Mysore

Old World at its Best

Mysore is a city whose charm is often overshadowed by its glamorous neighbor, Bangalore. Originally a quiet, sleepy town, Mysore is now well on its way to become a metro, with  apartment complexes, shopping malls and IT firms coming up in a frenzied pace.  The city, however, is a tourist’s paradise, with its ancient temples, imposing palaces, museums, gardens and long avenues lined with trees.  Mysore has also contributed its own original products to India - the mouth watering Mysore Pak and the Mysore sandalwood.

The place talks about an interesting history dating back to a thousand years. It is said that Goddess Chamundi slayed the demon Mahishasura here. A statue of the demon stands on the Chamundi hill as a memorial of the event. Mysore also has references in the Mahabharatha. The city rose to prominence during the Vijayanagara era. Later it was invaded and ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, successively. Mysore was a state by itself, the name of which was later changed to Karnataka.