Mysore

Mysore Palace
This is my first posting in the Blog.
In my first posting, I am writing briefly about my city “Mysore”.

Mysore which is situated in a Karnataka is not only a Beautiful city and also called as ‘Royal City’ and ‘Heritage City’. From the State's capital Bengaluru (Bangalore) to Mysore is around 140 Kms.

HISTORY OF MYSORE:
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 King 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 honour of the Goddess Chamundeshwari and is a celebration of this victory of god 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 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.

PECULARITIES IN MYSORE:
Mysore was retaining its heritage by having its own Specialities. Among them the famous were: Mysore Jasmine, Mysore Sandalwood, Mysore Silk Sarees, MysorePak and Mysore Bonda.

SITESEEING’S IN MYSORE:
There are various places to view in Mysore. The following are the some of the Places in and around Mysore.
Mysore Palace, Jaganmohan Palace. Chamundi Hill, Zoo, Karanji and Kukkaralli Lake, KrishnaRajaSagar (KRS), Railway Museum, Balamoori, Nanjangud, Srirangapatna, Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, St.Philomena’s Church, LalithMahal Hotel, Tippu’s Summer Palace, Sangama etc..

One of the best loved tourist destinations of India, a tour to Mysore is a trip into the rich history of Karnataka, which promises to charm the tourists to the land. Resplendent in her history, the various tourist attractions in Mysore have earned a name for themselves almost all around the world. A must visit while on a trip to Karnataka, a visit to Mysore promises to be one of the most memorable trips…ever..