How it feels to be in the most culturally rich city in Karnataka

Mysore is one of the most rich cities in India, culturally. It is an old city and has a rich and vibrant culture that is a pleasant mixture of old world and new world. Head to the city to soak in the best of Mysore's culture and for accommodations, pick from the best hotels in Mysore.

There are only a couple of cities that maintain a perfect balance between its historical heritage, the modern aspect, as well as religion, and Mysore is one of them. It has always been a fascinating city and has always attracted attention. A mythical city, the place is full of legends and folklore. One can easily get the idea of to what extent the city has faith in religion from the fact that the name of the city is based on mythological event. It is believed that apparently the city's name is derived from a demon named Mahishasura, who lived in the region and was slayed by Goddess Chamundi. Locals have immense faith on the tale and this can be seen from the fact that there is a statue of the demon on Chamundi Hill.

Mysore, due to its vibrant and rich culture is fondly called the Cultural capital of Karnataka. While one visits the city, exploring and relishing the culture is one of the favorites in the itineraries of the tourists. It is easily one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in South India and home to a plethora of tourist attractions and allures; culture being one the chief allures. From the surroundings, it is quite easy to make sense that the city is a mixture of old and new and so is its culture. A rather pleasant mixture of sleek buildings, large shopping malls, plush residencies with heritage structures and old palaces, many of which have been turned into heritage hotels in Mysore, today dot the city. The mixture gives the city a unique attribute, which is hard to ignore.

For a majority of time duration the city remained under the dominance of the Wodeyars, who made the city the seat of their administration. Therefore, the present culture of the city owes a lot to them for patronizing the culture and helping it flourish. The yearly celebration of Dusshera that the city celebrates with great fervor and joy, is a holdover of the bygone era. It is believed that Dusshera in the city is one of the grandest across India. Apart from that, the city's calendar is full of several other celebrations and festivals, each celebrated with equal zeal and enthusiasm. If one seeks to best relish the culture of the city, visiting the place during festivals is an ideal thing to do.

However, if there is no festival any way close to the time of your visit, visiting the temples, mosques and other religious centres is the ideal way to enjoy a feel of city's culture. Chamundi temple, ISKCON temple, Sri Prasanna Krishnaswamy temple, Sai Baba temple, 101 Ganesha temple, Shri Rajarajeshwari temples, etc. are the most revered temples, keeping the centuries old culture and traditions alive. If you are in the city a visit to them is a-must! In addition to the religious shrines, there are multiple art and culture centres that you can visit. Built with the purpose to preserve the cultural heritage and to promote tourism these centres are amongst the best mediums to understand the city.

In a nutshell, Mysore is a culture rich city best portraying the history, hospitality, as well as modern aspects of the state. Head to the city on next vacation and make it memorable. All major aircarriers like Jet Airways, IndiGo, Air India, Spicejet, etc. have regular flights to Mysore Airport to serve the purpose.