Mysore(Mysooru) City Palace and Museum
The palace at the heart of the city forms the focal
point around which the city functions. Located at Mirza
Road, the Palace is open daily from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30
p.m. Entry fee - Rs.10. Shoes cannot be worn inside
the palace. Camera not allowed. The palace is illuminated
on Sundays, national holidays from 7:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.
and during Dassera festival from 7:00 p.m. to 9 p.m.
One of the largest palaces in India and the residence
of the Wodeyar Maharaja's of the Mysore(Mysooru) state, it was
designed by British architect Henry Irwin and built
in 1912, after a fire burnt down the old wooden palace.
The stained glass roof of the 'Kalyana Mandapa' (marriage
pavilion), wall paintings, ivory inlaid rosewood doors
and the ornate golden throne here, are all remarkable.
The palace now under the supervision of Department
of Archaeology and Museums of the Karnataka Government
is converted into a museum. The royal costumes, children's
toys, musical instruments, photographs and numerous
portraits are placed at the ground floor. A small collection
of weapons are displayed on the upper floor.
Chamundi Hill
The 1150meter Chamundi Hill is one of the landmark tourist
attraction of Mysore(Mysooru). It is located about 13kms South
east of Mysore(Mysooru).
The Chamundeswari temple on the top of the hill, dating
back to the twelfth century, is dedicated to Durga Devi
or goddess Chamundi (avatar of Parvathi, Shiva's consort)
for celebrating her victory over the demon Mahishasura.
The idol of goddess Chamundi inside the sanctorum sanctuary
is in solid gold. The temple is a fine example of Dravidian
temple architecture. The temple tower is 40m high with
seven stories. Behind the main temple there is a small
shrine dedicated to Mahabaleswara which is over a thousand
years old. From the top of hill you can have a panoramic
view of Mysore(Mysooru). There is a giant statue of Mahishasura,
the demon who was killed by the goddess Chamundi (Durga
Devi) near the temple. Halfway up the hill a ornamented
monolithic statue of the Nandi Bull can be found. It
is carved out of a single block of black granite.
Saint Philomena's Church
Built in 1933 and designed by Reverand Rene
Feuge, St. Philomena's church is one among the grandest
churches in India. Located about 3 kms from the city
on Cathedral road, it is the tallest Church in India
built in the neo-Gothic style. A statue of 3rd century
saint, Philomena is placed in an underground chamber.
The twin spires are 175 feet in height and are visible
from miles around. Some fine attractive glass paintings
depicting scenes from the birth of Christ, the Last
Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension
of Christ can also be seen here. Presently it is known
as St. Joseph's Church. Open from 8 am to 6 pm.
Jaganmohan Palace
Jaganmohan Palace, built in 1861 by Maharaja Krishnaraja
Wodeyar, is one of the oldest building in Mysore(Mysooru). This
three storied palace with stained glass shutters and
ventilators is located about 10 minutes walk from the
city bus stand. It is now converted into Jayachamarajendra
Art Gallery, a treasure house of paintings of unparalleled
beauty, handicrafts, a rare collection of musical instruments
and historical memorabilia dating back to the nineteenth
century and earlier.
Lalitha Mahal Palace
The heritage building, is located about 11 kms from
the city of Mysore(Mysooru). This twin storied palace was commissioned
in 1921 by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and was designed
by E.W Fritchley in the Renaissance style with concepts
from the Italina palazzo and the English manor. Nestling
at the foot of the Chamundi Hills, the pleasing white
structure was modeled in the lines of St. Paul's Cathedral
in London. In 1974, India Tourist Development Corporation
converted this royal guest palace into a star hotel.
However, the building continues to retain various aspects
of the Palace including the viceroy room, the banquet
hall, the ballroom and the stately Italian marble staircases.
The Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel offers royal living and
dining in the environs of a real palace.
Krishnaraja Sagar Dam or KRS Dam
KRS dam, built in 1932, is located 12 kms north-west
of Mysore(Mysooru). The project was designed by the farsighted
engineer Sir M. Vishweswaraiah and constructed during
the rule of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The dam is around
8600 feet long and 130 feet high with a reservoir spread
over an area of 130 sq.kms. It represents a marvel of
civil engineering achievement in pre-independence India
and was among the first in the world to use automatic
sluice gates. There is a boating pond to cross the dam
from the south bank to the north bank and at the northern
edge are the dancing fountains. The beautiful terraced
Brindavan Gardens is located just below the KRS dam.
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