Mysore | Mysuru
Mysore / Mysuru city is famous and also synonymous with Mysore Silks, Mysore Jasmine (Mysore Mallige), Mysore Sandalwood (Mysore Srigandha), and Mysore Eggplant (Mysore Badane).
Location: Karnataka
Tourist Attractions: Mysore Palace, St. Philomena’s Church, Chamundi Hills
Local Tongue: Kannada, English, Tamil, Hindi
STD Code : (91) – 821
Best time to Visit: October to March
About Mysore
Mysore, situated in the south Indian state of Karnataka, is a tiny place with a rich history and cultural past. The second-largest city in Karnataka, Mysore is adorned with beautiful architectural structures and is also one of the most well-maintained cities of India boasting well-built roads, clean surroundings, and nice people reflecting the glory as the city would have witnessed during the past times. Mysore is known worldwide for its fine quality of silk and the Mysore Pak (a dessert made of lots of liquid butter, sugar, and chickpea flour).
Mysore is the former capital of the Wodeyar rulers who held control of the city for most of its rich past except for a few years when Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali took over control. According to legend, the city is named after the demon Mahishasur who was killed by Goddess Chamundeshwari on top of the Chamundi hills. The city is today a major tourist attraction and a flourishing market for locally produced materials such as silk sarees, sandalwood, and stone-carved structures.
Climate & Best time to Visit
Unlike other south Indian cities that remain hot and humid, Mysore owing to its altitude is blessed with a pleasant climate throughout the year with the temperature hovering between 23 to 35 degrees during summer (April to June) and remaining around 20 degrees during winters. July to September are the monsoon months. The best time to visit Mysore is the months between October and March.
Tourist Attractions in Mysore
Mysore Palace
The huge Mysore Palace was once the residence of the Wodeyars. An accumulation of stained glass windows, neatly carved wooden doors, colorful murals, and miniature paintings, the structure was constructed in 1912 in a typical Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. The major attractions inside its fortified walls are the golden elephant throne and the durbar hall. During special days the palace is lit up by thousands of bulbs presenting a truly spectacular sight.
St. Philomena’s Church
One of the most magnificent churches in India, this ancient structure is adorned with intricate carvings on its walls and stained glass windows.
Chamundi Hills
Named after Goddess Chamundeshwari, the deity of the Mysore royal family, The Chamundi Hills and the Chamundeshwari Temple perched on its top is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage attracting hordes of pilgrims throughout the year. The monolithic statue of Nandi, the bull is an architectural splendor carved out of a single rock.
Other Attractions
Besides the above, Bangalore is also famous for other attractions such as the Brindavan Gardens, Mysore Zoo, the Oriental Research Institute, Folk Art Museum, and the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery.
Things to Do
Shopping
Mysore is a good place to shop with a lot of locally made quality products available at cheap prices. The must buy on a shopper’s list include traditional Mysore silk sarees that come in a variety of colors and designs, handicrafts items including those made of sandalwood, rosewood, and teakwood, incense sticks, stone carvings, and paintings. The major shopping promenades in Mysore are at Devraj Urs Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Ashoka Road, and Dhanvantri Road.
Get-Aways
Bandipur National Park
80 km from Mysore is a safe haven for wild denizens. The Bandipur National Park is one of the most exotic wildlife parks in India housing some rare species of plants and animals. The site has been recently included in the Project Tiger by the World Wildlife Fund. The Nagarhole National Park is also situated nearby.
Bangalore
The capital of Karnataka, Bangalore is one of the most modernized cities in India. A mix of ultramodern structures and an old-world charm, Bangalore boasts of attractions such as historical monuments, lakes, museums, lush gardens, and Hitech cities. It is also the hub of a number of information technology companies in India, being sobriquet in the Silicon Valley of India.
Stay At
The historic city of Mysore boasts of a number of quality hotels that provide the best in luxury and comfort for its guests. Some of the best hotels in Mysore include Kings Kourt Hotel (3 stars, situated on Laxmi Bai Road just 5 km from both railway station & bus stand), Maurya Palace (3 stars, situated on Sri Harsha Road 2 km from the railway station and bus stand), Kaynes Hotel (3 stars, situated on BEML Road just 8 km from railway station & 9 km from bus stand), The Viceroy (3 stars, situated on Sri Harsha Road just 2 km from railway station & 0.5 km from bus stand).
Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre (5 stars, situated in Ittigegud just 7 km from railway station & 5 km from bus stand), Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel (5 stars, situated in Siddhartha Nagar just 8 km from railway station & 4 km from bus stand), Bush Betta Wildlife Resorts (3-star equivalent, situated in Chamarajanagar Distt. near the railway station), Quality Inn Southern Star (4 stars, situated on Vinoba Road just 0.5 km from the railway station and 1.5 km from bus stand) and Best Western Ramanashree (3 stars, situated in Hardinge Circle just 3 km from railway station & 1 km from bus stand).
Getting There
By Air: The nearest airport is situated at Bangalore from where you can board a state transport bus or hire a taxi to reach Mysore. Bangalore is connected to all the major Indian cities through regular flights.
By Rail: Mysore has its own railway station which connects the city with other major Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore. Daily trains between Bangalore and Mysore are the Mysore Pass and Mysore Exp. The journey takes 4 hours to complete.
By Road: A good network of roads connects Mysore with other neighboring cities in and outside the state. State transport buses and other private operators provide regular services between Bangalore and Mysore.
Distance from Major Cities
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Bangalore: 139 Km
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Chennai: 470 Km
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Coimbatore: 201 Km
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Kochi: 397 Km
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Panaji: 643 Km
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Pondicherry: 435 Km
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Tirupati : 386 Km
