Mysore – the city of palaces
We have heard about well developed urban centers, and some towns and cities that are renowned as tourist attractions. Yet others are famous for particular interests, like educational institutions for instance. But what do you call a city that is a combination of all these and more? You call it Mysore!
Mysore, located about 145 km (90 miles) from Bangalore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka is a wonderfully compact city. Having a population of around a million people, it is steeped in history. It was by this name that the entire state that is called Karnataka today was called till as late as 1973.
But first, let us focus on its etymology, which is rooted in mythology. It is believed that there was a fearsome demon in the days of yore, by the name of Mahishasura, who terrorized the villagers. It is said that they beseeched the Mother Goddess, Durga, another name for Parvathi, to come to their rescue. She came down to earth to kill the demon, and came to be called Chamundi in this form. She is believed to have killed him in the hills in which he lived then; the same hills today have Her temple, the Chamundi Hills, one of the must-see tourist attractions of Mysore. It is in these foothills that present-day Mysore is located.
The place in which this is said to have happened, and the areas surrounding it, came to be called by the demon’s name. Over the years, it kept undergoing various changes in its intonations to finally be called Mysore, under British rule.
Mysore is known as the Cultural Capital of Karnataka, this is because it is home to some prestigious educational institutions. Also, many symbols of true South Karnataka culture, such as the world-famous Dasara (note the spelling –as different from Dussehra in the North and Bengal –this is a purely indigenous Mysorean cultural event), Mysore Silk, Mysore sandalwood oil, Mysore Pak –a rich sweet delicacy, the Mysore Peta (turban) and several more originated here.
That it enjoys this sobriquet is not surprising, considering that for most of its recorded history, Mysore was governed (it still is, albeit only during Dasara procession) by the Wodeyar Dynasty, whose rulers patronized the arts. Vassals of the more famous Vijayanagar kingdom, many of them may have had their share of the idiosyncrasies, penchants and eccentricities associated with most royals of pre-British and British India, but none of these came in the way of their love of the arts, education and development.
Being one of the earliest princely states in introduce English education, Mysore has some very well known educational institutions; some of its famous landmarks are the Maharaja’s College, Marimallappa’s College and Mysore University. The last of these, taken with all its affiliated colleges and institutions, has a student population of over 50,000.
One never runs out of tourist attractions in Mysore. Before you make a trip, make sure you don’t come here with only a couple of days on your itinerary! To see Mysore, you need lots of time, because there are just so many places of interest to see and savor, and so many souvenirs to carry home.
Undoubtedly, the most famous and most popular spot is Mysore Palace. Called formally by its original name of Amba Vilas Palace, this palace occupies a pride of place in the city, and is easily one of India’s best-known palaces.
Built by and for members of the Wodeyar kings, who ruled Mysore for most of the five-and-a-half centuries till India’s independence in 1947, this palace took 15 years to complete, and was finally inaugurated in 1912. In a sense, this was completion of restoration work, because this palace is believed to have a history dating to the middle of the 15th century. It was destroyed more than once by fire and lightning, and was reconstructed totally. This palace is considered a celebration of Chamundi’s killing of the demon Mahisha; in a broader sense, it is a sign of the victory of good over bad. Appropriately, the Dasara, a festival that celebrates the same theme, is held here in this palace.
What makes it unique is not only what it houses –some rare artifacts of the royal house that bring back memories of a bygone era –but its architecture as well. Built in what is described as Indo-Gothic or Indo-Sarasenic style of architecture, it combines styles from a variety of architectural heritages such as Hindu, Islamic and French. The palace was built to suit the needs of the day, and had elements that fitted into this. Among these are a room in which the king used to hold private audiences, a pavilion that has many objects from India and Europe, and a wedding hall, because royal weddings used to take place here.
The Amba Vilas Palace is also famous for the many temples inside the complex. With temples dedicated to many Hindu gods, the palace was a meeting point between royalty and laity.
If the Amba Vilas Palace is the most famous of Mysore’s palaces, there are other palaces, too. Some of them are Lalita Mahal Palace, which is now a hotel; Jaganmohana Palace, in which you get to see an art gallery; Jayalakshmi Vilas, from where Mysore University functions, and Rajendra Vilas.
Places of interest in Mysore: Once you land in Mysore, there are lots to places to see. One of these is the famed Brindavan Gardens. One of the hallmarks of the interest the erstwhile rulers had for aesthetics, these gardens overlook the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam, which is one of the greatest works that Sir M. Viswesvarayya, Karnataka’s most famous engineer and administrator, undertook. The highlight of these gardens is the musical fountain it has.
Another tourist attraction is Mysore Zoo. Built in the late 19th century, this is yet another icon of the varied interest the rulers had. It is famous for its exotic and varied collection of animal species, some of which have been brought in from faraway countries.
Although Hindus make up about three fourths of the population, Mysore, like the rest of India, has always been tolerant and open-minded to other religions. The popularity of St. Philomena’s Church attests this fact. Built for the martyrdom in Rome in the 4th century of the saint, Philomena in the middle of the 19th century, this church has glass paintings depicting various events of Jesus’ life.
In addition, there are a good number of lakes that you can stroll along. The house of one of the colossuses of post-colonial English literature, R K Narayan, on Vivekananda Road, is another attraction to old timers in the city.
Mysore is also a city that is enriched by its museums. Mysore also has a unique Folklore Museum, which houses rare cultural items pertaining to arts and crafts from all over India.
You are likely to come across equipment used by an indigenous tribe of Karnataka, or a costume of a rare dance form from coastal Karnataka, or a set of musical instruments from central Karnataka.
Anyone who has an inclination towards botany would be interested in peeking into the Regional Museum of Natural History, which has natural creations such as plants and herbs.
Lovers of old times will also find the Oriental Research Institute a place of interest to visit. It has in its possession some truly rare manuscripts in two ancient languages, Sanskrit and Kannada.
Places around Mysore: With all these that Mysore has to offer, there is still a lot more left. You are not done yet till you finish seeing some major places around it. Mysore has a neighborhood that has a lot in store.
You could start with Srirangapatna. Less than 20 km from Mysore, this place is held in extremely high veneration by followers of the Visishta Advaita sect. Being one of their three holiest shrines to the presiding deity of this place, Sri Ranga, or Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu, it was built over ten centuries ago. This town is also important historically, because it was here that the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was fought in 1799. Tipu Sultan’s defeat at the hands of the British in that war was one of the important events in the push towards their expansion in the sub-continent as an imperial power.
There is another famous temple near this one, the Nimishamba Temple of Goddess Nimishamba, a name in which Mother Goddess is worshipped. Situated on the banks of the river Kaveri, this temple stands on the shores of the Paschima Vahini tributary, which is where Hindus perform last rites to their dead.
You can traverse from the holy to nature, too. In Sri Rangapatna is also situated the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, which is an ornithologist’s delight.
You can revel in the beauty of nature also by paying a visit to Sivanasamudra Falls, which is famous as a waterfall of great might.
And then, as you head in the opposite direction towards Kerala, you come across Nanjangud, a small temple town situated about 22 km from Mysore. This is known as Dakshina Kashi, or Varanasi of the South. The devout believe that Shiva in this form heals many a disease, of the body and mind.
Even the Muslim ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali was an ardent worshipper of this deity. Inscriptions show that his favorite elephant once lost its vision, and the king took the oath that he would contribute a linga, the form in which Shiva is worshipped, to the temple if it got its eyesight back.
As expected, the elephant got its eyesight back, and the king kept up his word. The idol made of precious stone that he donated to the temple is still there to be seen. For this reason, he gave the deity an Urdu name –Hakim (doctor) Nanjunda!
Once outside Mysore, there is still more to see; take a look at the well-known Bandipur National Park, where you will be greeted by herds of elephants. A World Heritage Site, this reserve has a uniquely high collection of these pachyderms, which number well over three thousand. It also occupies an important place among conservationists, since one of India’s most successful tiger conservation projects has been undertaken here.
A lover of animals will never tire of this forest reserve. You can see several species of wildlife here. Leopard; Gaur; sloth bear; Sambar, a kind of deer; wild dog; wild deer and many other species can be seen moving freely around this 800-sq. km forest, part of India’s collection of national parks.
Despite the varied richness of Mysore and all the places surrounding it, almost no place is remote or inaccessible. Mysore can be reached easily from Bangalore, and all the places of interest that surround it are equally easy to approach from there.
Didn’t we say in the beginning that Mysore is a place that cannot be finished in a hurry?
