Mysore or presently called as Mysuru was once the glorious capital of Wodeyar dynasty for over six centuries. Since the ancient times, the city has been the center of art and cultural scene of Karnataka and is well-known for its silk sarees, unique style of painting named Mysore painting and one of our favorite desserts, Mysore Pak. While the city prides itself on it’s 7 beautiful and magnificent palaces, it comes as no surprise to us that it is also called the “City of Palaces” in India. While a lot of people connect with the grand celebration during the Dussehra festival, the city has much more to offer to even when you visit on a regular day.

So let’s check out what drives tourists from all over the world to Mysuru:

1. Mysore Palace

The crowning glory of the Wodeyar Empire, that stands in the heart of the city and is one of the most opulent palaces of the country, Royal Palace of Mysore, also known as the Amba Vilas Palace is a place one cannot ever miss on their visit to the city. We are completely in awe of its beauty and would love to visit again and again to bask in its opulence and the royal paraphernalia. Visit the palace in the early morning to avoid tourists and take your own time to admire the paintings and the opulent royal halls and rooms. Visit to the palace on a Sunday after the sunset is another treat as it glows in the night with millions of lights.

Related post: Mysore Palace: The Royal abode of the Wodeyars

2. St. Philomena Church

The St. Philomena Church stands as one of the tallest landmarks of Mysore. Built between the years 1931 and 1941 the church was designed in Neo-Gothic style, drawing inspiration from the Cologne cathedral of Germany and St. Patrick’s church of New York. The cathedral has a spectacularly stained glass window illustrating various stories from Bible and do not miss to visit the underground chapel which houses the relics of St. Philomena.

3. Chamundeshwari Temple

Situated atop the Chamundi hills, the Chamundeshwari temple was built over 1000 years ago and is famous for the significance of the deity to the Wodeyars during the event of Dussehra celebration. The golden Gopura (entrance tower) of this ancient temple and the huge statue of Mahishasura have attracted thousands of visitors for years. Also, the temple is revered as an important pilgrim center to all the devotees of Goddess Chamundi visiting this place.

4. Devaraja Market

To get an up-close feel of the charm of the old Mysore city, visit the famous Devaraja Market. This is one of the oldest markets present in the state, dating back to the time of Tipu Sultan’s Reign and is a prominent bazaar for shopping local products like spices, flowers, and sandalwood products.

5. Brindavan garden

Just an hour drive from Mysore city lays this beautiful garden designed besides the famous Krishna Raja Sagar Dam across River Kaveri, dedicated to the king Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The Brindavan garden was constructed in the year 1932 and still works its magic over its visitors with its wide variety of flora and fauna. Do not miss to watch as the famous musical fountains as they come alive every evening from 7 to 8 pm wooing kids as well as adults for an hour.

6. Chamundi hills

The Chamundi hill is not only famous for its Chamundeshwari temple mentioned above but is also known the breath-taking view of the entire city it offers from the top. Watch the sunrise in the early hours of the morning or the sunset over the City of Palaces from this hill by grabbing a perfect vantage point. Also, do visit the magnificent monolithic statue of Nandi craved beautifully on black stone.

7. Relish on a local meal

No visit to a city is complete to us until we savor on the local delicacies. We visited the famous restaurant, Dasa Prakash, to enjoy a scrumptious evening meal and we could not bargain for a better way to end the day in this charming city. For a very reasonable price of Rs. 90 one can dig into the local South Indian Thaali and eat to their heart’s content.

8. Jaganmohan Palace

Yet another magnificent contribution of the Wodeyars to the city is the Jaganmohan Palace, which is currently open to the public as the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery. Said to have the largest collections of painting in South India, the palace displays works of some of the renowned artists like Raja Ravi Varma, Rabindranath Tagore and Nikolai Roerich on display. The famous painting, The Lady with the Lamp, which has been admired by many and is a personal favorite of ours, is on display here.

Hope you guys enjoyed our post, do leave us a comment on your thoughts about Mysore and also do mention the places you feel should have been included in the list above.