3 DAY TRIP FROM BANGALORE | BEST OF MYSORE & SRIRANGAPATNA

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 2 km from Mysore Railway Station & 2 km from KSRTC Bus Station, the Jagan Mohan Palace which houses the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery is located near City Bus Stand. It is one of the best preserved art gallery in Karnataka and also one of the popular Mysore tourist places.

The Jagan Mohan Palace was constructed in 1861 by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III as an alternate retreat for the royal family. The Mysore Palace, which was the original home of the royal family, was burnt down in a fire and the construction of a new palace in its place was started in 1897. Till the new palace was completed in 1912, the Jagan Mohan Palace was used by the royals as their home.

The Palace is a three-storied structure constructed in traditional Hindu style of architecture. The original palace was extended in 1900 and an external facade with a hall .....

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 3 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 1.5 Kms from KSRTC Bus Station, the Mysore Zoo was established in 1892 by Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar and designed by German Landscaper and Horticulturist Mr. G.H. Krumbeigal. Also known as Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, it is one of the oldest and one of the best zoo parks in South India. It is also one of the best among Mysore places to visit and often used to promote Mysore Tourism along with Mysore Palace and it is another popular attraction not to miss in a Mysore tour package.

The zoo was originally 10 acres and has expanded to over 250 acres currently. Mysore Zoo provides shelter to large number of animal species. The Zoo is famous for breeding some very rare animals in captivity. It has a fine collection of animals like lions, tigers, hyena, deer, elephants, rhinos, king cobras and birds. The highlights of the zoo are .....

At a distance of 7 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 4 Kms from Mysore Zoo, Lalitha Mahal Palace is located close to Chamundi Hill Road. This is the second largest palace in Mysore after The Mysore Palace. It is one of the top Mysore tourist places and among the best palaces in Mysore. Built in 1921 by Maharaja Krishna Raja Wodeyar Bahaddur IV, this palace initially housed royal guests. It was designed by EW Fritchley from Mumbai in European & Indian styles.

The palace is beautifully designed and it is one of the most attractive palaces in South India. The lobby and corridors of the palace have beautiful paintings of Mysore rulers and historical events of Mysore kingdom, like The siege of Srirangapatna Fort, Tipus Sons, etc. The staircase of the palace is wonderfully designed. The most attractive part of the palace is the restaurant block. The curved .....

At a distance of 5 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 2.2 Kms from Mysore Zoo, the Regional Museum of Natural History, located on the banks of Karanji Lake, is one of the best Mysore tourist places.

The museum exhibits plants, animals and geology of the southern region of India. The galleries of the museum are presented under the divisions of Man and the Environment, Ecology, Life through the Ages, Biological Diversity, and Conservation for Development. The galleries emphasize the conservation of nature and natural resources while depicting ecological interrelationship among plants and animals.

Visually challenged students can feel the exhibits of animals on the premises. The museum provides an extracurricular activity for schools and promotes environmental awareness. They also arrange film shows on topics related to natural history.

The lobby of the museum has beautiful art work of Elephants .....

At a distance of 3.5 Kms from Mysore Railway Station & 4 Kms from KSRTC Bus Station, Kukkarahalli Lake is situated in the heart of the Mysore City and lies in the vicinity of the University of Mysore. The Kukkarahalli Lake or Kukkarahalli Kere was built in 1864 AD by Dewan Poornaiah. This lake sprawls over an area of 120 acres.

The lake is a paradise for bird watchers and it has more than 180 types of birds including the aquatic kind. The lake is used by the naval wing of the National Cadet Corps to provide boat-pulling training to its cadets for the annual boat-pulling competition. Karnataka State Tourism division provides boating facility in both motor and pedal boats. There is a sidewalk along the lake with stone benches for people to sit, relax and enjoy the scenic beauty of the lake.

Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM.

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 Mysore & Bangalore 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 on the gateway that announces its date of construction. There are two .....

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 Kaveri River, it is one of the largest temples in Karnataka. This is the prime attraction in Srirangapatna & one of the top tourist places to visit near Mysore. 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. The temple is one of the Pancharanga Kshetras, other four being Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam, Sarangapani Temple of Kumbakonam, Appakudathan Temple of Trichy and the Parimala Ranganathaswamy Temple of Mayiladuthurai. Srirangapatna is also known as Aadi Rangam, Srirangam as Anthya Rangam and Sivasamudram in Karnataka as Madhyarangam.

According .....

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 16 Kms from Mysore & 3 Kms from Srirangapatna, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is a small sanctuary spread across 67 sq.kms. It is one of the popular places to visit in Srirangapatna and also one of the must visit Mysore tourist places.

The sanctuary comprises of 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 you to the six islets crowded with .....

At a distance of 12 km from Srirangapatna Railway Station & 15 Kms from Mysore near Brindavan Gardens, Balmuri Falls & Edumuri Falls are man-made waterfalls on the way to KRS dam. Edumuri falls is about 1 km from Balmuri Falls.

Balmuri falls is the famous of the two and is a favorite film shooting spot. Balmuri Falls are actually small falls created by a check-dam constructed on river Cauvery. The water flow is not heavy during the dry season and it is safe to enjoy & play in the water here. It is a good picnic spot and typically visited in the winter.

Edumuri falls is about 500 feet east of Balmuri falls and is a good spot to swim and play in the water. There is also an ancient Ganesha temple in the vicinity.

About 8 Km before KRS dam, take right turn at Belagola and the Balmuri falls is 3 Km from here.