The city of Mysore offers a visitor an insight into the lifestyles, cultures and traditions of its erstwhile rulers. The palaces and temples around the city speak volumes about heritage and architecture of the medieval times and the kind of patronage the city received from its rulers. Mysore is a dream city that never lets down the visitors with its clean, light and easygoing environment. Even with the growth of the city in response to modernization, Mysore has acquired only a mild change of pace. Located in the Indian state of Karnataka, Mysore was the former capital of this region. A city of palaces, people and smells, the princely city of Mysore is worth a visit whatever the month or season.

Built in around 897 AD in Saracenic style, the Mysore palace is a fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles. Designed by an English architect, it was built in place of an earlier palace burnt down in 1897 and was completed in 1912. The main palace building is made of massive gray granite with a tower covered by a gilded dome. The huge rooms and the floor tiles are covered with colors like turquoise blue, magenta, golden yellow and leaf green. The tastefully beautified central hall was once used for marriages and other major gatherings. There is a temple within the royal courtyard, from where the Dussehra procession starts in the month of October. The museum of the palace houses a collection of musical instruments, children's toys, many paintings, costumes and weapons belonging to the Maharajah's family.

15 km from Mysore, Srirangapatnam has many interesting places including the summer palace of Tipu Sultan, which was built in 1784 in the Indo-Saracenic style. It also houses a small museum exhibiting Tipu's trivia such as a gold-embroidered tunic, old paintings and a coin collection. Then, there is Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his father, Hyder Ali. Another famous place to visit is Jami Masjid. The slender minarets of this mosque are visible from several kilometers.

Chamundi Hills, about 13 Kms from Mysore. It can be approached by stairs and midway on the climb you would notice a huge statue of Nandi (bull) carved out of a single stone. At the top, is the temple to Goddess Chamundeswari, the same one who annihilated the demon "mahishasura" It is one of the places that tourists like to visit in Karnataka since it is unique and has a story of its own.

30-minutes drive away from the city, Brindavan Gardens has watercourses bordering the well-manicured steps of these world famous terrace gardens. Musical fountains with soft colored lights are a tourist attraction here and the view of the gardens during the nights is not worth missing.

Visiting Time:
Mysore can be visited throughout the year, but one must avoid the extreme hot summers (April-June). The most suitable time to visit Mysore is in winters.

How to Reach:

By Air: The nearest airport is in Bangalore, 140 km from Mysore, which has daily flights to most of the important cities in India.

By Bus: The city also has a good road network with good network of National and State Highways.

By Train: Mysore is well connected by Super fast & express trains to almost all parts of North, East and Western India.