Imperial City of Palaces

140 Kms from Bangalore lies the abode of untold grandeur and glory. Mysore,the capital city of the Wodeyars has always enchanted its admirers with its quaint charm,rich heritage, magnificent palaces,beautifully laid-out gardens, imposing buildings,broad shady avenues and sacred temples. There's an old world charm about the city that reaches out and leaves no one untouched.
Dasara Mysore,or Mahishur as it was called then, traces its history back to the mythical past,when Goddess Chamundeshwari of Chamundi Hills killed the wicked buffalo-headed demon, Mahishasura. Mysore Dasara is the celebration of this victory of good over evil. Mysore also has associations with the Mahabharata and King Ashoka of the 3rd century B.C. During the Wodeyar rule Mysore reached the Zenith of its glory as a fabled centre of oriental splendour.

Mysore is one of the major cities of Karnataka. Today, Mysore is a vibrant city teeming with tourists and visitors. It is known the world over for its exotic sandalwood and rich silks.Its grand and imposing palaces,majestic temples,gardens leave an ever-lasting impression on the visitor.
Situated 770m above sea level,Mysore has a warm and cool climate throughout the year.

Local Sights
Mysore Palace

The Maharaja's Palace is one of the important sights in Mysore. Built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades,the Palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Intricately carved doors open on to luxuriously furnished rooms. The majestic Durbar Hall has an ornate ceiling and many sculpted pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden throne of the Wodeyars is displayed here during the Dasera festival. Illuminated on Sundays and public holidays ,the palace presents a spectacle of breathtaking beauty.

Chamundi Hills

A well known 335 metres high landmark,Chamundi Hill can be reached by a 13 km road or by climbing up the 1,000 steps laid out by the Mysore Maharaja in the 17th century.Half-way up along the stone steps is Nandi, Lord Shiva's Bull, a majestic 4.8 metre monolith.At the top is the 12th century temple of Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of the Wodeyars.Close to the temple is the gigantic statue of the demon Mahishasura. The summit offers a panoramic view of Mysore's lakes, parks and palaces.


Brindavan Garden

Brindavan Gardens MysoreOne 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.

Sir M. Vishveswariah is often called the architect of modern Mysore and "the father of planning in India". The gardens were designed by Sir Mirza Ismail another important and progressive Diwan of Mysore. Spread over an area of 150 acres, the Brindavan Gardens is considered one of the best gardens in India. The garden not only been meticulously laid out and has beautiful lawns and shrubs, but has thousands of fountains in different shapes and sizes that are lit with colorful lamps and are set to pleasant music.

The best time to visit the gardens is after sunset when all the bright colourful fountains come alive and seem to dance with joy to the accompanying music. This is a sight worth beholding as the entire garden is transformed into a fairyland. The Brindavan gardens remain illuminated from 7.00pm to 7.55pm from Monday to Wednesday and from 7.00pm to 8.55pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Bandipur National Park

Another interesting place that you can visit while in Mysore is the Bandipur National Park. This Park is about 80 km from Mysore city and is a peaceful retreat in nature's lap far from the din of the city. After going around the vibrant city of Mysore and visiting all its treasures take some time off to unwind and enjoy quite peace of the lush green forests.

The Maharaja of Mysore set up this Park in 1931. The Park is at the foothills of the Nilgiri Hills. The Park has well laid out roads that lead you into the heart of this Park. Here you can see a wide variety of birds and animals in the natural habitat. This Park is home to a number of rare and endangered species of birds and animals. The World Wildlife Fund has chosen the Park for their project tiger scheme to protect tigers in India. The Park has accommodation for visitors as well. There are cottages that are run by the Forest Department, a hotel run by the Karnataka Tourism Department and some privately managed cottages as well. So there is no difficulty finding accommodation in the Park. Gundelpet is the closest town to the Park and is about 20km from it. Here too one can find accommodation.

The forest department has a number of safaris that are conducted within the Park. These safaris are conducted in well-protected buses. The animals that one sees commonly are deer, antelope, elephants and peacocks and occasionally on can see elephants and tigers. The forest department also organizes group treks inside the park lead by professionally trained guides. One can take a trip of the sanctuary on an elephant as well. The highest point on the sanctuary is the Gopalswamy Betta (Hill). This hill has a temple of Lord Venugopal on the top that you can visit.

Varanasi is the City of " LORD SHIVA"

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Many names have been given to Varanasi, though its recently revived official appellation is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism. It probably derives from the two rivers that flank the city, the Varana to the north and the Asi to the south.. Many still use the anglicized forms of Banaras or Benares, while pilgrims refer to Kash, first used three thousand years ago to describe the kingdom and the city outside which the Buddha preached his first sermon; the "City of Light" is also called Kashika, "the shining one", referring to the light of Shiva. Another epithet, Avimukta, meaning "Never Forsaken", refers to the city that Shiva never deserted, or that one should never leave. Further alternatives include Anandavana, the "forest of bliss", and Rudravasa, the place where Shiva (Rudra) resides.

Varanasi’s associations with Shiva extend to the beginning of time: legends relate how, after his marriage to Parvati, Shiva left his Himalayan abode and came to reside in Kashi with all the gods in attendance. Temporarily banished during the rule of the great king Divodasa, Shiva sent Brahma and Vishnu as his emissaries, but ultimately returned to his rightful abode protected by his loyal attendants Kalabhairav and Dandapani. Over 350 gods and goddesses, including a protective ring of Ganeshaa form a mandala or sacred pattern with Shiva Vishwanatha at its centre.

The land of sacred light

The city of Banaras is situated on the west bank of the holiest of all Indian rivers, the Ganga or Ganges. The relationship between the sacred river and the city is the essence of Varanasi - 'the land of sacred light'. The Ganga is believed to have flown from heaven to wash away the worldly sins of the human race of mortal's .The life and activities in the city centre around the holy river. Life on the banks of the Ganga begins before dawn when thousands of pilgrims - men, women and children - come down to the river to wait for the rising sun when immersion in the sacred river will cleanse them of their sufferings and wash their sins away.


Festivals of Varanasi

Festival on Ganges River, VaranasiVaranasi is the most popular pilgrimage place for the Hindus. The rich cultural heritage and tradition of Varanasi makes it the cultural capital of India. For ages, Varanasi has been a center of learning of Indian philosophy, spiritualism, mysticism and other branches of education. Varanasi is essentially a melting pot of Indian culture. In Hindu religion, it is believed that one, who dies and is cremated at Varanasi, gets an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births. Being associated with Hindu traditions and religion, Varanasi is home to numerous temples, muths and Ashrams.

By virtue of its religious and cultural importance, Varanasi is abuzz with fairs and festivals all round the year. Almost every month, some important festival is celebrated in Varanasi. Besides festivals and holidays, many "Melas" or fairs are also held at Varanasi. At Varanasi, fairs and festivals are celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervor and are symbolic of celebration of life at its best. The festive atmosphere never seems to end in Varanasi. It's not important to make itinerary according to the dates and months as one can come and enjoy the festive season of Varanasi anytime of the year!