Mysore City, Karnataka

Recently I have been to Karnataka state in India to explore the wildlife and beauty of the hill station. Before we head for nature, we had a day stopover to Mysore City. Once upon a time, Mysore was big city ruled by Wadiyar dynasty. It is a small city, however, the brilliant history of Mysore makes it an interesting place to visit.

Accommodation:

Our stay in Mysore was in Country Inn & Suites near one of the industrial area, Hebbal Industrial Area. The hotel was outside the city centre and very apt for business trip. From a leisure perspective, it is good if Mysore if your stopover. We left Bangalore later in the afternoon and make it to the Mysore city late in the evening. Since our hotel was far from the city, we spent the rest of the day in the hotel. Best part of staying in Country Inn & Suites is their extensive breakfast. The options were endless and the quality of food was fantastic. The start of our journey was on a very good note with friendly staff and delicious food.

Deluxe Room at Country Inn & Suites

Dosa for Breakfast at Mosaic, all day dining restaurant

Sightseeing:

After breakfast, we started on exploring Mysore and various sightseeing. The one we were keen to see and also near to our hotel was Brindavan Garden, sadly, due to some riots, it was closed. Brindavan Garden is vast and the best part of the garden is in the evening when they showcase laser & light show before closing.

Brindavan Garden
Picture Courtesy: ExcitingIndia.com

Moving on, the second best attraction in Mysore is Mysore Zoo. Around 3 km long, Mysore Zoo is the residence of many animals, insects and birds. We got to see tiger, leopard, zebra, giraffe and many more! Click here to see the detail Photo Journey of Mysore Zoo. Most of our daytime went in Mysore Zoo.

Giraffe in Mysore Zoo

Next stop is none other than Mysore Palace. I come from the state of Rajasthan where every city has a huge palace and Haveli, hence, my interest in the viewing Mysore Palace was more. The palace is big (some areas are restricted for tourist) and the architecture inside is different than what I saw in Rajasthan. The viewing in the palace is very organised with a pathway created for tourist to move and see different rooms and areas. The thing which intrigues me more is whatever temperature is outside (in this case heat), inside the Palace, it was cool and soothing. Since I went on Weekends, Mysore Palace was filled with tourist and locals who came with their families and friends. If you are planning to visit Mysore Palace, do it in the morning to avoid crowds or in the early evening to avoid heat.

Mysore Palace

Further ahead in our sightseeing tour, we went up on the Chamundi Hill. Chamundi Hill is located outside the city some 10 km away. On the way to the hill, you can also check out Sand Sculpture Museum. We had limited time so we skipped the museum and headed straight to the top. The view from Chamundi hill of Mysore is must see. The city looks great with nothing but greenery and Mysore Palace stands out amongst many buildings. The hill has a big figure of Chamundi and a temple around it.

Chamundi Hill

View of Mysore city from Chamundi Hill

Near Chamundi Hill is also Sri Nandi (Big Bull) Temple. Before you head into the city, you can take a turn to head towards Bull of Mysore. It is a temple where there is a big Nandi (bull) sculpture. Another great spot to see the Mysore city from the top.

Nandi (Bull) Temple near Chamundi Hill

Apart from the above main sightseeing, you can also pay a visit to a second palace of known as Lalit Mahal Palace, now a five star hotel, St. Philomenas Church and many temples around the city. The thing which surprises me about South India is number is temple of various gods around the city.

Lalit Mahal Palace
Picture Courtesy: TravelSetu.com

St. Philomenas Church, Mysore
Picture Courtesy: BookmyFunction

Restaurant:

After this many visits, you will feel hungry and will look for a place to have lunch. The best place to have food in Mysore is Vinayak Mylari. A very small (kinda shady joint) where they serve only two dishes – Dosa and Masala Dosa. One of the best and heaviest dosa I had in my journey. Unlike what you eat in Mumbai or any other restaurant, this dosa is a soft, thick layer with butter on top. Also, the masala inside was well prepared and spicy. Must visit place to get the best of Mysore Dosa.

Masala Dosa at Vinayak Mylari

Though I had a stopover in Mysore, but the city requires 2 days to explore it at leisure and also known about the history of their king.

A city of temple, culture and history, Mysore is a place to get away from crowded metros.

Category: Heritage and City

Location: Mysore is in Karnataka and quite close to Tamil Nadu state. It is approximately 150 km from Bangalore.

Time: Closest airport to Mysore is in Bangalore and you will take approximately 2 hours to reach the city. There are many other tourist destinations from Mysore which are 2-3 hours away from Mysore.

Carry: The climate in Mysore is pleasant throughout the year. Afternoon can be little hot, so don’t forget to carry sunscreen, glares and hat/cap. Also, nights can be chilly in winter season, so carry one pair of jacket / stole.