Regal Palaces aren’t all you have to look forward to in this blend of old world mixed with the new.

Mysore is a major city in Karnataka and promotes its regal heritage very well. The city has an absolutely magnificent palace, and a wonderful market, which is easy to get around (always an added bonus). Famous for its silk, paintings and sandalwood products Mysore is now edging its way into the Ashtanga Yoga circle as well.

The old world charm of Mysore shines brightly and is acknowledged with such amiable nicknames like the “city of palaces”.  Due to its history of having kings who have been great patrons of the arts like the Wodeyars, Mysore has a great many palaces, temples, and royal buildings which never fail to charm.

The District around Mysore and its Climate

The district of Mysore is an undulating tableland located on the southern end of the Deccan plateau, covered by granite outcrops and forests, and the city itself is located at the foothills of the famous Chamundi hills.  The district as a whole is rather breathtaking and as such is a veritable heaven for photography lovers. The climate is a plus too, with mild winters and cooler than your average Indian summers, making Mysore a year-round destination.

Mysores Mixed History and tourism

Mysore is a city where cultures have intermingled and co-existed for many centuries,  and this has always been encouraged throughout time which has led to Mysore having a distinct style and identity when it comes the to the arts, painting, architecture, poetry and music have grown here to be the Mysore culture rather than distinctly Indian – one the main reasons to travel to Mysore.

Mysore is known as the “cultural Capital” of Karnataka.  More so, religions have co-existed here in Mysore peaceably for centuries too and so the city plays host to many different festivals.  The festival that Mysore is most associated with however is the festival Dasara, which is the ultimate expression of cultural unity, It lasts for 10 days and not only includes religious ceremonies but the citizens of Mysore decorate tier houses, display dolls, and distribute sweets to neighbouring children.  It just goes to show that despite the modernisation of India’s Major cities they are still very much in touch with their roots.

Travelling to Mysore is always an enlightening experience, but for a true experience some choose to read up on the history of the area and try to get a true understanding of it before they arrive.  Many tourists choose to  take pilgrimages here to one of the many temples, the most famous of these being the temple of Chamundeshwari which dates back to the 12 century and can only be reached by traversing the 1000 steps to the top (barefooted I might add).  Halfway up the steps is a monolith of Lord Shiva’s Bull, which stands at just under 5 metres.  Closer to the temple is an enormous statue of the Demon Mahishasura and then if all that wasn’t enough, upon reaching the top of the hill there are stunning views.  These are guaranteed to take your breath away if the climb hadn’t already.