palace and Jayalakshmi Vilas. The palaces in Mysore exhibit a mixture of Dravidian and Oriental style of architecture.
The city derives its name from Hindu Mythology. The word Mysore means the town of demon king Mahishahsur. The city of Mysore was ruled by Mahishahsura or the buffalo headed king during the Tenth Century. But due to his growing atrocities, the Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari vanquished the demon king atop the Chamundi Hills at the outskirts of the city. Since then the Royal family of Mysore has worshipped the deity at the temple atop the Hill.
The city has been mentioned in the famous Hindu epic - Mahabharata. The earliest written record is in the form of stone carvings which can be found in the various towns nestled around the city. The city has also been referred in historical documents as the center of contest during the rule of Tipu Sultan, one of the most famous Indian historical characters.
Another celebrated ruler of Mysore is Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar who expanded the kingdom. During his 31 year reign, the city of Mysore flourished like never before. It was later during the early 1900s that Mysore emerged as a modern urban city and earned the encomium 'Ramarajya'. Since then Mysore remained a part of the Wodeyar Kingdom.
During the British rule, the administrative center was shifted from Mysore to Bangalore. In 1881 Mysore regained its status as the state capital. But with India's independence in 1947, the princely states of Karnataka were fused with the Indian Union. It was during this time that the city of Mysore lost its identity and the state became a part of the Indian Dominion. With the merger the reign of the Wodeyars, the Royal family of Mysore came to an end and the city state became a Kannada-speaking state. In 1973 the name of was altered to Karnataka.
Recently, the city has witnessed a distinct industrial growth which also led to a new network of railway lines that improved connectivity in the region. Since then the city of Mysore has developed into a major historical and cultural hub of Karnataka. Though it is not as commercially powerful as Bangalore, Mysore has seen a recent growth in recent times.


MYSORE PALACE
History of Mysore Palace
It has been written in "Shrimanmaharaja's Vamshaavali" that kings of Mysore were living in one palace in Mysore in 14th Century. After this palace was destroyed by lightning. in AD 1638, it was re-constructed by "Ranadheera Kantheerava Narasaraja wodeyar". This is the oldest accurate information available regarding the Mysore palace. It is known from history that palaces like "Soundarya Vilasa", "Naama Teertha" etc and 11 canons were placed in the palaces in different places.
It is said that in 1793 inorder to build a new city called as "Nazarabad", Tippu Sultan demolished all the old buildings including the palace except temples. In 1799 during the throning ceremony of the prince due to unavailability of the palace the ceremony took place in Nazarabad under a pandal. This information has been clearly written by a english officer. For this reason due to the requirement of a palace, a new palace was built in Hindu architectural style during 1800-1803. Because the palace was built in a very small duration of 2 years by the end of 19th Centuary, it was in a bad condition and some of the parts started crumbling. Also in 1897 during the wedding ceremony of princess Jayalakshmmanni most of the parts of the palace were burnt down by fire. Hence inorder to bring back the glory of the Mysore palace the queen, then representative of the kings family thought of building new palace which would be similar to the old palace. She inagurated the building of the new temple in October 1897. The construction in charge was taken by B. P. Raghavulu Naidu who was Executive engineer in the mysore palace division. He made elaborate studies on architecture that had to be applied for the new palace by visiting Delhi, madras and Calcutta and made plans for the new palace. It costed Rs. 41,47,913 for the construction and was complete in 1912. This is the magnificent and a masterpiece palace which is standing in front of us and visited by hundreds of people from all over the world daily. The main building is built of grey marble stone and is three stories. On top of this is a five storied domes which are covered with gold. It is 145 Ft in height from ground level to the top of the dome. There are five of the domes (Kalash) and they were established in 1914. This palace is built around a place called "Thotti" which is a large open space to the east of fround floor there is huge elephant door. To the south there is huge and beautiful Kalyana Mantap where festivities take place. On the first floor facing eastern direction there is "Durbar Hall" or Court yard. For conducting personal meetings there is "Amba vilas" in this floor. This beautiful building is 245 Ft in length and 156 Ft in width. There is fire extinguishing machines located in all parts of the palace in order to prevent any fires. There are fort on the western side of the palace which is almost in a square shape and has five entrances and is built in indi-cerasenic style. To the east there is a huge main entrance called "Jaya Maarthaanda", to the north is "Jayarama" and "Balarama", to the south is "Varaha" , to the west is "Brahma puri" and "Kari Kallu thotti" Main gates. On sundays, national holidays and during dasara navarathri festival, the palace is lit up with lights which is festival for eyes and is a experience of a life time in viewing the palace in full lights at night!!. There are gardens in front of the palace where people can sit and enjoy the beauty of the palace.
JAGANMOHAN PALACE
This palace is towards the western part of the famous mysore palace and at a walkable distance. Until the completion of the main palace auditorium in 1912 all the annual day and dasara festival celebration were taking place here. There is beautiful and artistic mantap in front of this palace. Wedding ceremony of "Naalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeya" and "Shri Kantheerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar" took place in this palace.This palace was built by "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the third ". The crowning ceremony of "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth" also took place here in 1902. This place was used for staying of royal family until the new palace was built and it was used for entertainment afterwards. Now this is a famous art gallery which consists of paintings by famous Indian painter "Raja Ravivarma". The large auditorium is used for major cultural events in Mysore.
JAYALAKSHMI VILASA
This is now the administrative office of University of Mysore (UOM) and folklore museum. It was built in 1901 by then king of Mysore "Chamaraja Wodeyar" for his elder daughter.This palace is to the western side of "Kukkara Halli Lake" and located approximately 4 KM from mysore palace.
LALITHA MAHAL
This is second in size, beauty and famous among the palaces. The foundation stone was laid in November 18, 1921 by "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth". This palace gets its beauty by the chamundi hill to its backside and is located towards east of mysore city. The palace is eye-catching by its whiteness which comes from the granite stone brought from Italy for the construction.Now this palace is a five star hotel and attracts VIPs and tourists from foreign countries and rich people!
VASANTHA MAHAL
This palace was built in 1842 and used as "Special School" for young princes. The palace is built in 36 acres surrounded by gardens. The specialty of this palace is that the facing portion of the palace is made of soft iron. After entering the palace we can see a large verandah. The first floor resembles the ground floor. This building looks beautiful and artistic. This palace was a hotel for a long time and currently locked for visitors.
LOKARANJAN MAHAL
Built in 1880, this palace was school for "Chamaraja Wodeyar", "Krishnaraja Wodeyar", and young prince's. This is also called as summer palace. A swimming pool has been built in a modern style and joining to this palace is the zoo garden.
CHELUVAMBA VILASA
This palace was built for the third princess during 1910-11 and is beautiful to view. The dome atop the palace add to the beauty of the palace. This palace is now the famous CFTRI (Central Food TechTap and Research Institute) and is in very good condition.
KARANJI VILASA
This palace was built for second princess. The construction started in 1902 and was completed in 1932; it is built in indo-greek style and encompasses 38 acres of land. This palace is located next to "Karanji Kere" lake on the way to Lalithamahal palace.
RAJENDRA VILASA
This was built during 1822 and 1838 and is atop the chamundi hills. This palace was re-constructed by "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth". The royal family was visiting this palace for excursion. "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth" was being taught philosophy and English here in this palace. This palace has been built in indo-british style. Standing near the palace at the view point, one can enjoy the panoramic view of mysore city. We can also see Biligiri hill (B. R. Hills) ranges, Nilgiri hill ranges and the backwaters of KRS dam (Brindavan Gardens) from here. This palace was a hotel for some time and currently this is crumbling without any maintenance. Visitors are not allowed to this palace.







Photo gallery of Mysore
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Mysore City is surrounded with plenty of places of tourist interest that are beautiful, scenic and holistic. Including mysore, places around mysore have very comfortable climate throughout the year. Also all the facilities that are required by the tourists are available. Boarding is available for all sorts of people who are middle class or upper class accordingly. During dasara festival it is better to book the accommodation before visiting mysore. There are places near by mysore which can be visited from mysore staying here. There is facility to stay here and go for one or two days of tours.
MYSORE PALACE
The Mysore palace is the major attraction for visitors. Mysore palace is built in indo-ceracenic style. Mysore was capital and administrative center of Wodeyars. Durbar Hall "Diwan-e-Khas" and personal durbar hall are of major attractions in the palace. There are paintings of Raja Ravivarma, Siddalinga Swamy and K. Venkatappa on both sides of the walls. One of the attractions during dasara festival is the Throne" which is kept for public viewing only for 9 days in a year! "Golden Also the Howdah or used in the elephant parade in dasara festival is "AMBAARI" which is attractive and eye-catching. This Howdah weighs approximately 715 KGs.
Palace is open from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Entry fee is Rs. 15/-. Apart from the main palace, kings' personal museum is also present and can be entered with Rs.15/- entry fee. Guides are available at the entrance. No cameras are allowed inside. Every Sunday, government holidays and on dasara festival, palace is lit up in lights. Timing of lighting is 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
MYSORE DASARA
The Dussehra of Mysore or Mysore Dasara as it is famously called is a 10-day long festival. On the day of Dussehra, a procession of caparisoned elephants carrying the idol of goddess Chamundi is taken through the city.
JAYACHAMARAJENDRA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS
This zoological gardens is one of the best and large zoological gardens in India which holds lot of rare animals. This zoological gardens has more than 2000 species of animals, birds etc. This zoological gardens holds the credit of reproducing rare and endangered animals in captivity!. Main attractions are the white tiger, chimpanzee, gorilla, penguin, giraffe etc. The zoological garden is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It requires minimum of two hours to cover the zoological gardens. Entry fee is Rs.10/- for adults and Rs.5/- for children.
ST. PHILOMINAS CHURCH
This is one of the largest churches in India. This is built in gothic style of construction and eye-catching structure. There are two 165 Ft towers which are beautiful to view. "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth" laid the foundation stone for this church in 1933 and was completed in 1941. This church was constructed using monitory benefits from all over the world. This church is visited by people from all religions in the city during Christmas.
CHAMUNDI HILL
This hill is in the outskirts of mysore city and 13 kms from Mysore is the temple of patron Goddess of Wodeyars, Chamundeshwari. Located on a hill 335 m high, the temple can be approached by 1000 steps. Goddess Chamundeshwari is the household god of people and kings of mysore. It is said that this temple was constructed in 11th Centuary. In 1827 the temple was repaired by kings of mysore. In front of the temple there is a statue of "Mahishasura" the demon king. Mysore was once the city of demon king mahisha hence this place was known as "Mahishooru" and hence “Mysooru" or "Mysore”.
Half way towards the temple is the giant monolith Nandi Bull. This 4.8 meter high monolith was originally grey in colour but the application of coconut oil by the devotees has turned it black. This one of the largest statues of Nandi found in India. Close to the Chamundi temple is the giant and colorful statue of the demon Mahishasura. From the hill summit one can have a panoramic view of the Mysore city.
KRISHNA RAJA SAGAR (K.R.S or BRINDAVAN GARDENS)
This important and not to be missed place is located about 15 KMs towards North-West from mysore city. This place is in "Mandya District". A dam has been constructed across river Kaveri that originates from "Bhagamandala" in Kodagu district and is used for irrigation purposes. This project was dreamt by "Krishnaraja Wodeyar the fourth" and brought "Sir M. Vishweshvariah" from Bombay government and took him as Chief Engineer for Mysore State. This dam was completed in 1932 and brought joy and helped the farmers from Mysore and Mandya district. A garden has been made below the dam using the water resources of the dam. The lighting is fantastic in the night; the main attraction is the "Dancing Fountain" where the fountain has been made to sprinkle water according to the music being played. People stay to see this beautiful event. Brindavan garden is open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily and during weekends the lighting are done from 7:00 PM to 8:45 PM. There will be lighting on all days during Navarathri or dasara festival.
MYSORE RAILWAY MUSEUM
The Railway Museum at Mysore, the first regional Rail Museum in India was set up in 1979. The Museum sets a good pattern for regional display and has good collections. A circular gallery called Chamundi Gallery has interesting collections of photographs, series of paintings showing the development of the Railways and signaling signs right from its inception. The adjacent building named Sri Ranga Pavilion houses two Royal coaches that formed part of the Royal train of Maharaja of Mysore reflecting the era of bygone splendor. This pavilion incorporates in its construction beautifully carved wooden pillars, doors and balustrades from the old Srirangapatna Railway Station. It is said that these carved wooden works came from the wooden royal palace of Mysore, destroyed in a fire accident. The saloon used by the Maharajas is now at the National Railway Museum at Delhi. Mysore Rail Museum has the Maharanis' saloon, kitchen and dining care unit. The eight wheeler Maharanis' saloon was built at Mysore Railway workshop in 1899 adjustable to both the broad gauge and meter gauge.


SRIRANGAPATTANA
This place is located about 15 KMs towards Nort-East of Mysore city and on the Mysore-Bangalore State Highway. This place is on the banks of river Kaveri. One specialty is that this place is an Island! Where River Kaveri splits into two parts as North Kaveri and South Kaveri and again combines near a village called “Ganjam" and the place in between the two parts of the river is the town of srirangapattanam. Long back this place was the capital city of Mysore kings. This is the place where the legendary king "Tippu Sultan" who lived here. He fought and died while fighting against the British army. There are many places of interest here, of them the "Sri Ranganatha" temple is one of them and this temple is very huge and very artistic in construction. Here the idol of Lord Ranganatha is seen sleeping on "Kalinga" the seven-headed serpant. Tippu had a summer palace, which was known as "Dariya Daulat”, where the paintings, gardens are eye-catching and fantastic. On the city outskirts near the small village of "Ganjam", there is the "Gumbaz" which is the burial place of King Tippu sultan, his father Hyder Ali and his mother. Also near this place is "Nimishamba Temple" which is on the banks of river Kaveri.
RANGANATHITTU BIRD SANCTUARY
This place is about 13 KMs towards North-East to the city of mysore. This bird sanctuary is located on the backwaters of river Kaveri. Nature has made small islands here to facilitate the birds to stay and breed here. Birds from far off places like Siberia, North America migrate here every year to breed new ones and fly back to their own place. The Department of Forests has made arrangements of boating inorder to watch the birds. Every year during May and September you can see large variety of birds here. There is a separate entry fee for entry into the bird sanctuary and for boating.
NANJANAGUD
This place is 25 KMs towards south of Mysore on the way to Ooty. This is a place of worship and is located on the banks of river "KAPILA" . The temple here is of prime importance, which is the temple of "Lord Shreekanteshwara" (Shiva). The temple here is one of the largest temples of south India. The temple is spread around 1 Acres. There are 121 statues of Shiva in different avatars, also there are 65 Lingas. There will be festival during March and April where lakhs of devotees gather for the occasion. There is very good bus facility from Mysore City by KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) a government run bus service in Karnataka to Nanjangud and the journey is of half an hour and costs around Rs. 14/-. Since there is no good facility for staying in nanjangud, visitors stay in Mysore and visit nanjangud.
SOMANATHAPURA

This place is 38 KMs towards east of Mysore. Somanathpur, a small village on the left bank of river Cauvery is an outstanding centre of tourist importance for its wonderful Hoysala temple, dedicated to Prasanna Chennakeshava constructed in 1268 A.D by Soma, an officer of the Hoysala Kingdom. The temple is built on a star shaped plan similar to other Hoysala temples at Belur-Halebid. It is a triple shrine temple, of which two are dedicated to Lord Janardhana and Venugopala, the two different forms of Lord Vishnu. The Keshava temple is a trikutachala, situated in a courtyard 215 ft. in length and 177 ft. in width, surrounded by a prakara. It has a verandah along its interior, divided into 64 cells each formally housing a deity. Rows of lathe-turned pillars support the ceiling of their frontage. The temple proper stands on an elevated jagati, which is 3/4 mtr. In height and it is sufficiently broad giving the old structure the shape of a casket. The jagati enables the visitors to go round the temple and have a clear view of the fine sculptures on the outer walls. The jagati is designed with the projections and recesses in harmony with the contours of the outer wall as is common with any Hoysala temple. The outer wall is divided into two portions. The lowest having rows of elephants, another above having the moving cavalry, the third is a series of creepers and a fourth having a long sculpture gallery depicting the story of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishnavathara. This place can be reached by private vehicle.
SHIVANASAMUDRA
This Place is 85 Kms east of Mysore river Cauvery gushes down a 75 meter deep gorge in form of two waterfalls "Gaganachukki" and "Bharachukki”. These falls are best during the monsoons, nevertheless their beauty mesmerizes tourists throughout the year.
BANDIPUR NATIONAL PARK
This is the national game reserve, which is on the road to Ooty and is around 80 KMs south of Mysore City. This forest encompasses areas of neighboring Tamilnadu and Kerala states. This place is known as heaven of vivid living beings. Here animals roam in freedom. Here some of the important animals are Elephant, Tiger, Cheetah, Deer and Indian Bison. This place can be visited during April to October. Also there is facility of elephant safari. Timings here are from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Visitors need to make certain arrangements before coming to this place. There is separate entry fee for foreign tourists for elephant safari. There are jungle lodges for stay in here and need to be booked before visiting this place. For more information, "Jungle Lodges and Resorts", Shringar Shopping Complex, M.G.Road, Bangalore or Field Officer, Project Tiger, Aranya Bhavan, Ashoka Puram, Mysore can be contacted.
NAGARAHOLE NATIONAL PARK
This National reserve is about 96 KMs towards North-West of mysore city and encompasses the districts of Mysore and Kodagu. Visitors can visit this place by staying in mysore and starting on morning and returning in evening back to mysore. This sanctuary consists of Elephant, Tiger, Cheetah, Deer, Sambars, pangolins and about 250 species of birds. There are excellent facilities for visitors to stay at the Kabini river lodge and for viewing wildlife. May to September is the suitable time to visit and the timings are from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM. There is facility for Elephant Safari and there is facility to stay here. Large rooms costs around thousand a day, there is also facility for large groups to stay together. For more information, " Chief Forest Officer, Wildlife Region (South) Aranya Bhavan, Ashoka Puram, Mysore or Forest sub-officer, Hunsur can be contacted. Also in this national park, there is “KARAPUR Forest" which is equally beautiful and filled with wild animals. This place is about 80 KMs from Mysore. River Kabini flows through this forest. There is lodge in between the forest and tents are also available. For more information, "Jungle Lodges and Resorts", Shringar Shopping Complex, M.G.Road, Bangalore or Field Officer, Project Tiger, Aranya Bhavan, Ashoka Puram, Mysore can be contacted.
TALAKAD
This place is located around 60 KMs east of Mysore City and is on the banks of river "KAVERI" . This place is part of T. Narasipur taluk. This place was once the capital city of "Ganga Dynasty" . Here "Lord Keerthi Narayana Swamy" is famous. Many of the temples were submerged in the sands of river kaveri and now they have been unearthed by archeological survey of India. The meeting place of two rivers Kapila and Kaveri at this place makes it a beautiful place. Since the transportation is not good to this place, visitors are advised to make their own transportation to reach this place. Also taking the food for lunch or breakfast along is advised.
MALAI MAHADESHWARA HILLS or MM HILLS
This place is a religious place, which is in "Chamarajanagar District" . This place is located about 142 KMs from mysore. There are seven hills and in the center of the hills is this religious place. The lord Mahadeshwara (Shiva) temple is located in this place. This is one of the holy places for shaivaits. There are many government run guest houses for the devotees visiting the place. Facilities are good here. There are lots of Tourist buses and private buses plying to and from Mysore. This place can be visited in one day.
BILIGIRI RANGANA HILLS or BR HILLS
This place is a religious place, which is in "Chamarajanagar District" . This place is located about 90 KMs from mysore. The temple of lord Biligiri ranga is located on top of the main hill. For people interested in camping and adventure there is K.Gudi jungle camp located on the way to BR hills where they offer jungle trek and other adventure sports. There are lots of Tourist buses to this place and can be visited in one day.