Mysuru – The Culture Capital

Until the year 1973, Karnataka and Mysuru (earlier spelt as Mysore) were synonymous because from 1947 when India gained Independence and the former princely state of Mysuru acceded to the Indian Union, Karnataka was known as Mysuru state till November 1956. Prior to Independence of India, the Kingdom of Mysuru was ruled by the Wodeyars with Mysuru city as it’s capital. Having been the capital city of a very progressive state forclose to 4 centuries except for a brief period in between ensured rich talent from all walks of life and all parts of the world were attracted to Mysuru.This has made Mysuru city culturally rich and vibrant.

Along with being home to the best palaces in Southern India, it is also home to many forms of arts, handicrafts and performing arts. Mysuru kings were not only proponents of fine arts, they also were men of letters with a very modern, progressive thought and patrons of arts and science alike. It is worth mentioning that under the rule of Mysuru Wodeyars, the city of Bengaluru became the first city in Asia to get electric streetlamps in the year1905.

Thanks to the disciplined nature of her citizenry, Mysuru is also voted as one of the cleanest cities in India several years in succession.

The city that gets its name from demon Mahishasura who, it is believed ruled over this territory. He was capable of changing the form of a Buffalo and whom Goddess Durga killed. There is a temple atop a hill dedicated to Goddess Durga. She is worshiped as Chamundeshwari and the hill is called Chamundi Hill (Chamundi Betta in local language Kannada). The temple is definitely worth a visit when in Mysuru as it gives a majestic view of the city. Also, worth visiting on Chamundi Hills is the huge rock statue of Holy Bull known as Nandi – the vehicle of God Shiva.

When you are in Mysuru, you should definitely visit the palaces. It is not called City of Palaces for no reason. The notable palaces worth visiting include:

• Amba Vilasa Palace – popularly known as Mysore Palace
• Jaganmohana Palace
• Chittaranjan Palace
• Lalithamahal Palace
• Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace
• Cheluvamba Vilas Palace and
• Rajendra Vilas Palace

. While Amba Vilas Palace is the official residence of the Royal Family, it is also a ticketed monument with certain sections of the Palace and the temples within the complex being open to visitors. Some of the palaces in Mysuru have been converted into luxury hotels, allowing the patrons to enjoy the luxurious hospitality in a heritage monument while the others are private residences.

Mysuru is also home to several heritage buildings and museums, some of which still retain the glory and charm of the bygone era. The most prominent museums and heritage monuments are – the Folklore Museum, the Railway Museum, the Oriental Research Institute, the Sand Sculpture Museum, the Regional Museum of Natural History and the Wax Museum. Several buildings that carry a heritage and the unique Mysorean architecture include the Maharaja College, the Maharani College, University of Mysore, Mysore Medical College, Town Hall, Krishnarajendra Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital and the Railway Station.

The Zoo was established in the year 1892 by the then ruler of Mysuru State – Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar and was named after its founder in the year 1909. The Zoo is conveniently close to the Mysuru Palace yet once you enter the Zoo, it is difficult to believe that such a vast zoo could exist in the middle of a bustling cultural capital but thanks to some excellent works in the early years, the Zoo is not just one of the oldest but also one of the largest in the country.

It is not only home to over 1,400 different exotic and rare fauna species from more than 25 countries but also home to several Heritage buildings within the Zoo’s confines. The Zoo is open to visitors every day except Tuesdays. Please visit the Mysore Zoo website for exact timetable and any special holidays.

Special Mention: The Zoo also has a very pocket friendly Animal Adoption program that allows patrons to adopt an animal for a year.

Mysuru is home to various forms of arts, crafts, handicrafts and cuisines. This includes Mysuru Paintings, Mysuru Silk, Mysuru Pak, Mysuru Masala Dosa, Perfumeries, Channapatna Toys, Wooden Carvings and Temple Jewellery.

Mysuru Painting is an important form of art/painting which developed locally. It involves great detailing with intricate brush strokes and very thin lines. Gold leafing and vegetable dyes are quite common in Mysuru Paintings. It is noteworthy that majority of paintings are dedicated to the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and often found depicting various episodes from the ancient Hindu scriptures. Some similarities do exist between Mysuru schoolof Paintings and Thanjavur school of Paintings. This is because historians believe these both schools spun off when the artisans from  Hampi, the Capital of Vijayanagara Empire dispersed in search of safer havens in Southern India after the fall of Vijayanagara Empire where these arts thrived.

Mysuru is not far from the banks of river Kaveri. There is a dam built on the river at about 20km distance from the heart of the city. This dam is named Krishna Raja Sagara Dam and the engineering feat was taken up by Wodeyar King Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV in the year 1911 to rid of severe drought and famine that frequented the region. The dam has ensured that not just present day Mysuru District but several other districts down the line have good supply of potable water and the fields are well irrigated. It has also given many natural and man-made tourist spots including Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Brindavan Gardens and KRS Dam.

Mysuru is well connected from all over India. It is approximately 145 km from the state capital Bengaluru to Mysuru by road. There are over 40 different Government and Private buses that ply between Bengaluru and Mysuru every day. It would take approximately 3 to 4 hours to reach the destination.

If you are planning to visit Mysuru by your own vehicle, take some time and familiarize yourself with other places worth a visit along the way as there are many tourist places near Mysuru that may fall on your route. Also, check the Nearby Destinations section.

There also exists a very good railway connectivity between Bengaluru and Mysuru with most trains making several stops in Bengaluru suburbs before heading out for Mysuru.

Mysuru also has an airport that has connectivity and limited direct flights from different parts of India including Hyderabad, Goa and Bengaluru. However, if commuting from Bengaluru, road trip or a train journey would take just as much time as it would if you were to fly from Bengaluru to Mysuru.

Shrirangapattana, Somanathapura, Ranganatittu, Melkote, Channapattana, Madikeri, Kushalnagar