Mysore: A Travel Guide to Karnataka’s Royal City

Mysore, officially known as Mysuru, is widely considered the cultural capital of Karnataka and one of the most graceful cities in South India. For centuries it was the royal capital of the Wadiyar (also spelt Wodeyar) dynasty, and that regal heritage still shapes the city today, from its magnificent palace and stately avenues to its famous Dasara festival. Mysore is often called the City of Palaces, and it lives up to the name with an easygoing, well-planned charm that is rare among Indian cities of its size.

Beyond its royal past, Mysore is celebrated for a cluster of things it does exceptionally well. Its silk sarees, woven with gold zari, are prized across the country. Its sandalwood soaps, oils and incense have long been a state industry. It has become a global centre for the practice of Ashtanga yoga, drawing students from around the world. And its food, especially the beloved Mysore Pak sweet and the ubiquitous Mysore masala dosa, has a devoted following far beyond Karnataka’s borders. Clean, orderly and unhurried, Mysore rewards visitors who give it a proper couple of days rather than rushing through on a day trip. It is also a natural base for wider exploration, frequently combined with a visit to the hills of Coorg or with the wildlife sanctuaries of Bandipur and Nagarhole.

Mysore Palace: The Heart of the City

No visit to Mysore is complete without the Mysore Palace, formally known as Amba Vilas Palace, which sits at the very centre of the city and remains one of the most visited monuments in the whole of India. This was the seat of the Wadiyar maharajas, and the building seen today was rebuilt in the early twentieth century after fire destroyed the earlier wooden structure. The design, in a striking Indo-Saracenic style blending Hindu, Islamic, Rajput and Gothic elements, was the work of the British architect Henry Irwin.

Inside, the palace is extraordinarily ornate. The Durbar Hall, with its rows of sculpted pillars, is a showpiece of royal grandeur, while the Kalyana Mantapa, or marriage pavilion, is perhaps the most photographed space in the building, thanks to its stained glass ceiling and elaborately painted panels. Visitors can also see the palace’s gold throne, brought out fully assembled only during Dasara, along with an armoury and a fine collection of royal paintings. What truly sets the palace apart, though, is its evening illumination. On Sunday evenings, and every night during the Dasara season, the entire structure is lit with roughly one hundred thousand bulbs, transforming it into a glowing silhouette against the night sky. It is genuinely one of the most memorable sights in South India, and well worth timing a visit around.

Dasara: Mysore’s Royal Festival

If your travel dates allow it, nothing captures the spirit of Mysore quite like Dasara, the state festival of Karnataka, celebrated over ten days during Navaratri in September or October, culminating on Vijayadashami. This is a centuries old tradition, dating back to the days of the Vijayanagara empire and carried forward by the Wadiyar rulers, and Mysore still marks it with a level of royal pageantry found nowhere else in the country.

Through the festival period the palace is illuminated nightly, cultural programmes and exhibitions fill the city, and the streets take on a festive energy that builds towards Vijayadashami itself. The highlight is the Jamboo Savari, a grand procession in which the idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari is carried through the city in a golden howdah mounted on a beautifully decorated elephant, accompanied by dancers, musicians, tableaux and marching contingents. The celebrations close with a torchlight parade after dusk. It is, without exaggeration, one of India’s great festival spectacles, and anyone able to time a visit around it should certainly do so, while booking accommodation as far in advance as possible.

Chamundi Hill and the Chamundeeswari Temple

Rising above the city is Chamundi Hill, home to the Chamundeeswari Temple, dedicated to the goddess Chamundeshwari, who has long been the patron deity of the Wadiyar royal family. According to tradition, the city’s very name derives from Mahishasura, the buffalo demon slain by the goddess here, with Mysore being a corruption of Mahisha-uru, or Mahisha’s town. A large statue of Mahishasura stands on the hill as a reminder of this legend.

The hill can be reached by road or by climbing roughly a thousand stone steps, a popular pilgrimage route that also passes a striking monolithic Nandi bull carved into the hillside. Whichever way you go up, the reward at the top is a temple full of devotional energy and sweeping views back over Mysore’s palaces, gardens and rooftops. An early morning visit, before the heat and crowds build up, is generally the most rewarding time to go.

Beyond the Palace: Other Sights

Mysore has more than enough to fill several unhurried days. On the edge of the city, the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, usually just called Mysore Zoo, is among the oldest and best maintained zoos in India, set in spacious, leafy grounds. St Philomena’s Church is another landmark, a soaring neo-Gothic cathedral that ranks among the tallest churches in the country and makes for a striking contrast to the city’s Hindu and royal architecture.

Art lovers should seek out Jaganmohan Palace, which now houses an excellent art gallery, while train enthusiasts and families with children often enjoy the Rail Museum. Karanji Lake offers a pleasant, quieter green space for a walk, and the Lalitha Mahal Palace, once a royal guesthouse, is now a heritage hotel that can be visited even if you are not staying there. For a slice of everyday Mysore life, the Devaraja Market is unmissable, a vibrant, fragrant old bazaar piled high with flowers, spices, sandalwood products and the region’s famously sweet bananas.

A short way out of town, at the Krishnarajasagara dam, the Brindavan Gardens offer a classic South Indian family outing, with their terraced lawns, fountains and an evening musical fountain show that draws crowds of visitors. It is roughly twenty kilometres from the city centre and a pleasant way to spend a late afternoon and evening.

Srirangapatna and Somnathpur

Two excursions from Mysore are well worth building into an itinerary. Srirangapatna, around fifteen kilometres away, was the island fortress capital of Tipu Sultan, and its historical layers run deep, from the Ranganathaswamy temple after which the town is named, to Tipu’s elegant summer palace, Daria Daulat Bagh, and the Gumbaz, his domed mausoleum. The old fort walls and battle sites add further texture for anyone interested in the Anglo-Mysore Wars.

Around thirty five kilometres from Mysore lies Somnathpur, home to the Keshava, or Chennakeshava, temple, a Hoysala masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage listed site. Its star shaped plan and extraordinarily detailed stone carving make it one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture anywhere in Karnataka, and it rewards a slow, careful look rather than a hurried visit.

Silk, Sandalwood and Yoga

Mysore’s identity is bound up with three things it has made famous well beyond its own borders. Mysore silk sarees, woven with gold zari thread and carrying a Geographical Indication tag, are considered among the finest in India, and buying one, or simply admiring the weaving process, is a real pleasure. Mysore sandalwood, meanwhile, has given the city its distinctive fragrance for generations, sustaining a state industry built around soaps, oils and incense that remain popular souvenirs.

Less traditionally, but no less significantly, Mysore has become one of the world’s leading centres for Ashtanga yoga, and students travel here from every continent to study at its schools. Add to this the city’s culinary legacy, the Mysore Pak sweet said to have originated in the palace kitchens, and the famous Mysore masala dosa, and it becomes clear why the city has such a devoted following among visitors who return again and again.

Food in Mysore

Mysore takes its food seriously, sitting as it does within Karnataka’s rich vegetarian, Udupi influenced culinary tradition. The Mysore masala dosa, with its spiced red chutney layer, is claimed by the city as its own, and it is worth trying here if nowhere else. Mysore Pak, a rich, ghee laden sweet, is another local institution, sold across the city’s sweet shops and an obvious gift to carry home. Filter coffee is taken as seriously as anywhere in South India, and a wander through the Devaraja Market or the city’s older streets will turn up excellent small eateries alongside more established restaurants. Mysore’s long association with food science and research has also helped keep its culinary culture lively and well regarded.

Where to Stay

Mysore is a comfortable and well provisioned city for visitors of every budget. Simple budget lodges are plentiful, mid-range hotels offer good comfort and value across the city, and for something more memorable there are heritage palace hotels, including the Lalitha Mahal, a former royal guesthouse that now welcomes overnight guests. Whatever your budget, it is worth booking well ahead if your visit coincides with Dasara, when the city fills up quickly.

Tips for Visiting

Try to time at least one evening around the palace illumination, whether on a Sunday or during Dasara, as it is genuinely one of the highlights of any trip to South India. Allow around two days for the city itself, with further time set aside for day trips to Srirangapatna, Somnathpur and Brindavan Gardens. When shopping for silk or sandalwood products, look for reputable or government emporiums to be sure of authenticity. Set aside time to wander Devaraja Market, and if you are heading up Chamundi Hill, an early start will reward you with cooler weather and better views. Many travellers pair Mysore with a trip into the hills of Coorg or with the wildlife parks of Bandipur and Nagarhole, and from Tamil Nadu the city is easily reached either via Bangalore or via Ooty and the Nilgiris along the Bandipur-Mudumalai road.

Mysore is, in the end, one of South India’s most elegant and rewarding cities, a royal capital of palaces, gardens and festivals, wrapped in silk and sandalwood, with a gentle, dignified charm that makes it a genuine highlight of any journey through Karnataka.