Route:
Srirangapatnam:
- Dariya Daulat Bagh (Garden): This garden also has the summer palace of Tipu Sultan. The murals are very beautiful however gradually they are losing out to the vagaries of nature. In 2005 they were much brighter but now in 2018 the colors in some places are fading away. Photography is allowed however for religious reasons selfies are not allowed. The place is located in the larger fort complex of Sri-rangapatnam fort (Island fortress of Tipu Sultan). Plan for at least an hour for this venue if you are on your own.
- Sri Ranganathaswamy temple: is a temple dedicated to lord Vishnu and has a large statute of the lord lying on Sheshnag. The time will depend on the crowd but your should budget for 40 mins at least. Photography of the main deity may not be allowed.
Mysore:
- St Philomena’s Church: in built in the Neo Gothic style and draws inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The towers are 175 feet in height. The church has a crypt under the main altar and is quite beautiful.
- Hotel Mayura Hoysala is the destination for lunch on the KSTDC tour. Both buffet and ala-carte options.
- Mysore Palace is a must visit if you are in India. It attracts the second highest number of visitors after the Taj Mahal. The palace needs to be experienced in more than one ways. Given this is a private property only part of the palace is open to the general public and is quite an experience to see opulent lifestyle of the Maharaja of Mysore. The palace is also decorated with millions of light bulbs which are turned on in the evening and is a sight to behold in itself. May not be possible on a KSTDC package tour however.
- Mysore Zoo ( Sri Jayachamarandra Wadeyar): Given the tight itineary of the package tour most likely this venue will be skipped. It was skipped for us and could be skipped as well.
- Chamundi Hill , Sri Chamundeswari Darshan
- Brindavan Gardens
Located right next to the KRS Dam the water gushing out from the open gates of the dam is a sight to behold in itself. The garden has a backdrop of the dam wall and divided into the North and the South garden.
There is a light and sound show in the evening and all the lights come on around the garden providing a very different spectacle. There is not separate fee for the show.
Stay at Mayura Caveri KRS
Shravanabelagola
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur
These are a group of temples within the same premise with the main temple being dedicated to Vishnu. The name Chenna Kesava implies beutaiful Vishnu (Kesava being another name for Vishnu). There is no entry fee and the opening and closing times are from sun rise to sun set.
It is recommended to hire the guides in my opinion, as it would be tough to appreciate the nuances of the carvings without the help of a guide (or other knowledgeable person in your group).
However if you are first time visitor, I would recommend one as it was very informative and we looked at things in greater detail which we would have otherwise missed.
The temple was commissioned by the Hoysalas king Vishnu Vardhan in around 1100 AD and have the typical Hoysala emblem (the boy fighting the lion-like animal). The temple is carved out of soapstone and the extent to which the sculptures (which took over a 100 years to build the temples) went to portray the mythological events as well as events of their times is what sets these temples apart.
It is an active temple (Chennakeswara) has more of a traditional temple look to it. If one wanted to study the temple in greater detail, one can easily spend hours together looking at the various sculptures.
There is a parking fee to park your vehicle (or taxi) in front of the temple - which is valid for the day.
As you exit the temple you maybe approached by vendors selling various books, trinkets and other souvenirs.
Lodging:
KSTDC operates a very basic hotel - Mayura Velapuri, within walking distance to the Belur Temple. It also has a restaurant. These a government properties and the maintenance is functional at best. It also has a restaurant.
If you are returning back from Belur/Halebid back to Bangalore, then you can consider stopping over at Shravanabelogala to see the giant Bahubali statue.
Hotel Mayura velapuri
Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu
Veeranarayana swamy Temple, Belavadi
The temple is famous for its lathe pillars.
Srirangapatnam:
- Dariya Daulat Bagh (Garden): This garden also has the summer palace of Tipu Sultan. The murals are very beautiful however gradually they are losing out to the vagaries of nature. In 2005 they were much brighter but now in 2018 the colors in some places are fading away. Photography is allowed however for religious reasons selfies are not allowed. The place is located in the larger fort complex of Sri-rangapatnam fort (Island fortress of Tipu Sultan). Plan for at least an hour for this venue if you are on your own.
- Sri Ranganathaswamy temple: is a temple dedicated to lord Vishnu and has a large statute of the lord lying on Sheshnag. The time will depend on the crowd but your should budget for 40 mins at least. Photography of the main deity may not be allowed.
Mysore:
- St Philomena’s Church: in built in the Neo Gothic style and draws inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The towers are 175 feet in height. The church has a crypt under the main altar and is quite beautiful.
- Hotel Mayura Hoysala is the destination for lunch on the KSTDC tour. Both buffet and ala-carte options.
- Mysore Palace is a must visit if you are in India. It attracts the second highest number of visitors after the Taj Mahal. The palace needs to be experienced in more than one ways. Given this is a private property only part of the palace is open to the general public and is quite an experience to see opulent lifestyle of the Maharaja of Mysore. The palace is also decorated with millions of light bulbs which are turned on in the evening and is a sight to behold in itself. May not be possible on a KSTDC package tour however.
- Mysore Zoo ( Sri Jayachamarandra Wadeyar): Given the tight itineary of the package tour most likely this venue will be skipped. It was skipped for us and could be skipped as well.
- Chamundi Hill , Sri Chamundeswari Darshan
- Brindavan Gardens
Located right next to the KRS Dam the water gushing out from the open gates of the dam is a sight to behold in itself. The garden has a backdrop of the dam wall and divided into the North and the South garden.
There is a light and sound show in the evening and all the lights come on around the garden providing a very different spectacle. There is not separate fee for the show.
Stay at Mayura Caveri KRS
Shravanabelagola
Chennakeshava Temple, Belur
These are a group of temples within the same premise with the main temple being dedicated to Vishnu. The name Chenna Kesava implies beutaiful Vishnu (Kesava being another name for Vishnu). There is no entry fee and the opening and closing times are from sun rise to sun set.
It is recommended to hire the guides in my opinion, as it would be tough to appreciate the nuances of the carvings without the help of a guide (or other knowledgeable person in your group).
However if you are first time visitor, I would recommend one as it was very informative and we looked at things in greater detail which we would have otherwise missed.
The temple was commissioned by the Hoysalas king Vishnu Vardhan in around 1100 AD and have the typical Hoysala emblem (the boy fighting the lion-like animal). The temple is carved out of soapstone and the extent to which the sculptures (which took over a 100 years to build the temples) went to portray the mythological events as well as events of their times is what sets these temples apart.
It is an active temple (Chennakeswara) has more of a traditional temple look to it. If one wanted to study the temple in greater detail, one can easily spend hours together looking at the various sculptures.
There is a parking fee to park your vehicle (or taxi) in front of the temple - which is valid for the day.
As you exit the temple you maybe approached by vendors selling various books, trinkets and other souvenirs.
Lodging:
KSTDC operates a very basic hotel - Mayura Velapuri, within walking distance to the Belur Temple. It also has a restaurant. These a government properties and the maintenance is functional at best. It also has a restaurant.
If you are returning back from Belur/Halebid back to Bangalore, then you can consider stopping over at Shravanabelogala to see the giant Bahubali statue.
Hotel Mayura velapuri
Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu
 |
| Lord Shiva with Parvati |
Veeranarayana swamy Temple, Belavadi
 |
| Amazing Craftmanship |
