MY TRIP TO MYSORE AND OOTY_02: This is one of the best places to visit.

MY TRIP TO MYSORE AND OOTY_02: This is one of the best places to visit.

MYSORE: Is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. The city of palaces is a popular travel destination in South India. Also called Mysooroo, the city was earlier the capital of the Wodeyar rulers. The Wodeyar rulers were great patrons of art and culture, which you can see in the rich heritage of the city. Besides its numerous palaces and royal buildings, Mysore city is also known for proximity to several other places of interest such as Srirangapatna, Krishna Raj Sagra dam and Sivasamudram falls.

In addition to its numerous attractions, the Mysore city is also known for sandalwood products and the Dasara festival (Navaratri) held every year. The Mysore Dasara is famous far and wide and attracts people from all parts. The name Mysore is said to have been derived from Mahishuru, which in turn has come from Mahisha. According to legends, the area around the Mysore city was once under the demon king Mahishasura, who was defeated and killed by goddess Chamundeshwari.

Places to see:

Mysore Palace: Mysore is a city of palaces, but the most magnificent of them all is the Mysore Palace sometimes known as the Main Palace as well. One of the most unforgettable images of the city is the image of the illuminated Mysore Palace against the dark black sky. It takes ninety seven thousand light bulbs to produce this enchanting image of the Palace. The Palace is situated in the middle of the city and is a reminder of the grandeur of a bygone era and is today an invaluable national treasure.

The Palace that stands today is the fourth one to be built in the same site. When the capital was shifted back to Mysore from Srirangapatnam, after Tippu Sultan's death, the Palace was hastily rebuilt with wood and mud, in a Hindu style. The Royal family moved into it in 1801. But this Palace was burnt down in a fire that broke out during the wedding of the oldest daughter of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1897. The reconstruction of the Palace was undertaken immediately and the Royal family moved to Jaganmohan Palace. The English architect Henry Irwin designed the new Palace and it was completed in 1912 at a cost of about Rs 41 lakhs.

The Amba Vilasa Palace as the Mysore Palace is known, is an excellent combination of Dravidian, Indo-Saracenic, Oriental and Roman styles of architecture. The Maharaja's Palace is a beautiful three storied stone building of fine gray granite and rich pink marble domes, overlooking this structure is a five-storied 145 foot tower whose domes are gilded in gold. One enters the Palace through the Gombe Thotti or the Doll's Pavilion; this is a pavilion of traditional dolls from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This collection also has a wooden elephant howdah (structure for carrying people on the elephant) that is decorated with 84 kilograms of gold.

There are seven canons in front of the Gombe Thotti and are used to this day to mark the beginning and the end of the Dasara festivities every year. Ahead of this is the elephant gate, this gate in the main entrance to the center of the palace. The Kalyana Mantapa or marriage pavilion has a central octagonal gabled roof that is covered with stained glass. This pavilion is in the south of the building. The floor of the Kalyana Mantapa has beautiful geometrical patterns created by using shining glazed tiles imported from Britain. The Ambavilasa or Diwan-e-Khas, is the hall used by the emperor for private audience.

The palace complex includes twelve Hindu temples. The oldest of these was built in the 14th century, while the most recent was built in 1953.

Some of the more famous temples are:

Someshvara Temple, dedicated to god Shiva
Lakshmiramana Temple, dedicated to god Vishnu

Chamundi Temple on the Chamundi Hills: The Chamundi Temple on top of the Chamundi hills is the most famous temple in Mysore, since Goddess Chamundi or Chamundeshwari is the presiding deity of Msyore. Initially the temple was a small one, but over the past few centuries, as a result of the patronage and expansions made by the Mysore Maharajas it has become a big temple. In the olden days, human and animal sacrifices were regularly made at this temple, but were stopped in the 18th century. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar repaired this temple in 1827 and built the enormous tower on it. He also gifted the temple with a large wooden chariot known as the Simha Vahana, which is now used during the Rathotsava or car festival.

Bull Temple: There is a Bull on the hill when getting down from the Temple.

Magnificently Illuminated Brindavan Gardens: One of the most visited places in Mysore by locals and by tourists is the famous Brindavan Gardens. Located about 19kms from the heart of Mysore these beautiful gardens are laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar dam built across the river Cauvery. These gardens are famous for the illuminated dancing fountains that come to life after sunset. The Krishnaraja Sagar Dam (KRS) (known as Kannambadi to the locals) itself is a superb example of excellent engineering and itself is a tourist attraction in Mysore. Sir M. Vishveswariah, one of India's finest engineers, built it in 1924.

He used 'surkhi' a mixture of limestone and brick powder instead of cement. The dam was among the first in the world to have automatic sluice gates. The dam is named after the then Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar who financed the dam. The dam is 3 kms long and is located at the confluence of the rivers -Cauvery, Hemavati and Lakshmanathritha. The lake that is formed by the dam is one of the largest in India. The dam is a multipurpose project conceived by Sir M. Vishveswariah for supplying water to the agricultural lands of Mandya and Mysore districts and for ensuring power supply to the Shivanasamudra project.

Others in Mysore: Mysore St. Philomena’s Church