Mysore Tales 3: Day Trips From Mysore

After describing the trip to magnificent palaces, tranquil lakes and exclusive shopping avenues, if you thought that the chapter on Mysore tourism would come to an end, you were wrong.  And apparently so was I; because when my friends and I moved to the suburbs of Mysore, we found a whole new world of endless boating opportunities, bird watching, strolling in abandoned towns and getting acquainted with the flora and fauna of this part of the sub-continent. Here are some of our most memorable day trips:

Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park is bound to be on your itinerary if you are holidaying in Ooty and Mysore. Bandipur National Park is a mere 80 kilometres from Mysore and is included in most Karnataka holiday packages. This rich wildlife reserve is the habitat of some of the endangered species like the Indian tiger. Monsoon is, perhaps, the best time to visit this national park because of the deciduous forests that form a maze of lush greenery (the reserve remains arid during peak summers).

The beautiful Nilgiri Hills surround the forest and the whole landscape becomes extraordinarily rejuvenating. Mysore owes its rich reserve of teak and sandalwood to these forests. On our trip, we rejoiced at spotting elephants, deer, peacocks, antelopes and langurs. If the love of wilderness takes over, you can also stay in a hotel in Bandipur.

Sriganapatna and Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary

Sriganapatna is situated just 19 kilometres from Mysore. This ancient town has is a highly revered pilgrim site for Hindus. Situated on the River Kaveri, Sriganapatna is actually a river island, which made the visit even more beautiful.

The Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, just 8 kiloemtres away, is a group of river islets. Again, the place was nothing short of an idyllic retreat with bamboo plantations and several migratory birds enjoying the plush habitat. Other than several birds we also spotted crocodiles and Indian mongoose.

Melkote

Another important pilgrimage site, Melkote, reverberates of the times when man lived at peace with nature. Built on some of the oldest rocks in India, this town is known for the Cheluvanarayanaswamy and Yoganarasimhaswamy temples. The people of the town live a simple life, close to nature and Hindu belief system. For me, one of the biggest treasures of this secluded town was the Sanskrit school where students are still instructed in Sanskrit and are educated in Indian philosophy.

Somnathpur Temple

Somnathpur Temple is around 35 kilometres from Mysore and though at a different tangent from the Mysore-Melkote route, it can well be visited on the same day. The temple complex is one of the finest examples of stone carvings and is justifiably called the ‘cradle of stone architecture’. The temple is dedicated to Lord Janardhan and Venugopal. Life-like sculptures of various deities and their army of elephants and the massive pillars with intricate sculptures left me amazed at the glory of the Hoysala Empire.

After a week of celebrations at the wedding and the regular escapades to Mysore's cultural havens, I returned home with fond memories of treasured moments. However, I still feel that there is so much more to explore in this city.

If reading the blog has made you want to get to Mysore then plan your travel now! Flights, hotels, holiday packages - all your travel requirements are just a click away!