Mysore is a city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is known as the cultural capital of Karnataka. Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar kings who ruled over the Mysore Kingdom for many centuries. Wodeyars were great patrons of art and music and have contributed significantly to make Mysore a cultural centre.Contribution of Wodeyar kings to the art and culture of Mysore city is discussed by Mysore is well known for its palaces, museums and art galleries and the festivities that take place here during the period of Dasara attract a worldwide audience. Mysore has also lent its name to popular dishes like ''Mysore Masala Dosa'' and '' Mysore Pak''. Mysore is also the origin of the popular silk sari known as ''Mysore silk sari'' and has also given rise to a popular form of painting known as

Mysore painting Mysore painting ( kn, ಮೈಸೂರು ಚಿತ್ರಕಲೆ) is an important form of classical South Indian painting style that originated in and around the town of Mysore in Karnataka encouraged and nurtured by the Mysore rulers. Painti ...

Festivals

Dasara

Dasara is the ''Nadahabba'' (state-festival) of the state of Karnataka. It is also known as ''Navaratri'' (''Nava-ratri'' = nine-nights) and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October. According to a legend, Vijayadashami denotes the victory of truth over evil and was the day when the Hindu Goddess

Chamundeshwari Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses).W ...

killed the demon Mahishasura. Mahishasura is the demon from whose name Mysore has been derived. The Dasara festivities were first started by the Wodeyar King, Raja Wodeyar I (1578–1617 CE) in 1610.Detailed account of the Dasara festival celebrated at Mysore is provided by The Mysore Palace is lit up on all the 10 days of Dasara. The festivities begin with the Wodeyar royal couple performing a special puja to Goddess

in the

Chamundi Chamunda (Sanskrit: चामुण्डा, ISO-15919: Cāmuṇḍā), also known as Chamundeshwari, Chamundi or Charchika, is a fearsome form of Chandi, the Hindu Divine Mother Shakti and is one of the seven Matrikas (mother goddesses).W ...

Temple located on the top of

Chamundi Hill The Chamundi Hills are located 13 km east of Mysore, Karnataka, India. The name comes from the Chamundeshwari Temple at the peak. The average elevation is . Attractions The Chamundeshwari Temple is located atop the Chamundi Hills. Patro ...

at Mysore. This would be followed by a special ''durbar'' (royal assembly).Kings wore the traditional

Mysore Peta The ''Mysuru peta'' (''peta'' is a Kannada word which means turban in English) is the classical royal Indian attire worn by the erstwhile Kings of Mysore. Wodeyars wore a richly bejeweled turban made of silk and jari (gold threaded lace) to mat ...

as headgear during the Durbar (court of Indian or princely state's kings) time or in a ceremonial procession during the Dasara celebrations. It was during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in 1805, when the king started the tradition of having a special ''durbar'' in the Mysore Palace during Dasara; which was attended by members of the royal family, special invitees, officials and the masses. The King and men attending King's court wore the conventional attire called the durbar dress which comprised a black long coat with white trousers and a compulsory

. This tradition has been continued even now with the current scion of the Wodeyar family, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar holding a private ''durbar'' during Dasara. The ninth day of Dasara known as ''Mahanavami'' is also an auspicious day on which the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession involving elephants, camels and horses.Detailed account of the Mysore Dasara festival is provided by On Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as ''Jumboo Savari'') is held on the streets of Mysore city. The main attraction of this procession is the idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari which is placed on a golden

mantapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

on the top of a decorated elephant. This idol is worshipped by the royal couple and other invitees before it is taken around in the procession. Colourful tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels form a part of the procession which starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called ''Bannimantap'' where the ''banni'' tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped. According to a legend of the Mahabharata, ''banni'' tree was used by the Pandavas to hide their arms during their one-year period of ''Agnatavasa'' (living life incognito). Before undertaking any warfare, the kings traditionally worshipped this tree to help them emerge victorious in the war. The Dasara festivities would culminate on the night of Vijayadashami with an event held in the grounds at Bannimantap called as ''Panjina Kavayatthu'' (torch-light parade). Another major attraction during Dasara is the Dasara exhibition which is held in the exhibition grounds opposite to the Mysore Palace. This exhibition starts during Dasara and goes on till December. Various stalls which sell items like clothes, plastic items, kitchenware, cosmetics and eatables are set up and they attract a significant number of people. A play area containing attractions like ferris-wheel is also present to provide entertainment to the people. Various Governmental agencies setup stalls to signify the achievements and projects that they have undertaken. On all the 10 days of Dasara, various music and dance concerts are held in auditoriums around Mysore city. Musicians and dance groups from all over India are invited to perform on this occasion. Another attraction during Dasara is the ''Kusti Spardhe'' (wrestling-bout) which attracts wrestlers from all around India.Details regarding Dasara Wrestling competition held in Mysore is provided by

Palaces

Wodeyar kings of Mysore have built quite a few palaces in Mysore and this has earned the city the sobriquet of ''City of Palaces''. Following are the palaces present here:

Ambavilas Palace

This is the main palace of Mysore and also termed as '' Mysore Palace''. This palace was built in 1912 at a cost of Rs. 4,150,000 in the Indo-Sarcenic style. The earlier wooden palace that existed at this location got burnt in a fire during the wedding of Jayalakshammanni, the eldest daughter of Chamaraja Wodeyar, in February 1897.Detailed description of the palaces in Mysore is provided by The architect of this palace was Mr. Henry Irwin and the consulting engineer was Mr E W Fritchley. The palace is a three storied structure with the tallest tower with a gilded dome rising to 145 feet above ground. In the first floor is the grand Durbar hall, where the kings used to hold their assembly. Some of the other important halls within the palace are Kalyana Mantap (the wedding hall), Gombe Thotti (hall of dolls) and Amba Vilasa (private hall). Lifelike paintings, murals, arms, trophies, stained glass windows and decorated domes enhance the architectural splendour of this palace. This is the center of all festivities during the Dasara.

Jaganmohan Palace

Jaganmohan Palace was built in 1861 by Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in a predominantly Hindu style to serve as an alternate palace for the royal family. This palace housed the royal family when the older Mysore Palace was burnt down by a fire. The palace has three floors and has stained glass shutters and ventilators. It has housed the ''Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery'' since the year 1915. The collections exhibited here include paintings from the famed Travancore ruler,

Raja Ravi Varma Raja Ravi Varma ( ml, രാജാ രവിവർമ്മ; 29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works are one of the best examples ...

, the Russian painter

Svetoslav Roerich Svetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich (russian: Светослáв or Святослáв Никола́евич Рéрих; 23 October 1904 – 30 January 1993) was a Russian painter based in India. He was the son of Helena and Nicholas Roerich, stud ...

and many paintings of the

style.A brief description about Jaganmohana Palace is provided by The Durbar Hall here was the place where the early convocations of the Mysore University were held. The hall also serves as an auditorium for staging cultural programmes.

Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion

This palace was built in 1905 by Chamaraja Wodeyar for his eldest daughter Jayalakshmi Devi. This mansion has three wings and contains a series of twin Corinthian and Ionic columns, regal pediments and oval ventilators. The mansion was originally built with a cost of Rs. 700,000. This mansion was acquired by the Mysore University to house its post-graduate campus. It was renovated in 2002 from funding provided by Infosys foundation.A description about Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion is provided by The main hall in this mansion is the ''Kalyana Mantapa'' which has an eight-petal shaped dome with stained glass windows with a gold-plated ''Kalasha''(tower) at the top. A new gallery called as ''Writer's Gallery'' has been created in the ''Kalyana Mantapa'' hall that will exhibit personal items, photographs, awards and writings of renowned writers of Kannada. A special illumination system has also been added to this heritage structure. This mansion is said to be the first university museum complex in the country.

Lalitha Mahal

The architect of this palace was Mr E W Fritchley. The palace was built by

Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; 4 June 1884 – 3 August 1940) was the twenty-fourth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore, from 1902 until his death in 1940. He is popularly called ''Rajarshi'' ( sa, rājarṣi, li ...

in 1921 for the exclusive stay of the Viceroy of India. The palace is pure white in colour and is built in the style of Italian palazzo with twin Ionic columns and domes. It also has a sprawling terrace and landscaped gardens.Profile of the Lalitha Mahal is provided by This palace has now been converted into a five-star hotel belonging to the Ashok Group of Hotels. The interior of this palace contains venation marble floors, rosewood furniture and a stately

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

staircase. The central hall in the palace contains life size portraits of the royalty, lithographs, motifs, a Belgian glass dome and carved wood shutters. An ancient elevator, still in working condition, is also present.

Rajendra Vilas

This is a palace atop the

. This was conceived in the 1920s and completed in 1938–1939. This was built as a summer palace for the Wodeyar kings. This palace is currently owned by the current scion of the royal family, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. There are plans to convert this into a Heritage hotel.Restoration work at Rajendra Vilas Palace is discussed by

Cheluvamba Mansion

This mansion was built by

for his third daughter, Cheluvarajammanni. It now houses the

CFTRI The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is an Indian food research institute and laboratory headquartered in Mysore, India. It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. India is the wor ...

(Central Food and Technological Research Institute).

Painting

Mysore painting

The traditional form of painting called as

is an offshoot of the Vijayanagar school of Painting. With the fall of the Vijayanagar empire, the artists who were involved in the Vijayanagar Paintings were rendered jobless. The Wodeyar king, Raja Wodeyar (1578–1617 CE) rehabilitated these artists in

Srirangapatna Srirangapatna is a town and headquarters of one of the seven Tehsil, Taluks of Mandya district, in the Indian States and territories of India, State of Karnataka. It gets its name from the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna, Ranganthaswamy ...

and under his patronage, a new form of painting called as Mysore painting evolved.A detailed account of the traditional form of Mysore painting is provided in These artists employed by the king made use of locally available materials to do the paintings. Squirrel hair was used as a brush by tying the hair with a silken thread and inserting them into the narrow end of a quill. A cloth spread over a wooden plank formed the painting board. Properly burnt tamarind sticks were used as a sketching charcoal. The main attraction of these paintings was the ''gesso'' work in which gold foils were pasted on appropriate regions on the painting. Gesso was used for depicting intricate designs of clothes, jewellery and architectural details. Stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata,

Bhagavata The Bhagavata tradition, also called Bhagavatism, refers to an ancient religious sect that traced its origin to the region of Mathura. After its syncretism with the Brahmanical tradition of Vishnu, Bhagavatism became a pan-Indian tradition ...

Purana and Jain epics formed the basis of these paintings. Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (Krishnaraja Wodeyar III) was instrumental in the growth of the Mysore painting form and is said to have commissioned more than 1000 portraits during his reign. Many of these paintings can still be seen on the walls of the Jaganmohan Palace at Mysore.A brief description the traditional Mysore Painting is provided by

Ganjifa Art

Ganjifa or ''Ganjeefa'' was a popular card game in ancient India. Played extensively in the

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

period, Ganjifa is now known more for the art work on the cards than the game itself. Cards made for royalty were inlaid with precious stones and were also made of ivory, mother-of-pearl and wafers of

lac Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...

. In Mysore, this game was known as "Chadd" (''God's play'').An account on Ganjifa is provided by One of the finest exponents of Ganjifa Art, Ganjifa Raghupathi Bhatta is a resident of Mysore and has set up an International Ganjifa Research Centre at Mysore. The cards are generally circular and sometimes rectangular in shape with lacquered backs with exquisite paintings on them.

Carpentry

Rosewood Inlay work

British writers mention the existence of thousands of workers in Mysore involved in inlaying etched ivory motifs into rosewood to create intricate wood work. Even now an estimated 4000 people in Mysore are involved in rosewood inlay work though other media like plastic have replaced ivory.An article on Rosewood inlay work is provided by This intricate work involves many stages. The first step is to design and draw the images and patterns on the rosewood. Then the rosewood is cut into proper shape by

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...

. The motifs that have to be inlaid are then carefully handcut to shape. The areas where the motifs have to be inlaid on the rosewood, are carefully scooped out. Next the motifs are inlaid and fixed. The wood is then smoothened using sandpaper and polished to give a bright look.

Fashion

Mysore silk saree

Mysore is the home of the famous Indian feminine wear, the Mysore silk

saree A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various Languages of South Asia, regional languages include: * as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO * bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO * gu, સાડી ...

. Mysore Silk is a trademark for the silk sarees produced by KSIC (Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation).Trademark for Mysore Silk is obtained by KSIC reports The distinguishing feature of this saree is the usage of pure silk and 100% pure gold

zari ''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make in ...

(a golden coloured thread containing 65% of silver and 0.65% of gold).Details regarding Mysore silk is provided by These sarees are manufactured in a silk factory located in Mysore city. This factory was started in 1912 by the Maharaja of Mysore by importing 32 looms from Switzerland. In 1980, this factory was transferred to KSIC and now has around 159 looms. Every saree produced here comes with an embroidered code number and a hologram to prevent misuse. Mysore silk sarees are also undergoing an innovating change with the use of

kasuti Kasuti ( kn, ಕಸೂತಿ) is a traditional form of folk embroidery practised in the state of Karnataka, India. An exhibition of Kasuti work is reported by Kasuti work which is very intricate sometimes involves putting up to 5,000 stitches b ...

embroidery, thickly woven ''pallu''s (the part of the saree worn over the shoulder), bandhini techniques and new colours like lilac, coffee-brown and elephant-grey.Innovation in Mysore silk saree is mentioned by

Cuisine

The cuisine of Mysore resembles to a large extent the Udupi cuisine. Rice is the staple food item used in cooking and various spices are also used. A breakfast mostly includes dishes made of rice of which idli and

dosa Dosa may refer to: People * Bogoljub Mitić Đoša, Serbian actor * Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete * Dosa ben Harkinas * Dosa ben Saadia (935 - 1018), Talmudic scholar and philosopher * Dosa or Dossa Júnior * Edward Dosa-Wea Neufville ...

are prevalent.

Vada Vada or Vayda may refer to: People *Gunnar Vada (1927–2018), Norwegian politician *Vada Nobles, American record producer *Vada Pinson (1938–1995), American baseball player *Vada Sultenfuss, fictional character in the 1991 film ''My Girl'' * ...

is another popular breakfast item mostly prepared only in hotels. Other popular breakfast dishes include ''shavige bath'' (spicy dish made of

vermicelli Vermicelli (; , , also , ) is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is typically thicker. The term ''vermicelli'' is also used to ...

), ''

rava idli Rava may refer to: Biographical * Bishnu Prasad Rabha, multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam * Abba ben Joseph bar Ḥama (born 280), a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, always known by the honorific name ''Raba,'' ''Rava, ...

'', ''oggarane avalakki'' (seasoned beaten rice),

Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival) Pongal (, ), also referred to as Tai Pongal (), is a multi-day Hindu harvest festival celebrated by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka.

and

Poori Puri (sometimes spelled as poori) is a deep-fried bread made from unleavened whole-wheat flour that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is eaten for breakfast or as a snack or light meal. It is usually served with a savory curry or ''bha ...

. A lunch or dinner spread generally includes steamed rice, chutney, sambar, pickle, curry, ''gojju'' (a sweet curry), rasam,

papad A papad is an Indian deep fried dough of black gram bean flour, either fried or cooked with dry heat (flipped over an open flame) until crunchy. Other flours made from lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato are also used. ''Papad' ...

and curds. Some of the rice based dishes that form a part of the lunch are '' Bisi bele bath'' (a spicy rice preparation with vegetables), ''vangi baath'' (rice mixed with brinjal curry), ''chitranna'' (rice mixed with seasoning, turmeric and lemon juice or raw mango scrapes) and

Puliyogare Pulihora, also known as puliyogare, puliyodarai, pulinchoru, kokum rice, or simply lemon or tamarind rice, is a very common and traditional rice preparation in the South Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nad ...

. Chapati is another lunch item preferred nowadays. In formal occasions like marriage, the food is served on a plantain leaf and would include additional items like sweets and

Kosambari Kosambari or koshambari is a typical south Indian salad made from pulses (split legumes) and seasoned with mustard seeds. The pulses generally used are split bengal gram (kadale bele in Kannada) and split Green gram (Hesaru bele in Kannada). ...

apart from the ones mentioned above. Some of the popular sweet dishes are ''rave unde'' (sweet balls made of semolina and

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

scrapes), ladoo, payasam, Mysore Pak and jalebi. It is customary to eat ''adike'' ( arecanut) with

betel The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plan ...

leaf after the lunch/dinner. Coffee ( Indian filter coffee) is the preferred beverage in homes. Some of the snacks that are prevalent here are chakkuli, ''khara mandakki'' (spicy puffed rice), churmuri and ''kodubale'' (a

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...

shaped spicy snack made of fried semolina). In the last few years, chaat,

pizza Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...

s and items belonging to Indian Chinese cuisine have become popular mostly with the younger generation. Mysore has also lent its name to the sweet-dish Mysore Pak and the Mysore Masala Dosa.

Institutions

CAVA

Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA) is a visual art school in Mysore, in the state of Karnataka in India. The academy is affiliated to the University of Mysore and offers courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics, applied arts, p ...

(CAVA) is an arts academy located in Mysore and affiliated to the University of Mysore. It offers courses in drawing, painting, sculpture, graphics, applied arts, photography, photojournalism and art history. It awards the

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

degree and also has a master's program leading into the

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

. It was started in 1906 as ''Chamarajendra Technical Institute'' by the then King of Mysore,

Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV (Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar; 4 June 1884 – 3 August 1940) was the twenty-fourth maharaja of the Kingdom of Mysore, from 1902 until his death in 1940. He is popularly called ''Rajarshi'' ( sa, rājarṣi, lit ...

. King George V laid the foundation to this institute which was started in dedication to the king, Chamarajendra Wodeyar. ''Chamarajendra Technical Institute'' was renamed as CAVA in 1981 by the Government of Karnataka and on the suggestions of the renowned Russian painter,

, CAVA was modelled on the lines of the famous J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai.

Rangayana

Rangayana is a theatre institution located in the campus of Kalamandira auditorium in Mysore. It was started in 1989 as an autonomous cultural organisation by the Government of Karnataka. It has two divisions working under it, ''Bharatiya Ranga Shikshana Kendra'' which is a theatre training institute and ''Sriranga Ranga Mahiti and Samshodana Kendra'' which is a documentation and research centre. Having an ensemble of fifteen actors and actresses, Rangayana Repertory performs on week ends (Saturday & Sunday) at ''Bhoomigita Theater'' at Mysore. It also offers a 1-year diploma course for theatre enthusiasts.A brief profile of Rangayana is presented by

Dhvanyaloka

Dhvanyaloka is an institution dedicated to the advanced study and research in English literature. It was started in 1979 by Prof. C. D. Narasimhaiah (popularly known as CDN). This institution publishes a journal called as ''Literary Criterion'' which contains articles related to literature. Some of the other books published by this institution includes Kipling's India,

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

in Indian literature, Indian poetics in application, Western writers on India, the Vitality of West Indian Writing, Glimpses of New Zealand Literature,

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biogr ...

and the Indian Literary Scene and Indian literature in English.

Akashavani (All India Radio)

Mysore hosts one of the oldest broadcasting stations of All India Radio. The term ''Akashavani'' was actually coined here by Prof. M. V. Gopalaswami in 1936. It remains quite popular to this day and organizes various intellectual, educative and entertainment programs aiming to promote the local culture and traditions.

Museums

The following museums exist in Mysore: * Regional Museum of Natural History: This museum is located on the banks of the

Karanji lake Karanji Lake 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. ...

in Mysore and has exhibits related to biological diversity, ecology and geology of Southern India.An overview of the Regional Museum of Natural History is provided by * Folk Lore Museum: This museum is located in the University of Mysore campus and exhibits over 6500 folk art and crafts from all over the state of Karnataka.An overview of the Folk Lore Museum is provided by * Rail Museum: This museum is located near the Mysore Railway station and is the second one of its kind established in India after the one at Delhi. This museum exhibits ancient locomotives and carriages some of which are still in working condition. Photographs and books related to railway are also present.An overview of the Rail Museum is provided by * Oriental Research Institute, formerly known as the Oriental Library, established in 1891 contains over 33000 palm leaf manuscripts

Personalities

Drama

* Hirannaiah: Mysore has given to the Kannada theatre world; one of its stalwarts in the form of Senior Hirannaiah, the father of the well known dramatist and comedian, Master Hirannaiah. Hirannaiah was born in Mysore in 1905. He has produced some of the famous Kannada dramas like ''Devadasi'', ''Sadaarame'' and ''Yechamma Nayaka''. His drama ''Sadaarame'' is said to have run at full house in the Town Hall at Mysore for a continuous 48 days. Also his drama ''Devadasi'' set a record run of being played for a continuous five months. He was also the founder member of the drama troupe called ''Mithra Mandali''. For his contribution to the field of drama, he received the title of ''Cultural Comedian'' from the Mysore king. He born on 21 March 1953. One of his famous quotes says, ''Drama is the best type of art and the worst type of profession''. *

B. V. Karanth Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth (Kannada: ಬಾಬುಕೋಡಿ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣ ಕಾರಂತ) (19 September 1929 – 1 September 2002) widely known as B. V. Karanth was an Indian film director, playwright, actor, screenwriter, co ...

: B. V. Karanth is an alumnus of the National School of Drama who also later became its director. He has directed many Kannada plays and movies. His movie

Chomana Dudi Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a feature film in the Kannada language. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Shivaram Karanth. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal' ...

(Choma's drum) has won the National Award for the Best Film. His contribution has been recognised by the Government of India who awarded him the Padma Shri award. His association with Mysore was from the year 1989–1995 when he was the director of Rangayana, the famous theatre institution at Mysore.

Literature

Kuvempu Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa (29 December 1904 – 11 November 1994), popularly known by his pen name Kuvempu, was an Indian poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. He was ...

: Kuvempu is a Kannada writer, poet of 20th century widely regarded as the greatest writer of Kannada language. He is one of the recipients of the Jnanpith award and has a long association with Mysore. He came to Mysore for his higher education and joined Maharaja College of Mysore where he graduated in 1929 majoring in Kannada. After his graduation, he continued as a lecturer of Kannada in Maharaja's college. After a brief stint in Bangalore, he rejoined Maharaja's college as a Kannada professor in 1946 and later went on to become its principal in 1955. In 1956, he was elected as the Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University where he served till retirement in 1960. Kuvempu is the one who christened the Mysore University campus as ''Manasagangotri''. It is said that Kuvempu used to frequently walk on the periphery of the Kukkarahally Lake in Mysore; which was a source of inspiration for him. Kukkarahally Lake was a source of inspiration for

is mentioned by Kuvempu died in Mysore in 1994. *

R.K. Narayan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001) was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mulk ...

: R.K. Narayan is one of the best known English novelist from India. Most of his writings are based on a fictional Indian town called

Malgudi Malgudi is a fictional town located in Agumbe in Karnataka in the novels and short stories of R. K. Narayan. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first novel, ''Swami and Friends'', all but one of his fifteen nov ...

. Narayan spent most of his life in Mysore where his father was the headmaster of Maharaja's High School. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Mysore. His first published novel was ''

Swami and Friends ''Swami and Friends'' is the first of a series of novels written by R. K. Narayan (1906–2001), English language novelist from India. The novel, the first book Narayan wrote, is set in British India in a fictional town called Malgudi. The second ...

''. Though Narayan faced hurdles while publishing this novel, he was able to succeed in publishing it with the help of Graham Greene.A detailed article on R K Narayan has been written by Some of his other famous novels are

The Guide ''The Guide'' is a 1958 novel written in English by the Indian author R. K. Narayan. Like most of his works the novel is based on Malgudi, the fictional town in South India. The novel describes the transformation of the protagonist, Raju, fro ...

, The Man-Eater of Malgudi,

The English Teacher ''The English Teacher'' is a 1945 novel written by R. K. Narayan. It is a part of a series of novels and collections of short stories set in "Malgudi". ''The English Teacher'' was preceded by '' Swami and Friends'' (1935), ''The Bachelor of Arts ...

and

The World of Nagaraj ''The World of Nagaraj'' (1990) is a classic piece of literature by R. K. Narayan. It is based in the fictional town of Malgudi, a small town in South India. Plot summary Nagaraj's world is comfortable. Living in his family's spacious house with ...

was made into a very famous Hindi film and this also earned him the National Award from Sahitya Akademi. Most of his short stories related to

have been made a part of a tele serial called as

Malgudi Days ''Malgudi Days'' is a collection of short stories by R. K. Narayan published in 1943 by Indian Thought Publications. The book was republished outside India in 1982 by Penguin Classics. The book includes 32 stories, all set in the fictional town ...

which was directed by Shankar Nag. The Government of India has awarded him the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to the English Literature. Some of the characters in his novels, like Raju (in

), Sampath (in

Mr. Sampath - The Printer of Malgudi ''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...

) and Margayya (in

The Financial Expert ''The Financial Expert'' is a 1952 novel by R. K. Narayan. It takes place, as do many other novels and short stories by this author, in the town of Malgudi. The central character in this book is the financial expert Margayya, who offers advice ...

) are said to be real life Mysoreans.That some of the characters in Narayan's novels were real life Mysoreans is mentioned by Naryan's younger brother

R. K. Laxman Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman ''Pg. 11 in the source says that Laxman & his brother Narayan were Tamil Iyer Brahmins.'' (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is best known for his creation ...

is a well known cartoonist. *

: R. K. Laxman is the younger brother of

R. K. Narayan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (10 October 1906 – 13 May 2001) was an Indian writer known for his work set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi. He was a leading author of early Indian literature in English along with Mul ...

and is a well known

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...

. He was born in Mysore in 1924. His most famous cartoon creation is that of ''

The Common Man The Common Man is a cartoon character created by Indian author and cartoonist R. K. Laxman. For over a half of a century, the Common Man has represented the hopes, aspirations, troubles and perhaps even foibles of the average Indian, through a ...

''. He graduated from the University of Mysore. He drew illustrations for his brother Narayan's stories in ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

''. Later, he joined '' The Times of India''; an association that continued for over fifty years. Laxman is best known for his daily one panel comic "pocket cartoon" series published daily in ''The Times of India'' called ''You Said It''; which features ''

''; and chronicles the state of Indian life. The Government of India has awarded him the Padma Vibhushan award. *

S. L. Bhyrappa Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa (born 20 June 1931) is an Indian novelist, philosopher and screenwriter who writes in Kannada. His work is popular in the state of Karnataka and he is widely regarded as one of modern India's popular novelists. ...

: Being one of the most celebrated authors of India, S. L. Bhyrappa is known for his thought provoking novels that are widely discussed, debated in the literary circles. His writing on contemporary societal issues and challenges is unique in terms of its structure and characterization, making his novels influential and critically acclaimed. He has authored more than 25 novels spanning over 6 decades of writing, and many of them haven been successfully made into movies and television series, and have been translated into multiple languages. He has been honored with prestigious awards including

Saraswathi Samman The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. The Saras ...

and Padma Shri. *

Gopalakrishna Adiga Mogeri Gopalakrishna Adiga (1918–1992) was a modern Kannada poet. He is known by some commentators as the "pioneer of New style" poetry. The Hindu - 26 September 2002 Biography He was born in an orthodox brahmin family in coastal village of ...

: Gopalakrishna Adiga was one of the fathers of Modern Kannada poetry. He is known as the pioneer of the Kannada New style form of poetry

was a pioneer of the Navya style of Kannada poetry is mentioned by and was part of a trinity of great modern Kannada poets along with

and Shivaram Karanth.Trinity of

and Shivaram Karanth is mentioned by He did his higher education in Mysore where he earned his master's degree in English literature from Mysore University and was also a recipient of the BMS Gold Medal for Poetry awarded by that University. In the 1950s and 1960s, Adiga was a teacher of English literature in Mysore. * U R Ananthamurthy: Ananthamurthy is a leading contemporary writer, critic and philosopher in Kannada language. He is a recipient of the Jnanpith award. He has a Master of Arts degree from the Mysore University and he also started his career as a professor and instructor of English in this university. Ananthamurthy made Mysore his home for a number of years before moving to Bangalore. * Triveni: Anasuya Shankar, who was known by her pen name as Triveni was one of the most prominent women writers whose novels reflected the emotions of women in the contemporary era. She was awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for her contribution to Kannada literature, which includes 20 novels and 3 short story collections. Her novels such as

Sharapanjara ''Sharapanjara'' ( en, Cage of Arrows) is a 1971 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on a novel by Triveni of the same name, and starring Kalpana and Gangadhar in lead roles. This film is considered one of the bes ...

were adapted into successful movies by Puttanna Kanagal. * Vani: Triveni's cousin Vani was also a notable writer whose novels on social issues such as ''

Shubhamangala ''Shubhamangala'' is a 1975 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on a novel of the same name by Vani, starring Aarathi and Srinath. The supporting cast features Shivaram, Ambareesh, Musuri Krishnamurthy and K. S. Ash ...

'', '' Eradu Kanasu'' and '' Hosabelaku'' were adapted into acclaimed movies. Apart from the above-mentioned personalities, other eminent litterateurs who were educated and/or taught in Mysore (mostly at Mysore University) at some point of their career include statesman, philosopher and former president of India Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Sanskrit scholar

M. Hiriyanna Mysore Hiriyanna (1871–1950) was an eminent Indian philosopher, Sanskrit scholar and authority on Indian aesthetics. He was a Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Mysore and a contemporary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. His classes on Indi ...

, scholar and librarian R. Shamasastry, historian S. Srikanta Sastri, author

B. M. Srikantaiah Belluru Mylaraiah Srikantaiah (3 January 1884 – 5 January 1946), was an Indian author, writer and translator of Kannada literature. Prominent Students * V. Seetharamaiah * K. V. Puttappa Works * ''Gadayuddha Natakam'' (ಗದಾಯುದ ...

, poet T. N. Srikantaiah, author and professor

M. V. Seetharamiah Mysore Venkatadasappa Seetharamiah or M. V. See (pen name Raghava; 9 September 1910 – 12 March 1990) was an Indian Kannada language author, editor and translator. Through a career spanning over sixty years, he published over 100 works spannin ...

, writer

A. R. Krishnashastry Ambale Ramakrishna Krishnashastry (1890–1968) was an Indian writer, researcher and translator in the Kannada language. Krishnashastry has remained popular four decades after his death through his work ''Vachana Bharata'', and his narration of ...

, author and educator T.S. Venkannaiah, linguist and grammarian

D. L. Narasimhachar Doddabele Lakshmi Narasimhachar (27 October 1906 – 7 May 1971) was a Kannada linguist, grammarian, lexicographer, writer, literary critic and editor who taught at the Department of Kannada Language Studies, University of Mysore between 1932 ...

, music composer

Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma Sangita Kalanidhi Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma () (23 January 1893 – 11 March 1979) was a noted composer of Carnatic music, singer as well as a writer. He was a noted scholar in several languages like Telugu, Samkrit, Kannada & Prakrit, and ...

, lexicographer

G. Venkatasubbiah Ganjam Venkatasubbiah (23 August 1913 – 19 April 2021), also known as G. V., was a Kannada writer, grammarian, editor, lexicographer, and critic who compiled over eight dictionaries, authored four seminal works on dictionary science in Kanna ...

, poet

G. P. Rajarathnam G. P. Rajarathnam (1909–1979), known by his pen name as Bhramara ''(meaning:Bee)'', was a Kannada author, lyricist and poet in Karnataka, India. Rajarathnam was well known for composing poems for children. Nissar Ahmed, once quoted as "h ...

, poet

K. S. Narasimhaswamy Kikkeri Subbarao Narasimhaswamy (26 January 1915 – 27 December 2003) commonly known as K. S. Narasimhaswamy, was an Indian poet who wrote in Kannada language. His most popular collection of poems, ''Mysooru Mallige'', has seen more than thir ...

, playwright and poet

P. T. Narasimhachar Purohita Thirunarayana Narasimhachar (17 March 1905 – 13 October 1998), commonly known as PuTiNa, was a playwright and poet in the Kannada language. Along with, Kuvempu and D. R. Bendre, he forms the well-known trio of Kannada Navodaya po ...

, writer V Sitaramiah, literary critic C. D. Narasimhaiah, author Aryamba Pattabhi, writer

G. S. Shivarudrappa Guggari Shanthaveerappa Shivarudrappa (7 February 1926 – 23 December 2013), or colloquially GSS, was an Indian Kannada poet, writer, and researcher who was awarded the title of ''Rashtrakavi'' (national poet) by the Government of Karnataka in ...

, author Poornachandra Tejaswi, journalist

P. Lankesh Palya Lankesh (8 March 1935 – 25 January 2000) was an Indian poet, fiction writer, playwright, translator, screenplay writer and journalist who wrote in the Kannada language. He was also an award-winning film director. Early life and career ...

, writer

Chaduranga Subramanyaraje Urs (1916 – 19 October 1998), known by his pseudonym Chaduranga, was an Indian writer in Kannada language. He wrote four novels—''Sarvamangala'', ''Uyyale'', ''Vaishakha'', and ''Hejjala''—and a few other short storie ...

, archaeologist

S.R. Rao Shikaripura Ranganatha Rao ( kn, ಶಿಕಾರಿಪುರ ರಂಗನಾಥ ರಾವ್) (1 July 1922 – 3 January 2013), commonly known as Dr. S. R. Rao, was an Indian archaeologist who led teams credited with discoveries of a number of ...

, and so on. Thanks to Wodeyars and Diwans, Mysore in 19th and 20th century flourished as one of the main centers of learning and education in India. It still continues that legacy through its universities and research institutes. Many noted science writers such as Prof. G.T. Narayana Rao, Prof. J.R. Lakshmana Rao, etc. whose inspiring books and articles on astronomy, physics, chemistry and biographies of world renowned scientists also had successful career at the University of Mysore.

Journalism

Mysore is home to the only Sanskrit daily newspaper of India named

Sudharma ''Sudharma'' ( sa, सुधर्मा) is the daily newspaper printed in Sanskrit in India. The paper is published from the city of Mysore in the Indian state of Karnataka. Established in 1970, the paper is mainly distributed via mail, a met ...

. It was established by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Kalale Nadadur Varadaraja Iyengar in 1970. The newspaper has received many accolades since then for their efforts to promote the ancient language. It is currently managed by Varadaraja Iyengar's son Sri K.V.Sampathkumar and his wife Smt. Jayalakshmi KS. The e-paper is also available on their website.

Music

Carnatic music flourished under the patronage of the Wodeyar dynasty for many centuries in Mysore. Great composers of the erstwhile era including

Mysore Sadashiva Rao Mysore Sadashiva Rao (Mysore ; ) or Sadasiva Rao was a notable Indian vocalist and composer of Carnatic music. He was a member of the court of the king of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. Biography Very little is known about Sadashiva Rao's ea ...

, Mysore Vasudevacharya,

Muthiah Bhagavathar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 '' ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bo ...

, etc. were court musicians during the era of

and Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar. Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar was an excellent composer himself, and has contributed immensely to Carnatic music through his immortal compositions. Mysore is renowned for its unique style of playing the Veena, known as Mysore Bani. Veene Sheshanna, an eminent Vainika and a disciple of Mysore Sadashiva Rao was also a court musician during the early 20th century. Other great Vainikas of his era include his student Veena Venkatagiriyappa and Veene Shamanna who enriched the instrumental music tradition in the Mysore kingdom. The Mysore brothers, Dr. Mysore Manjunath and Mysore Nagaraj, are world-renowned violin maestros from the city of Mysore; sons of veteran musician Sangita Vidya Nidhi Vidwan Mahadevappa, the brothers' outstanding musicianship and astounding virtuosity made them some of the best violin players in the contemporary music world. They represent the genre of Carnatic music and have collaborated with numerous world-class musicians in countless countries at major music festivals and conferences. Mysore also boasts of one of the finest violin teachers of India H. K. Narasimhamurthy. He has trained a long line of students, who have gone onto make a mark in the world of Indian music. A highly regarded accompanist, H. K. N. Murthy has accompanied most of the leading Carnatic musicians in a career spanning more than 5 decades. His students, some of whom are acclaimed to be world class in India and the west, have gone on to play in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera house and Madras Music academy among other venues. Some of his leading disciples who are professional musicians include his son H. N. Bhaskar, Mysore Srikanth, Mysore Dayakar and H. M. Smitha. Along with classical music, Mysore is also a center for learning of the light music genre, known as Sugama Sangeetha. Prominent singers of this genre include Mysore Ananthaswamy who brought many poems of great Kannada poets back to life and his son

Raju Ananthaswamy Raju Ananthaswamy (1973–2009) was a music composer and director. He worked on Sugama Sangeetha for more than 15 years. He was the son of vocalist Mysore Ananthaswamy. He died in 2009, at the age of 35 years. Personal life Raju Ananthaswamy b ...

. Mysore has to its credit many renowned musicians like

Raghu Dixit Raghupati Dwarakanath Dixit (born 11 November 1974) is an Indian singer-composer, producer, and film score composer who is the frontman for the Raghu Dixit Project, a multilingual folk music band. Dixit's music is an amalgamation of Indian et ...

and Vijay Prakash to name a few. Mysore even witnessed a musical fight against corruption in January 2012 when a song called "Alarm – wake up guys" was released. The music for the song was composed by a young Mysorean named Phalgunn Maharishi and Kannada lyrics were written by Suraj Shankar, who also hails from Mysore. They are the grandsons of a noted novelist from Mysore, Mrs. Mangala Satyan. Their hard work was appreciated by many people when the song was premiered by TV9 Karnataka and many newspapers wrote about the two cousins and their work on Alarm.

Notes

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