Mysore is a city in Karnataka, a city that is itself a collection of waterfalls, gardens, lakes, and historical monuments. The city is less crowded. The best time to plan a trip to Mysore is between July to February so that you can enjoy the warmth of the sun even in the afternoon.
Mysore is a one-night journey from Bangalore by train and by road, it is 4-5 hours, however, it depends if you are going to see the places which come in the route so it will take time for you. Exploring all the places in Mysore will take a maximum of 3 days. Don’t forget to buy sandalwood from there :).
Planning a road trip to Mysore from Bangalore, here is little “enlightenment” for you ;).
1. Don’t forget to eat idli from the highway hotels, they are just amazing.
2. Sholay Spot- Ramadevra Betta is known as Sholay spot as the blockbuster all-time Sholay movie was shot there. This place is located 4kms from Ramanagara and is only the Wildlife Vulture Sanctuary which is best for trekking. Don’t worry there are fewer vultures there, so you can go trekking. The rocks of the hills are so big and rocky ;). The best time to go there is in the morning so that you will enjoy the sunrise and cold breeze from the Palm trees. This is a mind refreshment place with a little bit of adventure.
3. Tipu Sultan Summer Palace- This is also known as Dariya Daulat bagh. From Ramadevra Betta to here it will take you almost 2 hours. This place was the summer residence of the Tipu sultan. The palace contains the belongings of the king and his family which contains Paintings also which show ancient times and historic events. This place remains open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm every day. 1 hour is enough to explore here since it is surrounded by parks so you can take a rest for some time.
4. Sri Ranganathaswami Temple- This is the temple of Ranganatha, another form of Lord Vishnu and it is 1100 years old, with beautifully carved walls and temple premises. Temple is surrounded by the Kaveri river which makes it more mesmerizing. This temple is very worshipped, devotees feel so relaxed and peaceful after the darshan. The idol of the lord is so beautiful in resting posture on Sheshanaga. It will take you 2-3 hours to see the whole temple. Temple opens at 6:00 am and closes at 9:00 pm.
To sightseeing in Mysore, I have sorted the places to visit together for your convenience as per my experience.
Mysore Palace
Mysore Palace also known as Ambas Vilas Palace comes under many of the largest palaces in India. Palace was the residence of the Wadiyar Dynasty. This is the most visited place after the Taj Mahal. The East side of the Palace faces Chamundi hills. It is said that there is an underground route from the Palace to Chamundi hills in case of escape.
The palace is well maintained and clean. This Palace is so magnificent and eye-catching. This palace is situated at the center of Mysore. So, visiting there means you can see many places at once. The amazing lighting of the palace makes it more beautiful at night. But the main decoration happens at the time of Dussehra. Going inside the Palace means you need to remove the shoes and put them in the locker. It will cost 2-3 rupees. Inside the Palace, there are belongings of Wadiyars- the Golden Chair, jewelry. You will see that the lift we are using now has been used by ancient times.
You can explore the whole palace compound from outside by electric rikshaws which will cost you 300 INR. But it is worth visiting with that. A total of 3 hours are required to explore the whole Palace. At the entrance of the gate, there is one Ganpati temple, should eat Prashad from there, it is delicious.
Coming out of the Palace, outside you will find locals selling sandalwood, Mysore sandalwoods are worldwide famous, should buy. From my experience, there are some stores which give pure and original sandalwoods, they are worth buying especially the powder.
Chamundi Devi
The idol of Goddess is like she is sitting on a lion having 8 hands and killing Mahishasura – the demon with her Trishul.
Nandi Temple
Nandi Temple is also known as Bull Temple. It comes on the way to Chamundi Devi. This is the third largest statue of Nandi. It is considered Lord Shiva’s vehicle and always sits in front of Shiva. That’s why there should be a Shiva temple whenever you see the Nandi temple anywhere. Here also Shiva cave is present where this statue is pointing.
It is assumed that whatever you will say in the ears of Nandi, it will convey that to Lord Shiva. You have to remove your footwear while going inside the temple and can take one round of it which is considered auspicious.
This route is really good for photoshoots :).
Lalitha Palace
This is the second-largest Palace after Mysore Palace. It is 14 km from Mysore Palace and comes at the bottom of the hill to the way of Chamundi Devi. So, you can book a cab or public transport through which you can explore all these places together. Garden of Place contains fountains, a swimming pool, beautiful plants, and flowers.
Many Bollywood movies are shot there. One of the iconic movies of Shahrukh khan -Deewana was shot there.
Overall, Lalitha Palace is a splendid dream place that should be visited :). You can book the stay online also.
Krishnaraja Sagara Dam and Brindavan Gardens
KRS Dam is a very famous dam in South India of the Cauvery river. It is the major source of drinking water and irrigation for Mysore, Bangalore, and Mandya. Brindavan Gardens is one of the most beautiful gardens in India. It is built across the river Cauvery and in the complex of KRS Dam.
First, we will have a look at the beauty of Brindavan Gardens.
People who are fond of plants, flowers, waterfalls, and nature will love this place. This is a must-visit place of Karnataka beautifully covered with flowers, plants, and musical fountains. Perfect place for photoshoots. There is no doubt in saying that the Brindavan Garden is the most beautiful terrace garden in the world. While you will enter inside the garden you will see that the creepers are planted and designed in such a way that gives an amazing look. They are all over-covered through the walls and ceiling of the walls. You can sit on the terrace garden to enjoy the whole view of the Garden. The place is filled with foreigners and Indian tourists.
The best thing about the garden is to watch these Musical Fountains. You will see how beautifully the water dance perfectly syncs with lights. This is present on the opposite side of the terrace garden. At this time the whole park gets illuminated with beautiful lights which gives a mesmerizing view. The musical fountain show goes for 30mins to 1 hour. The best part of the musical show is that it always ends with National Anthem. The musical show starts at 6:30 pm.
This is the bridge that joins the garden to the musical water show. View from this bridge is so mesmerizing. The Garden is so big, it will take you almost 3 hours to explore the whole place. But in the end, I will say this is a must-visit place.
Now, let’s have a look on KRS Dam.
The dam was built by one of the greatest engineers Sir M. Vishweshwaraiah which was named after King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Surroundings of the Dam are so beautiful that many films shooting happen here. This Dam is so big and you can hear the sound of water by sitting there. Earlier public was allowed to go to the top of the dam but now it is restricted. Temple is there at the wall of the dam. Surrounding area of the Dam is covered with plants and water fountains. You can go boating here. At night proper lighting system is there which makes it more amazing.
