Mysore district General information
Mysore District is an administrative district located in Karnataka, India. It is bounded by Mandya district to the northeast, Chamrajnagar district to the southeast, Kerala state to the south, Kodagu district to the west, and Hassan district to the north. It has an area of 6,268 km², and a population of 2,641,027 (2001 census), an increase of 15.04% from 1991. The administrative center of Mysore District is Mysore City. The district is a part of Mysore division.
The district lies on the undulating table land of the southern Deccan plateau, within the watershed of the Kaveri River, which flows through the northwestern and eastern parts of the district. The Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir, which was formed by building a dam across the Kaveri, lies on the northern edge of the district. Bandipur National Park is located in Mysore District, and Nagarhole National Park lies partly in Mysore district and partly in adjacent Kodagu District.
Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar dynasty, feudatories of the Vijayanagar Empire, who declared their independence in the 16th century and ruled in Mysore until independence, barring three decades when Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan wrested power from them. Mysore today, is a pleasant city with an old world charm, contributed by its broad shady avenues, well laid out gardens, fine buildings and a salubrious climate.
Origin of name
According to Hindu mythology, the area around Mysore was known as Mahishuru and was ruled by a demon, Mahishasura.[2] The demon was killed by the Goddess Chamundeshwari, whose temple is situated atop the Chamundi Hills
Statistics
Coordinates : 12.2897, 76.6461
Time Zone : IST (UTC+5:30)
Area : 37.30 Sq Kms
Altitude : 770 Meters
Rainfall : June to August
Temperature : Summer : 20 - 35C
Winter : 14 - 28C
Season : 365 days
International Dialing Code : +91-0821
Pincode : 570 0xx
Vehicle : KA 09
Geography
Mysore is located at 12°18'N 76°39'E? / ?12.30°N 76.65°E? / 12.30; 76.65 and has an average altitude of 770 metres (2,526 ft). It is situated in the southern region of the state of Karnataka, at the base of the Chamundi Hills and spreads across an area of 128.42 km2 (50 sq mi). The summer season is from March to June, followed by the monsoon season from July to November and the winter season from December to February. The highest temperature recorded in Mysore was 38.5 °C (101 °F) on May 4, 2006 and in winter, temperatures as low as 9.6 °C (49 °F) have been recorded.The average annual rainfall received by the city is 798.2 mm (31 in).
Business and economy
While tourism is the major industry in Mysore, the growth of information technology related industry in the first decade of the 21st century has resulted in the city emerging as the third largest software exporter in the state of Karnataka, next to Bangalore and mangalore. Although lacking an airport, Mysore is connected to other parts of India by railways and road transport. Mysore is also the location of Mysore University, whose alumni include Kuvempu, Gopalakrishna Adiga, S. L. Bhyrappa, U. R. Ananthamurthy and N.R. Narayana Murthy. The All India Radio, the premier radio broadcasting arm of the Government of India had its beginnings here.
Traditionally, Mysore has been home to industries such as weaving, sandalwood carving, bronzework, and the production of lime and salt.The planned industrial growth of the city and the state was first envisaged in the Mysore economic conference, held in 1911.This led to the establishment of industries such as the Mysore Sandalwood Oil Factory in 1917 and the Sri Krishnarajendra Mills in 1920.
In a survey conducted in 2001 by Business Today, the business arm of India Today, Mysore was ranked the 5th best city in India in which to conduct business.Mysore has emerged as the hub of the tourism industry in Karnataka, attracting about 2.5 million tourists in 2006.
Since 2003, information technology companies have been creating bases in Mysore, with the city contributing Rs. 1100 crores (US$220 million) to Karnataka's IT exports in the financial year 2007–2008.Infosys has established one of the largest technical training centres in the world and Wipro has established its Global Service Management Center (GSMC) at Mysore.Non-IT related services have been outsourced from other countries to companies in Mysore.
The industrial sector in the city experienced setbacks when the automobile manufacturer Ideal Jawa and the Sri Krishnarajendra Mills closed their operations.Revival efforts, such as the takeover of the Krishnarajendra Mills by the Atlantic Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd. have been made, but these attempts have run into other problems.
Education
Crawford Hall, the administrative headquarters of the Mysore University
Before the advent of the English system of education in Mysore, agraharas imparted the Vedic system of education to Hindus and madrasas served as centres of learning for Muslims.Modern education saw its beginning in Mysore when a free English school was established in 1833.In 1854, the East India Company promulgated the Halifax Dispatch which looked at organising education based on the Western model within the princely state of Mysore.The first college to be set up for higher education in Mysore was the Maharajas College, which was founded in 1864.In 1868, the Mysore state decided to establish hobli schools to extend education to the masses.Under this scheme, a school was established in each hobli (a locality within the city) and the education was free. This led to the establishment of a normal school in Mysore which imparted coaching to teachers who were meant to teach in the hobli schools. In 1881, a high school exclusively for girls was established and this was later converted into the Maharanis Women's College.In 1892, the Industrial School, the first institute to impart technical education in the city was started and this was followed by the Chamarajendra Technical Institute in 1913.While the modern system of education was making inroads in the city, colleges such as the Mysore Sanskrit college, which was established in 1876, continued to provide Vedic education.
The education system in Mysore received further impetus when the University of Mysore was established in 1916.This was the sixth university to be established in India and first in Karnataka.[64] It was named Manasagangotri (literally meaning "fountainhead of the Ganges of the mind") by the poet laureate, Kuvempu. The university caters to the districts of Mysore, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar in Karnataka. About 127 colleges (having a total student population of 53,000) are affiliated with the university. Mysore University is the only university in the state of Karnataka to get a grade of A+ from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India.
Education in the field of engineering was started in Mysore with the establishment of the National Institute of Engineering in 1946 the Second Oldest Engineering College in the State.Medical education started in 1930 when the Mysore Medical College was transferred from Bangalore to Mysore. Other institutes in the city include the Central Food and Technological Research Institute, the Central Institute of Indian Languages and the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing.
Transport
Mysore does not have a functional airport and the nearest functional airport to the city is the Bengaluru International Airport at Bangalore. The Mandakalli airport near the city is being upgraded by the Airports Authority of India and is expected to be operational by 2009.The absence of an airport has been a hindrance to the economic growth of Mysore.
Inside the Mysore railway station
Mysore city has a railway station and three railway lines connect it to the cities of Bangalore, Hassan and Chamarajanagar. The first railway line established in the city was the Bangalore-Mysore metre gauge line, which was commissioned in 1882.However, all railway lines that serve the city are single track ones which impede faster connectivity to the city. Though there are plans to double at least the Bangalore-Mysore track, the project is yet to be completed.All trains that connect to Mysore are operated by Indian Railways and the fastest train to serve the city is the Shatabdi Express which connects it to Bangalore and Chennai.
Mysore is connected by National Highway NH-212 to the state border town of Gundlupet which then forks into the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.The high traffic State Highway 17 which connects Mysore to Bangalore was, in 2006, upgraded to a four-lane highway which has reduced the travel time between the two cities.A project was planned in 1994 to construct a new expressway to connect the cities of Bangalore and Mysore. But this has run into numerous legal hurdles and the work has yet to be completed.[85] Other main roads are State Highways 33 and 88, which connect Mysore to H D Kote and Madikeri respectively.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and other private agencies operate buses from Mysore. Within the city, buses offer a cheap and popular means of transport. Auto-rickshaws are also available for intra-city commute. Tongas were popular in Mysore in the past decades, but this mode of transport has become rare due to the popularity of faster modes of transportation.
Places of Interest
The Mysore Palace: Once the residence of the Wodeyars, this structure is one of the largest of its kind in India. Built in 1912 in the Indo Saracenic style, this place excludes a grandeur that is unmatched. The Golden Royal Elephant Throne, the Durbar Hall, the Kalyana Mantap and the Gallery are the main attractions here.
The Jaganmohan Palace: This is a converted art gallery which houses paintings that date back to the late 19th century. Paintings of Raja Ravi Verma of Travancore and the Russian Painter Svetoslav Roerich are on display. Paintings in the traditional Mysore Golden leaf style can also been seen here.
Chamundi Hill: Perched atop a hill is a 12th century temple of Chamundershwari. About 13 Kms from Mysore by road these is also a 1000 step walking track for all those young at heart to try. The gigantic 4.8 meter tall monolith of Nandi the sacred vehicle of Lord Shiva is a marvel to watch. Also close to the temple stands a gigantic statues of the demon Mahishasura.
St. Philomena's Church: This beautiful Cathedral was built in 1956 and is one of the largest churches in the country. It has been built in the Gothic style with beautiful stain glass windows and lofty towers. The illuminated church in the evening is a wonderful site not to be missed.
The Mysore Zoo: One of the county's best zoo, this is famous for rare animals bred in captivity and is housed in lush green surroundings.
Brindavan Gardens: 19 Kms north west of Mysore is the famous KRS dam. Built by the famous engineer Sir. M. Vishvesvariah this was one of the first multi purpose dams built in India. Adjacent to the dam is the beautiful Brindavan Garden. With lighting and musical fountains this place transforms it self into a fairy land in the evenings.