Mysore is famous for the festivities that take place during the Dasara festival when the city receives a large number of tourists. Mysore also lends its name to the Mysore mallige, the Mysore style of painting, the sweet dish Mysore Pak, the Mysore Peta (a traditional silk turban) and the garment called the Mysore silk saree. In an exercise carried out by the Urban Development Ministry under the national urban sanitation policy, Mysore was rated the second cleanest city in India in 2010 and the cleanest in Karnataka.

Mysore city is at 770m above sea level and 140 kms from Bangalore. Also known as the City of Palaces, Mysore retains a quaint charm, that never fails to enchant. Situated in the southern part of the Deccan Plateau, Mysore District is an undulating tableland, covered in parts by granite outcrops and fringed by verdant forests. From ancient times, this district has played a significant role in the history of South India. Mysore District is a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendour of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centres and scenic spots.

Mysore lies in the southern fringes of the Deccan Plateau at a height of 770 metres, 135 kilometres southwest of Bangalore. The River Cauvery flows close to the city but Mysore is not actually on it's banks. Just a little beyond Mysore City one encounters the Western Ghats and sandalwood forests. There are minor hills within city limits, like the Chamundi Hill.

In earlier days one would be surrounded by natural beauty in Mysore. It's no longer as green and unspoilt as it was, but instead has become a bustling mid size Indian city with its fair share of three-wheeler auto rickshaws and smoke belching city buses. It has wide roads and is thankfully free of multi-storey concrete structures. The most important building in the city is the Mysore Palace and no other structure comes even remotely close to it in beauty or grandeur.

Mysore has a moderate climate. Summer day temperatures average at 30° C though some days may be as hot as 35° C. June is the warmest month. Winter is extremely comfortable, with day temperatures for December averaging 27° C. The average night temperatures are 20° C and 17° C for summer and winter respectively. Mysore gets an average 86 centimetres of rain annually, most of it during the monsoon, which lasts from June to October.

Places of Interest
Mysore Palace
St. Philomena's Church
Chamundi Hills
Mysore Zoo
Brindavan Gardens
Karanji Lake
Kukkarahalli Lake
Railway Museum