Mysore .. once again

Being in Bangalore got one advantage.. there are lot of places you can go for a short - weekend break. Though Mysore been one of our favoutire destination, we could visit the beautiful city just once in 2016. So finally in Feb 2021 it was time once more. Initially we decided to make it a day trip, with driving down from Bangalore early Sunday morning and then coming back by evening. As I was discussing the plan with a friend of mine (also a travel enthuast like me) he suggested go on Saturday stay overnight and come back next day. It was a good idea. So, looked up booking.com and zeroed on Royal Orchid Metropole, a heritage hotel. We started around 9:30 am on Saturday, took the NICE Ring Road. It was a 3 - 3.5 hr journey.

The first stop was Cafe Coffe Day, after Mandya for a refreshing break. Was supposed to stop for 15 min, but with Coffee and accoimpainments it got extended to a 45 min break.

We finally reached our hotel close to 2 pm. Mysore was quite hot. After a quick check in we quickly had our lunch and headed straight to Mysore Palance. It was refreshing visiting Mysore Palace once more. The Mysore Palace is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. The palace is in the centre of Mysore, and faces the Chamundi Hills eastward. The land on which the palace now stands was originally known as puragiri (literally, citadel), and is now known as the Old Fort. Yaduraya built the first palace inside the Old Fort in the 14th century, which was demolished and constructed multiple times. The current structure was constructed between 1897 and 1912, after the Old Palace was burnt ablaze. The palace is the 2nd most tourist attraction after Taj Mahal, with about 6 million annual visitors across the world. Mysore is commonly described as the 'City of Palaces', and there are seven palaces. The palace is opened all days from 10 am to 5:30 pm and you need to buy tickets before getting in. You can buy tickets online or at the palace counter. For more information you can visit Mysore Palace website.

After soaking in history, we went back to our hotel. Royal Orchid Metropole has its own charm. Its a 101 year old building,originally built by the Wadiyar dynasty as a guest house for the Maharaja's elite British guests, the legacy property features 30 grand suites and luxurious rooms with private balconies, all of which exude glamour and nostalgia. Here are some hotel pictures.

Next day, morning we went to Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens popularly known as Mysore Zoo, one of India's oldest zoo. It rained overnight, so next day was quite pleasant. Mysore Zoo was created from the private menagerie of Maharaja Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar in 1892, on 10 acres of the summer palace. Over the next 10 years the zoo was expanded to 45 acres with spacious enclosures that are still in use. The Zoo's original founder, Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar originally called the Palace Zoo, it was renamed "Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens" in 1909. Mr. A.C. Hughes, from South Wales, was the zoo's first superintendent. He served as the superintendent from 1892 to 1924. Hughes, Sir Mirza Ismail, and G.H. Krumbiegel worked towards refashioning the zoo and updating it with modern, natural enclosures. It now includes a bandstand and an artificial lake. It was given to the Department of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore State Government in 1948. The zoo was expanded first with another 50 acres, and then another 150 acres with the acquisition of the Karanji Tank (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. The zoo had completed 100 years in 1992. The centenary celebrations were held in 1990 and 91. During the centenary celebrations various developmental activities were initiated such as renovation and modification of the entrance gate, hospital building, Walk Through Reptiles, etc. The bust of Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar, founder of Mysore Zoo, was unveiled. The logo of the zoo, centenary souvenir, publication of literature and leaflets, conducting various competitions, preparation of a documentary film were other highlights.

Post our Zoo visit, we came back to the hotel, had our lunch and checked out. It was a 3.5 hr drive back on same route. On the way we stopped at De Parathaaz Cafe for a quick nature and tea break.

Trip date: 20-21 Feb 

Travel Mode: Car 

Hotel: Royal Orchid Metropole, a heritage hotel