| Mysore(Mysooru) is thought to have been named
after the demon Mahishur, who according to legend was
slain here by the goddess Durga. From 1400, Mysore(Mysooru) was
the main city of the Hindu kings, the Wodeyars. The Wodeyars
were under the Vijayanagar Empire till it collapsed in
1565, upon which they declared themselves independent.
They ruled from Mysore(Mysooru) ever since, till in 1956 the princely
state joined the Republic of India. There was a brief
interlude though in the 18th century with the power of
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the ascendant, they could
hardly resist this rich kingdom, only 15 km from Srirangapatnam.
However, on defeating Tipu, the British handed Mysore(Mysooru)
back to the Wodeyar kings.
Mysore(Mysooru) lies in the southern fringes of the Deccan Plateau
at a height of 770 metres, 135 kilometres southwest of
Bangalore. The River Cauvery flows close to the city but
Mysore(Mysooru) is not actually on its banks. Just a little beyond
Mysore(Mysooru) city one encounters the Western Ghats and sandalwood
forests. There are minor hills within city limits, like
the Chamundi Hill atop which is the Chamundi Temple.
In earlier days one would be surrounded by natural
beauty in Mysore(Mysooru). It’s no longer as green and
unspoilt as it was, but instead has become a bustling
mid size Indian city with its fair share of three-wheeler
auto rickshaws and smoke belching city buses. It has
wide roads and is thankfully free of multi-storey concrete
structures. The most important building in the city
is the Mysore(Mysooru) Palace and no other structure comes even
remotely close to it in beauty or grandeur.
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