BEST OF MYSORE & OOTY (FROM BANGALORE)

At a distance of 13.5 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 8.5 Kms from Mysore Zoo, Chamundi Hill is very famous for Chamundeswari temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundeswari, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi who took this form to destroy Mahishasura. Also known as Krouncha Pitham, Chamundi Temple is one among the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas representing the hair of Sati Devi and among the prime place to visit on a Mysore trip. This is one of the major pilgrimage sites in Karnataka and one of the top places to visit in Mysore.

At an altitude of 1065 meters, the temple on Chamundi Hill was built in 11th century. For centuries, the Wodeyars of Mysore revered the deity and made extensive contributions to this shrine. The idol of goddess Chamundi inside the central sanctum was made with pure gold. The temple is a fine example of Dravidian temple architecture. The temple .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from 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. Designed by British architect Henry Irwin and built in 1912 after a fire burnt down the old wooden palace, it is one of the largest palaces in India and one of the best tourist places to visit in Mysore. Mysore Palace is the venue for 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 architectural style of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. The facade .....

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 16 kms from Srirangapatna & 19 Kms from Mysore, Brindavan Gardens is a famous & beautiful garden laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam. The construction work of the garden was started in the year 1927 and completed in 1932. This is one of the best tourist places to visit in Mysore.

The garden was designed by Sir Mirza Ismail, Diwan of Mysore based on Shalimar Gardens of Kashmir in the Mughal style. Spread over an area of 150 acres, the Brindavan Gardens is considered as one of the best gardens in India. The garden is enriched with fountains, terraces, parterres, running and cascading water channels, lush green lawns & flower beds.

The Musical and dancing fountain, located in the North Brindavan Garden, is the main attraction of the garden. The best time to visit the gardens is .....

At a distance of 1 km from Ooty Bus Station & Railway Station, Ooty Lake is an artificial lake situated in the beautiful hill station of Ooty. It is one of the most visited tourist places in Ooty and also one of the popular places to represent Ooty Tourism. It is also one of the top attractions you must include in Ooty packages.

Ooty Lake was built by John Sullivan in 1824 AD, the then Collector of Coimbatore. Covers an area of 65 acres with an average depth of 40 feet, the lake is fed by the mountain streams in the Ooty valley. The lake was originally intended to be used for fishing with ferries being used to travel across the lake. It gradually shrunk from its original size giving place to the current bus stand race course, and the lake park.

The lake is surrounded by groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line running along one shore. Situated amidst beautiful valleys, Ooty .....

At a distance of 3 km from Ooty Bus Station & Railway Station and 4 km from Ooty Lake, Ooty Botanical Gardens is a beautiful garden situated on the foothills of Dodabetta Peak in Ooty. Maintained by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department, Ooty Botanical Gardens is one of the top places to visit in Ooty and also one of the best botanical gardens in India.

The Botanical Gardens in Udhagamandalam was laid out in 1847 AD. It was designed by the architect William Graham McIvor under the supervision of George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale, the then Governor of Madras. The original purpose of the Botanical Gardens was to promote and study the various flora in and around Nilgiris. Now, it is open to the public as a park that can be enjoyed by visitors.

The garden spreads over an area of 22 hectares with more than 650 species of flowers and trees. The .....

At a distance of 4 km from Doddabetta Peak and 5 km from Ooty Bus Station & Ooty Railway Station, Tea Factory & Museum is situated on Doddabetta Road in Ooty. Amidst the blue hills of Nilgiris, it is one of the popular tea factories in Tamilnadu and among the must visit Ooty Tourist Places.

Perched at an altitude of 1839 m, the Ooty Tea Factory is spread across nearly an acre; all covered with the emerald green tea plants. Visitors can see the entire processing method right from the freshly plucked green leaves to its packaging at the factory. It also houses the Tea Museum where visitors can learn about the origin of different kinds of tea leaves that are used across the globe along with the history of tea in India and its evolution in the Nilgiris. The Doddabetta tea factory in Ooty also offers beautiful views of the valley, and the towering mountain peaks surrounding it.

The Ooty Tea Factory features a small shop where free tea is offered to all visitors. This hot cup of .....

At a distance of 9 km from Ooty, Doddabetta is a mountain peak situated on the Ooty - Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. Literally means Big Mountain, Doddabetta is the highest point in Nilgiri Mountains and also one of the popular places to visit in Ooty. It is among prime place to visit on a Ooty trip.

Situated at an altitude of 2623 m, Doddabetta is regarded as one of the highest peaks in South India, which lies at the junction of the Western and Eastern Ghats. The area surrounding Doddabetta is mostly forested. Sholas cover the hollows of its slopes. Tall rhododendron trees, flowering sub-alpine shrubs and herbs are common, even very near the peak. One can have a magnificent panoramic view of the landscape, beautiful valley, plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore from the peak.

The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation .....

At a distance of 4 km from Ooty and 12.5 km from Coonoor, Ketti Valley View Point is a popular vantage point situated on Ooty - Coonoor Road in Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu. It is one the most beautiful sightseeing places in Ooty and also one of the top places to experince Ooty Tourism.

As the name suggests, the view point provides a panoramic view of the Ketti Valley, the largest valley in the Nilgiris, and its beautiful surroundings. Ketti Valley is home to several tribes, such as Todas and Badagas. There are over 14 villages in this valley that belong to the tribes of Badagas. These tribal people are experts in cultivating fresh vegetables and fruits in the valley.

Also known as Switzerland of Nilgiris, the Ketti Valley is a heaven for nature lovers and photographers. The view of Ketti from the viewpoint is majestic and often compared .....

At a distance of 9 km from Ooty Bus Station, Kamraj Sagar Dam, also known as the Sandynalla Reservoir, is a very quiet and scenic dam situated on the slopes of the Wenlock Downs in Ooty. It is one of the top Ooty tourist places and also a must include in every Ooty Tour Package.

The dam, built on the Kamrajar Lake, is spread over 400 acres and is situated on the way to Wenlock Downs & Pykara. The dam is a monsoon fed water body and measures about 6 km in length. The dam and the serene location make it a heavenly place and a favorite haunt for the nature lovers. It is also a popular destination with honeymoon couples because of its picturesque natural beauty. It is a popular shooting location in Ooty.

There are several walking trails around the lake and visitors can also explore several tourist places .....

At a distance of 16 km from Ooty, Wenlock Downs is a vast expanse of grassy meadow located on the way to Pykara in Ooty, Tamilnadu. It is one of the most scenic places in Ooty and also one of the best Ooty tourist places. Along with Ooty Lake, this place is most commonly represented for Ooty Tourism.

Wenlock Downs is a spectacular meadow named after Sir Arthur Lawley's sibling Beilby Lawley, third Baron Wenlock. The downs spread majestically across 20,000 acres of rolling lands that seems to be stretching endlessly. The entire place is covered with Shola forest. More popularly known as the Shooting Point, Wenlock Downs has two popular movie filming points known as Sixth Mile and Ninth Mile named so because of they are located at 6 miles and 9 miles away from Ooty.

The extensive grassland of .....

At a distance of 22 km from Ooty, Pykara Lake is a placid lake situated on Ooty - Mysore road in Tamilnadu. Pykara Lake & Dam is one of the best places to visit in Ooty and an ideal place to experience beautiful boat ride.

Pykara Dam built on Pykara River amidst dense forest is a beautiful destination offering breathtaking scenery. Pykara is the largest river in Nilgiris district. Pykara Lake is a blessed lake for the Todas, the local tribe of Nilgiris. This is the best place to relax and admire the beauty of nature. The dam is near the main Ooty - Gudalur road and includes a power station. Often referred as one of the oldest power plants in South India, the Pykara Power Station still functions and generating about 60 megawatts electricity. It was declared as a heritage plant in 1997, triggered the establishment of more hydro-electric power stations in the state. .....

At a distance of 2 km from Pykara Lake and 23 km from Ooty Bus Stand, Pykara Falls is a majestic waterfalls situated on Ooty - Mysore road in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. This is one of the best waterfalls near Bangalore and also one of the most popular Ooty tourist places. It is another popular attraction not to miss in a Ooty tour package.

Pykara Falls is formed by Pykara River on the downstream of the Pykara Dam. The falls drops down into two sections with height of 55 m and 61 m through multiple layers on the rocky bed providing a unique beauty to the stream. The waterfall amidst the dense forest is a treat to watch. It is one of the must visit places for honeymoon couples and nature lovers during their Ooty trip. During rainy season, the waterfall is in .....