Important jatra :
Place |
Month |
Deity/Saint |
No of days |
Approximate attendence |
Chamundi Hills |
October |
Chamundeshwari (teppotsava and car festival) |
3 |
50,000 |
Talaladu |
November-December (once in 12 years) |
Panchalinga Darshana |
7 |
2 lakh |
Mahadeshwara Hills |
October-November |
Malai Mahadeshwara |
7 |
1 lakh |
Nanjangud |
March-April |
Srikanteshwara |
15 |
75,000 |
Mudukuthore |
February-March |
Mallikarjuna Swamy |
3 |
25,000 |
Mysore, the district and divisional headquarters, is the ancient royal capital and the
garden city.Though described as 'Mahishasura', the old records speak 'Maysooru' which has
nothing to do with Mahisha or Mahishasura.The Mysore royal palace is a major attraction
woth Indo-Saracenic exterior and Hoysala interior, completed in 1907.It is illuminated
during evenings.The palace's kalyana Mantapa has fine wall paintings of the Dasara
procession and Durbar scenes done in 1930's and 1940's by the palace artists.The Chamundi
Hill has a Mahishasura Statue outside,done in cement and a large entrance tower at the
Chamundi Temple.Beside this temple,there is a tenth century Mahabala Temple and records
call the hill as 'Marbala Betta'.The temple has steps and on way is a monolithic
Nandi.Lalita Mahal Palace in the city is a hotel now. Another Palace
(Cheluvamba mansion) houses C.F.T.R.I. The Jagan Mohan Art Gallery also a palace. The
Parakala Matha is an imposing building near this. Mysore has the famous zoo garden too.
The Oriental Manuscript Library is also housed in an impressive building. The University
was founded in 1916. The Sutturu Matha, the Railway Museum, the Premier Studio, the
Ramakrishna Ashrama are other attractions of Mysore. The St. Philomina Church is a
beautiful imposing structure of Mysore. Krishnaraja Sagar (Mandya dt.) can be reached from
Mysore by bUs and there is a dam across the Cauvery, and the Brindavan gardens. The garden
with musical fountain is to be seen in the evenings. Mysore is the most important tourist
centre of Karnataka. Its Dasara festival is the most attractive pageant. Mysore has grown
to be an industrial centre too with the Railway workshop, Ideal Jawa Factory, B:E.M.L.
Unit, Vikrant Tyres, etc., It has a City Municipal Corporation.
