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Legend
goes that Mysore has been named after the demon
Mahishasura, who was slain here by Goddess Durga. From
1400 A.D, Mysore was the main city of the Hindu Kings, the
Wodeyars. The Wodeyars were under the Vijayanagar Empire
till it collapsed in 1565 A.D, upon which they declared
themselves independent. In 1956 this princely state joined
the Republic of India marking the end of the Wodeyar rule
in Mysore.There was a brief interlude though in the 18th
century with Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan taking reigns of
the Mysore kingdom with Srirangapatna as their capital.
However, on defeating Tipu Sultan, the British handed
Mysore back to the Wodeyar Kings.
Mysore
is located at an altitude of 770 mtrs above MSL and
situated at 12 18’ North latitude 76 12’
East longitude. Flanked by the rivers Kaveri and
Kabini, Mysore enjoys a very hospitable climate all
through the year, where temperatures vary between 20C and
30C.
A city rich in culture and heritage is also known for its
sandal, silk, flora, fauna, handicrafts, classical music
and architectural wonders. Mysore is renowned for its
educational and research centers. It is a shoppers'
delight offering right from incense sticks to exquisite
silk sarees.
From
time immemorial, the city has played a major role in the
history of South India. It has retained an aura of the old
world charm with its magnificent palaces, ancient temples,
sculpture, art, architecture, culture and the famous
Dasara festival that never ceases to enchant and attract
tourists from around the world. Narrow lanes, traditional
houses, rangoli (floor art) at the doorstep, smell of
incense sticks and camphor, a string of mango leaves
called “Torana” decorated across the entrance, women
draped in bright colourful sarees, traditional markets,
rituals, customs and traditions add to the charm of the
city.
Cuisine
The choice of vegetarian food is wide and meals generally
comprise of rice and cereals. The dishes range from earthy
flavours of Northern Karnataka, the traditional fare of
Southern Karnataka, the spicy delicacies of the costal
region, to the distinctive Kodava cuisine.
Mysore
also excels in vegetarian Udupi Cuisine. Usually Udupi
meals avoid the use of garlic and onion and in some cases
even tomatoes. Boiled rice accompanied by rasam (a clear
peppery lentil soup), jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw
green bananas, mango pickle, red chillies are part of a
Udupi menu. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and
chutneys, including one made of the skin of the ridge
gourd, are specialities. Food is served on a green
plantain leaf or on a stainless steel plate.
For
breakfast, one can choose from the popular uppittu
(roasted semolina laced with chillies, coriander leaves,
mustard and cumin seed), idly (soft steamed fermented rice
cakes), with sambar (a spicy lentil and vegetable broth),
thatte idlis (flat idlis), dosa (thick crisp pancakes,
plain or ‘masala’ when stuffed with semi-mashed
potatoes), rava dosa, set dosa, vada (savoury lentil
doughnuts), puri palya and uthapam or kesari bath (a
pudding made of semolina and sugar laced with saffron).
Mysore
has a patented sweet meat called Mysore Pak.
There are other sweets relished by Mysoreans like chiroti
(a light flaky pastry sprinkled with granulated sugar and
soaked in almond milk), obattu or holige
(a flat, thin, wafer like chapatti filled with mixture of
jaggery, coconut and sugar and fried gently on a skillet),
dharwad peda, gokak kardantu and shavige payasa (made of
milk, vermicelli, sugar and cardamom).
Apart
from local cuisine, the restaurants in Mysore do serve
North Indian, Chinese and Continental Cuisine too.
Yoga
Home of the world famous Ashtanga Yoga teacher Late Sri
Pattabhi Jois, Mysore is also referred as "Ashtanga
city or Ashtanga Yoga Capital ".
Ashtanga
yoga was being taught by Late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois since
the 1930's. In this traditional style of Yoga taught in
Mysore, students learn postures in a fixed order using a
special movement-breathing technique called vinyasa.
The vinyasa links the postures together in the
dance of the breath.
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