Day 15 OCTOBER 07 - Fly to Bangalore • Drive to Mysore • Mysore Palace
We had an early wake up this morning as we had a long journey ahead of us. We started with an early morning flight to Bangalore. After a short flight we boarded a new bus for the scenic trip to Mysore.
We traveled through an agricultural area, according to governmental statistics, more than 60% of the region’s land is cultivated and roughly half of the local population work on farms. We passed green fields and rows of palm tree plantations while scooters and trucks laden with green coconuts zipped by us. In this area Ox-drawn carts are still used as a mode of transportation to bring crops to market. The ox carts are drawn by zebu oxen, a type of humped cattle, and used as beasts of burden.
We arrived at one of the finest hotels the Fortune JP Palace in Mysore. Its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent palace, silks and sandalwood and sprawling gardens epitomizes the grandeur and glory of a bygone era. After a brief refreshment at the hotel it was off to visit the magnificent Mysore Palace.
The Palace of Mysore is the official residence and seat of the Wodeyar Dynasty - Maharajas of Mysore, the royal family of Mysore, who ruled the princely state from 1350 to 1950. The palace houses two durbar halls (ceremonial meeting halls of the royal court) and incorporates a mesmerizing and gigantic array of courtyards, gardens, and buildings. Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was Maharaja from 1799 to 1868. After the fall of Tipu Sultan he made Mysore his capital in May 1799 and focused on education, religious sites and donating jewels to temples. Jayachamaraja Wadiyar was the twenty fifth and the last king, reining from 1940 to 1950, when he agreed to merge Karnataka state with the union of India. Construction of the current palace was commissioned in 1897, completed in 1912, and expanded in 1940. , The authorities have prohibited photography inside the main palace complex so the photos I have included come from Internet sources for your enjoyment.
- Southern India
Southern India Photo Page 15