Mysore Zoo - Jayachamarajendra Zoological Gardens

Mysore Zoo was created in 1892 on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the summer palace of Maharaja Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, and was originally called the Palace Zoo. The zoo was originally set up by G.H. Krumbiegel, 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.

Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar The zoo was opened to the public in 1902, and 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 (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.

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 & modification of 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 & leaflets, conducting various competitions, preparation of a documentary film were other highlights.

Kokkare Bellur Bird Sanctuary

Whenever I visit Mysore, I prefer to visit a beautiful place called Kokkare Bellur, (Vllage of Storks), a small village off the main highway between Bangalore and Mysore. I always like the nature & the sound of birds, serene environment, beautiful colors of birds & last but not the least, this is one of the rare places that show off a wonderful co- existence between humans and nature.

In today’s time when very few people think of the responsibility towards other species on this planet, it is great to see the villagers of Kokkare Bellur are looking after the birds with utmost care. The bonding between humans and pelicans is the beauty of this place.

The villagers consider the birds as good luck and prosperity to the village. This uniqueness has also attracted tourists to the village to watch the birds.

Chunchanakatte Falls

Cauvery flows into Chunchankatte roaring thunderously forming a 60 feet height and approximately 300 to 400 feet wide waterfalls. This place is situated 57 km from Mysore in Krishna Raja Nagar (K.R.Nagar) taluk, Mysore district. When the river reaches to cascade it is divided into two separate falls and joins again to continue to flow as one into Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam. The roar is deafening and the spray from the falls is refreshing. The gushing of water from every nook and corner of the rocky bed forms a milky white falls and the brown colored water in some parts of the falls shows the fertility that Cauvery brings along with her to the deccan plateau. At one angle you can see a large quantity of water whoosh to about 10 feet away from the jutting rocky bed before cascading into the river displaying the force at which it flows. This force is well tapped here and there is a hydraulic power generating station installed. It is in its best form during monsoon, but during seasons where there is less inflow of water, you can climb onto the rocks and explore more. From Mysore, drive down Mysore-Hassan highway and reach K.R.Nagar. Here, any of the locals can guide you to the falls. It is approximately 8 kilometers from K.R.Nagar. The falls is unsafe as water flow increases suddenly when water is released from KRS dam.

Male Mahadeshwara Betta / MM Hills

Male Mahadeshwara Betta is a pilgrim town located in the Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagara district of southern Karnataka. It is situated at about 150 km from Mysuru and about 210 km from Bengaluru. The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Male Mahadeshwara is a Shaiva pilgrim centre and one of the most powerful shiva temples. It draws lakhs of pilgrims from the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The area of the present temple surroundings is 155.57 acres (0.6296 km2). In addition, the temple has lands at Talabetta, Haleyuru and Indiganatha villages. Amidst dense forest, the temple attracts not only the pilgrims but also nature lovers. The height of the hill is about 3000 feet above sea level. The temple tank The bus station The temple complex Devoutees at M.M.Hills.

The Mahadeshwara Temple at Male Mahadeshwara Hill was built by Junje Gowda, a rich Kuruba Gowda Landlord.The Lord Sri Mahadeshwara is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Historical evidences suggest that the Saint Mahadeshwara must have lived during the 15th century. About 600 years ago, he came here to perform penance and it is believed that he is still performing penance in the temple's garbha gudi in the form of a linga. The linga, worshipped now in the garbha gudi, is a self-manifested (swayambhu) one. Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy was moving on a tiger known as Huli Vahana (Tiger as a vehicle) and performed a number of miracles around the Betta to save the people and saints living there. The Lord Sri Mahadeshwara's miracles are sometimes sung by the village folk in Janapada Style.

Biligiri Ranga Hills / BR Hills

The Biligirirangana Hills, commonly called BR Hills, is a hill range situated in south-eastern Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu (Erode District) in South India. The area is called Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or simply BRT Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a protected reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Being at the confluence of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, the sanctuary is home to eco-systems that are unique to both the mountain ranges. The site was declared a tiger reserve in January 2011 by the Karnataka government, a few months after approval from India's National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Melukote in Pandavapura

Early in the 12th century, the great Srivaishnava saint Ramanuja took up his residence and lived in this location for about 14 years. It thus became a prominent centre of the Srivaishnava sect of Brahmins, who obtained from the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, who had become a follower of the Acharya, an assignment of the fertile tracts of land in the neighbourhood, especially of the Ashta Gramas, on either bank of the Cauvery.

People of Melkote do not celebrate Deepawali (the festival of lights) till date since November 10th 1790 (Naraka Chaturdashi). It was the date when Tipu Sultan slaughtered in many cruel ways more than 800 Mandyam Iyengars of this town. People of Melukote thus do not celebrate Deepawali but mourn on the festival of lights every year.

Yathirajamatha, Ahobalamatha and Parakalamatha of the Srivaishnava sect are located in the place.