Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Tirumala on Foot


Date: 23rd April and 24th April 2012


TEAM MEMBERS


Purushotham

Ramkumar
Sateesh (myself)
Kumaraswamy
Raghavendra
Rajendra
Sadananda
Prasad
Lakshminarayana



TIRUMALA ON FOOT


Left Bangalore on 23rd April, the train was at 7-35 pm, i have strucked at office for some urgent official work, it was tensed as we need to reach Yeswanthpur Railway Station, left office by 6-35 pm by auto from LH to Yeswanthpur, heavy traffic jam near Cauvery Petrol bunk and aslo at Sadashivnagar Signal, we are really worried can we make it! the auto which we hired the driver was also very slow, finally reached by 7-25 pm, fellow freinds are eagerly waiting near the Compartment all we get in Mr. Rajendra brought some Idli,Vade, Kharabhat and Shavigebhat from Malleswaram Railway Station
All we had nice evening snacks what Mr. Rajendra was brought, played some games (UNO-J Kumaraswamy, three time UNO Champion-Mr. Purushotham) had some tea and slept away,  Train reached Tirupathi by 2am (scheduled time 2-30) caught two Autos to Alipiri reached over there had bath freely provided by TTD Authorities, by God's grace saying "EDU KONDALAVADA VENKATARAMANA GOVINDA GOVINDA' started on journey to the Divine Holy Shrine Seven Hills God Balaji, we have proceeding an small incident occured Fellow piligrim Ramkumar got low blood, giddiness only mr. purushotham was accompanying him we all almost covered nearly 2500 footsteps, he called over phone, but it was not reaching us, finally got and he informed what happened, Mr. Harsha and Mr.Kumar returned back to help him all the way 2500 footsteps down again then strength came to Mr. Purushotham, Harsha gone till further  get down 100 more steps to get a cup of Coffee to him then we had a sigh of releif as he recovered from this, Purushotham and Ramkumar carried their journey in the BUS, again Mr. Harsha and Mr Kumar restarted their journey from starting from scratch once again except kumar and harsha we all reached Galigopura by 4-50 am, collected Token over there had some light tea and moved further enroute we had some nice view of the hillock all over passing and the first team reached hilltop by 7-30 am we had booked a room in Karnataka Pravasi Soudha(KPC) (0877-2277426), had once again bath, had a free breakfast (Courtesy: Mr Krishnaiah Setty, MLA, Malur Constituency, he is providing free meals to all the devotees of KPC) waited for the two men and they also reached by 09-30 am, they took some rest and they also had bath we went for having Darshan as we were entering once again Mr Kumar forget to bring the amount who was given to him to offer at Srivari Hundi, again back he went to room to bring that, finally the team dismantled


Myself, Raghavendra, Nani and Prasad went inside, Rajendra waited for kumar as kumar's ticket was with thim, they als entered, we four settled at Cage No. 30 saw the board over there our next darshan timing was at 2-pm they served some Curd rice who were present there by 12-30 our Cage opened and moved towards Darshan Que, Finally we had a nice Darshan of Balaji, we came back by 2-pm collected Laddus and Vada over there had some snacks at Hotel woodside and Hotel Mayura Left Tirumala by 6-00pm

We had a Dinner at Maya Restaurant nearby Railway Station, we boarded Mysore Passenger Train (8-55pm)

Reached Bangalore on 25th by 7-30 am
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Bangalore to Tirupathi -TRAINS


By Road From Bangalore
Bangalore to Chitoor - 173 Kms
Chitoor to Puralapattu- 19 Kms
Puralapattu- take a right - Chandragiri- 36 Kms
Chandragiri take a left- TIRUPATHI app 15 Kms


Total 245 Kms


Tirupathi to Tirumala - 24 Kms
From Alipiri to Tirumala - 18 Kms


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View Larger Map ---

Detailed INFORMATION 

Basic Rules


before taking and tour or treks, please have some little information about the place 
Some  basic rules to follow while climbing the Tirumala Hill


a) Absolutely No footwear while climbing (depends on individual)
b) Travel Light (Almost all supplies can be bought on the way )
c) Have a bottle of water handy
d) Some glucose for instant energy (Please check if you are diabetic), Dry Fruits etc
e) Try to carry a backpack, to keep your hands free; but don't stuff it
f) Since the hills are sacred, people suggest to climb only after taking bath.

Tirupati to Tirumala on Foot

For those of you who would like to climb the hills to Tirumala to fulfil a vow, there are two well-laid stone footpaths leading to Tirumala. These paths are called sopanamargas.

The more ancient of the two sopanamargas which starts from Alipiri at the foot of the hills, is about 11 km in length, and is the commonly-used route.

The other sopanamarga (Srivari mettu) from Chandragiri, though only about 6 km in length.
1.Token facility is provided for pedestrian who come on foot to Tirumala through Gali Gopuram or Srivari Mettu.

2.Bio-Metric counters are established on these foot paths, to facilitate free darshan, free accommodation (P.A.C.) and free food facilities at Tirumala.

TTD provides several facilities to pilgrims who walk up the hills to Tirumala.

Foothill Steps Entrance 

The Team -[Mr.Raghavendra,Mr Purushotham, Mr.Ramkumar,Mr Harsha, 
Mr Kumar, Mr Lakshminarayana, Mr.Rajendra, Mr Prasad &
Mr. Sadananda]
APSRTC runs free buses from the Tirupati Railway station to Alipiri, with a frequency of 30 minutes. Pilgrims who intend to walk up the hills to Tirumala can use these buses.

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple in the hill town of Tirumala, near Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is around 600 km (370 mi) from Hyderabad, 138 km (86 mi) from Chennai and 291 km (181 mi)  from Bangalore.


The Tirumala Hill is 853m above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Adisesha, thus earning the name Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is on Venkatadri (also known as Venkatachala or Venkata Hill), the seventh peak, and is also known as the "Temple of Seven Hills". The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Venkateswara, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a holy water tank. The temple complex comprises a traditional temple building, with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.


The temple is the richest pilgrimage center, after the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, of any faith (at more than  50,000 crore) and the most-visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average), while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most-visited holy place in the world.


There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. According to one legend, the temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, which it is believed shall remain here for the entire duration of the present Kali Yuga.
Karpurada Arathi enroute to the hill on Footsteps

Devotees offering Karpura Arathi in each steps


Nani, Rajendra and Sadananda at Token Counter

Token Counter at Gali Gopuram


Tea Stall at GaliGopuram















PANORAMA VIEW ENROUTE


BLUE BELL FLOWER

Malabal Squirrel



Moukula Mantapam


A View from Moukula Mantapam

A View from Moukula Mantapam

Team near  Moukula Mantapam

Steps-Moukula Mantapam

Tea Vendor Enroute

Bogan Villa 






Pushkarni

Karnataka Pravasi Soudha, Tirumala
Bangaru Vakili


From the Tirumamani Mandapam, one can enter the Bangaru Vakili to reach the inner sanctum sanctorum. There are two tall copper images of the dwarapalakas Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The thick wooden door is covered with gilt plates depicting the dasavataram of Sri Maha Vishnu.


The doorway is directly in line with the Padi Kavali and the Vendi Vakili. It admits pilgrims to the Snapana Mandapam. Suprabhatam is sung in front of this door.


Ramanuja


Ramanuja was the architect of Tirupati and the father of the Sri Vaishnava community there. He designed the flower gardens of the temple. He was responsible for managing the worship procedures and other affairs of the Sri Venkateswara temple. His shrine was built around the 13th century. It overlooks the western end of the Tirumamani Mandapam. There are two tall copper images of the Dvarapalas (door guardians) Jaya and Vijaya on either side of the door. The door is covered with gilt plates depicting the Dashavatara of Sri Maha Vishnu. The doorway is directly in line with the Padi Kavali and the Vendi Vakili. It admits pilgrims to the Snapana Mandapam. Suprabhatam is sung in front of this door. The right hand of the stone image of Ramanuja is held in the gesture of exposition (vyakhyana mudra), and the left hand in the form of boon bestowal (varada hasta) or of holding a book (pustaka hasta). The shrine figures prominently during the festival of Adhyayanotsavam, which is a typical Pancharatra observance. Special worship is conducted in this shrine during Gandhapodi Utsavam and Bhashyakara Utsavam. The presiding deity of Ramanuja is taken in a grand procession to meet Malayappa near the Padi Kavali.


With the call of the Divine that made today's Chinna Jeeyar Swamy the young Srimannarayana Ramanujacharyulu to take up the ascetic order of JEEYAR(Lion) at a very young age of 23 years. He is reckoned very high among the monks of the India and abroad as the pioneer and Crusader of Peace.


Annamacharya
Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (Telugu: శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (or Annamayya) (May 9, 1408 – February 23, 1503) was the official songmaster of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, and a Telugu composer who composed around 36000 keertana songs, many of which were in praise of Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple. The musical form of the keertana songs that he composed have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions, which are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists. Sri Annamacharya is remembered for his saintly life, and is honoured as a great Bhakta/devotee of Bhagwaan Govinda by devotees and saintly singers. He is widely regarded as the Pada-kavita Pitaamaha (grand old man of song-writing) of the Telugu language.


Tyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (Telugu: త్యాగరాజు) (May 4, 1767–January 6, 1847), colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya, was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music. He was a prolific composer and highly influential in the development of the South Indian classical music tradition. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most of them in praise of Lord Rama — most of which remain very popular even today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Krithis (English: 'five gems'), which are often sung in programs in his honor.


His compositions in praise of Lord Venkateswara include - Tirupati Venkateswara Krithis


Temple activities

Prasadam

Laddu is the world famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple. Recently the Trust has taken copy right of Laddu prasaddam, hence, no one can prepare the same Laddu. Many other prasadams are also available including daddojanam (curd rice), pulihora (tamarind rice), vada and chakkera-pongali (sweet pongal), miryala-pongali, Appam, Paayasam, Jilebi, Muruku, Dosa, seera (kesari). Free meals are given daily to the pilgrims. On Thursdays, the Tirupavadai seva occurs, where food items are kept for naivedyam to Lord Srinivasa.



Hair tonsuring

Many devotees have their head tonsured as an offer. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton. The hair thus gathered is sold by the temple organization a few times a year by public auction to international buyers for use as hair extensions and in cosmetics, bringing over $6 million to the temple's treasury.

When Lord Balaji was hit on his head by a shepherd, a small portion of his scalp became bald. This is noticed by Neela Devi, a Gandharva princess. She feels "such an attractive face should not have a flaw". Immediately she cuts a portion of her hair and with her magical power she implants it on his scalp. Lord Balaji notices her sacrifice. As hair is a beautiful aspect of the female, he promises her that all his devotees who come to his abode should render their hair to him, and she would be the recipient of all the hair received. Hence it is believed that hair offered by the devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. The hill Neeladri, one among seven hills is named after her.

Hundi (donation pot)
It is believed that Srinivasa had to make arrangements for his wedding. Lord Kubera credited money to the god Venkateshwara (a form of the god Vishnu) for his marriage with Padmavati. Srinivasa sought a loan of one crore and 14 lakh (11,400,000) coins of gold from Kubera and had Viswakarma, the divine architect, create heavenly surroundings in the Seshadri hills. Together, Srinivasa and Padmavathy lived for all eternity while Goddess Lakshmi, understanding the commitments of Lord Vishnu, chose to live in his heart forever. In remembrance of this, devotees go to Tirupati to donate money in Venkateshwara's hundi (donation pot) so that he can pay it back to Kubera. The hundi collections go as high as 22.5 million INR a day. Devotees offer gold as a token of their love for God. The annual gold offering goes as high as 3000 kg.

Thulabharam

One of the most important offering in this temple, is the ‘thulabharam.’ In the Thulabaram ritual, a devotee sits on a pan of a weighing balance and the other pan is filled with materials greater than the weight of the devotee. Devotees usually offer sugar, jaggery, tulsi leaves, banana, gold, coins. This is mostly performed with newborn babies or children.

 Arjitha seva (paid services)
Pilgrims can view and participate (in a limited fashion) in the various sevas performed to Dhruva bera (main idol), Bhoga Srinivasa, Sri Malayappa swami and other idols in the temple.

When pilgrims purchase arjitha seva tickets, they get the opportunity to see a seva performed to the Lord, obtain prasadam in the form of vastram (clothes), akshantalu (sacred and blessed rice) and food articles (laddus, vadas, dosas, pongal, rice items) and a darshan of the utsava murti.

The Seven Hills
The seven hills, also called Saptagiri (Telugu: సప్తగిరి)(Tamil:ஸப்தகிரி), represent the Saptarishi (seven sages). They sometimes called the Sapathagiri. Hence the Lord is named

Saptagirinivasa. The following are the seven hills:

• Vrushabhadri (Telugu: వృశభాద్రి)( Tamil:விருஷபாத்ரி)( Kannada:ವೃಶಭಾದ್ರಿ)— Hill of
Nandi, the vahana of Lord Shiva)

• Anjanadri (Telugu: అంజనాద్రి)(Tamil:அஞ்சனாத்ரி) (Kannada:ಅಂಜನಾದ್ರಿ)— Hill of Lord
Hanuman

• Neeladri (Telugu: నీలాద్రి)(Tamil:நீலாத்ரி) (Kannada:ನೀಲಾದ್ರಿ)— Hill of Neela Devi — It is believed that hair offered by the devotees is accepted by Neela Devi. It is because of boon granted by Lord Venkateswara to Neela Devi.

• Garudadri (Telugu: గరుడాద్రి)(Tamil: கருடாத்ரி)(Kannada: ಗರುಡಾದ್ರಿ) or Garudachalam — Hill of Garuda, the vahana of Lord Vishnu

• Seshadri (Telugu: శేషాద్రి)(Tamil:ஸேஷாத்ரி) (Kannada:ಶೇಷಾದ್ರಿ)or Seshachalam — Hill of Sesha, the dasa of Lord Vishnu

• Naraynadri (Telugu: నారాయణాద్రి)(Tamil: நாராயணாத்ரி) (Kannada:ನಾರಾಯಣಾದ್ರಿ)— Hill of Narada Muni

• Venkatadri (Telugu: వేంకటాద్రి)(Tamil: வெங்கடாத்ரி)(Kannada:ವೆಂಕಟಾದ್ರಿ) — Hill of Lord Venkateswara

Festivals
Elephants marching during a festival at Tirumala

The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals, including Vaikuntha Ekadasi, Rama Navami, and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festival in Tirumala. The temple receives millions of devotees over the short span of a week. Other major festivals include Vasanthotsavam (spring festival), conducted in March–April, and Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami), celebrated in February, when Lord Venkateswara's deity is taken on procession around the temple chariots.

Nearby temples
Srikalahasti Temple is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva situated on the banks of the River Swarnamukhi.The renowned devotee of Lord Shiva, Kannappa, attained salvation here. This temple is 38 kilometres (24 mi) away from Tirupati, and is connected by frequent buses.

Srinivasa Mangapuram is situated 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Tirupati.This temple houses Lord Venkateswara, also known as Prasanna Venkateswara or Kalyana Venkateswara. Bus connections are available from Tirupati.

Sri Padmavati Devi Alayam (Alamelu Mangapuram), located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Tirupati, is an important temple which is visited by every pilgrim who visits Tirupati. It is this temple that houses the spouses of the Lord, Sri Padmavathi Devi (Alamelu Mangamma) and Thayaru. According to the legends, the goddess Padmavathi was born in a tank called Pushakarini at this place. The temples of Sri Krishna Swamy and Sri Sundara Raja Swamy are also inside the complex.

Sri Govinda Raja Swami Temple is located in Tirupati near the railway station. The highlight of the temple is its outer pinnacle (Gaali Gopuram), which is visible from a distance. In addition to a shrine to Sri Govinda Raja Swami, the temple complex also houses the shrines of Andal Ammavaru, Sri Krishna, Sri Ramanuja Thirumangai Alwar, Sri Vedanta Desika, Sri Lakshmi, and Sri Manevala Mahamunlu. The Bramhotsavam of Govinda Raja Swami during the month of Vaisakha (May–June) attracts a large number of devotees every year.

Sri Kodanda Rama Swami Temple is also situated in Tirupati. This temple houses the shrines of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana. The beautiful idols of this temple are famous. Bramhotsavam in this temple takes place in the month of Falgun (March–April).

Sri Kapileswara Swami Temple is the only temple of Lord Shiva in Tirupati. Pilgrims normally proceed to Tirumala for Darshan after taking a customary dip in the temple tank. Located amidst foothills of Tirumala, the place is also known for its waterfalls.

Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple is located at Narayanavanam, according to legends. Lord Venkateswara courted and married goddess Padmavathi Devi here.

Soumyanatha Swami Temple, Soumyanatha Swami is another name and form of Lord Venkateshwara in Nandalur Kadapa District
(Source: Wikipedia)

Websites:
http://www.tirumala.org/sevas_main.htm

Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams E-services


If you want to enquire about TTD's e-services like e-seva, e-accomodation, e-sudarsanam or e-hundi you can contact at the following address:


Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams 
TTD Administrative Building
K.T. Road, Tirupati 517 501


Helpdesk no's : +91-877-227 7777/ 223 3333 / 226 4252 , 91-877-226 3922 for any enquiries

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Mysore Tour with Family

Family Tour - Mysore- 14th and 15th April 2012

The TEAM
Myself
Malini
Manu
Neha


I planned to visit Mysore with my family, it was an almost three to five year wish to visit the palace city, i informed my wife will have a small trip to Mysore Only, my daughter Neha insisting that she needs to visit Mysore Zoo, finally D-Day had come booked a cab chalked out the following plan

6-00 am : Departure to Mysore [enroute Breakfast]

1) Kengal Anjaneya Temple
2) Lord Aprameya & Lord Navaneetha Krishna Temple, Dodda Mallur Temple
3) Ganjam Nimishamba Devi Temple –  
4) Shree Ranganatha Swamy Temple,Shrirangapattana, 
5) Mysore Palace
6) Jaganmohan Art Palace Museum
7) Nanjanagud 

 Halt at Mysore 

15th April 2012:  
Chamundi Hills 
Mahishasura 
Nandi Statue
Mysore Zoo,
Karanji Lake
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary 

i called my fellow friends and colleague to necessary arrangement to visit the above said places, it was one of the nice trip which i had done with my family


early morning we left our residence by 6-30 am first we reached Kengal due to some minor health upset, we could not visit nor had a darshan of Anjaneya Swamy and then we proceed to Doddamallur Aprameya and Ambegalu Krishna Temple and had a darshan over there, after having darshan we had breakfast at Shivalli and moved towards Srirangapatna had darshan of Sriranganathaswamy Temple, it was too hot we could not keep our feet on the road, had tender coconut  from there our next place was Ganjam, had a nice darshan of Godess Nimishambadevi (our kuladevaru) it was an nice experience we had almost 15-20 minutes near the garbagudi

Some more information about the places i visited on Day 1 - First Session

Kengal Anjaneya Swamy Temple
Kengal Anjaneya Swamy Temple is located in Vandaraguppe village near Channapatna Karnataka. The reigning deity of the temple is a five-and-half-foot tall Hanuman sporting a moustache. Tradition recounts that sage Vyasaraya, carried out installation rituals after realizing the special properties of a rock which looked like the monkey god, Hanuman. A huge water tank is located in the temple premises. The temple is 55 km from Bangalore and is just off the Bangalore - Mysore State Highway. Bangalore International Airport is the nearest airport. Channapatna Railway station is another access point

Aprameya Swamy Temple

Aprameya Swamy Temple, situated 60 km from Bangalore, is an ancient temple on the Mysore - Bangalore Highway. It is believed that Lord Ram stayed here for many years and worshipped Lord Aprameya. Hence the presiding deity is also known as Sriramaprameya. The idol of Sriramaprameya is represented holding the conch and disc in two upper arms and club and lotus in the two lower arms in the Abhayahastam mudra. The temple also enshrines Goddess Aravindavalli, the consort of Lord Aprameya, Lord Navaneeta Krishna and Alwars of Vaishnavism. The temple of Lord Navaneeta Krishna, a cute little Krishna, crawling, with a butter ball in his right hand is the main attraction.

 
Built in the Dravidian architectural style, the temple stands on sand without any solid basement. The side walls of the Rajagopuram are decorated with beautiful sculptures depicting the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Mukha Mantapam houses the copper idols of Garuda, Sesha, Gaja, Ashva, Simha, Chandra Prabha, Samarabhoopala, Hamsa, Puppet Ashva and Hanuman. Punya Tirthams in and around the temple are Shambhu Tirtham, Vishnu Tirtham, Brahma Tirtham and the Nirmala River.


 AMBEGALU KRISHNA



The annual festival, Brahmotsavam, held during the month of April-May to celebrate the birth of the Lord, draws pilgrims from far off places.

The place is well connected by road and rail. Local modes of road transportation are available. Nearest railhead is at Channapatna. There are rooms available in Shri Rama Temple with free meals
Place Statistics:

Type of Place: Ancient Temple
Situated: Bangalore rural district, Channapatna taluk
Distance: 60 Kms from Bangalore, 3 Kms from Channapatna, 80 Kms from Mysore
Transport: Well connected by road and rail; autorikshaws ply between 
Channapatna and Mallur
Restaurants: Many are available on the main highway
Places to stay: The temple authorities make arrangements for staying and food


Contact Person: 
Sri. E. Venugopal
President
Phone: 080-7200015
Mob: 9448077348
Email: embarvenumallur@yahoo.co.in

Sri Ranganthaswamy temple

The Sri Ranganthaswamy temple in Srirangapatna, in the Indian state of Karnataka, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Ranganatha, a manifestation of Vishnu and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams. The town of Srirangapatna, which derives its name from the temple, is located on an island in the river Kaveri. The temple is one of a set of three major temples that are built on three different islands on the Kaveri and are dedicated to lord Ranganatha.

Ranganathaswamy Temple : The temples is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines in South India. It is built by the Gangas in 9th century, later improved by the Hoysala and Vijayanagar kings. The temple is a tribute to Lord Ranganatha(Vishnu ) has been dedicated at three pilgrimages

Adi Ranga at Srirangapattana Madhya Ranga at Shivanasamudra Antya Ranga at Srirangam


On the way to temple, Is the place where Tippu Sultan's body was found. The government has declared the place as being historically important is under the purview of The Archeological Survey of India






ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ
ಶ್ರೀ ರಂಗನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಾಲಯ


ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಮಂಡ್ಯ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ, ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಹಾಗು ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮಹತ್ವ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಪಟ್ಟಣವಾಗಿದೆ.


ಸ್ಥಳ

ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರದಿಂದ ೧೩ ಕಿ.ಮೀ. ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ ಮಂಡ್ಯ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಗಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಪಟ್ಟಣವು ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿಯಿಂದ ಆವೃತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿಯು ಪೂರ್ವವಾಹಿನಿ ಹಾಗು ಪಶ್ಚಿಮವಾಹಿನಿಗಳಾಗಿ ಕವಲೊಡೆದು ಹರಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟನವು ಒಂದು ದ್ವೀಪದಂದಿತೆ.

ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮಹತ್ವ


ಶ್ರೀರಂಗನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ದೇವಾಲಯವು ಪಟ್ಟಣದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು. ಈ ದೇವಾಲಯವು ಗಂಗ ಅರಸರು ಕಾಲದ್ದೆಂದು ಪ್ರತೀತಿಯಿದೆ. ಇದನ್ನು ೧೨ ನೇ ಶತಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀರ್ಣೋದ್ಧಾರ ಮಾಡಲಾಯಿತು.

ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿ ಕವಲೊಡೆಯುವ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗನಾಥ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಯ ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳಿರುವುದು ಒಂದು ವಿಶೇಷ. ಇವುಗಳೆಂದರೆ:

ಆದಿ ರಂಗ - ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ
ಮಧ್ಯ ರಂಗ - ಶಿವನಸಮುದ್ರ
ಅಂತ್ಯ ರಂಗ - ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿನ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಂ
ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ವಾಹಿನಿಯು ಹಿಂದುಗಳಿಗೆ ಅಂತಿಮ ಕರ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಲು ಒಂದು ಪುಣ್ಯ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಿಯುವ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೃತರ ಅಸ್ಥಿಗಳನ್ನು ವಿಸರ್ಜಿಸಿದರೆ ಮೋಕ್ಷ ಲಭಿಸುವುದೆಂದು ನಂಬಿಕೆಯಿದೆ.

ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಮಹತ್ವ


ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಕಾಲದಿಂದಲೂ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಮಹತ್ವವುಳ್ಳ ಊರಾಗಿದೆ. ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ ಹಾಗು ಹೈದರಾಲಿ ಯವರ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು












Nimishambha is the name of a temple on the banks of the Cauvery river, located about 2 km from Srirangapattana on the road leading to Sangam in the south Indian state of Karnataka.

There is a festival on "Nimishamba jayanthi" by Somavamsha Arya Kshtriyas, which is also celebrated as "Vasavamba jayanthi" by arya vsyas. On every full moon day there are special poojas. Every day from 6am to 8:30pm, one can have the "darshan" of goddess.

There is river "Cauvery" with shallow waters adjoining the temple. This river attracts a lot of travellers to mysore from bangalore who stop by for a refreshing bath and lunch by the riverside



There is a bus service from the Mysore city to here. Commuters can also take an auto from Srirangapattana.


Mysore

Mysore palace is one of the largest palaces in India and one of the most splendid. The palace was the residence of the Wodeyar Mahararaja's of the Mysore state, also known as Amba Vilas. Initially the palace was chiseled out of wood but it burnt down an fire in 1897. Later in 1912 it was reconstructed by "Ranadheera Kantheerava Narasaraja wodeyar". The architectural style of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, and blends together Hindu, Muslimajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. The construction was complete in 1912.

 

A double-headed eagle as the royal symbol of Mysore. The palace houses a treasure of superb carvings and artistic works from all over the world. The palace is built around an open courtyard, to the east of which is the elephant gate. On the first floor is the Durbar Hall and towards the north is the Ambavilasa. The Kalyanmantap or the marriage hall is awesome. The hall itself is magnificent and is decorated with huge chandeliers, and multicolored stain glass arranged in peacock designs. The historic Mysore Palace - Durbar Hall of the palace has an ornate ceiling and sculpted pillars which are said to have been painted with gold. Another attraction in the palace is the golden throne. This gold artistic royal throne of the Wodeyars is displayed only during the Dussera festival





The palace houses several rooms of importance. These include Audience Chamber Public Durbar, Royal wedding hall, Armoury. On sundays, national holidays and during Dasara navarathri festival, the palace is lit up with lights which is festival for eyes








ಮೈಸೂರು

ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ

ಮೈಸೂರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ನಗರ. ಮೈಸೂರು ಅದೇ ಹೆಸರಿನ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಆಡಳಿತ ಕೇಂದ್ರ, ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂದಿನ ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದ ಹಳೆಯ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ. ಮೈಸೂರನ್ನು 'ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ' ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ಅರಮನೆಗಳಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಮೈಸೂರನ್ನು ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಅರಮನೆಗಳ ನಗರ ಎಂದೂ ಕರೆಯಾಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
ಮೈಸೂರು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವೆಂದರೆ ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ, ಶ್ರೀ ಚಾಮರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಮೃಗಾಲಯ, ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟ, ಕಾರಂಜಿ ಕೆರೆ, ಕುಕ್ಕರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ.ರೀಜನಲ್ ಮ್ಯೂಜಿಯ್ಂ ಆಫ್ ನ್ಯಾಚುರಲ್ ಹಿಸ್ಟರಿ,ಜಗನ್ಮೊಹನ ಅರಮನೆ. ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಸಮೀಪದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವು ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ, ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜಸಾಗರ, ರಂಗನತಿಟ್ಟು, ಬಂಡಿಪುರ,ತಲಕಾಡು,ಮುಡುಕುತೊರೆ ತಿರುಮಕೂಡಲು ನರಸೀಪುರ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿ.

ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರದ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆ ಸುಮಾರು ೧೧ನೇ ಶತಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯಿತೆಂದು ನಂಬಲಾಗಿದೆ. ೧೪ ನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದ ಕೊನೆಯ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ಒಡೆಯರ್ ವಂಶದ ಅರಸರು ಮೈಸೂರನ್ನು ಆಳಲಾರಂಭಿಸಿದರು. ಈ ವಂಶದ ಮೊದಲ ಅರಸು "ಯದುರಾಯ". ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ವಂಶದ ಹೆಸರು ಯದುವಂಶ ಎಂದಾಯಿತು. ಮೊದಲಿಗೆ ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಭಾಗವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ ೧೫೬೫ ರಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಜಯನಗರದ ಪತನದ ನಂತರ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ರಾಜ್ಯವಾಯಿತು. ರಣಧೀರ ಕಂಠೀರವ ನರಸರಾಜ ಒಡೆಯರ್ ಈ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನವನ್ನು ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸಿದವರಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ರು.
೧೮ನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಡೆಯರ್ ಅರಸರ ಪ್ರಭಾವ ಕಡಿಮೆಯಾಗಿ ಹೈದರ್ ಅಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ಟೀಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ್‌ರ ಆಡಳಿತ ನಡೆಯಿತು. ಈ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ರಾಜಧಾನಿ ಶ್ರೀರಂಗಪಟ್ಟಣ ಮತ್ತು ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರಗಳ ನಡುವೆ ಬದಲಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ ಆಧುನಿಕ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಭಾಗದ ಬಹುಭಾಗವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡಿತ್ತು. ೧೭೯೯ರಲ್ಲಿ ಟೀಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನನ ಸೋಲಿನ ನಂತರ, ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷರು ಒಡೆಯರ್ ಮನೆತನವನ್ನು ಸಿಂಹಾಸನದ ಮೇಲೆ ಪುನಃ ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಿದರು. ಮೈಸೂರು ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷ್ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಉಳಿಯಿತು, ಮತ್ತು ೧೮೩೪ ರಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ವರ್ಗಾಯಿಸಲಾಯಿತು. ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ ೧೯೪೭ರಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾರತದ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯಾನಂತರ ಭಾರತ ಗಣರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸೇರಿ ೧೯೫೦ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೈಸೂರು ರಾಜ್ಯ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರು ಪಡೆಯಿತು. ನಂತರ, ಈ ರಾಜ್ಯ ೧೯೫೬ರ ಏಕೀಕರಣ ನಂತರ ವಿಶಾಲ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರು ಪಡೆಯಿತು.

ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರ

ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳಿಗೂ ಸಹ ಮೈಸೂರು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ 
ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರ ಸಮುದ್ರ ಮಟ್ಟದಿಂದ ೭೭೦ ಮೀ ಎತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿದೆ, ಹಾಗೂ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರದಿಂದ ೧೪೦ ಕಿಮೀ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಮೈಸೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿ ವರ್ಷ ಹತ್ತು ದಿನ-ಒಂಬತ್ತು ರಾತ್ರಿಗಳವರೆಗೆ ದಸರಾ ಅಥವಾ ನವರಾತ್ರಿ ಹಬ್ಬವನ್ನು ವಿಜೃಂಭಣೆಯಿಂದ ಆಚರಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.. ಇದು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್ ತಿಂಗಳಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವುದು.
ಭಾರತದ ಅತಿ ಹಳೆಯ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದಾದ ಮೈಸೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ಇದೇ ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಇತರ ಸಂಶೋಧನಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳೆಂದರೆ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಆಹಾರ ತಂತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನ ಸಂಶೋಧನಾ ಕೇಂದ್ರ (ಸಿಎಫ್‌ಟಿಆರ್‌ಐ), ರಕ್ಷಣಾ ಆಹಾರ ಸಂಶೋಧನಾ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಾಲಯ (ಡಿಎಫ್‌ಆರ್‌ಎಲ್), ಭಾರತೀಯ ಭಾಷಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ [http://www.ciil.org/].





ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳು

ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮಹಿಷಾಸುರ
ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ಅನೇಕ ಅರಮನೆಗಳಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಅರಮನೆಗಳ ನಗರ ಎಂದೂ ಸಹ ಹೆಸರು. ಈ ಅರಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲವು:
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ: ಮುಖ್ಯ ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ, ಅಥವಾ "ಅಂಬಾ ವಿಲಾಸ", ೧೮೯೭ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಟ್ಟಲಾರಂಭಿಸಿ ೧೯೧೨ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿದ್ಧವಾದ ಅರಮನೆ. ಪ್ರತಿ ಭಾನುವಾರ ಸಂಜೆ ಸಾವಿರಾರು ದೀಪಗಳಿಂದ ಸುಂದರ ದೃಶ್ಯ[೩೬೦° ನೋಟ] ನೀಡುವ ಅರಮನೆ.

ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ವಿಲಾಸ್: ಬೇಸಿಗೆ ಅರಮನೆ ಎಂದೂ ಹೆಸರು, ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ಇದೆ.

ಜಗನ್ಮೋಹನ ಅರಮನೆ: ಜಗನ್ಮೋಹನ ಅರಮನೆ ಈಗ ಒಂದು ಕಲಾ ಸಂಗ್ರಹಾಲಯ. ರಾಜಾ ರವಿ ವರ್ಮ ಮೊದಲಾದ ಅನೇಕ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧ ಕಲಾವಿದರ ಕೃತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು.

ಜಯಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ವಿಲಾಸ್: ಈಗ ಮೈಸೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಮಾನಸ ಗಂಗೋತ್ರಿಯ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿದೆ.
ಲಲಿತ ಮಹಲ್: ಈಗ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಪ್ರವಾಸೋದ್ಯಮ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ನಿಗಮವು ನಡೆಸುವ ಹೋಟೆಲ್ ಆಗಿ ಪರಿವರ್ತಿತವಾಗಿದೆ.
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆಯ ಉಸ್ತುವಾರಿ ಈಗ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದರೂ ಅರಮನೆಯ ಒಂದು ಭಾಗವನ್ನು ಹಿಂದಿನ ರಾಜಮನೆತನಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಡಲಾಗಿದೆ. 

ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟ. ಇದು ಇಲ್ಲಿನ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳು (ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ ದೇವಾಲಯ), ದೊಡ್ಡ ನಂದಿಯ ವಿಗ್ರಹ, ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಿಷಾಸುರನ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಗೆ ಹೆಸರಾಗಿದೆ.

ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಚಾಮರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ವನ್ಯ ಮೃಗಾಲಯ, ಅಥವಾ "ಮೈಸೂರು ಝೂ", ಭಾರತದ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಮೃಗಾಲಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು. ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಕೆಲವು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳು ನಿಗೂಢವಾಗಿ ಸಾವಿಗೀಡಾಗಿದ್ದು ಈ ಮೃಗಾಲಯ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ವಿವಾದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿತ್ತು.

ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಮಾನಸಗಂಗೋತ್ರಿ (ಮೈಸೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಆವರಣ). ಇನ್ನು ಕೆಲವು ಸ್ಥಳಗಳೆಂದರೆ ನೈಸರ್ಗಿಕ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ ವಸ್ತುಸಂಗ್ರಹಾಲಯ, ರೈಲ್ವೇ ವಸ್ತುಸಂಗ್ರಹಾಲಯ, ಕಲಾ ಮಂದಿರ, ಕುಕ್ಕರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ, ಪುಷ್ಪಕಾಶಿ (ಪುಷ್ಪೋದ್ಯಾನ), ಕಾರಂಜಿ ಕೆರೆ, ಮೈಸೂರು ರೇಷ್ಮೆ ಕಾರ್ಖಾನೆ ಮುಂತಾದವು.


ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ

'ಅಂಬಾ ವಿಲಾಸ್ ಅರಮನೆ ಅಥವಾ ಮೈಸೂರರಮನೆ'
ಅಂಬಾ ವಿಲಾಸ್ ಅರಮನೆ ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅನೇಕ ಅರಮನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಅರಮನೆ. ಮೈಸೂರು "ಅರಮನೆಗಳ ನಗರ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆಯಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತದೆ. "ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆ" ಎನ್ನುವಾಗ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅರಮನೆಯಾದ ಅಂಬಾ ವಿಲಾಸವನ್ನು ನಿರ್ದೇಶಿಸಿ ಹೇಳಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದು ಹಿಂದಿನ ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದ ವೊಡೆಯರ್ ವಂಶದ ಅರಸರ ನಿವಾಸ ಹಾಗೂ ದರ್ಬಾರು ಶಾಲೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಿತು.ಈ ಅರಮನೆಯ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದು ೧೮೯೭ ರಲ್ಲಿ; ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ೧೯೧೨ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಗಿಯಿತು. ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮೈಸೂರು ಅರಮನೆಯೂ ಒಂದು.

ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ ೧೩೯೯ ರಿಂದ ೧೯೪೭ ರಲ್ಲ ಭಾರತದ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯದ ವರೆಗೂ 'ವೊಡೆಯರ್ ವಂಶದ ಅರಸ'ರಿಂದ ಆಳಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿತು (ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಾಲ ಹೈದರ್ ಅಲಿ ಮತ್ತುಟೀಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನರ ಆಡಳಿತವನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟು). ಒಡೆಯರ್ ಅರಸರು ೧೪ ನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಅರಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಈ ಅರಮನೆ ೧೬೩೮ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಡಿಲು ಹೊಡೆದು ಭಾಗಶಃ ಹಾಳಾಯಿತು. ಆಗ ಇದನ್ನು ರಿಪೇರಿ ಮಾಡಿ ವಿಸ್ತರಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಆದರೆ ೧೮ ನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದ ಕೊನೆಯ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ಅರಮನೆ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಹಾಳಾಗಿ ೧೭೯೩ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಟೀಪು ಸುಲ್ತಾನ್ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಬೀಳಿಸಲಾಯಿತು. ೧೮ಂ೩ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಅರಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಅದರ ಸ್ಥಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿಸಲಾಯಿತು. ಈ ಅರಮನೆ ಸಹ ೧೮೯೭ ರಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜಕುಮಾರಿ ಜಯಲಕ್ಷಮ್ಮಣ್ಣಿ ಅವರ ಮದುವೆಯ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಂಕಿ ಬಿದ್ದು ನಾಶವಾಯಿತು. ಆಗ ಮೈಸೂರು ಮಹಾರಾಣಿಯವರಾಗಿದ್ದ ಕೆಂಪನಂಜಮ್ಮಣ್ಣಿ ವಾಣಿವಿಲಾಸ ಸನ್ನಿಧಾನ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಅರಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷ್ ಇಂಜಿನಿಯರ್ ಹೆನ್ರಿ ಇರ್ವಿನ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ನೇಮಿಸಿದರು. ವಿವಿಧ ರೀತಿಯ ವಾಸ್ತುಕಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಅರಮನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಲು ಅವರಿಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಲಾಯಿತು. ಅರಮನೆ ೧೯೧೨ ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಯಿತು.




Chamundi Hills

Mysore is located at the foothills of Chamundi Hills. On top of the hills there is Chamundeshwari temple that serves as a famous landmark. Nearby to the temple, there is a statue of Mahishasura, who was a demon killed by the goddess Chamundeshwari. The silver-plated doorway has the images of the Goddess in different forms. On top of the hill besides the temples there is a small palace that belongs to the Kings of Mysore called Lalithadri.

Half way up the hills is a huge magnificent five-metre Nandi, carved from a single piece of black-granite in 1659, this beautiful carved statue was a gift by the Maharaja, Dodda Devaraja Wodeyar. A panoramic view of the city is seen from the top of the hills, among other landmarks, you can see the Race Course, the Lalitha Mahal Palace and the Mysore Palace.


ಚಾಮುಂಡಿ ಬೆಟ್ಟ

ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿಯ ದೇವಾಲಯ
ಮೈಸೂರು ನಗರಕ್ಕೆ ಹೊಂದಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ ಅದರ ಅಗ್ನೇಯಕ್ಕೆ ಪೂರ್ವಮಶ್ಚಿಮವಾಗಿ ಹಬ್ಬಿ ನಿಂತಿರುವ ಬೆಟ್ಟ. ಸಮುದ್ರಮಟ್ಟದಿಂದ ೧೦೬೩ ಮೀ. ಎತ್ತರವಾಗಿದೆ. ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿಯ ದೇವಾಲಯವಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಈ ಬೆಟ್ಟಕ್ಕೆ ಆ ದೇವತೆಯ ಹೆಸರೇ ಬಂದಿದೆ. ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಬಯಲಿದ್ದು, ಒಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ನಿಂತಿರುವ ಕಡಿದಾದ ಈ ಬೆಟ್ಟ ಬಹು ದೂರದವರೆಗೂ ಗೋಚರಿಸುವುದಲ್ಲದೆ, ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಂತು ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಹರವು ಮತ್ತು ಸುತ್ತಲಿನ ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ ರಮ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಬರುವ ಪ್ರವಾಸಿಗಳ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೂ ಒಂದು ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ್ದು. ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲ್ಭಾಗವನ್ನು ಹತ್ತನೆಯ ಶತಮಾನದ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗಾಗಲೇ ಪುಣ್ಯ ಕ್ಶೇತ್ರವೆಂದು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಆ ಕಾಲದ ಶಾಸನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದನ್ನು ಮಬ್ಬೆಲದ ತೀರ್ಥ ಅಥವಾ ಮರ್ಬ್ಬಳದ ತೀರ್ಥ ಎಂದು ಕರೆದಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವರು ಸಿದ್ಡಿ ಪಡೆದರೆಂದು ಶಾಸನಗಳು ತಿಳಿಸುತ್ತವೆ. ಈಗ ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಮಹಾಬಲೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನನ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಮುಂಚೆಯೇ ನಿರ್ಮಿತವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನನ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ೧೧೨೮ರಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಮರ್ಬ್ಬಳದ ತೀರ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ದತ್ತಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಶಾಸನವಿದೆ.










Mahishasura

Mahishasura's father Rambha was king of the asuras, and he once fell in love with a water buffalo (Princess Shyamala, cursed to be a buffalo); Mahishasura was born out of this union. He is therefore able to change between human and buffalo form at will (mahisha is Sanskrit word for buffalo).

The legend

This painting shows a pivotal battle between Durga and a powerful demon named Mahasura. The demon, with an animal head and purple skin, appears three times, attacking the goddess with bow and arrow, sword and shield, and trident (this weapon is shown snapped in two, a sign that he will eventually lose).
Durga is worshiped in her Mahishasuramardini form, during Durga Puja. After this, he started terrorising Heaven (Swarga Loka) and earth (Prithvi). He invaded heaven, defeating the king of gods Indra, and drove all the gods (devas) out of heaven.
 

The gods then went into conclave to decide what could be done with this invincible asura. Since he was invincible to all men, they created his nemesis in the form of a young woman, Durga (a form of Shakti or Parvati). She combined the powers of all the devas in a beautiful form. According to one legend, the goddess Durga created an army to fight against the forces of the demon-king Mahishasura, who was terrorizing Heaven and Earth. After nine days of fighting, during which Mahishasura's army was decimated, she finally killed him on the tenth day of the waxing moon. Durga is therefore called Mahishasuramardini (literally the slayer of the buffalo demon), the destroyer of Mahishasura. During several battles, she appears in her incarnation of Kali; particularly while fighting Raktabija, who has the magic boon that every drop of blood falling from him to the ground will become another Raktabija (literally the blood borne). Here Kali spreads her giant tongue and drinks up all the blood before it falls to the earth.

 




The event is celebrated in various versions as Durga Puja in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa, and as Dussehra and navaratri in other parts of India, celebrating this victory of good over evil.


His story is found in the Devi Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess) text within the Markandeya Purana



NANDI STATUE
Nandi, Lord Shiva’s Bull, a monolith is found at the 800th step on the hill. It is over 15feet high and 24 feet long. One can find several idols of Nandi nearby. There are many shrines dedicated to Shiva Mahabaleshwar and Lakshmi Narayana





Mysore Zoo (officially the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens) is a 245-acre (99 ha) zoo located near the palace in Mysore, India. It is one of the oldest and most popular zoos in Southern India, and is home to a wide range of species. Mysore Zoo is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It was established under royal patronage in 1892, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world.

While mainly depending on entry fees for its financing, an adoption scheme introduced in the early 2000s at Mysore Zoo has been a success, with celebrities, institutions, and animal lovers contributing directly to the welfare of the zoo inmates.
 



ಮೈಸೂರು ಮೃಗಾಲಯ: ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಆಕರ್ಷಣೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಪ್ರಮುಖ ಸ್ಥಳ ಜಯಚಾಮರಾಜೇಂದ್ರ ಮೃಗಾಲಯ, 1892ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಾಪನೆಯಾದ ಈ ಮೃಗಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಫ್ರಿಕಾ ಆನೆ, ಭಾರತೀಯ ಆನೆ, ಸಿಂಹ, ಕರಡಿ, ಹುಲಿ, ಒಂಟೆ, ಹೇಸರಗತ್ತೆ, ಜಿರಾಫೆ, ನೀರಾನೆ, ಖೇಂಡಾಮೃಗ, ಬಿಳಿ ನವಿಲು, ಬಿಳಿ ಕಾಗೆಯೇ ಮೊದಲಾದ ನೂರಾರು ಪ್ರಬೇಧದ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳು, ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳಿವೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಹಲವು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳು ಸಂತಾನೋತ್ಪತ್ತಿ ಮಾಡುವುದು ಈ ಮೃಗಾಲಯದ ವಿಶೇಷ.








History

Mysore Zoo was originally created in 1892 on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the summer palace of Maharaja Chamaraja Wodeyar, and was originally called the Palace Zoo. The zoo was originally set up by G.H. Krumbeigal, a German landscaper and horticulturist. Over the next 10 years the zoo was expanded to 45 acres (18 ha) with spacious enclosures that are still in use.



The zoo was opened to the public in 1902, and now includes a bandstand and an artificial lake. It was gifted to the Department of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore State Government in 1948. The zoo was expanded first with another 50 acres (20 ha), and then another 150 acres (61 ha) with the acquisition of the Karanji Tank (Karanji reservoir), in which an artificial island has been created as a sanctuary for birds.






The zoo was handed over to the Forest Department in 1972, and was entrusted to Zoo Authority of Karnataka (the first autonomous organization in India to manage a zoo) in 1979.

Animals

The zoo is currently home to ten elephants, and has more elephants than any other zoo in India. A total of 34 elephants have lived at this zoo, many of which were eventually transferred to other zoos. The zoo also has five green anacondas, contributed by Colombo Zoo.



Karanji Lake (Kannada: ಕಾರಂಜಿ ಕೆರೆ) is a lake located in the city of Mysore in the state of Karnataka, India. The lake is surrounded by a nature park consisting of a butterfly park and a walk-through aviary. This aviary is the biggest 'walk-through aviary' in India. There is also a museum, the Regional Museum of Natural History which is located on the banks of this lake. The total area of Karanji lake is 90 hectares. While waterspread area is about 55 hectares, the foreshore area measures about 35 hectares. Karanji lake is owned by the Mysore Zoo Authority. Mysore Zoo gets a revenue of an average of Rs. 50000 per day from ticket sales to enthusiasts who visit this lake.
History

Karanji Lake was one of the favourite haunts of migratory birds like herons and egrets. But the lake started getting polluted when sewage from the nearby residential areas were let into the lake. This pollution led to the destruction of aquatic life in the lake and with the food-source getting depleted, the migratory birds started to avoid the lake.
 




Restoration

In order to prevent the destruction of this lake and to renovate it, help was sought from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) and Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK). These three organisations came together and undertook the restoration activities of this lake. Financial help to the tune of Rs. 12 million was provided by ADB and ZAK undertook the restoration work with the co-ordination of KUIDFC.


The first step undertaken was to stop the sewage from entering the lake. Other restoration activities included removal of polluted silt, de-weeding of the entire lake surface, removing 30 cm of silt from the lake, restoration of feeder channels, construction of a jetty to start boating facility, and the construction of a bridge to the newly created 'butterfly park'. A watch tower was also constructed to view the birds and study their behaviour. A giant fountain which can spew water up to 40 feet has been recently added as an attraction. A nursery of medicinal plants is also present here.







Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary
Near Srirangapattana is the Rangantittu Bird Sanctuary, which is the breeding site for several bird species. A little boat takes you close to the islands where the trees are covered with birds of different species. The only sounds are the cries of birds and the ripple of water. Ideal for picnicking and bird watching.The sanctuary was declared a bird sanctuary in 1940, when the ornithologist Dr Salim Ali while surveying the birds of the area put emphasis on declaring Ranganathittu a bird sanctuary. The best time to visit is between June to October. Birds coming from Siberia, Australia and even North America can be spotted here.