Places of Interest Around Mysore

Brindavan Gardens
The tranquil ornamented gardens are laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar dam and are a popular picnic spot illuminated in the evenings. The musical fountains and colourful lights turn this place into an enchanting fairyland in the evenings.

Nagarhole National Park
Located in Kodagu and Mysore districts, deriving its name from Kannada, "Naga" meaning snake and "hole’ meaning streams, Nagarhole is truly a delightful spot, bubbling with the activity of some of the most magnificent animals and trees.

Shivana Samudra
85 Kms from Mysore, where the river Cauvery cascades down in two picturesque waterfalls, is Shivana Samudra. These falls are best during the monsoons; nevertheless their beauty mesmerizes tourists throughout the year. It has India’s first Hydro-Electric Power Station, set up in 1902 by the then Maharaja of Mysore.

Srirangapatnam
14 Kms. northeast of Mysore is Srirangapatnam, an island fortress and the capital of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Tipu’s summer palace, Daria Daulat, has now been turned into a museum. Made of teak, this Indo-Saracenic structure has ornate and beautiful frescoes. The fort holds within it, a mosque and the Ranganatha Swamy Temple.

Somnathpur
Thirty-five kilometres east of Mysore lies Somnathpur, a town famous for the temple built by the Hoysala kings. The beautiful building of the Keshava temple built in 1268 is the major attraction here. The walls of this star-shaped temple are covered with sculptures in stone depicting various scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita and the life and times of the Hoysala Kings.

Belur
One of the three major Hoysala temples still in daily use today is the Channekeshava Temple of Belur. The construction of the temple, which took almost a century, was started in 1116 to commemorate the Hoysalas' victory over the Cholas. Enclosed in a paved compound, the temple complex includes a well and a bathing tank. It is believed that every major deity of the Hindu pantheon is represented in the temple.

Halebid
The Hoysaleswara temple at Halebid has a history dating back to around AD 1121. Though its construction spanned 80 years, it was never completed. The temple is set in a well-tendered garden. A small museum adjacent to it houses a collection of sculptures. The Kedareswara temple and three small Jain temples are also located at Halebid.

Bandipur
On the way to Ooty, about 80 km off Mysore, is situated the Bandipur National Park. The park, spread over an area of 875 km, is a famous tiger reserve. Besides tiger, the other animals you can see here are the barking deer, tuskers, and bison.

Ranganathittu
For bird lovers, Ranganathittu is worth a visit. This bird sanctuary is situated around 18 km from Mysore and offers a close view of the exotic and common birds.

Sravanabelagola
Sravanabelagola, meaning the Monk of the White Pond, is the oldest and the most important pilgrimage centre for the Jains in the country. The town is also the home to the world's tallest monolithic statue, the 17-metre-high naked statue of Bahubali. Besides the statue, the town also has several interesting Jain temples and monasteries.