Monday, June 24, 2013

About Mysore again!! - but this time to invite you all to experience the place :)

I made this itinerary for a delegate's two day visit. Figured that it might be useful for others too. So, here I am sharing the content which was collected from various sources including my own experiences. Happy reading and touring! :)

The kings of the Wodeyar dynasty, who founded the city around 1400, laid the foundation for the southern cultural capital, Mysore. Today, it still retains the essence of a kingdom, with most of the architecture and roads belonging to the erstwhile era; far from the traffic cries of neighbouring Bangalore, with crisp, pollutionless air! 

Saturday – Srirangapatna
About the place: There are two clusters of tourist spots in Srirangapatna. The first cluster includes the Ranganathaswamy Temple, the dungeons of Colonel Bailley and Thomas Inman, Jamia Masjid, Tipu Sultan's death place, Tipu Sultan's old palace(ruins), Gangadhareeshwara Temple, Watergate and an Obelisk commemorating Srirangapatna. 
The second cluster features the Dariya Daulat Bagh (Tipu Sultan's Summer palace - is full of priceless artifacts, priceless not merely in their fiscal value but in their invoking of a period as well), Gumbaz, Nimishamba Temple, Sangama, Abbe Dubois Church, and the Dodda Goysa Ghat.
Restuarants in Srirangapatna - Amblee Holiday Resort - 08236 217474, Hotel Mayura, Hotel Vaibhav, Jungle Resorts restaurant

Morning itinerary– After breakfast in Mysore, journey of about 30 min to Srirangapatna (9 – 9.30)
*If you are travelling from Bangalore, leave as early as possible you can have breakfast in Shivalli, Chanapatna or many other eateries that dot the highway near Maddur or Chanapatna. You have choices of Andhra restaurants, Adigas, Empire, Kamat Lokaruchi, CCD, Mc Donalds, KFC, and even corner house!
1. Sriranganatha temple, (30 min approx)
2. Tippu’s fort, walk by the river Cauvery. (20 min, 10 min)
3. On the other side of the road (2nd cluster) - Tipu Sultan's palace, (45 min)
4. Sangama (10 min)
5. Nimishamba temple, by the river Cauvery (20 min)
6. Across the newly constructed bridge to Venkateshwara temple at Karighata (a small hillock from where the beautiful landscape around the hill and the confluence of the Kaveri and Lokapavani rivers can be seen. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karighatta_temple) (30 min)
Directions-https://maps.google.co.in/mapssaddr=sriranganatha+temple,+srirangapatna&daddr=cauvery+sangama+to:Nimishamba,+Mandya+district,+Karnataka&hl=en&ll=12.421321,76.697445&spn=0.050377,0.084543&sll=17.686382,82.625979&sspn=12.558038,21.643066&geocode=FbSWvQAdUQiSBCFn59_KYr41qykPG3sPB3evOzFn59_KYr41qw%3BFf1SvQAdn62SBCH0KH_y_TFj4ym39Brxl3avOzH0KH_y_TFj4w%3BFcJvQAdDIOSBCGnSqlwq3V2EylXxmE1jXavOzGnSqlwq3V2Ew&t=h&mra=ls&z=14

Afternoon – Post lunch in Srirangapatna, 5 km away, a bird sanctuary called Ranganathittu. Will approximately take 60 to 90 min.

Evening - Brindavan Gardens, also known as KRS (Krishna Raja Sagara dam), a journey of 30 min from Ranganathitu)

Entry timings:             
All week days               
06.00 am - 08.00 pm

Saturday & Sunday       
06.00 pm - 09.00 pm
Musical fountain:     
All week days               
06.30 pm – 07.30 pm
Show timings:
Saturday & Sunday       
06.30 pm – 08.30 pm

OR/and

Venugopalaswamy temple, KRS backwaters, Hosakambadi (journey of 45 min from Ranganathitu)

About the place: Best, if reached by 6 p.m. This is a hidden gem in Mysore. As a visitor to the Brindavan Gardens, you are practically visiting the south side of the dam. There was a time when visitors could climb to the top of the KRS dam to see the vast expanse of the backwaters. Due to security concerns, that is not allowed anymore. In 1930, when the first phase of the KRS dam was completed, temples and villages were submerged, including Venugopalaswamy temple.
During the summer months of the drought prone years, the water level of KRS would dip and the temple would resurface. This hide and seek of the temple had been going for more than seven decades until the year 2004 when a mammoth work was started to replant the temple in the adjacent Hosakannambadi village (relocated from the original Kannambadi village by the king). The idea was to transplant the temple, stone by stone, from its original place to the new location and everything had to be faithfully re-created as the original. Tens of thousands of photographs were taken and each stone was marked before the dismantling operations started. The work is almost complete.

Directions: Ranganthitu – KRS Road - past Brindavan gardens (head straight instead of taking a left to Brindavan garden after the toll), dead end at katteri - turn left. After the left, if you are not able to spot a signboard, ask at this point for the diversion to Hosakanambadi. Drive slow as it’s a difficult to find diversion on your left. (Otherwise this road heads towards Krishnarajpet (KR Pet) and further hit NH48 at Channarayapatna)
https://maps.google.co.in/mapssaddr=Ranganthittu+Bird+Sanctuary,+Mandya+district,+Karnataka&daddr=Venugopala+Swamy+Temple,+Karnataka&hl=en&ll=12.423166,76.616249&spn=0.100753,0.169086&sll=12.311178,76.643715&sspn=0.201592,0.338173&geocode=FbWXvQAdWKeRBCFDvOKTrXrS3ykLLgPdd3evOzFDvOKTrXrS3w%3BFUrjvQAdFFGQBCEUHYwe3ogXfyntRTdYv3ivOzEUHYwe3ogXfw&oq=v&t=h&mra=ls&z=13

Suggestion – Reach Venugopalswamy temple by 5.30 p.m, watch the sunset, head back to Brindavan gardens at 6.30 in time for the musical fountain. But I have stayed there beyond sunset and soaked in the twilight for hours.

Sunday Mysore

Morning - Mysore Palace (2-3 hours)

Afternoon - Visit to Jagan Mohan palace which is now an art museum, and KSIC showroom

Evening- Chamundi temple, Nandi
The Chamundi Hills offer a panoramic view of Mysore, allowing you to see the Mysore Race Course, the Lalitha Mahal Palace, the Mysore Palace, the Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes. The view is even more enchanting towards dusk, and also on Sunday evenings when the Mysore Palace is illuminated and glitters like gold
Darshan & Pooja Timings - 7.30 am to 2 pm, 3.30 pm to 6 pm, 7.30 pm to 9 pm
Suggestion – Visit temple at 5 p.m. Finish darshan by 6 p.m. Head to Nandi, a 15 feet high, large monolith on the way down. Come back to ‘view point’ at 6.45 pm to select a vantage point to watch the illuminated palace at 7 pm

Other recommendations 
  1. Get up around 6 in the morning and drive to a small hill called Himavad Gopalaswamy betta. The small hill is covered with fog during most part of the year with beautiful green landscapes around. Back to Mysore at around 11.30 am
  2. Karanji Lake – Houses the biggest aviary in Asia; boating in the lake (10 am – 5 pm)
  3. Philomena Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Philomena%27s_Church,_Mysore
Where to eat?
  • South Indian - Indira Bhawan - City Market, Nalpak in Sarwathipuram, Gokulam, Hotel Siddaratha, and Mylari hotel (known for its melting dosas which melt in the mouth), RRR for their mouth watering biryani.
  • North Indian - Hotel Metropole, King's Court, Gufa/Jungle at Hotel Pai Vista, Le Gardenia at Hotel Regaalis
  • Gujarathi/Rajasthani/Jain - Hotel Raj Purohit
The weather as on August 26th 2012 – 25 degree Celsius

What to Buy?

1. Mysore Silk Sarees at KSIC showrooms in Mysore, Karnataka
a. Factory Showroom (FSR) & Silk Weaving Factory, Mananthody, Mysore
Ph: 95821 -2481803. Sat & Sun holiday
Contact Person: Sri. P. Srikanta Prasad. Government Silk Factory Mysore Karnataka
b. Vishveshwariah Bhavan, K.R.Circle, Mysore
Ph: 95821-2422658. Contact Person: Sri. Sommanna
c. Vidyaranyapuram, Manandavadi Road, Mysore, Karnataka – 570008
Ph: 0821 2484962. At this address, too, there is a KSIC Factory & Godown
Contact Person: Sri. M. Mahadevappa
d. Zoo Complex (ZSR), Indiranagar, Mysore
Ph: 95821 – 2445502. Contact Person: Sri. Abdul Rasheed
e. Mayur Vatri Nivas, L.J.B Road, Mysore
Ph: 95821 – 2420713. Contact Person: Sri. Jayram
2. Kancheevaram Silk Sarees: Karnataka Saree Center, Zoo Complex (ZSR), Indiranagar, Mysore
3. Beautifully crafted woodwork and sandal stuff at Cauvery Emporium on Sayyaji Rao road. Also check out various stores on Dhanvantri road for handicrafts, idols and much more.
4. Mysore pak – a delicious sweet from Mahalakshmi Sweets, Bombat Tiffanys (both on DD Urs road) and Guru Sweets on Sayyaji Rao road
5. Mysore mallige – The famed jasmine flowers are sold all over the place by street vendors. Pick it, tuck it and enjoy!

Key words - Mysore two day trip









1 comment:

  1. Srirangapatna is a great destination to visit while you're in Mysore as it is situated just 15kms away. And one can find hotels in Srirangapatna with every price and budget ranges.

    ReplyDelete