Guide to Mysore

---

Mysore (or Mysuru) is perhaps one of the most elegant and charming cities in India. Located in the state of Karnataka, 2hrs from Bangalore, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1947. In its centre is the opulent Mysore Palace, seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, who were responsible for the city's development as well as its reputation as a centre for art, heritage, and culture. Mysore is also the birthplace of Ashtanga yoga, home to the lineages of K Pattabhi Jois and BKS Iyengar, both of whom studied under T Krishnamacharya.

To visit Mysore is to return to a genteel pace of life. The city is small but manageable, with  little traffic, and wide, well-maintained roads. Magnificent heritage buildings can be found on almost every corner, such as the centuries-old Devaraja Market, filled with spices, silk, and sandalwood. Venture up into the nearby Chamundi Hills and you will find the 12th century Chamundeshwari Temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, which are considered to be sacred sites and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism. Chamunda is a powerful goddess and her energy can be felt throughout the city. 

• Uber works well in Mysore, either Uber Auto (rickshaw) or Uber Go/Premier if you are travelling further afield or intercity. 
• The city is well served by trains. You can take the express train to Bangalore in ~2hrs, or the Fly Bus, which goes directly to Bangalore airport.
• Mysore also has a small airport, with direct flights to Chennai and Hyderabad.

• Local Friendly Bakery - Excellent pastries and cakes, open Wed-Sun from 10.30am until they sell out. Check their instagram for latest info as their menu changes regularly
• Depth n Green - All day dining with great food and juices, lots of vegan options, also a nice place to work from (with wifi). Try the cheese omelette or the vegan omelette,  and a beetroot & ginger juice. They also serve local kombucha.
• Naviluna - Artisanal chocolate factory serving freshly baked sourdough tartines and small plates, great coffee, and chocolate of course! The iced mocha is excellent. 
• Minimal Roasters - Best coffee in Mysore, no food service
• White Teak Coffee Roasters - The coffee is not great, but the banoffee pie is out of this world. Great milkshakes (try the Nutorious). Nice courtyard where you can sit and chill out, they also do lunch & dinner.

European Style

• SAPA Bakery - wonderful Mediterranean style food in a lush outdoor setting. Try the spaghetti al aglio e olio, which is on par with (if not better than) what you would find in Italy!
• Old House - nice atmosphere with outdoor dining, good for pizza, salads, and gelato.

Drinks & Dinner

• Sorrento - this beautifully restored heritage house has the feeling of an Italian villa. Sit in the garden, sample from the Italian wine list, and enjoy a Mediterranean-Indian inspired menu.
• Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel - this heritage property has a lovely courtyard where they serve drinks and dinner. Try the margaritas, and the spicy paneer.
• Green Hotel - old palace converted to hotel & restaurant, serves alcohol. The food is not great and the service leaves much to be desired, but sitting at a candlelit table in the garden on a warm evening is wonderful.

Indian Style

• Fresh Catch - excellent Indian style seafood restaurant
• Kapoor’s Cafe - Punjabi food with a fun vibe. Try the chole bhattureh. 
• SPR Veg - vegetarian restaurant with great dosa (ghee masala dosa is my favourite)

• Halli Hatti - this place serves the best idli in Mysore (a traditional south Indian breakfast dish), however it gets extremely crowded on weekends, so try to go on a weekday and avoid the crowds
• Mysuru Coffee House - go for the ghee masala dosa, but while you're there try the idli and medu vada too
• TKS Iyengar - this place is always heaving, but it's worth it. Try the akki roti, the rave vangibath, and the dosa of course!
• 1962 Rotti Mane - as the name suggests, an institution since 1962. Simple south Indian style thali meals served on a banana leaf. Have the set meal and make sure you try obbattu (also known as puran poli in north India), an Indian flatbread stuffed with a sweet, cardamom scented filling made of chana dal or tuvar dal. Lunch only.
• CCBC - locals love it here; try the chow chow bath
• Mysuru Tea Company - this is the place to sip chai and watch the world go by. I love the Ginger chai with jaggery, and a karachi cookie.
• Guru Sweet Mart - Located just outside the Devaraja market, this is the home of Mysore Pak (eat it warm and made with ghee). If Guru Sweet Mart is closed, Mahalakshmi Sweets is a good alternative (they have many stores around Mysore)

• Mysore Palace - take a tour of the palace during the day; you can also see the palace illuminated with almost 100,000 lights every Sunday night at 7pm (45mins) 
• Ramsingh Museum - India's largest private collection of Mysore style paintings, lovingly curated by Mr Raghu. This is a truly extraordinary collection that is not to be missed! Visits by private appointment only. Available slots: 9 - 10.30am and 7 - 8.30pm, Tues-Sun. Call +91 9880-111-625. 
• Ramson's Bombe Mane - a doll museum reflecting Mysore's cultural, social and religious heritage. Along with exclusive dolls, ‘Bombe Mane’ has a huge collection of dolls, nearly 5,000 or so representing different facets of India's cultural heritage.
• Jagan Mohal Palace - one of Mysore's many palaces with an interesting art collection
• Devaraja market - 130 year old marketplace, great to wander around, stop at Guru Sweet Mart, the home of Mysore pak! 
• Kukkarahalli Lake - go around 5pm, walk around the lake and watch the sunset
• Chamundi Hill Temple - take an Auto to Chamundi Hill Steps parking, walk up 1,008 steps to the temple (great to do around 4.30pm), watch sunset from the viewing point on your way back down

Srirangapatna (~30mins from Mysore)

• Visit the temple, then stroll to the ghat, sit by the river and watch the world go by 
• Visit Tipu Sultan’s summer palace 
• Explore Paschimavahini ash rituals palace, a sacred site where people go for last rites; a swim in the river here is said to wash away your sins

Melukote (~45mins from Mysore)

• Visit the stunning Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple
• Climb to the top of the hill and visit the temple of Yoganarasimha 
• Explore the many  shrines and stepwells located in the town
• Shop for local handmade market bags in one of the small streets that branches off from the main temple

Tiger Safari (~1.5hrs from Mysore)

• Visit Nagarhole National Park, which offers safaris by boat, bus, and jeep
• For a luxurious stay, Kaav is great (located on the edge of the park); take a boat safari in the afternoon, and a jeep safari in the morning. Safaris are run by the government and need to be booked, Kaav can organise this for you in advance. 
• For a cheaper option, you can stay at Kabini

Somnathapura Temple (~1.5hrs from Mysore)

• Amazing temple from the Hoysala period, get a tour guide (400 rupees); you can combine this with visits to other temples in the area (all achievable in 1 day)
• Gunja Lakshmi Narasimha swamy temple - charming temple by the river, visit the temple then take a coracle (circular raft) ride across the river and back
• Talakadu temple - also from the Hoysala period, there are 4 temples at this site

Namdroling Monastery (~2hrs from Mysore)

• Visit this spectacular Tibetan monastery,  the largest outside of Tibet!
• Stop for momos (dumplings) made by the monks at the restaurant in the courtyard 
• Combine this with a visit to Dubare Elephant Camp (check opening hours)

Visit Bangalore (~2-3hrs from Mysore)

• Big city living, great for food and shopping (see the Horizonaut Bangalore guide)
• You can take a train from Mysore (80 rupees, general class) or use Intercity Uber (around 3,000 rupees one way). 2.5 - 3hrs by train or car