Often called as the “Cultural capital of Karnataka” the city of Mysore is spread across an area of 128.42 sq km is situated at the base of Chamundi Hills. Mysore is derived its name from the word, “Mahishuru” which means the abode of Mahisha.
Mysore is also popularly referred as ‘City of Palaces’, the ‘Garden City’, the ‘Ivory City’ and also the ‘City of Yoga’. Mysore with its natural beauty, historical background and religious significance is a city that caters to each and everyone.
There are various kinds of tourist spots in Mysore ranging from historical monuments to age old temples to famous churches and mosques to grand palaces to refreshing gardens to waterfalls.
Some of these are Mysore Palace or the Mysore Maharaja Palace which is also known as Amba Vilas Palace, Mysore Zoo, St.Philomena’s Church which is one of the largest churches in the country, Railway Museum, Jaganmohan Palace, Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, Lalitha Mahal Palace, Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery, Datta Peetham, Krishnarajasagara dam and many more.
If looking for some soothing natural settings away from buildings and crowd, Brindavan Gardens, Kukkarahalli Lake and Karanji Lake are the options for you. Having some relaxed moments amidst serene nature and lush greenery make your Mysore tour all the more enjoyable.
Once at Mysore, there are few souvenir items that are worth taking back home. Mouth watering delicacies like Mysore Pak and the Mysore Peta, Mysore silk sarees, sandalwood items such as incense sticks, sandalwood perfume, sandalwood oil, sandalwood powder, sandalwood artifacts and Ganjifa paintings are few of things which one can’t afford to miss while on his/her Mysore tour.
There are various interesting options around Mysore that can be visited with one day tours. if time permits. Chamundi Hills which has Chamundeshwari temple located on its top at a height of about 3,489 ft. above sea level.
Srirangapatna, Nanjangud, Shivanasamudra Waterfalls, Talakad, Biligiri Rangana Hills (BR Hills), Somanathapura, Halebid Temple, Belur Temple, Shravanabelagola are few of the places worth visiting. Bandipur National Park and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary are two places perfect for wildlife enthusiasts.
The city of Mysore is well connected to the rest of the country and thus travelling to Mysore is not a difficult task. If travelling via airways, one can take direct flights to Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.
From these cities there are connecting flights for Mysore. Mysore railway station is connected to most of the important cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, etc. There are various bus services operating as well from various cities to Mysore.