" Even today I would assert, after having visited many parts of the world, that nowhere can you witness such masterpiece sunsets as in Mysore......" the great Indian writer R.K.Narayan was very right when he said this because the mesmerising beauty of Mysore has always been a source of immense happiness for all the nature admirers. Situated in the southern part of the Deccan plateau, Mysore was once the capital of the Wodeyar dynasty and today it is a pleasant city where culture boasts of royal pedigree.

Mysore's glorious past does not live on its royal edifices, churches or museums. It is palpable in the unhurried yet often grand lifestyle of its people, and its literature and performing arts. It is a place where time is measured in seasons and not seconds, and where a horse- drawn tonga still runs alongside an auto rickshaw.

See & Do

Mysore Palace - Built in Indo- Saracenic styles with domes, turrets, arches and colonaddes, the palace presents a spectacle of breathtaking beauty. The doors of the luxuriously furnished rooms of the palace are intricately carved. The majestic Durbar Hall possesses an ornate ceiling and many sculpted pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden throne of the Wodeyars is put on display every year during Dasera festival.

Chamundeswari Temple - Perched atop the Chamundi Hills, at a height of 1,000 ft on the eastern edge of Mysore, sits the 11th century Chamundeswari Temple which is dedicated to Goddess Durga.One can either climb the 1,00 steps to the temple or drive up the winding ghat roads. Near the temple one can see the towering statue of the demon Mahishasura.

Rail Museum - Rail Museum is not very well known but is quiet impressive. The museum holds locomotive coaches, paintings and photographs, narrating the ' Rail Story'. The major exhibit of the museum is the Maharaja's Saloon which was especially crafted for the Wodeyar rulers in 1899.

St Philomena's Church - Located on Ashoka Road north of the Amba Vilas Palace, is the St Phiomena's Church built in 1931. It is an imposing structure with impressive stained-glass windows and twin spires that stretch 175ft into the sky.

Mysore Zoo - The Mysore Zoo is a worth visiting place which was created during the nineteenth century. The zoo houses rare and exotic species and is famous for breeding some of the very rare animals in captivity.

The Art Gallery - The famous Jaganmohan Palace was transformed into an art gallery in 1875. The gallery exhibits paintings of the ancient period. The artists of that era used natural vegetable and mineral dyes. The famous traditional Mysore 'gold leaf ' paintings are also exhibited in the gallery, as are oil paintings of contemporary artist like Raja Ravi Varma and Svetoslav Roerich.

Brindavan Gardens - The Brindavan Gardens is located at about 19 km from the city. The gardens are famous for their musical fountains. The place turns out to be a fairy land in the evenings.

Loosen your Pockets

Mysore is a shopper's paradise offering something for everyone. It is a reputed place for silk sarees and handicrafts. The artisans of this place work in their homes and in the working centres to produce a variety of items. The elegant and attractive items of handicrafts are mostly wood based and are made out of sandalwood, rosewood and teak wood. Figures of gods and goddesses , inlaid works of rosewood like teapoys, coffee tables and other items of furniture look very pleasant and attractive. Besides handicrafts, Mysore is famous for Agarbattis or incense sticks and the exuding aroma of the agarbattis can be felt in the atmosphere of Mysore.

The major shopping areas of Mysore are:

• Krishnaraja Circle -Lying in the north western corner of the Mysore Palace, the Krishnaraja Circle is one of the best shopping centres of Mysore.This shopping area is famous for silk sarees.
• Devaraj Urs Road - One can find Mysore's very own special fragrant, and tangy betel leaf.
• Sayyagi Rao Road - The famous Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium is located in the Sayyagi Rao Road and is famous for genuine handicraft items like like ivory, sandalwood carving, silver and brassware etc.
• Nayanotsav - People interested in buying antiques can check out Nayanotsav, located near the zoo.
• Ashoka Road
• Dhanvantri Road

Also look out for Government Silk Weaving Factory on Mananthavady Road where one can watch the famous Mysore silk sarees being woven.
The Government Sandal Oil Factory, where sandal oil is extracted and used in the production of the famous Mysore Sandal Soap, is worth a visit.

Dinning Delight

How about keeping a fast for a day? Well, it is very much possible but have a look at the mouth watering dishes of Mysore and then think it over again.........

In the majestic land of Mysore, taking a break for eating is the most delicious thing to do. The city offers terrific South Indian food like- Set Dosas ( fluffy, soft pancakes made of beaten rice, served in set of three ), masala dosas, uppittu (or upma), rava idli and Mysore rasam. However the most outstanding feature of the city is the web of bakeries set up by Mysore's Vaishnavite community, the Iyengars. Most of the restaurants are specialised in serving the most wannabe preparation of Mysore- The Mysore Pak or the sweet meat.

• Hotel Dasaprakash - The restaurant of this hotel is famous for offering excellent South Indian thalis.
• Bombay Tiffany- The high teas of Bombay Tiffany is just great.
• Nalpak Restaurants - Located in V.V. Mohalla and Devaraj Urs Road are the places to enjoy the delicacies like akki and ragi roti , and the spicy bisi-bela-huli-anna (hot-lentil-tamarind-rice).
• Woodland's Restaurant - This restaurant is specialised in South Indian Cuisine.

There are certain other food spots in Mysore:

• Khatta Meeta Restaurant in Dhanvantri Road
• Kailas Bhavan in Shivarampet
• Amravati Restaurant in Ooty Road
• Down Town Fast Food in Kalidasa Road

The Changing Wind

Mysore does not have an extreme type of climate and the weather throughout the year remains pleasant. Summer day temperatures average at 30 degree C and some days may be as hot as 35 degree C. Winter is cool and comfortable, with day temperature for December averaging 27 degree C. It is advisable to the first time travellers to avoid their trip to Mysore during rainy season.