If you want to have a glimpse of the rich royal tradition of India, heed to Mysore.
With tree-lined streets and parks at almost every corner, this growing town enthralls you with its peace and beauty.
About a three-hour drive from the capital of Karnataka, Bangalore, this town sits pretty close to the foothills of the Western Ghats.
The most important landmark in this city is the Mysore palace.
Designed in the Indo-Saracenic style favored by British architects in the late 19 century, this fort palace fuses Muslim, Rajput, Hindu, and Gothic styles of architecture.
Huge marble domes dominate the structure.
There are three amazingly beautiful temples inside the fort complex.
Portraits of the royal family, their personal belongings, and other artifacts are exhibited here.
Furniture displayed here are made from wood and have intricate carvings.
Just take a look at the craft work on the doors and the ceilings, and you will be amazed at the craftwork.
Paintings by Ravi Verma and other famous artists literally take your breath away.
If you visit this palace, check out the goat cart that's exhibited with the palanquins and carriages used by the royal family.
It's really a very cute and innovative way of travelling - being pulled by goats! Another must visit place in Mysore is the Krishnaraja Sagar Gardens popularly known as Brindavan Gardens or KRS.
This name refers to the dam that's built across the Cauvery River and the ornamental garden attached to it.
This park was designed by G.
H.
Krumbigal based on the Mughal style.
This terraced garden has fountains almost everywhere.
The main attraction of this garden is the musical fountain.
So, if you are planning to visit this place, go towards the evening so that you can enjoy the music and dance of this fountain that begins as darkness begins to set in.
The Zoological Gardens in Mysore is another popular tourist spot.
One of the oldest zoos in the world, it is a home to hundreds of animals and birds.
Covering an area of nearly 45 acres (18 ha), this zoo is simply huge.
If you want to see each and every animal here, then perhaps you got to spend the whole day there.
You get food and water inside the zoo premises.
If you buy plastic bottled water, you can return the empty plastic bottle at the gate and get a refund.
The other tourist attraction in this town is the Chamundi hills.
A temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundi, (Lord Shiva's wife) is built on top of this hill.
While there are plenty of buses that ply from the city bus stand to the temple, you can also get down at the foot hills and climb up the thousand odd steps to the temple.
It's not just good exercise, but the view makes it worth your effort.
As you climb up, you can see a large bull (Nandi).
You can also see the Lalithmahal palace from the top.
Previously the summer palace of the royal family, it is now a five star hotel that caters to the rich and famous.
There are just the popular sights in this town, in my next article I will tell you about the special cuisine of this place and the best places you can shop.