An ancient city with more than 600 glorious years of legacy, Mysore is one of the most flamboyant places in India.

If you haven’t been to Mysore, you just haven’t seen South India. An ancient city with more than 600 glorious years of legacy, Mysore is one of the most flamboyant places in India. Known for its glittering royal heritage, bustling markets, magnificent monuments, cosmopolitan culture and a friendly populace, it is also a thriving centre for the production of premium silk, sandalwood and incense. It also flaunts considerable expertise in yoga and ayurveda, two trades it markets worldwide.

Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces as there are about seven palaces in this city. Mysore owes its name to the mythical Mahisuru, a place where the demon Mahisasura was slain by the goddess Chamundi.

Mysore is located at the base of the Chamundi Hills about 146 km (91 mi) southwest of the state capital Bangalore. Situated among fertile fields, and skirted by wooded hills, Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar rulers, who were governors of Southern Karnataka under the Vijayanagara kings. The Wodeyar dynasty ruled almost uninterrupted from 1399 until Independence, except for the 38-year rule of the Muslim warlord Haider Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, in the 18th century. Modern Mysore is the creation of Tipu Sultan who, in 1793, levelled the old city and built the present town. Today, Mysore is an important cultural centre, with the largest university in Karnataka. It is also renowned for its ivory work, silk-weaving, sandalwood incense and carvings.

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