Cities in India

Mysore

Population                     : 707,000
Main Languages            : Kannada.
Telephone area code    : 080
Best time to visit          : October to March

Until Independence, Mysore was the seat of Maharajas of Mysore, a princely state covering  about a third of present day Karnataka, and their walled Indo-Saracenic palace is a major attraction.

Places of Interest
Mysore Palace
Also known as Amba Vilas Palace, this palace was the sea of Maharajas of Mysore. The earlier palace was burnt down in 1897 and the present one was completed in 1912. Notable are beautifully carved mahogany ceilings, solid silver doors, white marble floors and superb columned Durbar Hall.  On Sunday nights and on some holidays, approximately 97,000 light bulbs illuminate the palace between 7 and 8 p.m.

Chamundi Hill
At the top of 1062m Chamundi hill, overlooking Mysore is Sri Chamundeswari Temple. One has to climb 1000 plus steps to the top. The temple is dominated by its towering seven storey, 40m high gopuram. The goddess Chamundi was the family deity of the maharaja.

On you way down you can see the famous Nandi (bull). Standing five meters high and carved out of solid rock in 1659, it’s one of the largest in India.

Somnathpur
33 kms from Mysore, Somnathpur is famous for the Sri Channakeshwara Temple. The temple was built around 1260 A.D. by the Hoysala Kings. The wall of the star-shaped temple are covered with superb sculptures in stone depicting various scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwad gita and the life and times of Hoysala Kings.

Srirangapatnam
16 kms from Mysore are the ruins of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan’s capital from which they ruled much of Southern India during the 18^th century.  Tipu Sultan, was defeated by the British in 1799 and Tipu’s defeat marked the real beginning of British expansion in South India.

Much of the palace was destroyed by the British, but the extensive ramparts and battlements and some gates still stand. The dungeon where Tipu held a number of British officers has been preserved and the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, a popular place of pilgrimage for Hindus.

Darla Daulat Bagh
One km from the fort is the summer palace of Tipu Sultan. It is set in well maintained ornamental gardens and is now a museum housing some of Tipu’s belongings as well as many ink drawings of him and his family. The internal walls of ground floor are covered with paintings depicting Tipu’s campaigns, with the help of French mercenary assistance, against the British.

HOW TO REACH
By Air 
Nearest airport is Bangalore (170 kms)

By Train
Trains from Chennai & Bangalore.

By Road 
170 kms from Bangalore.