Mysore
is the second biggest City in
the State of Karnataka. It lies
130 kms from the State Headquarters,
Bangalore. It is the erstwhile
capital of the Mysore Maharajas,
who ruled Mysore State from
this royal city. Mysore has
still an old world charm which
have not given way to modern
amenities. In addition to its
beautiful silk sarees and sandalwood
oil, Mysore is famous for sandalwood
and rose wood carved articles...
The
History of Mysore
The history of Mysore is closely
linked to the history of the
Kingdom of Mysore. References
from the times of Mahabharata
and Asoka refer to Mahisha
Nadu or Mahisha Mandala. References
can also be found in Tamil
literature about Ezimahi Nadu.
The earliest documented evidence
of the town is in the form
of stone carvings in old Kannada(Saasanas)
found in villages around Mysore,
inscribed around 1021 CE.
From 1499 the name Mahisuru
has been recorded in inscriptions.
During the rule of the Vijayanagar
Empire, the Mysore kingdom
served as a feudatory, gaining
sovereignty after the empire
fell in 1565 CE. Till the
year 1610, when Srirangapatna
was acquired, Mysore was the
center of Wodeyar administration.
It became the capital of the
Kingdom of Mysore after the
death of Tippu Sultan at the
end of the Anglo-Mysore Wars
in 1799 [2].
The
administrative center was
shifted to Bangalore in 1831,
when the British moved their
garrison from Srirangapatnam
(on the outskirts of Mysore)
to the Bangalore Cantonment.
Mysore once again became the
capital of the kingdom in
1881 with the rendition of
power by the British to the
Wodeyars. Most present day
historical landmarks, and
the organisation of the city
of Mysore, were inspirations
of the Wodeyar kings and their
Dewans. Plans for organised
development of the city exist
from as far back as 1904.
The period between 1910-1945
is considered the most important
in the modernization of the
kingdom. Several industries
(including a steel mill) were
begun, an efficient railway
system was constructed, as
was a network of irrigation
canals, art and culture flourished
under the patronage of royalty,
and the educational system
was revamped.
Mysore
palaceMysore is called the
City of Palaces as a result
of the number of palaces situated
in the city, including Amba
Vilas (Main Mysore Palace),
Rajendra Vilas (the summer
palace, situated on the Chamundi
hills) and Jayalakshmi Vilas
(now in the University of
Mysore premises). The main
palace of Mysore was burnt
down in 1897, and the present
day structure was built on
the same site. The palace
exhibits a mixture of Dravidian,
Indo-Saracenic, Roman and
Oriental architectural styles.
Even though the Government
of Karnataka now maintains
the Mysore palace, a small
portion of the palace has
been allocated for the erstwhile
Royal family to live in. The
Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion
was constructed by Sri Chamaraja
Wodeyar for his daughter Jayalakshammanni.
It is now a museum dedicated
to folk culture. A new gallery
is being added for artefacts
and collections of the Wodeyars
of Mysore.
