| Mysore
Palace
Once the residence of the Wodeyars, it is one of the largest
and most brilliant palaces in India. Built in 1912, this Indo-Saracenic building
has, among other things, a carved silver door, domes, turrets, arches, colonnades,
a gallery of exquisite paintings, and beautiful Hoysala style carvings on the
wall. The golden Royal Elephant Throne and the Durbar Hall are the other attractions
of this awesome structure.
Jayachamarajendra
Art Gallery
Housed in the Jaganmohan Palace, this gallery has a
beautiful collection of Mughal and Rajput art, paintings by Raja Ravi Verma and
Svetoslav Roerich, sculptures, brassware and the traditional Mysore 'gold leaf'
style of paintings.
St. Philomena's Church
One of the largest churches in the country, this is built in the Gothic style,
and has beautiful stained glass windows.
Chamundi
Hills
Towering over the city,
these hills are named after the royal family's deity. Half-way up is the Nandi
Bull, a 4.8 m monolith. Right on top, is the 2000 year old Chamundeswari Temple.
Brindavan Gardens
19 km north-west of Mysore is the K.R.S. Dam and the ornamental, terraced Brindavan
Gardens. The musical fountains and colourful lights transform this place into
a fairyland in the evenings.
Mysore Zoo
Laid out in beautiful gardens, the zoo boasts of some rare animals bred in captivity,
and exotic species of plants.
The Oriental
Research Institute
Over 60,000 palm-leaf manuscripts in Sanskrit,
Kannada and other major South Indian languages are housed in this Institute.
Folk Art Museum
This Museum is an
amazing storehouse of quaint handicrafts, dolls and vibrant costumes.
Srirangapatnam
14 kms nort-east of
Mysore, on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, is Srirangapatnam, the island fortress,
that was once the capital of the warrior kings Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan,
popularly known as the Tiger of Mysore. Tipu Sultan's summer palace, adorned with
ornate and beautiful frescoes, Daria Daulat, was built in 1784, and now serves
as a museum. Tipu's Fort holds within it a mosque, and the Ranganathaswamy temple.
Ranganathittu
18 km from Mysore is
Ranganathittu, a bird sanctuary, that allows a terrific view of the avianfauna
population, both exotic and familiar, and of crocodiles. Birds from as far away
as Siberia, have made Ranganathittu their home.
Melkote
50 km north of Mysore is Melkote, a sacred pilgrim centre, known for its Vairamudi
festival in March - April. More than one lakh devotees congregate, here, on the
occasion.
Somnathpur
35 km east
of Mysore lies Somnathpur with its star-shaped, 13th century Hoysala temple, which
is still in excellent condition. The exterior walls of the temple are frescoed
with episodes from the epics.
Talakad
45 km east of Mysore, is Talakad, situated on the banks of the river Cauvery,
and completely buried beneath sand dunes. Its temples open only for ceremonial
worship, on special occasions - once in twelve years.
Shivasamudram
85 km east of Mysore is Shivasamudram, where the
river Cauvery cascades down, in two picturesque waterfalls. Falling down 75 m
into a deep rocky gorge, these falls are at their best during the monsoons.
Cauvery Fishing Camp
82 km from Mysore
is the Cauvery Fishing Camp, at Bhimeshwari. It is a paradise for anglers, with
mahseer, found in abundance. This camp is also accessible from Bangalore (100
km).
Nagarhole National Park
96 km south is the Nagarhole National Park, with the Kabini River Lodge to the
south - east. Accomodation is comfortable and the jungle inhabitants are well
worth a visit.
Biligirirangana Betta
Located 114 km south-east of Mysore, this is a pleasant hill station. There is
also a wildlife camp here, run by the forest department. |
Winter: October to March.
770
m above sea level and 140 km from Bangalore, the city of Mysore was once the capital
of the Wodeyars. It exudes a quaint old world charm, that leaves the visitor spell
- bound. A city steeped in history, Mysore was once the stronghold of the Hoysalas,
the Wodeyars and later on, of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Mysore is derived from
Mahisasura, the demon king, who once lived here and was vanquished by Goddess
Chamundi.