“Mysore – Land of Festivals and Palaces”

Mysore is a popular city in the state of Karnataka, India. The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru, which means the abode of Mahisha. Mahisha stands for Mahishasura, a demon from mythology. Mysore is famous for the festivities that take place during the Dusshera festival when the city receives a large number of tourists. Mysore was rated the second cleanest city in India in 2010 and the cleanest in Karnataka. Mysore is very popular with tourists who visit to participate in the festivities of Dusshera and enjoy the other attractions on offer.

Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during the period of Dusshera and is often known as the cultural capital of Karnataka. The Dusshera festivities are celebrated over a ten-day period. The festival is colorful and the many processions of exquisite idols make the festival a delight to watch.

Mysore is also called the City of Palaces because of the number of palaces situated in the city. The most popular palace is the Amba Vilas which is also known as the Mysore Palace. The Jaganmohana Palace has now been converted into an art gallery and displays exquisite pieces of art. Rajendra Vilas also known as the summer palace is situated in the Chamundi Hills. Lalitha Mahal has now been converted into a hotel and Jayalakshmi Vilas, which is on the University of Mysore premises. It is now a museum dedicated to folk culture.

The Mysore Zoo, established in 1892, and the Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes are also popular attractions for tourists. Mysore also boasts of interesting museums like the Regional Museum of Natural History, the Folk Lore Museum, the Railway Museum and the Oriental Research Institute. The city is also a centre for yoga-related health tourism that attracts lot of foreign visitors as well. A Wax Museum "Melody World" was established in October 2010 based on Musical instruments exhibiting over a hundred life-size wax statues and three hundred musical instruments arranged in various bands and stage settings.

Mysore has a large number of parks and playgrounds. Nature lovers can also enjoy walks around the many lakes which dot the landscape such as the central Kukarahalli Kere and the Lingabudhi Kere which has a footpath with bamboo forests.

Tourists can travel to Mysore by air, roads and railways. Mysore has its own airport. Mysore Railway Station has three railway lines that connect it to the cities of Bangalore, Hassan and Chamarajanagar.