Explore history, nature, and rich culture in Mysore

Mysore is an old city in the state of Karnataka. It was the capital of Mysore Kingdom before the independence of the country and today is dotted with numerous remnants of the by-gone era. Visit the old yet modern city and spend the vacation exploring the popular places to visit in Mysore.

Mysore, largely known as the "City of Places" and recognized by several other sobriquet like "Sandalwood City", "Ivory City", and "City of Yoga", is one of the chief south Indian cities. It is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka and counts amongst the cleanest cities in India. It is an old city distinctively known for its unique culture that owned the city another popular sobriquet "the cultural capital of Karnataka". It was the seat of administration of the Wodeyar royal family; from 1399 to 1947, the city remained the capital of Kingdom of Mysore. It still retains the opulent and royal ambiance, however, today it is a highly commercialized city with a truly cosmopolitan nature. As the city is quickly getting draped with modernization, more number of entertainment and rejuvenation centres are popping up year after year. Given the bewitching charm of good old days, rich culture, sumptuous food, genuine hospitality, wonderful places to visit in Mysore, and everything else that goes in to make your tour of the city a memorable experience, Mysore is in the list of every backpacker in India.

The rich culture of the city is very much alive in the tradition of art, craft, folklore, cuisine, and lifestyle of the city that has been in practice since centuries. As the city is one of the most visited centres of Yoga, it is just often referred as the City of Yoga. Yoga is a distinctive attribute of India that sets the country apart from others, and Mysore takes pride in being India's Yoga city. While on your tour of the city, do take some time out and head to one of the Yoga centres and relax your mind, body, and soul by indulging in the ancient practice.

Of all the tourist attractions, the Mysore Palace, also called Amba Palace, is the most dominant tourist attraction. The former abode of the royal family that is the Wodeyars, the palace is one of the largest and most beautiful palaces in the country. It is built in Indo-Saracenic style of architecture and known for its opulence. It is a three storied building with multiple domes made of marbles and a 145 feet high tower. It is also the venue for some special events, particularly the Mysore Dasara Festival. During the festival, the palace ground becomes the venue of several performances of leading artists, elephant parades, dance and music, etc. Plus, the whole palace is illuminated with over 96,000 lights on every night throughout the festival of Dasara.

Tourists also flock the Karanji Lake in large masses. It is a beautiful artificial lake that was constructed by the King of Mysore. It sits at the foot of Chamundi Hills and is under the control of Mysore Zoo. It is a tranquil lake and attracts large masses of birds from all over the globe. Therefore, making it a popular bird-watching site. It is said that there are more than 90 species of birds. Visit the lake to spend some time in quietude and watching the beautiful birds.

Simply visit the city on your next vacation and spend a holiday full of fun, adventure, and learning. Getting into the city is easy; there is an excellent network of train routes connecting it to rest of India. Basava Express, Chamundi Express, Hampi Express, and Kaveri Express are some of the popular trains to the city.