About

Mysore officially called Mysuru located around 140 km from Bangalore in south-central Karnataka state, southern India The city extends from latitude 12.2958° in the North to longitude 76.6394°in the East. It lies northwest of Chamundi Hill and midway between the Kaveri (Cauvery) and Kabani (Kabbani) rivers with an elevation of 2,525 feet (770 meters) from the sea level. Mysore is one of the most famous tourist destinations of South India Mysuru, it is the third-largest and second most populated city of Karnataka. Formerly known as the capital of the ‘Kingdom of Mysore’ from 1399 to 1947, now Mysore is known as the Cultural Capital of Karnataka also known as the City of Palaces. According to this story in the mythological Devi Purana, Mysore was ruled by the demon-king Mahishasura. He was called Mahishasura because he was a buffalo-headed monster. Hearing to the prayers of Gods and Goddess to save them from the monster, Goddess Parvathi took birth as Chamundeswari and killed the monster. Hence, this place came to be known as Mahishuru, later became Maisuru & Mysore. Mysore also mentioned in the epic Mahabharata as Mahishmati (Mahismati). Mysore was known as Purigere in the Mauryan era (3rd century BCE) and later became Mahishapura.

Mysore city has a rich history with many prehistoric sites, monuments, forts, temples, mosques, and churches depicting the archaeological, architectural and heritage value of the region. The district possesses excellent fauna and flora, rivers, hillocks, lakes, and a moderate climate. Mysore is a major tourist city of Karnataka. The city was the erstwhile capital of the state and hence has played an important role in the history of the state and of South India. Today it has developed into a modern city like many other cities in the country. But this city has not lost touch with its rich historical and cultural legacy. Mysore city is a favorite tourist destination in Karnataka. A tourist from within the country and from outside come to see the splendor of the city of Mysore. The city has a number of places a person can visit. There are a number of Royal buildings, gardens, water parks, temples, museums, zoos, and modern amusement parks.

History

The word Mysore is a corrupted version of "mysooru", which is derived from the word "mahishur" or "Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of Mahishasura in Kannada, the local language. Mysore has been associated with the Puranic story found in the Devi Bhagavatha. According to the story in the Devi Purana, Mysore was ruled by the demon Kind Mahishasura. Mahishasura was a buffalo-headed monster. In response to the prayer by the Gods and Goddesses to save them from the demon, Goddess Parvathi, took birth as Chamundeshwari and killed the monster on top of the Chamundi hill near Mysore. Hence the hill and the city have the names Chamundi Hill and Mysore respectively. 

The word Mysore is a corrupted version of "mysooru", which is derived from the word "mahishur" or "Mahishasurana Ooru", which means the town of Mahishasura in Kannada, the local language. Mysore has been associated with the Puranic story found in the Devi Bhagavatha. According to the story in the Devi Purana, Mysore was ruled by the demon Kind Mahishasura. Mahishasura was a buffalo-headed monster. In response to the prayer by the Gods and Goddesses to save them from the demon, Goddess Parvathi, took birth as Chamundeshwari and killed the monster on top of the Chamundi hill near Mysore. Hence the hill and the city have the names Chamundi Hill and Mysore respectively. 

It is said that after killing the monster the Goddess stayed on top of the hill, where she is worshipped with great devotion to this day. The famous 10 daylong Dasara of Mysore is in honor of the Goddess Chamundeshwari and is a celebration of this victory of good over evil. Before the rise of the Gangas in the 10th century there is little historical evidence relating to Mysore. The Gangas established their supremacy in the 2nd century and they ruled over a large part of Mysore till about 1004 AD. In the 3rd century, they established their capital at Talakad on the banks of the river Cauvery. 

There is an inscription on Chamundi Hills that was done in 950AD during the reign of the Gangas. This inscription is the oldest inscription found in Mysore. The Cholas ruled Mysore for over a century after the Gangas. The Chalukyas followed the Cholas. The Hoysalas drove the Cholas from the remaining part of Mysore region in the 12th century. Hoysala are known for the beautiful temples they built during their reign. It is said that they built or expanded the existing temples in Mysore and on the Chamundi Hills. There is an inscription in Mysore by the Hoysalas that dates back to the 11th and 12th century.

After the Hoysalas came to the Vijayanagar Kings and then the Mysore Yadu dynasty came to power in 1399A.D. They were the feudatories of the Vijayanagar Kings. This dynasty also contributed to temple building in Mysore. Bettada Chamaraja Wodeyar, the Raja of Mysore rebuilt the fort of Mysore and made his headquarters and called the city 'Mahishura Nagara' meaning the city of Mahishur. Many inscriptions done in the 17th century and later refer to Mysore as 'Mahishuru'. Raja Wodeyar moved the capital from Mysore to Srirangapatna. After the death of Tippu Sultan in 1799, Mysore became the capital of the Wodeyars once again. 

During the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, the town of Mysore expanded and moved beyond the walls of the fort. Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV developed Mysore into a beautiful city with excellent planning. Under his reign, Mysore became famous for its wide roads, magnificent building, and elegant parks. Today Mysore is a modern city that has managed to retain its quaint old world charm. Today Mysore infamous in the world for its sandalwood and rosewood artifacts, stone sculptures, incense sticks, inlay work with ivory and its exquisite silk sarees.

even after British India gained Independent dominion status on 15-8-1947, Mysore continued as a Sovereign State under the Maharaja H.H. Jaya Chamaraja Wodeyar albeit with a responsible Government headed by Mr. K.C. Reddy as the Chief Minister. However, the Constituent Assembly of Mysore decided to adopt the Constitution of India and on 26-1-1950, Mysore merged with the Republic of India as a Part -B State. But the Maharaja Continued as the Rajpramukh of the State as per Art. 366(21) of the Constitution.’’ 

cultural of Mysore

Referred to as the cultural capital of Karnataka, Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during the period of Dasara, the state festival of Karnataka. The Dasara festivities, which are celebrated over a ten-day period, were first introduced by King Raja Wodeyar I in 1610. On the ninth day of Dasara, called Mahanavami, the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession of decorated elephants, camels, and horses. On the tenth day, called Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore. A heritage city, Mysore attracts thousands of tourists around the year from India and abroad. The exquisite beauty of the forts and palaces, the irreplaceable monuments, lakes, gardens, and parks, etc. are the highlight of this beautiful city. The culture of Mysore reflects in their way of life, their attire, their cuisines, and their various festivities.

Connoisseurs and aficionados of art and culture, the Wodeyars Empire has played an exceptional and important role in bringing up the culture of Mysore. Their exceptional contribution to the various forms of art has a profound influence on the culture and heritage of the entire state. The city has a distinct style of architecture, poetry, art- which can be seen in their unique rosewood inlay work, Mysore silk saris, Mysore Masala Dosa, Mysore Peta, Mysore paintings- especially the Ganjifa Art of paintings, Mysore sandalwood products, Mysore Jasmine, etc. are their unique and distinct style. The foundation of brotherhood and harmony laid down by the Vijayanagar Kingdom and the Wodeyars Kingdom are the basis of Mysore culture. The most famous festivities of Mysore include the ten-day celebration of Dusshera festival, where you will find thousands of tourists thronging the streets and palace gates to view the grand procession of Goddess Chamundeshwari on elephants and horses with the distribution of sweets, traditional cuisine of Mysore, decoration of dolls, temples, etc. These celebrations have been a part of the culture of Mysore for many decades and continue to be so.

Getting Around

Rentals

Weather

The climate of the study area is agreeable. The city enjoys cool and equable temperatures. Mysore city shares the wider climatic pattern of the state as a whole, although there are some distinctive features. The climate of the city may be described as essentially tropical monsoon type which is a product of the interplay of the two opposing air-masses of the southwest and northeast monsoons. Over the greater part of the city, summers are languorously warm and winters bracingly cool. By and large, Mysore city is endowed with a delightful or salubrious climate.

The climate of the study area is agreeable. The city enjoys cool and equable temperatures. Mysore city shares the wider climatic pattern of the state as a whole, although there are some distinctive features. The climate of the city may be described as essentially tropical monsoon type which is a product of the interplay of the two opposing air-masses of the southwest and northeast monsoons. Over the greater part of the city, summers are languorously warm and winters bracingly cool. By and large, Mysore city is endowed with a delightful or salubrious climate.

Generally, the following four seasons are applicable to Mysore city.

1. Cold Weather Season
2. Hot Weather Season
3. South-west Monsoon
4. North-east Monsoon

• Cold Weather Season
  

The cold weather season begins early in January and continues till the end of February. In this season, the weather is cool and moist in the taluks of H D Kote, Hunsur and Periyapatna, but in the remaining taluks of the city, it is comparatively dry except in the catchments areas of the rivers. There are wide variations between day and night temperatures. The temperature is lower than in the hot weather season but the average temperature does not go below 16.5°C. January is the typical cold month and records very low temperatures. The temperatures during the cold weather season (November to February) ranges from 16.1°C to 31.3°C.

• Hot Weather Season

The Hot Weather Season begins in the month of March and increases in its intensity towards the end of May. In this season, the temperature ranges from 19.7°C to 35.1°C. Land becomes very hot and there is a wide range of variations between day and night temperatures. However, there is occasional relief from pre-monsoon thunderstorms.

• Southwest Monsoon

The southwest monsoon sets in about the end of May or early June and it continues with some intervals till the end of September. It is dominant in the city and also it brings heavy rains to this region. The city receives a major portion of its rainfall from the southwest monsoon. The normal annual rainfall is around 760 mm, spread over a period of seven months, from the later half of April to October. Rainfall is gradually decreasing from west to east. The annual average rainfall ranges between 600 mm and 1,100 mm.

• Northeast Monsoon

The northeast monsoon commences in October and ceases by the end of December. The monsoon winds bring some rains to the eastern parts of the city. The duration of the monsoon is shorter and rains are also very low and they are confined to the smaller area of the city.

• Temperature

Temperature influences considerably the socio-economic activities of the people in a region. The city, in general, enjoys cool and equable temperatures. In the period from March to May, there is a continuous rise in temperature. April is the hottest month with the mean daily maximum temperature at 34.5°C and the daily minimum at 21.1°C. On normal days, the day temperatures during summer may exceed 39°C. There is a welcome relief from the heat when thundershowers occur during April and May. With the advance of the southwest monsoon about the beginning of June, the day temperatures drop appreciably and throughout the southwest monsoon period, the weather is pleasant. After mid-November, both day and night temperatures decrease progressively. January is the coldest month with a mean daily maximum at 11°C. On some days during the period November to January, the minimum temperature may go below 11°C.

The highest maximum temperature recorded at Mysore was 39.4°C on the 4th of April 1917. The lowest minimum temperature was 10.6°C on the 13th of December 1945. The temperature remains nearly the same for several months but begins to rise in February and touches the peak in either April or May, in both maximum and minimum. Minimum is near about 20° C and the maximum is near about 30° C for several months.

• Humidity

Relative humidities are generally high during the southwest monsoon season. Relative humidities are about 70 percent and over in the mornings throughout the year, while in the afternoons, humidities are comparatively lower except during the southwest monsoon. The period January to April is the driest part of the year with relative humidities of about 30 percent and still lower in the afternoons.

• Rainfall

The variation in the annual rainfall from year to year is not large during the 85 years from 1901 to 1985, the highest annual rainfall amounting to 156 percent of the annual rainfall that occurred in 1903 and the lowest occurred in 1918. In the same 85 year period, the annual rainfall was less than 80 percent of the normal rainfall in 7 years, none of them consecutive, considering the rainfall at the individual stations. However, two or three consecutive years of good rainfall occurred once or twice at fifty-two out of sixty-five rain gauge stations. It is observed that the average annual rainfall in the city was between 600 mm and 900 mm in 66 years out of the 85 years. 

• Monthly Distribution of Rainfall

The distribution in the city is confined to the months of April to November. September is the rainiest month with 180.86 mm. January receives the lowest rainfall of 2.02 mm. The rainfall from June to September constitutes only about 55.07 percent of the annual rainfall. The rainfall during the pre-monsoon months of April and May and during the post-monsoon months of October and November are as much as 25.37 percent and 15.13 percent, of the annual rainfall respectively.

Must Try Food/Restaurants

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• MYSORE PAK - it is the most famous sweet of MYSORE, which is unique to our city. It is made of gram flour, ghee, sugar or jaggery, and cardamom. It is soft and fudgy and it literally melts in our mouth.
• SPRING: With a sophisticated yet relaxed environment, Spring is sure to please any palate, offering a range of Indian, Asian and global cuisine. You can order from our à la carte menu or sample a bit of everything from the buffet prepared by our highly trained chefs. Spring also offers a children’s menu and carefully prepared items for those with special dietary needs or food allergies. Turn your meal into a celebration with a drink from our wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including Old World and New World wines. Spring also offers poolside 
• Jalpaan Dining Saga: it's a young, dynamic, aggressive, result-oriented and experienced Group. Thanks to meticulous planning, commitment to quality, and business foresight, the ‘Jalpaan’ brand has become highly popular across various cities in India: must-try food are Chaach, Potli Biryani, Pasta, Dal Makhani, Palak Chaat, Thali, Paan Shot
• Vinayaka Mylari and hotel Mylari: these are one of the best places in our city, where u get to taste very delicious and simple MYSORE authentic stuff And also different varieties of dOSAS.
• Hotel RRR restaurant: if you are a “BIRIYANI lover” then it is a must try the restaurant. It is an ANDHRA cuisine tongue twister for all in taste and they serve the ULTIMATE BIRIYANI in Mysore.
• Oyster Bay: Great good paired with excellent ambiance. Chinese, Seafood, International vegetarian-friendly food are must-try.
• Rasooi Delite: It is also a good place to have North Indian food in South India. It is less than 1 km away from Infosys Mysore Campus.
  
• Purple Haze Pub: A pub where you can find enough brands for whiskey and beers. If you are a fan of hard and loud music, try it once.
• Kamat restaurant: famous for Unlimited North Karnataka meals at Kamat restaurant : Includes: Unlimited jawar rotis, chutney, unlimited rice and sambar, 2 curries, curd, beeda 
• Idly mane: This joint is very close to my heart and there have been many a day that my friends and I have gone to enjoy the simple fare they provide. They serve only idlies as early as 4–30 AM in the morning and serve people until 9 AM. They reopen at 11 AM and serve bisi bale bhath, lemon rice, poori, and vada until about 2 PM. Pocket-friendly, healthier than any other hotel.