Mysore

Mysore is the second-largest city in the state along with the cultural capital of Karnataka. This famous tourist destination of South India is known for its splendor and royal surroundings. The old shining, beautiful gardens, Havelis, and shady places of Mysore city fascinate the tourists visiting here. In 2010, a survey conducted by the Union Urban Development Authority ranked Mysore as the second cleanest city in India and the first in Karnataka. Sandalwood rose, and other types of fragrance dissolved in the air of Mysore, it is also called Sandalwood City. It is also known as Ivory City and City of Palaces. Sometimes Mysore is also called the City of Yoga because a yoga center here attracts the maximum number of people. Ashtanga Yoga program to be held here attracts a large number of Yoga fans from India as well as abroad. The culture here can be seen in its food, tradition, arts, crafts, and lifestyle. The city is truly cosmopolitan, as it is home to people of all religions and backgrounds. Mysore City, the administrative headquarters of the Mysore district, offers a large number of visitors. Here you can see from ancient palaces to ancient temples, museums, lakes, and gardens. Due to a large number of palaces in the city, it is called the city of palaces. Mysore Mahal or Amba Mahal is the most talked-about palace in the city. It is also the most visited monument in India. Some of the major attractions of Mysore city are Mysore Zoo, Chamundeshwari Temple, Mahabaleshwar Temple, St. Philomena Church, Vrindavan Garden, Jaganmohan Mahal Art Gallery, Lalitha Mahal, Jayalakshmi Vilas Haveli, Railway Museum, Karanji Lake, and Kukkarahalli Lake. Also, tourists visiting Mysore goes to nearby tourist places. Nearby tourist destinations from Mysore are Srirangapatnam, Nanjangud, Srivanasamudri Falls, Talakadu Melkot, Somanathapuram, Halebid, Belur, Bandipur National Park, Shravanabelagola, and Coorg. The city complex called Ramnagar offers an excellent alternative to rock climbing. Apart from this, you can also go to Savandurga, Kabbaladurga, Tumkur, Turahalli, and Kanakapura for rock climbing. Along with this, the rocks built-in Badami and Hampi also attract a large number of tourists coming to Mysore. Biligirirangan Hills, Chikmagalur, Hassan, and Kodagu are favorite trekking spots. At the same time, anglers like to go to Kaveri Fishing Camp located on the outskirts of Mysore. Nagarhole Rajiv Gandhi National Park, BR Hills Sanctuary, and Ranganattittu Bird Sanctuary are nothing short of paradise for bird watchers. According to Goddess Bhagwati, Mysore was ruled by the demon Mahishasura in ancient times and gave the place its name Mahisha-Uru. The demon was killed by the goddess Chamundi, who was the patron goddess of the region, said to reside in the Chamundi Hills, east of the city. Mahisha-Uru later became Mahishuru. Later in Kannada, it was called Mysuru, and after that came to be known as Mysore. In 245 BC, Mysore was an important region during the time of King Ashoka. However, accurate information about the history of Mysore is available from the 10th century onwards. According to the document, Mysore was ruled by the Ganga dynasty from the second century to 1004 AD. After this, Chola ruled here for about 100 years. Mysore was also ruled by the Chalukya dynasty, who ruled here until the 10th century, Chola kings once again came to power, which was ended by the Hoysala dynasty in the 12th century, who not only expanded his empire but also built many temples in the city. The Yadu dynasty of feudal Mysore of the Vijayanagara Empire became the ruler of Mysore in 1399. The Yadu dynasty, which was considered the successor of the Yadav dynasty, later became the Wodeyar dynasty. In 1584 Chamaraja Wodeyar rebuilt the Mysore Fort and also made it his headquarters. He shifted his capital from Mysore to Srirangapatna in 1610. Between 1791 and 1799, Mysore was ruled by Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali. After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799, Mysore once again became the capital of Wodeyar, a result of the efficient planning of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1895-1940) that during his reign the city built wide roads, grand buildings, phulkari, and lakes. Mysore is 140 km from Bangalore and is easily accessible by road and rail. Mandakalli Airport in Mysore is a domestic airport with regular flights to many Indian cities.