Life & Style | Travel
Royal road to Mysore
The journey from Bangalore to this city of palaces is as exciting as the place itself
- By Omar Shariff, Sub Editor
- Published: 23:41 October 3, 2008
- The Tipu Sultan museum gate and garden built by Tipu Sultan
- Image Credit: Omar Shariff, Corbis and Gulf News archive
Reaching Mysore, in India, by road from Bangalore has never been easier.
The impressive Bangalore-Mysore highway, which was completed last year, has reduced driving time to under two hours, from the 3 to 4 hours it used to take earlier.
And you can make the 150km journey at least as interesting as the destination itself.
We set off early one morning on a family outing in a convoy of cars. The first stop on the way was the Innovative Film City, a new Rs5 billion (Dh400 million) project that was completed in April.
Waxing eloquent
Apart from the film-shooting facilities, the main attraction here has to be the Louis Taussad Wax Museum, the pride of which is the wax statue of the late Kannada movie superstar Dr Raj Kumar (who made headlines when he was kidnapped in 1999 by now-slain forest brigand Veerappan).
Giving him company are statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Leonardo Da Vinci, Bill Clinton, Adolph Hitler and a host of other famous personalities.
Also worth checking out is the famous Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum, where you will come across the weirdest collection of items from around the globe.
Dinosaur time
Head then to the Dino Park and get transported to prehistoric times. Besides, there is a minigolf course, artificial beach and wave pool to keep you entertained if dinosaurs don't.
Entry tickets have to be bought separately and range from Rs50 to Rs150 (Dh4 to Dh12).
Next stop en route to Mysore was the wonderful Wonder-La, a state-of-the-art water amusement park just 20km outside Bangalore. At Rs600 (Dh47) entrance fee for unlimited use of facilities, it is very good value for money.
Our convoy then headed to Srirangapatnam, an island suburb of Mysore. The main attraction in this town is the Summer Palace of Mysore's most famous son — Tipu Sultan (1750-1799).
Known as the Darya Daulat Bagh (The Garden of the Wealth of the River), this edifice, built in 1784, now houses a museum of Tipu memorabilia that history buffs will find
interesting.
There are sketches and paintings by British and French officers-cum-artists of the sultan and his sons and relatives. The walls are lined with beautiful cartography of life in Mysore in the 18th century.
The simple, almost humble palace is no match in style and grandeur to the great Mughal monuments of Delhi and Agra but, at the same time, it is a reminder of the austerity of a man often described as one of the country's most able administrators.
Fearless sultan
Not for nothing was Tipu known as Sher-e-Mysore (Tiger of Mysore).
For the British, Tipu was one of their most ferocious and intractable foes, who — horror of horrors — had also allied himself with their French enemies.
Legend has it that when the children of British officers troubled their mothers at night, the mums would warn: “Sleep, or Tipu will come.''
In the 1975 Bollywood film Sholay, the most memorable villain of Hindi cinema, Gabbar Singh, boasts: “Fifty miles from here, when a baby cries at night, the mother says: ‘Sleep — sleep or Gabbar will come!'''
It is not surprising that Sholay was shot in Ramnagaram, near Mysore.
The Sultan was killed fighting the British in 1799. A small monument in Srirangapatnam marks the place where his body was found.
Also, if you have the time, you must keep on your agenda a visit to the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary near Srirangapatnam. The best time to visit is between June and September.
Other attractions here include Tipu's mosque, the Wellesley Bridge, the Ranganatha Temple and the dungeons where PoWs were housed.
Every time I enter Mysore city, I am struck by how similar yet how different it is from Bangalore. Everything seems familiar: the tree-lined roads, the signboards and the use of the Kannada and Urdu languages.
What sets it apart from its neighbour is the almost semi-rural existence of some of its inhabitants.
If south-Indian food is your thing, then you are in the right place. Mysore is known for its South Indian vegetarian fare, and restaurants on Sayaji Rao Road, the city's shopping area, are good.
And, don't forget to sample the sweetmeat the city is famous for: the Mysore Pak.
All in a day's visit
There are many things to see in Mysore. But in one day, you can only cover so much.
One of the biggest draws with families is the city's excellent zoo. It houses rare and exotic species from around the world in spacious, open settings.
Look out for the muscular, aggressive chimpanzee with the unnerving habit of hurling stones at visitors.
Built in 1930, the Lalitha Mahal Palace is the city's most imposing building. A 5-star hotel now, it used to be the guest house of the erstwhile Wodeyar ruling family and is well worth a visit.
One of the largest and most attractive churches in India is also in Mysore. Built in the Gothic style, St Philomena's is a local icon.
Most one-day excursions to Mysore end in only one way: a visit to the Krishna Raja Sagar dam and the magical Brindavan Gardens after dusk.
Hundreds of people swarm near the musical fountains in Brindavan and many a Bollywood flick has been shot here.
One of the most underrated attractions of Mysore is the Railway Museum, located just behind the city railway station.
Anyone with an interest in the history of the Indian Railways will find it difficult to leave this place.
Go there... Mysore ... From the UAE
The nearest airport is the newly built Bangalore International Airport, about 200 kilometres from Mysore.
There are at least five daily flights to Bangalore from Dubai and Sharjah.
Mysore is well connected to Bangalore by rail and road. More than 10 trains operate between the cities and buses leave every 15 minutes.
From Dubai
Oman Air flies five days a week via Muscat.
Fare from Dh1,730
Emirates Airlines flies daily.
Fare from Dh2,190
Air India flies four days a week.
Fare from Dh1,820
— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata. Tel: 04 4298576
Information
Citizens of most nationalities need a visa to travel to India. For details, contact the Indian consulate in Dubai. Tel: 04-3971222.
Share this article
More from Travel
Bringing you the world at your doorstep
Popular in Travel
Life & Style editor's choice
-
Basque inflavour
Etxebarri restaurant, on the list of the 50 best eateries in the world
-
BMW X5 M brings a smile to your face
What the X5 M can do that the standard X5 can't with many sports cars
-
Things to see and do in Abu Dhabi
Explore takes a lap round the vibrant and ever-changing UAE capital
-
Destinations
Colonial Cousins
Rediscover life's simplest truths by riding on some of the highest tracks in the world
