Mysore is a metropolitan city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is located at a distance of about 140 kilometers from Bangalore that served as the yesteryears capitals of the Wodeyars who ruled Mysore for a very long span of time. Many of the kannadigas have travelled to Mysuru, aka Mysore.The city of Mysore has always been an important part of India’s history and heritage. Also called the City of Palaces, it is steeped in stories of power, prestige, and grandeur, which still reflects in its edifices and culture. Home to ancient royal families and historical legends, the city invites all kinds of visitors to discover its legacy and make their travel experience a class apart.
OLD MYSORE- Mahishura Nagara:
KINGDOM OF MYSORE AND ITS HISTORY:
There are inscriptions in Mysuru by the Hoysalas that dates back to the 11th and 12th century. The Mysuru was ruled by Gangas, Chalukyas, Cholas and Hoysalas. After the Hoysalas came, the Vijayanagar Kings and then the Mysuru Yadu Dynasty came to power in 1399A.D. They were the feudatories of the Vijayanagar Kings. This dynasty also contributed to temple building in Mysuru. Bettada Chamaraja Wadiyar, the raja of Mysuru rebuilt the fort of Mysuru and made his headquarters and called the city ‘Mahishura Nagara‘ meaning the city of Mahishur. Many inscriptions done in the 17th century and later refer to Mysuru as ‘Mahishuru‘.
CULTURE OF MYSURU:
Mysuru has been a city where all religions have co-existed in harmony for many centuries. Even when Mysuru was culturally at its zenith under the Vijayanagar Empire and the Wadiyars the rulers always encouraged all religions and cultures without any discrimination. The continuous patronage and support of the Kings in every field led to the evolution of a distinct style known as the “Mysuru Style” in the all the fields like painting, architecture, music, poetry etc. Over a period of time as this culture spread far and wide it was prefixed with the word “Mysuru” to identify the unique cultural heritage.
A painting in Mysore palace museum shows the Dewans wearing a Turban called “Peta.” — Mysore Peta is usually made using beige silk or any shining fabric lined with a gold border. The Royals and High officials of ancient Mysore wore this. Most of the kannada grooms were this for their wedding.
Modern Mysuru
Mysuru as a modern city has managed to retain its quaint old world charm and is one of the tourism hot spots and receives maximum number of tourist during the period of Dasara festival from all over the world. Mysuru is famous in the world for its sandalwood and rosewood artifacts, stone sculptures, incense sticks, inlay work with ivory and its exquisite silk sarees.
PLACES TO VISIT IN MYSORE:
- Mysore palace-The former residence of the royal family of Mysore, the Mysore Palace is an extremely breath-taking example of the Indo-Sarcenic style of architecture. It was built in the year 1912 for the 24th Ruler of the Wodeyar Dynasty, and is till date one of the biggest palaces in the country. It’s one of the most popular and well known tourist attractions in India.
- Brindavan gardens: Built across the Kaveri river, these beautiful gardens were constructed by Krishnaraja Wodeyar. These gardens spread over 60 acres of land and were modeled after the Shalimar gardens of Kashmir. The beauty of these gardens multiplies in the evenings when the fountains light up in various colors.
- Mysore zoo: Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, also known as the Mysore Zoo is one of the best zoological gardens in India. Along with being home to various species of birds, mammals and reptiles, this zoo also engages in captive breeding of exotic and endangered species. The world’s first caesarian section delivery performed on an elephant in Mysore zoo gave it global fame and recognition.
- Somanathapura temple: The village is named after Somnath, the commander of the Hoysala army who founded this place. It has a perfect natural setting for a family picnic. Also, the Somnathpur temple is a classic example of the stone carvings in Hoysala architecture.
- Jaganmohan palace: The palace that housed the royals before the construction of The Mysore palace, this structure displays various paintings of the past kings of Mysore and is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
- Bonsai garden: As the infrastructure in the city and even outskirts is improving to meet greater standards, future Mysore will an show even better standard of living.
POPULATION DENSITY OF MYSORE: this city gives a ranking of 125th in India. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 13.39%.The total Mysore district population living in rural areas is 1,755,714.
THE FUTURE PROSPECTS OF MYSORE:
Mysore has a highly efficient town planning system which is not surprising given that it had a system in place as early as centuries ago! Mysore is also home to many rich heritage buildings including palaces, making Mysore real estate a target for real estate investors. In the recent years, the infrastructure in Mysore has improved greatly including the rising number of companies, better and wider roads, flyovers, commercial buildings and much more, and is bound to improve greatly in the future.
While shared spaces are not that common in all cities, Mysore is slowly but consistently seeing an increase in demand for the same; increasing number of companies may also be a reason for this demand. As the infrastructure in the city and even outskirts is improving to meet greater standards, future Mysore will an show even better standard of living.