Mahindra Homestays » Mysore

Sightseeing in Mysore

Mahindra Homestays — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:00:43 +0000

One of the best towns in South India for history, culture and a grate range of attractions, Mysore in Karnataka is well worth a visit. Apart from its easy proximity from Bangalore, it also is a convenient add-on when visiting places like Coorg and Bandipur.

Mysore makes for a great one to two days stop to dive into Karnataka’s illustrious history. If you are planning to go in October do time your trip with the famous Mysore Dasara festivities which are held annually for 10 days.

This sightseeing in Mysore guide details the attractions, timings and entry fees to the most popular sights

Mysore Palace

The Mysore palace is an iconic building which defines the topography of this small town. The Wodeyar Kings rules from this famous palace, which attracts visitors from all over the world. It is recommended to take a government guide here to explain the history and important elements of the building. The Diwan-e-Khas and Durbar Hall are the key parts of the palace.

The palace looks magnificent when lit up which happens 7 pm and 8 pm on Sundays and also during public holidays. It is also fully lit up during the 10 days of Dasara celebrations.
Entry Fee: Rs 20/- (Adults) and Rs 10/- (Students)
Timings: 10 a.m to 5:30 p.m

Chamundi Hills

The legend goes that Chamundeshwari was responsible for slaying the demon Mahishasur after a bloody battle. Named after the Goddess, two ancient temples on a hill, Mahabaleshwar and the Chamundeshwari, lie above the town of Mysore. Largely a pilgrim spot, these are visited by thousands in a year. There are 1008 steps which lead to a temple dedicated to the Goddess. A statue of Nandi bull is erected after 700 steps. Go here for a great view of the city below if not for a religious trip. A return autorickshaw trip will cost about Rs 250/-.
Entry Fee: Nil
Sri Chamundeswari Temple Timings: 7am-2pm & 3.30-9pm
Chamundi Hills Timings: Sunrise to Sunset

Brindavan Gardens

Situated only 15kms from the city, the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam was built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and completed with help from Sir. M. Vishwesharaya. The dam was also used to feed the Brindavan Gardens spread over a large area of 60 acres. The gardens are a favourite with visitors, especially in the evenings when the lit up dancing fountains come alive.
Entry Fee: Rs 10/- (Adults) and Rs 5/- (Children)
Timings: 6.30 a.m to 9.00 p.m. The illuminating timings are Monday – Friday: 6.30pm – 7.25pm.

Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery

Most of Mysore’s history revolves around the Wodeyar Kings. Personal and state memorabilia can be seen in the beautiful Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery. Ravi Verma and Roerich paintings are in plenty in the attached Jayachamerajendra Art Gallery. An enthralling set of rare musical instruments are displayed in the palace along with objects, artefacts and fineries of the Kings.
Entry Fee: Rs 20/- (Adults) and Rs 10/- (Students)
Timings: 10 a.m to 5:30 p.m

Mysore Dasara

The 10 day long festival in Mysore has gathered international acclaim over the years. October is the marked month for the celebrations that start with an elephant parade led by the ruling King, followed by dance and music cultural performances by various groups from across the state. With the growing popularity of the festival, the programmes are now charged with tickets and have elaborate well defined seating arrangements. More details can be found out on the official website.

It is recommended to check timings and entry fees for all attractions before setting out as these are subject to change. The entry fee for foreigners in many places is different from that for India nationals.

Karnataka Cuisine and Pandi Curry Recipe

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:09:31 +0000

With Karnataka’s diverse topography, the food habits of different regions bring an interesting element to the state’s cuisines. With a vast coast line, rain forest areas and plains, Karnataka cuisine has a lot of influences. The bordering states of Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh also influence the cooking techniques and types of ingredients used.

Karnataka has many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, often accompanied by rice. Popular dishes include Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Saaru, Idli, Vangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Ragi mudde and Uppittu. Variations of these can be experienced in different regions.

While some basic dishes are common to all regions it is the region specific delights that you should be looking for when travelling to the state. The three main areas which are sure to take you for a gastronomical ride are Mysore, Coorg and Bangalore.

COORG
Coorg is known for its copious amounts of alcohol and meat products in daily use. If you are foodie, this place is sure to delight you. Pandi Karri (Pork dish), Koli Saaru (Chicken dish), Meenu Saaru (Fish Dish) are dishes that you will encounter often. Coorgis often use traditional styles of cooking. Their love for food is enormous and one can see that in all local festivals, marriages and family events. Try the Kabadu dish which is eaten with the curries.

They also use bamboo shoot and mushrooms in their food which is seen sparingly in India. Try arriving in Coorg around the Kailpoldu festival when culinary skills are spruced up and every kitchen is pulsating with activity.

MYSORE
Mysore and surrounding areas is yet another region which is known for its fabulous food. The south Karnataka region emphasises more on staple grains like bajra and jowar. This region is known for its vegetarian dishes. Meals consist of Ragi mudde, Saaru, Rice and Yogurt. A salad called Kosambari (pictured below) which is prepared using simple ingredients such as lentils, green chillies and finely chopped coriander, and various Palyas (fried, boiled or sauteed spicy vegetables) are quite famous.

BANGALORE
Bangalore also lies in South Karnataka and traditionally serves up dishes like Mysore although this kind of food is fast disappearing from the house-holds. Being a cosmopolitan city, the dishes in Bangalore have a lot of modern infusion in the food creating some varied and unusual dishes.

Certain traditional foods however will always remain part of the Bangalore kitchens; namely Shenga chutney, mosaru, kempu and heavy use of vegetables.

PANDI (PORK) CURRY
This spicy pork curry is typical to Coorg. It is normally served with rice.

Ingredients:
1 Kg Pork (2 Lbs)
1tsp Turmeric power
1tsp Cumin Seeds
8-10 Small Onions or 2 big onions
10-15 cloves of Garlic
3-4 Green Chills
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tbs Cumin Power
Vinegar
Salt to taste

Preparation: After washing the pork well and draining all the water off it, marinate the pork for 10-15 minutes with salt, red chilly power or pepper and turmeric. While this is being done, blend the green chillies, onions, ginger and a few cumin seeds. After this, fry the cumin powder until it turns darkish brown, and then add mustard and the rest of the cumin seeds. Fry this for a few minutes. Now add the marinated pork to the blended onion mixture and cook for a while. Add the fried condiments and cook on low flame for a few minutes till the pork is cooked. Add vinegar to the dish and serve with rice.

Homestays offer fantastic home cooked cuisine for guests and hosts are happy to share recipes and even show you some of the cooking techniques.

The spectacular Mysore Palace

Mahindra Homestays — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:00:08 +0000

With the spectacular Mysore Palace and many smaller glorious structures it is only appropriate that Mysore in the Southern state of Karnataka is known as the City of Palaces. Our visitors guide gives you all the details you need to plan your sightseeing.

A trip to the city of Mysore gives travellers the chance to visit the glorious past of Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali, who put up a great fight against the British rule and were responsible for laying the foundation of places like Bangalore and Mysore over four decades. As the seat of power for the father-son duo and then later the Wodeyar King, Mysore is a historian’s delight.

Apart from the Jaganmohana Palace, the Jayalakshmi Vilas, Lalitha Mahal, Chamundeshwari Temple and St. Philomena’s Church, the biggest attraction of the Mysore is the Ambavilas Palace or better known as the Mysore Palace.

How to get there
The city of Mysore is about 4 hours from Bangalore and can be accessed by road and rail conveniently. Mysore also has its own airport now but has limited flights at the moment.

About the Palace
Standing just after Taj Mahal in statistics, the palace has seen over 2.7 million visitors. It serves as the residential quarters of the erstwhile royal family, Wodeyars. The first palace of the royal family was built in the 14th century but was demolished and subsequently rebuilt & expanded many times over till 1940. The Mysore palace saw a lot of restructuring due to inevitable circumstances like being struck by lightning, a fire in the later years and of course by Tipu Sultan. The current style of the palace is shaped by British architect, Henry Irwin, who was commissioned by Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhna.

Following the Indo-Saracenic architectural style, the building brings together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. The palace is a three storied structure built of gray granite with deep pink marble. An impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck, and abundance with her elephants stands on the central arch of the palace.

Dussehra
Dusherra is the most important festival of the city of Mysore, and the palace becomes a focal point of all cultural activities that are showcased on this day. The ten day festival is presided over by the King. On the tenth day of Vijaya Dashami, an extensive parade with elephants and local floats passes through a well guarded city. The festival commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon, Mahishasur.

Entry Fee
International visitors are charged Rs 200 while national tourists have to pay an entry fee of Rs 20/-. Cameras are not allowed inside, but you can capture the grand structure from the gates. (This information is subject to change).

Opening Times and Days
The palace is open on all days from 10.00 a.m to 5.30 p.m. On Sundays, national holidays and Dusherra the palace is beautifully lit with strings of light bulbs. The timing of the lit palace is between 7.00 p.m and 8.00 p.m (This information is subject to change).

Best time to Visit
October through February is a good time to visit Karnataka. If planning in October, don’t miss to catch the Dusherra festival.

If you would like your next trip to include some of India’s most famous historic monuments then get in touch and we can help you plan a fantastic itinerary.

Things to do in Mysore

Mahindra Homestays — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:22:09 +0000

Replete with history, this erstwhile Kingdom of Tipu Sultan still promises a royal experience and the opportunity to relive the glorious past of Karnataka. If visiting the South of India, there are lots of things to do in Mysore! Starting from Bangalore, here’s what you can do on a weekend break in Mysore!

1. Roll into Mysore
If travelling from Bangalore, try the train to Mysore! Why? Because this is where you get to mingle with the spirit of the place – the co-travellers, the food vendors and the hustle-bustle is sure to give you a more intimate experience. There is a huge assortment of 21 trains that ply on the route for your convenience. It is also a better way to spend 3 hours in the train than on the road with more traffic!

2. Palace by Night
Predictably put but this one is sure to make your trip worthwhile. Incidentally Mysore is also called the ‘City of Palaces’, and houses one of the most famous monuments in India, after Taj Mahal. The 1912 structure built by the Wodeyars is a wonder made out of white marble, fine gray granite and deep pink granite. There is an entry fee to go inside and photography is prohibited, but you can get a picture from the outside. The palace is lit beautifully every night and is sight which is sure to be etched in your memory making it one of the top things to do in Mysore! Try and visit during the Dusherra festival in October when the King leads a parade on caparisoned elephants and the whole town comes alive with music and dance performances of Karnataka.

3. Market Mania at Devaraja
A photographer’s delight, the Mysore Devaraja market is heady mix of sound, smell and colours! Flowers, idols, street food, vegetables and more line the street. A treat for the lenses and senses, this one is great in the morning hours!

4. Filling Station
The famous Vinayaka Mylari is where you would want to be for breakfast or lunch. The set up is decades old and has a host of veteran go-ers who line up for crisp dosas and idlis each morning! You cannot get more authentic food, so add this to the list!

5. For the Artist in You
The royalty of Mysore was known to patronize many artists and local skills. Taking a leaf from the lineage, the town still imbibes a discretionary taste for art. This can be experiences at the Jayachamerajendra Art Gallery. Built in 1861, the gallery houses memorabilia from the past – rare instruments, Japanese art, paintings by Ravi Varma and regal artefacts.

6. Chamnudeshwari Temple
One of the more noted places to see, Sri Chamnudeshwari Temple sits atop the namesake Chamundi Hill at a height of over 1000 meters. It will easily take you half a day to visit and come back. Regular autorikshaws ply from the town or alternatively you can take the local bus or a cab.

7. Brindavan Gardens
This huge stretch of neatly manicured gardens with fountains provide a lush respite during the warm months in Mysore. The gardens are about half an hour away from the city.

8. Silk Factory
Mysore and the adjoining region is known was silk breeding and weaving. In fact, if you drive from Bangalore, you can see the silk worms on concentric mats being bred for silk making. A state run silk factory is open for visitors where you can also pick up saris and materials.

9. Rail Museum
Mysore can safely boast of an impressive collection of railway engines and more rail paraphernalia. The Rail museum is a good one for children for an educative and fun experience.

10. The Craft Museum
Mysore has an extensive University campus which also houses the Crafts Museum where a plethora of local art and craft is on display. While the Cauvery shop in town might be more suitable to shop for souvenirs, visit the museum to know more about the famous wooden inlay work and more.

If you would like to try out some of our things to do in Mysore for yourself contact our reservations team who will be happy to help you plan a trip. Check out our Karnataka homestay selection.