Mysore Travel - The Fragrant
Sandalwood City :
Located
770m above sea level and 140 Kms from Bangalore, Mysore, the imperial city,
was the erstwhile capital of the Wodeyars. Also known as the city of
Palaces, Mysore has never failed to mesmerise the tourists with its quaint
charm, rich heritage, magnificent palaces, beautifully laid-out gardens,
imposing buildings, broad shady avenues and sacred temples.
Mysore is the erstwhile capital of Wodeyars, the rulers of Mysore State.
The Wodeyar family ruled Mysore since 14th century except for a short period
of 40 years when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers. Today Mysore is
one of the major cities of Karnataka. Mysore has emerged as a thriving
market for exotic sandalwood & incense, the Mysore silk sarees and
stone-carved sculptures.
Mysore is certainly a charming, old-fashioned and undaunting town dominated
by the spectacular Maharaja's Palace, around which the boulevards of the
city radiate. Nearby is the city centre with the colourful and frenetic
Devaraja Market is inviting a stroll.
On the outskirts of Mysore, Srirangapatnam still harbours architectural
gems from the days of the great Indian hero, Tipu Sultan, and the
magnificent Hoysala temple of Somnathpur lies little more than an hour's
drive away.
Legend :
In the tenth century Mysore was known as "Mahishur", the town
where the buffalo-demon Mahishashur was slain by the goddess Durga. The word
Mysore expands to "Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of
Mahishasura. It is believed that during one of the wars between devils and
demons on the one hand and gods and goddesses on the other, the demon
Mahishasur (Mahishur) overpowered the gods.
The goddess on seeing this, incarnated as the fireceful Chamundi or
Chamundeshwari and consequently, Mahishasura was killed by Her atop the
Chamundi Hill near Mysore. Ever since, the Mysore royal family has
worshipped Chamundeshwari as the palace deity. Hills dedicated to Her stand
at the eastern end of Mysore town to this day.
Excursion :
Bandipur Tiger Reserve - Bandipur National Park is a beautiful forest reserve located in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. This national park occupies a special place in India's efforts towards natural conservation. The nearest railhead is Nanjangud, 55 km away, while the nearest roadhead is the town of Gundulpet, 20 km from Bandipur. Both are, however, fairly small places, with few transport connections to the rest of the state. A better idea, therefore, would be to arrive at Bandipur via Mysore or Ooty. Bandipur is 80 km from Mysore, and a similar distance from Ooty, and takes 2 hours by road. Mysore is further connected to the rest of south India by train, while a narrow gauge train comes to Ooty from the plains station of Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam has train connections to a number of other towns in Tamilnadu. Once you've got to Mysore or Ooty, you can take a bus or hire a car or taxi to get to Bandipur.
Talkad - 45 kms from Mysore is a strange phenomenon-an ancient town buried under centuries of sand. Only the Dravidian style Vaidyeshwara temple is visible above the ground. Once in 12 years, during the Panchalinga Darshana, the sleeping town awakes to festivities and fairs. Government buses, private buses and taxis are available to reach this beautiful place.
Talkad is another place on the banks of Kaveri ideal for a day trip or picnic. One would be surprised to see seashore like sandy banks here. You will miss the waves though.
People often come here in big groups to spend some time in the wide-open area on the banks, play some games and spend a good time. If you wish to, you can wade through neck deep waters and walk to the other side of the river in summers. You can also hire coracles and take a short trip on the river. Talkad also hosts some historical temples just a short walk from the riverbank, recently unearthed by archeological department.
The road to Talkad runs right next to the river for a considerable distance. The water you see here are surprisingly deep turquoise like the sea. To reach Talkad from Bangalore, take Mysore road and drive till Maddur and turn left. The road from Maddur is narrow and not in good condition but manageable. Nearby places to visit include Shivanasamudra falls.
About
Hospet :
340 kms from Bangalore lies Hospet. Its tourist importance lies in its
proximity to Hampi, the site of the medieval Vijayanagar Empire, situated
about 13 kms away. The Tungabhadra Dam here harnesses the sweet waters of
the Tungabhadra river. At the base of the dam is a garden styled along
Japanese lines.
Prime Attractions :
Chitradurga - On the Highway linking Bangalore to Hospet,
one comes across Chitradurga, a quaint town with its famous Fort. This
marvel of military architecture, made impregnable by the Nayak Paleyagars
has 19 gateways and 38 postern Harihareshwara.
Hampi - 353 kms from Bangalore and 74 kms from Bellary is
Hampi. A World Heritage Centre, Hampi is the most beautiful and evocative of
all the ruins in Karnataka. The erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar
Kingdom, Hampi is full of delightful surprises. King's Balance is the
balance where kings were weighted against grain, gold or money, which was
then distributed to the poor.
Queen's Bath with its arched corridors, projecting balconies and
lotus-shaped fountains that once sprouted perfumed water, the two-storeyed
Lotus Mahal with recessed archways are architectural delights. The huge
Elephant Stables, the splendid Vithala Temple with its musical pillars and
the Stone Chariot, the Virupaksha Temple, still used for worship, Ugra
Narasimha, the 6.7 m tall monolith, the Pushkarini Tank, the Mahanavami
Dibba are all worth visiting. The once-powerful Vijayanagar Empire was
compared to Rome by the Portuguese traveller Paes.
How to get there ?
Rail - Hospet is connected to Bangalore , Bellary, Gadag,
Bijapur and Hubli-Dharwar.
Road - there is a well-developed road network.
