MYSORE TRAVEL GUIDE-Places to visit

1. MYSORE PALACE

It is the most popular palace in Mysore attracting thousands of tourists by it’s marvelous architecture, and glamorous interiors. It is the official residence of Wadiyar dynasty that ruled for many centuries. The Indo-Saracenic masterpiece of Mysore has extraordinary blends of Hindu, Muslim and Gothic styles of architecture. I was truly mesmerized by the beauty of this palace.

Mysore Palace is a three-storeyed structure with cream-coloured walls complimented with red-coloured domes and has a huge garden surrounding it. The interiors of the palace has many luxurious halls with doors having exquisite wooden carvings, glittering chandeliers, tinted glass windows, and kaleidoscopic artworks on pillars, arches, ceilings, and floors.

The Mysore Palace during the evening is a royal beauty to behold with light and sound show organized every evening except for Sundays and national holidays. The whole palace lits up with numerous golden light bulbs and the sweet melody of the flute playing in the background is a peaceful feast for the senses.

2. CHAMUNDI HILLS AND CHAMUNDESWARI TEMPLE

As we drove uphill to reach the Chamundeswari Temple atop The Chamundi Hills, I was unable to keep myself calm since I was in awe with the view of the whole city of Mysore! You could see the magnificent Mysore Palace being surrounded by many pucca houses and shops of the city.

The most popular attraction is the Chamundeswari Temple with it’s tower built in typical Chola style having many carvings. You’ll come across a statue of Mahisasura before you walk the short distance from to the main entrance of the temple.

On the way back to the town, there is a view point for those who love to have a bird’s eye view of the whole city of Mysore. Although, I along with my other co-passengers couldn’t get the chance to stop by, you can park your vehicle for a few minutes and check out the wonderful view.

3. ST. PHILOMENA'S CHURCH

St. Philomena’s Church is a Catholic church and is the second tallest church of Asia with prominent Neo-Gothic style of architecture. This beautiful church is a popular tourist attraction in Mysore painting a perfect picture during sunset.

4. BRINDAVAN GARDEN

This is a huge garden in Mysore built across the river Kaveri adjacent to the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam. The lush green garden with colourful flowers and numerous fountains is a beautiful sight to behold. It is mostly crowded during the evening hours because of it’s musical fountain shows that cheers up the mood. The pathways and the Dam are colourfully lighted attracting tourists from all over the world.

The only tiring thing is that you have to walk a really long distance through the garden to reach the particular musical fountain. All other fountains are fitted with colourful lights posing a wonderful feast for the eyes.

Visit the garden before darkness sets in, unlike I did, to enjoy the beauty of both the greenery of the garden as well as the colourful show of the water fountains.

As I walked back a long distance through the garden and then a kilometer or a half to the parking lot, it felt good to see the sides of the roads flanked by numerous shops selling a variety of items from eatables to clothes, and accessories. If you are a non-vegetarian, you shouldn’t miss the lip-smacking whole-fish tandooris or chicken tikkas sold in stalls by the roadside.