MYSORE - SRIRANGAPATNA - BANDIPUR - SOMNATHPUR (FROM MYSORE)

About Chamundi Hill Temple

At a distance of 8 km from Mysore Zoo & 13 km from Mysore Railway Station, Chamundi Hill Temple is a Hindu temple located in Mysore. It is one of the major places of pilgrimage in Karnataka, and among the must-visit places as part of Mysore tour packages.

Mythology

The Chamundi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Chamundeswari, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi who took this form to destroy Mahishasura. Regarded as one of the best places to visit in Mysore, the temple is also known as Krouncha Pitham and is one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas representing the hair of Sati Devi.

History of Chamundi Temple

Perched at an altitude of 1065 m, the Chamundi Hill Temple was believed to be built in the 12th century by the Rulers of the Hoysala Dynasty while the temple tower was probably built .....

About Mysore Palace

At a distance of 2.5 km from the Mysore Railway Station & 2 km from KSRTC Bus Station, the Mysore Palace was the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore, and also housed the durbar. It is one of the largest palaces in India, and among the best tourist places to visit in Mysore.

History of Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace is the venue for the famous Mysore Dasara and it is often used to promote Mysore Tourism. It is one of the top attractions you must include in Mysore Packages. The Mysore Palace was built-in 1912 after a fire burnt down the old wooden palace. It was built by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and was further expanded by his son Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. The palace was designed by British architect Henry Irwin.

Architecture of Mysore Palace

The architectural style of the palace is commonly described .....

At a distance of about 500 meters from Mysore Railway Station & 2.5 Kms from KSRTC Bus Station, Railway Museum is situated adjacent to the railway station on Krishnaraja Sagar Road. This Museum was established in 1979 by Indian Railways and it was the earliest railway museums set up in India. A visit to Railway Museum is one of the top things to do in Mysore.

The museum houses a great collection of different models of trains ran by India Railways throughout the history. This collection consists of engines running on narrow gauge, meter gauge and broad gauge tracks, inspection coaches, engines from different periods, a cart running with steam, etc. There is also a private train with two coaches used by Maharaja of Mysore exhibited in Sri Ranga Pavilion which has a Maharani's saloon carriage dating back to 1899. The Pavilion also houses several artifacts used during the initial days like different models of .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Mysore Railway Station & 1 km from KSRTC Bus Station, St. Philomena's Church is a Catholic Church built in honor of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore, India. This is one of the top places to visit in Mysore. Designed by the Reverend Rene Feuge, it was constructed in 1956 in a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

The church is dedicated to 3rd century saint Philomena who was the daughter of the monarch of a small state in Greece. Her parents were childless for several years. They prayed Jesus to bless them with a child and the next year Philomena was born to them. Even in her childhood Philomena showed signs of piety. When Philomena was 13 years old her father took her to Rome to obtain the favour of Emperor Diocletian. The Emperor was enthralled by her beauty and wanted to marry her. But she refused and vowed to give herself .....

At a distance of 5 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 2 Kms from Mysore Zoo, Karanji Lake is located at the bottom of the Chamundi Hill Road and behind Mysore Zoo. Karanji Lake (also called as Fountain Lake) is maintained by the Zoological department of Mysore and a huge fountain is installed inside the lake. It is spread over 90 acres and is home to more than 90 species of resident and migratory birds.

This lake also has India's largest and first walkthrough aviary and a butterfly garden. The butterfly park has been created on a small island within the Karanji Lake. About 45 species of butterflies have been identified here.

Karanji Lake has boating facilities on all days except Tuesdays. Boating on the lake is a favorite activity with row boats and pedal boats.

Timings: 8.30 AM to 5.30 PM, Closed on Tuesdays

Entry Fee: Rs. 10 for Adults, Rs. 5 for Children, Rs. 10 for .....

At a distance of 1 km from Srirangapatna Railway Station & 16 Kms from Mysore Railway Station, Srirangapatna Fort is situated in the town of Srirangapatna which was the capital of the Mysore state under the legendary king Tipu Sultan. It is a small island formed by the river Cauvery and its tributaries. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit from Bangalore & Mysore and an important historical site in Karnataka.

The fort was originally built in the year 1537 by Kempe Gowda. This Fort has four main entrances and has a double wall defense system, which is what makes it one of the toughest forts. Most of the fort was demolished by British during Fourth Mysore War in 1799.

There is a monument in the fort in the place where Tipu Sultan was killed. The architectural style of the fort is supposed to be Indo-Islamic and there is a Persian inscription .....

At a distance of 500 m from Srirangapatna Railway Station, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple situated in Srirangapatna is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Ranganatha. Located inside the Srirangapatna Fort on the banks of the Kaveri River, it is one of the largest temples in Karnataka, among the top tourist places to visit as part of Srirangapatna Tour Packages. The temple is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India as a monument of national importance.

Ranganathaswamy Temple is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines in South India and among the prime places to visit in Srirangapatna. The temple is one of the Pancharanga Kshetras, the other four being Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam, Sarangapani Temple of Kumbakonam, Appakudathan Temple of Trichy, and the Parimala .....

At a distance of 3 km from Srirangapatna Railway Station & 16 Kms from Mysore, Daria Daulat Bagh also known as Tipu's Summer Palace is located in Srirangapatna. Hyder Ali commenced its construction in 1778 and his son Tippu Sultan completed it in 1784 AD. The palace is surrounded by a large garden on the southern bank of the river.

The palace was made with teakwood in Indo-Saracenic style. The pillars, walls, canopies, arches and the corridors are graced with several murals. They depict scenes of warfare by Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan, the Nizams of Hyderabad, the British and French soldiers. The eastern wall has paintings representing the scenes of Darbars of different contemporaries of Tippu Sultan including the Hindu Rani of Chittor, the Raja of Tanjore, the Raja of Benares, Peshwas, etc.

The Daria Daulat Bagh palace is now converted in a museum housing several of Tippu's memorabilia. First floor of the palace houses .....

At a distance of 5 km from Srirangapatna Railway Station, Gumbaz is the Mausoleum of Tipu Sultan, his father Hider Ali and mother Fakr-Un-Nisa, situated at Srirangapatna. The Gumbaz was built by Tipu Sultan in 1782-1784 AD as the final resting place for his parents. Tipu was allowed to be buried here by the British, after his death in the Siege of Srirangapatna in 1799.

The Gumbaz is designed in Islamic style, with a large rectangle shaped garden, having a path leading to the mausoleum. In the middle of the garden, the Gumbaz stands on an elevated platform, consists of a dome placed on a cubical structure with ornamental railings and turrets. The dome is supported by large black granite pillars.

The importance of Gumbaz lies in its well-shaped large dome with ivory inlaid doors and carved stone windows of fine work and inscriptions. The doors of the tomb are beautifully carved and engraved with ivory works. The interior .....

At a distance of 3 km from Srirangapatna, and 16 km from Mysore, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is a small sanctuary situated in Srirangapatna, Karnataka. It is one of the must include places in wildlife tours in India and among the must visit Mysore tourist places.

Spread across 67 sq. km, the sanctuary comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. It was declared in 1940 as a result of many requests from Dr. Salim Ali who surveyed the birds in this area. Since then, the sanctuary has become a paradise for bird watchers. The sanctuary is a breeding ground for many migratory birds from all over the world. It is home to a wide species of birds including cormorants, darters, white ibis, spoon billed storks, open-billed storks, painted storks, white-necked storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, kingfishers, sandpiper, etc.

A boat ride takes .....

About Brindavan Gardens

At a distance of 16 km from Srirangapatna, & 19 km from Mysore, Brindavan Gardens is a famous & beautiful garden laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam in Karnataka. This is one of the best tourist places to visit in Mysore, and among the must-include places in Srirangapatna Tour Packages.

History of Brindavan Gardens

Sir Mirza Ismail, the then Diwan of Mysore wanted to beautify the area around KRS Dam. Therefore, the construction of Brindavan Garden was started in the year 1927 by the Department of Horticulture and was completed in 1932. The designs of Brindavan Gardens have been inspired by the breathtaking Shalimar Bagh of Kashmir which was created in the ancient Mughal Style. Now, the garden is maintained by the Cauvery Irrigation Department, Government of Karnataka. The garden was .....

At a distance of 137 km from Bangalore, 35 km from Mysore & 50 km from Shivanasamudra Falls, Somnathpur is well known for the breathtaking Prasanna Chennakesava Temple, one of the three famous & finest representations of Hoysala architecture (other two being temples at Belur & Halebid). This is one of the three Hoysala temples nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. This is one of the popular tourist places to visit near Bangalore & Mysore and one of the wonderful weekend getaways from both the cities. The Hoysala temples are known for minute & intricate carvings and sculptures with metal like polishing. It is one of the well known Karnataka tourist places and also one of the best places to experince Mysore Tourism.

Located on the banks of Cauvery River, .....

At a distance of 27 Kms from Mysore, Nanjangud is a temple town on the banks of Kapila (Kabini) River. The temple is dedicated Nanjundeshwara (which means God who drank poison) an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Built in the Dravidian style, the original temple is said to be from Ganga period.

According to Legend, the Gods and demons churned the ocean in search of the nectar of immortality. During this churning, there were lots of artifacts emanated out of the ocean including poison. To prevent the poison from spreading across the universe and to destroy it, Shiva came to the rescue and drank the poison. His wife Parvati then held his throat tightly to prevent the poison from spreading to the rest of his body.

The spacious temple has minor shrines of Narayana with consorts, Chandikeswara, Parvathi, Natya Ganapathi and others. The Chariot festival takes place twice a year and this is commonly known as Dodda Jathre and the Chikka Jathre.

Timings: 6 AM - 1 PM & 4 - 8. 30 PM

Mini Bus Safari is the simplest way to explore Bandipur National Park. The park organizes a 90-minute bus safari through the tourism zone of the national park. Most of the common wildlife can be seen at close range. The first and last safaris offer the best possible views of wildlife. The bus safaris are crowded during weekends & holiday seasons. It is one of the best things to do in Bandipur.

Safari Timings: 6 AM - 9.30 AM & 2.30 PM - 6.30 PM

Safari Cost (90 mins): Rs. 650 for Person. Prices are for Indian Visitors as of Jan 2023.