This one is another old trip of mine. The first time I went to the famous city of Mysore was with my mother, when we opted for one of the (many) day tours by bus. After being picked up from our pick-up points, we set off by 7am. Leaving Bangalore, we were obviously taking Mysore Road and our first ‘stop’ was a quick one at Channapatna, a town famed for its traditional wooden toys.
After the stop at the toy store, we entered Srirangapatna, home to the scene of the last and decisive battle fought between the British and Tipu Sultan, the famed ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. The guide showed us Tipu Sultan’s damaged fortress and how he was sabotaged, as we drove around its now broken walls.
The tour bus stopped at Ranganathaswamy temple, which is quite famous in Srirangapatna
We reached Mysore city by lunch time and were dropped at a vegetarian restaurant. Post lunch, we were taken to Mysore’s most famous attraction – the grand Amba Vilas Palace – or Mysore Palace as it is more commonly known.
The entranceUnfortunately this is the only photo I took, because no photography is allowed inside the palace. I don't know why. The palace is quite grand with very old paintings and ornate royal decor.
By the way, be prepared to walk barefoot as you have to leave your shoes at a counter outside as no footwear is allowed inside the palace floors.
Next up, we rode up to the top of Chamundi hillMahishasura, a demon king of the area that is currently Mysore. According to legend, he was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari. The hills are named after the goddess.Chamundeshwari temple
You get a pretty good view of Mysore city at night from up here
Back down in Mysore city, we were taken to St. Philomena's churchBuilt in 1936, very few churches in India have such gothic architectureInside St. Philomena's churchIt was 5:30pm. We had our tea break nearby and moved on to our final stop on the tour.Which was Brindavan gardensCompleted in 1932, the gardens are adjoining the Krishnarajasagara damWhy would anyone come to a garden at night?Because Brindavan gardens are more famous for its fountains light show after sunsetApologies if these photographs don't do the gardens justice. These were my 'early years' when I was still using my point-&-shoot camera and took far fewer photos.The fountains show was alright
After this, we left for Bangalore city and reached home by around 11pm.
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2 Comments
Kusum
29/08/2013
Very nice blog. Me and my sister are also planning to hire a Kinetic scooter and visit Chamundi Hills. Was wondering if the hill roads were safe to ride there? Did you guys switch off the engine downhill on your way back? Need some tips, Regards, Kusum
Mithun Divakaran Reply: August 30th, 2013 at 6:07 PM
Well, no harm in taking a bike up but you’ll need a slightly powerful bike as it can be steep going up. Riding down is fine but we didn’t switch off the engine or anything, just kept the foot on the brakes. Yes, it’s safe as there are many tourists, but just come back before nightfall.
Kusum
29/08/2013Very nice blog. Me and my sister are also planning to hire a Kinetic scooter and visit Chamundi Hills. Was wondering if the hill roads were safe to ride there? Did you guys switch off the engine downhill on your way back? Need some tips, Regards, Kusum
Mithun Divakaran Reply:
August 30th, 2013 at 6:07 PM
Well, no harm in taking a bike up but you’ll need a slightly powerful bike as it can be steep going up. Riding down is fine but we didn’t switch off the engine or anything, just kept the foot on the brakes. Yes, it’s safe as there are many tourists, but just come back before nightfall.