Mysore is the second biggest city
in the State of Karnataka. It lies 130 kms from the State Headquarters,
Bangalore. It is the erstwhile capital of the Mysore Maharajas,
who ruled Mysore State from this royal city. It is now the headquarters
of Mysore District with a population of over seven lakhs. The chief
language of the people, as in the State of Karnataka, is Kannada
and original Kannada is spoken in this part of the area. It covers
an area of more than 40 sq.km. and is administered by the Mysore
City Corporation. Situated 763 meters above sea level surrounded
by hill ranges from north to south, it is known as the 'Garden City'
and the 'City of Palaces'. The famous Chamundi Hill, which is mythologically
associated with the name of the city, is to its southeast.
To
the people of India the word Mysore is synonimous with Sandalwood,
silk and fine inlay-work using ivory. It is the home of incense
sticks (agarbathi) dipped in sandalwood oil perfume base and has
two well known incense factories - the Aravinda Parimala and the
Vasu and Cycle brand (together these two account for 70% of the
incense stick export from India). Mysore is also the home of many
well regarded musicians and artists. It is even today the hub of
the tourist map of Karnataka. Nearby are several places of interest
to visitors, some of these are Brindavan Gardens, Srirangapattana,
Rangana Tittu bird sanctuary, Chamundi Hills, Nanjanagudu, Bandipur
forest reserve, Shivanasamudra falls, and Talakaadu.
Within the town are several places of interest. The grand palace
with its four arched entrances stands at the centre of the town.
Liberally covered with golden domes and home to the most expensive
royal chair (Simhasana), made of gold and studded with diamond and
precious stones, this palace rivals the best in the world. During
weekends the whole palace is lit with thousands of lights, a great
sight. Saint Philomina's church is a fine cathedral dating back
to the 18th century. The Venkatappa art gallary has inspired many
an artist and conducts courses in traditional painting, drawing
and woodwork. It is also the birth-place for the Mysore wooden toys,
which are exported worldwide.
Near the western gate is the Jayachamaraja art gallary (also called
Jagan Mohana palace) which houses some of the finest paintings,
art works and artifacts dating to several centuries of rule by the
Royal Wodeyar family. At the eastern end, near Chamundi Hills is
the Lalitha Mahal Palace which is now a 5-star hotel. Visitors can
enjoy the luxury of staying in what was till recently the guest
house for royal visitors. Its main staircase built with white marble,
and its front-end gardens, make the Lalitha Mahal a place to visit
and enjoy. Close to it is the Mysore zoo, which recently celebrated
its hundredth birthday. Mysore has a fine race course (horse racing)
and the local "Taanga" a horse drawn carriage that is
still used by a some citizens. The Mysore "taanga" has
a comfortable leg space making it an attractive but slower alternative
to savour the beauty of Mysore.
Mysore silk is well known for its quality and everlasting lustre.
The silk factory (Karnataka supplies 70% of India's silk) and the
Sandalwood factory (which extracts the sandalwood oil) are located
towards the south end of the town. Both have over a century of tradition
and still produce what Mysore is well known for. Mysore had several
lakes, all of which have been dried and are being used as open fields
today. The Jeevanaraya katte near the Railway station, Doddakere
near the palace, Karaji kere near the zoo gardens, stand testimony
to the royal dynasties who took keen interest in providing healthy
drinking water to their people.
If a vegetarian gourmet is on your mind, you have arrived at the
best town in India for it. Several restaurants boast of a century
long tradition in satisfying the appetites of the citizens. Gourmet
items such as set dosai, sagu masala dosai, Madduru vadai are the
by-word in Iyer hotel (also known as galli hotel) located near V.V.Market.
Indira Bhavan, Indira Cafe, Ananda Bhavan are all decades old with
very fine range of vegetarian offerings (snacks and meals). Pai
vihar and Dasaprakash offer expensive but fine cuisines. Dasaprakash
has a chain of hotels in Bangalore, Ooty and Madras. The Guru Sweet
Mart at Statue Square serves everything from Mysore-Pak (A local
sweet made from gram-flour) to a wide variety of sweetish and saltish
snacks.
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