Mysore

Mysore:

 

Mysore Palace in the day

Mysore Palace by night

Mysore is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and lies about 140 km (87 mi) southwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru, which means the abode of Mahisha. Mahisha stands for Mahishasura, a demon from the Hindu mythology. The city is spread across an area of 128.42 km² (50 sq mi) and is situated at the base of the Chamundi Hills. Mysore is one of the most important tourist centers of the Karnataka state of India. Mysore is also known as Palace City of India.

The Mysore Palace in the city is one of the most visited monuments in India, even beating Red Fort, Qutb Minar in 2006.

Attractions

 

Brindavan Garden Fountains at night

• Mysore Palace : is a palace situated in the city. It was the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore, and also housed the durbar (royal offices).The term "Palace of Mysore" specifically refers to one of these palaces, Amba Vilas.

• Brindavan Gardens is a show garden that has a beautiful botanical park, full of exciting fountains, as well as boat rides beneath the dam. Diwans of Mysore planned and built the gardens in connection with the construction of the dam. Display items include a musical fountain. Various biological research departments are housed here. There is a guest house for tourists. It is situated at Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam.

 

Chamundi temple

• Jaganmohan Palace : was built in the year 1861 by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in a predominantly Hindu style to serve as an alternate palace for the royal family. This palace housed the royal family when the older Mysore Palace was burnt down by a fire. The palace has three floors and has stained glass shutters and ventilators. It has housed the Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery since the year 1915. The collections exhibited here include paintings from the famed Travancore ruler, Raja Ravi Varma, the Russian painter Svetoslav Roerich and many paintings of the Mysore painting style.

• Chamundi Hills is close to the palace city of Mysore. Its average elevation is 1,000 metres. A panoramic view of the city is seen from the top of the hills. Among other landmarks, you can see the racecourse, the Lalitha Mahal palace, Mysore Palace, Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes. At dusk, the view of the city is especially beautiful, and on Sunday evenings and during the Dasara festival, the illuminated Mysore Palace glitters like gold.

 

Jaganmohan Palace, Mysore

• St. Philomena's Church : is a church built in the honour of St. Philomena in the city of Mysore. It was constructed in 1956 using a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. In 1926, Thamboo Chetty who was a secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar obtained a relic of the saint from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies. This relic was handed over to Father Cochet who approached the king to assist him in constructing a church in honour of St. Philomena. The Maharaja of Mysore laid the foundation stone of the church on 28 October 1933. In his speech on the day of the inauguration, the Maharaja is quoted to have said: The new church will be strongly and securely built upon a double foundation — Divine compassion and the eager gratitude of men.. The construction of the church was completed under Bishop Rene Fuga's supervision. The relic of St. Philomena is preserved in a catacomb below the main altar.

 

The St. Philomena's Church in Mysore

• Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion : This palace was built in the year 1905 by Chamaraja Wodeyar for his eldest daughter Jayalakshmi Devi. This mansion has three wings and contains a series of twin Corinthian and Ionic columns, regal pediments and oval ventilators. The mansion was originally built with a cost of Rs. 7 lakhs. This mansion was acquired by the Mysore University to house its post-graduate campus. It was renovated in the year 2002 from funding provided by Infosys foundation. The main hall in this mansion is the Kalyana Mantapa which has an eight-petal shaped dome with stained glass windows with a gold-plated Kalasha(tower) at the top. A new gallery called as Writer's Gallery has been created in the Kalyana Mantapa hall that will exhibit personal items, photographs, awards and writings of renowned writers of Kannada. A special illumination system has also been added to this heritage structure. This mansion is said to be the first university museum complex in the country.

 

Rail Museum at Mysore.

• Lalitha Mahal: is the second largest palace in Mysore. It is located near the Chamundi Hills, east of the city. The architect of this palace was Mr E W Fritchley. The palace was built by Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV in the year 1921 for the exclusive stay of the Viceroy of India. The palace is pure white in colour and is built in the style of Italian palazzo with twin Ionic columns and domes. It also has a sprawling terrace and landscaped gardens.

• Regional Museum of Natural History: This museum is located on the banks of the Karanji lake in Mysore and has exhibits related to biological diversity, ecology and geology of Southern India.

• Folk Lore Museum: This museum is located in the University of Mysore campus and exhibits over 6500 folk art and crafts from all over the state of Karnataka.

 

Elephant & calf in the Mysore Zoo

• Parks and Gardens: Mysore has about 180 parks and playgrounds. Most of the residential areas have their own small parks: e.g. Ambedkar Park in Jayanagar a southern city district has a 500 metre perimeter footpath. The newly built Andolan Circle Park has a walking track that takes five minutes for one round. This park is near Kuvempu Nagar in South Bangalore. But many Mysoreans prefer to walk around the many lakes which pepper the landscape such as the central Kukarahalli Kere by the university where the journey around is about 4.5 kilometres. Another is the Lingabudhi Kere which has a beautiful footpath with bamboo forests and again takes more than 20 minutes for one round. This park it is a desirable neighbourhood to the southwest called Rama Krishna Nagar, 5 km away from the city centre.
• Rail Museum: This museum is located near the Mysore Railway station and is the second one of its kind established in India after the one at Delhi. This museum exhibits ancient locomotives and carriages some of which are still in working condition. Photographs and books related to railway are also present.

• Oriental Research Institute , formerly known as the Oriental Library, established in 1891 contains over 33000 palm leaf manuscripts .

• Mysore Zoo : one of the oldest and most popular zoos in India. Located on the outskirts of Mysore, the zoo is home to a wide range of wild species. The official name for the zoo is Shri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, though it is known commonly by its shortened name. Mysore Zoo is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It was established under royal patronage in 1892, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world.

• Happy Man Park : The Happy Man Park near Kamakshi Hospital, some three kilometres from the railway station, is a very popular hangout of children and parents. The park is quite compact in size but contains a mini zoo and many hens and ducks roam around the lawns freely. The park is landscaped with a little stream and ‘wooden’ bridges. Some kind of radio or music is played through little loudspeakers scattered around the park. The park is open from 4.30pm to 9.00pm and the crowd is quite big around 6.00pm. It is also open for a while in the morning for the benefit of joggers. The main attraction of the park is a statue of a ‘Happy Man’ with a pot belly representing the unhealthy eating habits of the Mysorean people.

• Wax Museum - Melody World : Based on music and musical instruments, this, one-of-its kind in the world wax museum exhibits over 100 life-size wax statues and over 300 musical instruments categorised in various bands and stage settings. Representing Stone Age to Modern instruments, some of the bands displayed are of Indian Classical North & South, Punjabi Bhangra, South Indian, Jazz, Rock, Middle East etc. It was established in October 2010. It is open everyday from 9.30am until 7.00pm and located at #1 Vihara Marga, Sidhartha Layout, Mysore.

Around Mysore

 

Open billed storks, Rangantittu B.S.

• Srirangapatna : (also spelt Srirangapatna; anglicized to Seringapatam during the British Raj) is a town, situated a mere 13 km from Mysore city .The entire town is enclosed by Kaveri to form an island . The town takes its name from the celebrated Ranganathaswamy temple which dominates the town, making Srirangapattana one of the most important Vaishnavite centers of pilgrimage in south India. Srirangapattana became the de facto capital of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Other attractions include the Jumma Masjid (a Mosque) and the Daria Daulat Gardens. The Karighatta (Black Hill) and its temple of Lord Srinivasa is situated a few kilometres from the town. The deity is that of Kari-giri-vasa (one who resides on the black hill). The famous Nimishambha temple is located in the nearby district of Ganjam. The summer palace of Tipu Sultan is also a very interesting place.

• Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary : is a small Bird Sanctuary ,being only 0.67 km². in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. Ranganthittu is located near the historic town of Srirangapatna. The islets came into being when a dam across the Kaveri river was built in the 18th century. The ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali observed that the isles formed an important nesting ground for birds, and persuaded the Wodeyar kings of Mysore to declare the area a wildlife sanctuary in 1940.The islands are host to numerous small mammals, including Bonnet Macaque, colonies of Flying Fox and common small mammals like Common Palm Civet and Indian Gray Mongoose and the monitor lizard.The Mugger Crocodile or Marsh Crocodile is a common inhabitant of the riverine reed beds. Breeding water birds include Painted Stork, Asian Openbill Stork, Common Spoonbill, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Black-headed Ibis, Lesser Whistling Duck, Indian Shag, Stork-billed Kingfisher and other common birds like egrets, cormorants, Oriental Darter, and herons. The Great Stone Plover, and River Tern also nest here. The park is home to a large flock of Streak-throated Swallows.

 

Shivanasamudra Falls

• Shivanasamudra Falls : is the second biggest waterfall in India and the sixteenth largest in the world.It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri and is the location of the first Hydro-electric Power station in Asia, which was set up in the year 1902.This is a segmented waterfall. Segmented waterfalls occur where the water flow is broken into two or more channels before dropping over a cliff, resulting in multiple side by side waterfalls. It has an average width of 849 meters, a height of 90 m, and an average volume of 934 cubic meters / sec. Gaganachukki on the left is a large horsetail waterfall and Barachukki (also spelled Bharachukki) on the right is a jagged crashing cascading waterfall. During the monsoon season this waterfall grows enormous, perhaps a thousand feet in width. The right waterfall is the Bharachukki.Asia's first hydro-electric power stations, still functional, is located at the waterfall.This station was commissioned by the Diwan of Mysore, Sir K. Seshadri Iyer. The electricity produced here was initially used in the Kolar Gold Fields. Thus, Kolar Gold Fields became the first town in Asia to get hydro electricity.

• Talakad : or Talakadu is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river at a spot where the river makes a sharp bend. It is 45 km from Mysore. A historic site, Talakad once had over 30 temples that today are buried in sand. Now it is a scenic and spiritual pilgrimage center.Here the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course and seems magnificently vast as here the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area.

 

Temple Recovered from Sand Dunes at Talakadu

At Talakad sand covers the temples. Stone pillars, square at the base and made to fit into a wheel below the abacus, lie scattered about.Among the temples of Talakad, the Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanathee-shwara and Mallikarjuna temples, the five Lingams believed to represent the five faces of Shiva, form the Pancha pathi and have become famous.In honour of these five Shiva temples, a fair is held once every 12 years called Panchalinga Darshana, last held in 2006. The Panchalinga Darshana is held on a new moon day in the month of Karthika when two stars conjoin, the stars of Khuha Yoga and Vishaka. There is also a Vishnu temple, Keerthinarayana.

Inside the Golden Temple at Bylakuppe

• Bylakuppe : is the location of "Lugsum Samdupling" (established in 1961) and "Dickyi Larsoe" (established in 1969), two adjacent Tibetan refugee settlements, in the west of Mysore district . It consists of a number of small camps/agricultural settlements close to each other, and has a number of monasteries, nunneries and temples in all the major Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Most notable among them are the large educational monastic institution Sera, the smaller Tashilunpo monastery (both in the Gelukpa tradition) and Namdroling monastery (in the Nyingma tradition).Particularly well known among the temples is the spectacular Golden Temple which is also a major tourist spot in the area.

Gallery

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  Lalitha Mahal, Mysore
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  Entrance to the Ambavilas Palace, commonly known as Mysore Palace
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  Statue of the demon Mahishasura atop the Chamundi Hills
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  Karanji lake in Mysore
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  Ranganatha Temple
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  Painted stork colony, Rangantittu B.S.
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  Sculpture from Talakadu Lord Shiva Temple.
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  Temple Recovered from Sand Dunes at Talakadu

Travel Bangalore

Bangalore:


Bangalore also Known as Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian State of Karnataka. Bangalore is India's third most populous city. Bangalore is India's Garden and Clean City. Its is also Known as Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation's leading IT Exporter. Bangalore is one of the most important tourist centers of the Karnataka state. Central business district of Bangalore consists of places MG Road, Brigade Road, Commercial street, Vidhana Soudha etc. Bangalore has many lakes and parks. BMTC offers special buses for sightseeing in Bangalore, including Cauveri - a double-decker open roof bus.




Attractions:

Parks

Lal Bagh Flower Show 2010

• Lal Bagh is a botanical garden, commissioned by the Hyder Ali in the year 1760. The 240-acre (0.97 km²) park is home to over 1000 species of flora and a Glass House. The park is known for its annual flower show. The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda I. The Lal Bagh Rock, dates back to 3000 million years, is another attraction.
• Cubbon Park is located in the heart of the city and spreads over 300 acres (1.2 km2). The part was created in the year 1884, by Major General Richard Sankey. The park is home to numerous trees and plants that span over 68 general and 96 species. The park is also known for its kids train.

Historical monuments

• Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace was built in 1791. It is located near K.R Market, is a two-storied ornate wooden structure with exquisitely carved pillars, arches and balconies. It houses a museum that contains artifacts relating to the Hyder-Tipu regime.
• Bangalore Palace (1862) is located near Mekhri Circle and Cantonment Railway station and is built to look like a smaller replica of the Windsor Castle in England.
• Mayo Hall was designed in memory of the Lord Mayo and is regarded as one of the finest designs of British architecture.

Government buildings

 
Attara Kacheri (Karnataka High Court)

• Vidhana Soudha is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing granite building, built in the year 1956 in the 'Neo-Dravidian' style, incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles. Vidhana Soudha is the brainchild of Kengal Hanumanthaiah and built by chief engineer B.R. Manickam.
• Attara Kacheri, (Karnataka High Court), overlooks Vidhana Sabha. It is a red brick and stone building in the Greco-Roman style of architecture. It houses the High Court for the state of Karnataka.

Museums and galleries

• Bangalore Museum
• Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum was instituted as part of the centenary celebrations of the engineer-statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya (1861–1962).
• Venkatappa Art Gallery
• HAL Aerospace Museum showcases the growth of the Indian aviation industry and HAL for six decades. The Museum is maintained by HAL (one of Asia's largest Aerospace companies). The museum houses displays of various aircraft and helicopters, Aircraft engine models, Flight simulators, a mock Air Traffic Control Tower and exhibit of Indian aviation history.
• MITHILAsmita Art Gallery is an art gallery dedicated to a folk art of India, Madhubani Painting and is managed by MITHILAsmita Foundation.

Places of worship

 

Bull Temple: One of the biggest Nandi idols in the world.

• St Patrick's Church was built in 1844. It is one of the oldest churches in Bangalore and is situated on Residency Road.
• Memorial Church & Christ Church are the two remaining "Original Anglican" churches in Bangalore City affiliated to the Traditional Anglican Communion in India. They are located at Whitefield (Outer Circle) & Basavanguddi respectvely

• Bull Temple was built by Kempe Gowda I. It it is reminiscent of the 16th century Dravidian style architecture. It has a huge granite monolith of Nandi. This landmark is situated at bull temple road, Basavangudi.
• Shri Nimishamba Devi Temple is a shrine built in the traditional Parashurama Kshetra Architectural Style that does not exist anywhere else in Bangalore or its surroundings. This temple was built with the help of the devotees of Shri Nimishamba Devi. The Temple has shrines of Devi Nimishamba, Moukthikeswara (Siva), Siddhi Vinayaka, Saraswathi and Lakshmi Narayana. Chandika Homa is performed every day in a specially designed Yagna Shala. Temple location # 93, 12th Cross, Ideal Homes Circle, Ideal Homes Township, Raja Rajeshwari Nagar,Bengaluru 560 098

• Huge Shiva in old Airport Road was built by the owner of Kids Kemp-A retail outlet, is a huge Idol of Lord Shiva & Ganesha. It is completely made of plaster of paris. It is also a tourist attraction in recent times.
• Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple is a temple known as Dakshina Kashi. The sun's rays fall on the Shivalinga only on the day of Makara Sankranthi. There is a belief that the cave tunnel underneath leads all the way to Varanasi.
• ISKCON Temple Bangalore, built in an ornate architectural style, the Krishna Temple is a blend of modern technology and spiritual harmony. The 7-acre (28,000 m²) temple is situated on west of chord road, Rajajinagar and finest fusion of modern and traditional elements of architecture.
• St. Mary's Basilica is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica. It is famous for the festivities held during the St. Mary's Feast in the month of September each year, an event that attracts a number of devotees from in and around Bangalore.

 

St. Mary's Basilica: The oldest church in Bangalore.

Memorial Church Whitefield: Anglican Church in Bangalore - Whitefield.

 

Whitefield Cemetery Bangalore:Whitefield Protestant & Catholic Cemetery.

• Infant Jesus Church, established in 1979 by Rev. Dr. Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore, the church draws huge crowds on Thursday, the day dedicated to Infant Jesus.
• Masjid-e-Khadria is one of the most beautiful mosques in Bengaluru, located on Millers Road, this mosques hosts the prayers on Eid and also hosts the Haj camp.

Others

• Bugle Rock {bugle is called Kahale (ಕಹಲೆ)) is a massive rock situated in Basavanagudi which is an abrupt rise above the ground of peninsular gneiss as the main rock formation and with an assessed age of about 3000 million years.
• Mantri Square covers 1.7 million sq.ft., Mantri Square and is the largest mall in India and South Asia, developed by Mantri Developers. It is located on Sampige road in Malleswaram.

• Forum Mall is the first of its kind Malls in Bangalore City and a hotspot for the city's youngsters. See Also List of shopping malls in Bangalore.
• Brigade Road is one of the busiest commercial centers of Bangalore where you can get any sort of shopping done.

 

Brigade Road Bangalore

• Commercial Street is a busy commercial centre of Bangalore for getting all sorts of shopping done.
• MG Road, Bangalore was previously known as "South Parade" is the most important landmark of Bangalore.
• Wonderla : Wonderla is an amusement park located near Bidadi, 28 kilometres from(17 mi) Bangalore
• Innovative Film city is an amusement and theme park with go karting, and stage and studio facilities
• Electronics City is the centre of the Silicon Valley of India.
• Lakes in Bangalore include Ulsoor Lake, DRDO Lake, Sankey tank, Hesaraghatta Lake, Yediyur Lake, Nagavara Lake (also called Lumbini Lake), Hebbal Lake, Madiwala Lake, Kempanbudi Lake, Varthur Lake etc.
• IT Parks in Bangalore include: ITPL, Bagmane Tech Park, Manyata Tech Park, Global Village Tech Park, Kalyani Magnum Tech Park, Electronics City Phase I & II,Embassy Golf Links, Eco space Tech Park, Prestige Tech Park, Salarpuria Tech Park, Brigade Tech Park, Vrindavan Tech park, and Whitefield RMZ Centennial. HYVA (India) Pvt. Ltd. has a branch in the outskirts of Bangalore.

Sports attraction include Chinnaswamy stadium

Restaurants and pubs

• Restaurants in Bangalore are the main pastime for most Bangaloreans. Tourists need not worry as the variety spans not only all Indian cuisines, but there are also a large number of specialty restaurants. There are printed food guides, services such as Hungry Bangalore, and telephone directories to find restaurants.
  • Traditional South Indian Favourites include MTR (Lalbagh Road) - famous for its idlys and silver plates, Vidhyarthi Bhavan — specialty Masala Dosa, Brahmins — idly,vada out of a garage, and Ganesh Dosa Camp.
  • Higher end favourites are not limited to the five stars, and there are restaurants for every palate - from mughalai to south Indian, seafood to sushi.
• List of nightclubs and bars in Bangalore are abundant. Bangalore is called Pub Capital of India.

Around Bangalore

 

White Tiger at Bannerghatta National Park

• Bannerghatta National Park is situated 22 km south of Bangalore. This hilly place is the home for one of the richest natural, zoological reserves. The 25,000 acre (101 km²) zoological park makes this a major tourist attraction of Bangalore.
• Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is a hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 3 to 5 km from Chickballapur Taluq, 60 km from Bangalore. It is 4851 ft (1478 m) above sea level. Nandidurg hill, known commonly as Nandi Hills, is the source of the Penner, Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of Nandi. An ancient lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill.
• Omthara Kala Kuteera is located just one hour from the hustle and bustle of Bangalore, India, Omthara Kala Kuteera is an oasis of peace and tranquility. Built as homage to India's ancient culture and its vibrant art, this masterpiece is a monument like none other. Located amidst 30 acres of lush gardens in rustic surroundings, Omthara Kala Kuteera offers an environment that soothes the soul and energizes the mind. A visit to Om Thara Kala Kuteera has been described variously by guests as "Heaven on Earth", "Temple like none other", "Place of Divinity", "Uplifts my Soul", and "Source of Peace and Happiness".
  • Skandagiri is 75 km away from Bangalore. Trekking point near to Nandi hills.
• Kaivara, cave temples 60 km away near Chikkaballapur.
• Muthyalamaduvu is a picnic spot near Anekal, 40 km from Bangalore. In the local Kannada language, Muthyalamaduvu means 'pearl valley' (muthu = pearl and maduvu = valley), apparently named for its 92 meter waterfall, whose falling water appears to look like drops of pearl.
• Thottikallu is a place 25 km from Bangalore off the Kanakapura road which is famous for a falls called Thottikallu falls more popularly known as TK falls.
• Savandurga is a hill 60 km west of Bangalore off the Magadi road. The hill is famous for Narasimhaswamy temple and is also believed to be among the largest monolith hills in the world. The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level and forms a part of the Deccan plateau. It consists of peninsular gneiss, granites, basic dykes and laterites. The Arkavathi river passes nearby through the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir and on towards Manchanabele dam.
• Tippagondanahalli Reservoir, also known as T G Halli or Chamarajsagar, is located at the confluence of the Arkavathy River and Kumudavathi River, 35 km west of Bangalore.
• Kanva reservoir is an artificial lake and tourist attraction 69 km from Bangalore and 10 km from Ramanagara
• Wonderla is an amusement park located on Mysore road, 40 km from Bangalore.
• Dodda Alada Mara, a big banyan tree located in Ramohalli (28 km away), is a picnic spot.
• Mekedaatu, literally meaning "Goat's Jump", is 110 km away on Kanakapura Road. Nearby is another tourist attraction, Sangama, where two rivers join.
• Pyramid valley is the biggest pyramid shaped meditation hall in the world, along with being the largest pyramid in Asia website. It stands proud at above 101 feet (31 m). Its base measures 160 ft (49 m) by 160 ft (49 m) with the main meditation area spanning 25,600 sq ft (2,380 m²). Maitreya Buddha Pyramid, is the International Centre (Bangalore), of the Pyramid Spiritual Society’s Movement in Pyramid Valley. It is located 30 km from Banashankari Temple, 4 km before Harohalli and 1.2 km just after Kebbedoddi bus stop, on Kanakapura Road.
• Devarayanadurga (Kannada: ದೇವರಾಯನ ದುರ್ಗ) is a hill station near Tumkur in the state of Karnataka. It is 65 km from Bangalore. The rocky hills are surrounded by forest and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarasimha and the Bhoganarasimha temples and an altitude of 3,940 feet (1,200 m). It is also famous for Namada Chilume, a natural spring considered sacred and is also considered the origin of the Jayamangali river. Another famous temple in the area is the Mahalakshmi Temple at Goravanahalli.
• Srirangapattana is the capital of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.

 

Shivanasamudra Falls

• Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary : a Bird Sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka. It is a very small sanctuary, being only 0.67 km². in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveri River. Ranganthittu is located near the historic town of Srirangapatna.
• Shivanasamudra Falls (also called Sivasamudram) is an island town dividing the Kaveri River into twin waterfalls, the Gaganachukki and the Barachukki, dropping 90 m. The town is located 120 km from Bangalore, 27 km from Somanathapura and 80 km from Mysore in the Mandya district of the state of Karnataka.
• Talakad is a desert like town with temples at Cauvery river bank.

 

The Mysore Palace

• Mysore (to be renamed Mysuru) (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು) is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and lies about 140 km (87 mi) southwest of Bangalore. A short distance from Mysore city is the Krishnarajasagar Dam and the adjoining Brindavan Gardens where a musical fountain show is held in the evening. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Ambavilas Palace (also known as Mysore Palace) is the center of the Dasara festivities.
• Melkote is on the way to Mysore from Bangalore. The place is famous for its Vyramudi Utsava. The main deity here is "Cheluvarayaswamy - The MahaVishnuyam".

Top Places to Visit in Mangalore

1) Mudabidri

It is also referred as Jain Varanasi and has 18 Jain bastis or monasteries. The most famous being the 1000 pillared chandranatha Basti built in 1429. Basadis are Jain monasteries or temples where an image of one of the twenty-four tirthankaras (saints) is installed and worshipped.

2) Karkala

Located about 20 km from Mudabidri has a number of important temples and a 13m high statue of Lord Bahubai, which was completed in 1432.

3) Dharmasthala (69 km)

It is an important pilgrim centre and a shining example of communal harmony and cultural tolerance. Dharmasthala is a temple village on the banks of Nethravathi River in Belthangadi taluk of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. The main attractions here are Manjunatha Temple and a 14 mtrs, high Gomateshwara statue. The temple is devoted to Shiva and houses a linga of gold.

4) Sringeri (100 km)

The beautiful town on the banks of river Tungabhadra, amidst the lush hills of Chikmagalur is one of the most important pilgrim centres of Karnataka. The Sringeri Mutt here was founded in 9th century by saint Sri Adi Shankara. Sringeri also has an old Jain Basadi (Monastery).

5) Udupi (58 km)

This important Vaishnavite pilgrim and cultural centre is also famous for delicious south Indian cuisine. The Udupi Krishna Temple here is famous for Paryaya festival held once in two years.

6) Malpe (66 km)

This beach is located 66 kms north of Mangalore, near Manipal. The quiet environments, makes this beach a famous tourist destination. The natural St. Mary's Island, just a boat ride away has a beach and an inspiring geological structure of basalt rock pillars into the sea.

7) Katil

River Nandini flows round the beautiful shrine, dedicated to Devi Durga Parameswari. Devi Durga is a Swayambu Lingam. An image of the Devi in sitting posture holding Shanku and Chakra is also installed. Devotees throng the temple on Fridays and during Navaratri festival

I, being originally from Puttur, Mangalore, I would highlight some of the best places from my village:

Mahalingeshwara Temple

Puttur Mahalingeshwara temple is an ancient temple said to be built around the 11-12th Century. Lord Shiva is the main deity of this temple. On the west side of this temple there is a unique pond with stone steps leading to the water. It is said that in the olden days pearls were found to be growing in the Pond. In the local dialect "Muttu” means pearls, which brought the name Mutthur to this place later called as Puttur. During the month of April the Car Festival (Rathotsava) is celebrated for ten days with much gaiety and fervor. The town is at its colorful best with the dazzling lights and marvelous display of fire works. More than a lakh (100,000) people visit Puttur at the time of the festival.

Beeramale Hill


Beeramale Hill  is an attractive Tourism Spot of Puttur.  The height of the Hill is around 1000 feet from the Sea Level.  The Dooradarshan TV Relay Centre is recently established on this Hill.  An open Auditorium, a library are open  to public. Sri Vishwakarma Temple is situated on one side of this hill.

Mai De Deus Church

It is  one of the ancient church built in 1830 by the Roman Catholic missionaries from Goa in Gothic Style. This holy Church is recently renovated with elegant architectural beauty.

Dr. Shivarama Karantha Balavana


Dr. Shivarama Karantha a Jnana Peeta Awardee Stayed here for about 40 years.  Dr. Karantha Made most of his literary Contributions and Cultural endeavors at Balavana. Dr. Karantha is a literary giant and most of this literary contributions were published at this place only.  Those books  earned great Name and Fame  not only to Dr. Karantha but to Puttur also.   Now Balavana is taken over by the Govt. of Karnataka and a Committee manages this  property. 

Recently a library of his literary works  and an attractive museum is established and it is open to all publics.  A swimming pool is built for training the Children in swimming and a coach is appointed for this purpose.  Summer camps are held here for the Children of Puttur Town and surrounding villages to bring out  the hidden talents of children in the field of arts and cultural activities.




Juma Masjid Kallega


It is said that about 300 years ago Tippu Sultan the ruler of  Mysore who was fighting against the British took procession of Puttur Area.  A  Masjid was built in Puttur at Kalle near Puttur later the Kalle was called as Kallega by the local people.  This is the oldest Masjid of Puttur Town.




Bendru Theertha (Hot Water Spring)


About  15 kms from Puttur there is a  natural hot water spring (in the local Tulu dialect known as Bendru Theertha).  It is believed by the local people that the water is said to be more auspicious and a dip in the lake drives away all skin diseases like eczema, allergic rashes and many more ailments.  It is situated in a scenic spot by the side of river Seerehole which flows west ward and merges with  Arabian Sea.




How to Reach

BY AIR - The nearest airport from Puttur  is  Bajpe Airport Mangalore (74 km. from Puttur) from where one can take flights for most of the important cities in India like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai.

BY RAIL -Railway Station is about 1 KM from Puttur Bus Stand And this is connected with most of the metros

BY ROAD - Puttur is situated on Mangalore-Mysore Highway (Bantwal-Mysore State Highway 88) & is 52 kms away from Mangalore

Hi every one, Welcome to my Blog Tour N Travel India. This is my first day. Here I will brief you with all interesting places of india to be visited along with the knowledge of getting there and also staying overnight. I will highlight the best places each day and also inform you the best companies offering you the best packages.