Mysore

Mysore(/maɪˈsɔːr/my-SOR),officiallyMysuru(Kannada:[ˈmaɪˈsuːɾu]), is a city in thesouthern Indianstate ofKarnataka.It is the headquarters ofMysore districtandMysore division. As the traditional seat of theWadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of theKingdom of Mysorefor almost six centuries (1399 to 1947). Known for itsheritage structures, palaces (such as the famousMysore Palace), and itsculture, Mysore has been called the "City of Palaces", the "Heritage City",and the "Cultural capitalofKarnataka".It is thesecond-most populousin the state and one of thecleanest cities in Indiaaccording to theSwachh Survekshan.
Mysore is situated at the foothills of theChamundi Hills. At an altitude of 770 m (2,530 ft) abovemean sea level, the city of Mysore is geographically located at 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is about 140 km (87.0 mi) southwest of the state's capital,Bangalore, and spreads across an area of 156 km(60 sq mi) (city and neighbouring census towns).The population of the city combined with its neighbouring towns in its metropolitan area is about 1,288,000 in 2023.
Most of the city's development during modern times could be attributed to themaharajas of Mysoreand theWadiyar dynasty, who were patrons of art and culture.Hyder AliandTipu Sultan, when they were briefly in power in succession, also contributed significantly to the economic growth of the city and the kingdom by plantingmulberrytrees andsilkin the region, and fightingfour warsagainst theBritish. In present days, theMysore City Corporationis responsible for the civic administration of the city.
During theDasarafestivals, Mysore receives hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. The city is also the namesake to various art forms and culture, such asMysore DasaraandMysore painting; foods such as the sweet delicacyMysore pak, breakfasts like Mysore Dosa and Mysore Masala Dosa; brands such asMysore Sandal Soap,Mysore Paints; and styles and cosmetics such asMysore peta, a traditional silk turban, and theMysore silksaris. Mysore is also known forbetel leavesand its own special variety ofjasmineflower fondly referred to as "Mysore mallige".Tourismis a lifeline industry for the city alongside the traditional industries. Mysore's intracity public transportation includes bus and intercity public transportation includes rail, bus, and air.
The nameMysoreis an anglicised form ofMahiṣūru,which means "the abode ofMahiṣa" in the vernacularKannada. The common nounMahiṣa,inSanskrit, means buffalo; in this context, however,Mahiṣarefers toMahishasura, a mythical demon who could assume the form of either a human or a buffalo, and who, according toHindu mythology, ruled the ancient parts of Mysore Kingdom, known in Sanskrit asMahiṣaka, centred atMahiṣapura.He was killed by the goddessChamundeshwari, whose temple is situated atop theChamundi Hills, after whom it is named. 'Mahishapura'later becameMahisūru(a name which, even now, the royal family uses), and finally came to be rendered asMysoreby the British andMaisūru(Mysuru) in the vernacularKannada language.
In December 2005, the Government ofKarnatakaannounced its intention to change the English name of the city toMysuru.This was approved by theGovernment of Indiain October 2014, and Mysore was officially renamed, along with twelve other cities, on 1 November 2014.
The site whereMysore Palacenow stands was occupied by a village named Puragere at the beginning of the 16th century.The Mahishūru Fort was constructed in 1524 byChamaraja Wodeyar III(1513–1553),who passed on the dominion ofPuragereto his sonChamaraja Wodeyar IV(1572–1576). Since the 16th century, the name ofMayashūruhas commonly been used to denote the city.TheKingdom of Mysore, governed by theWodeyarfamily, initially served as avassal stateof theVijayanagara Empire. With the decline of that empire after theBattle of Talikotain 1565, the Mysore Kingdom gradually achieved independence, and by the time ofKing Narasaraja Wodeyar(1637), it had become a sovereign state.Seringapatam, near Mysore, the present-day Srirangapatna, was the capital of the kingdom beginning in 1610.The 17th century saw a steady expansion of its territory and, underNarasaraja Wodeyar IandChikka Devaraja Wodeyar,  the kingdom annexed large areas of what is now southern Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu, to become a powerful state in the southernDeccan.
The kingdom reached the height of its military power and dominion in the latter half of the 18th century, under the de facto rulersHyder Aliand his sonTipu Sultan. The latter demolished parts of Mysore to remove legacies of the Wodeyar dynasty.During this time, the kingdom of Mysore came into conflict with theMarathas, theBritish, and theNizam of Hyderabad, leading to the fourAnglo-Mysore wars, success in the first two of which was followed by defeat in the third and fourth. After Tipu Sultan's death in theFourth Anglo-Mysore Warin 1799, the capital of the kingdom was moved back to Mysore from Seringapatam,and the kingdom was distributed by the British to their allies of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. Part of the kingdom was annexed into theMadras Presidency, another to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The landlocked interior of the defeated kingdom of Mysore was turned into aprincely stateunder thesuzeraintyof theBritish Crown,with the five-year-old WodeyarKrishnaraja IIIas titular ruler and withPurnaiah, who had served under Tipu, as chief minister ordiwanand Lt. Col.Barry Closeas Resident. The British took control of Mysore's foreign policy and insisted on an annual tribute for maintaining a standing British army at Mysore.Purnaiah is credited with improving Mysore's public works.In 1831, claiming there was maladministration, the British took direct control of the princely state.For the next fifty years, the kingdom of Mysore was under the direct rule of British Commissioners,and in 1831 the city of Mysore lost its status as the administrative centre, when the British Commissioner moved the capital toBangalore.
In 1876–77, towards the end of the period of direct British rule, Mysore suffered from theGreat Famine of 1876–1878, in which nearly a fifth of the population died.In 1881,Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar Xwas given control of Mysore, in a process calledrendition, but with a resident British officer and a diwan to handle the Maharaja's administration,and the city of Mysore regained its status as the capital.The Mysore municipality was established in 1888 and the city was divided into eight wards.In 1897 an outbreak ofbubonic plaguekilled nearly half of the population of the city.With the establishment of the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) in 1903, Mysore became one of the first cities in Asia to undertake planned urban development.Public demonstrations and meetings were held there during theQuit India movementand other phases of theIndian independence movement.
Until the independence ofBritish India(which did not include Mysore) in 1947, Mysore remained a Princely State within theBritish Indian Empire, with the Wodeyars continuing their rule.After Indian Independence, Mysore city remained as part of theMysore State, now known asKarnataka.Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, then king of Mysore, was allowed to retain his titles and was nominated as theRajapramukh(appointed governor) of the state with a £20,000 payment.He died in September 1974 and was cremated in Mysore.
Over the years, Mysore became well known as a centre for tourism; the city remained largely peaceful, except for occasional riots related to theKaveri River Water Dispute.Among the events that took place in Mysore and made national headlines were a fire at a television studio that claimed 62 lives in 1989,and the sudden deaths of many animals at theMysore Zoo.
Mysore is located at12°18′N74°39′E﻿ / ﻿12.30°N 74.65°E﻿ /12.30; 74.65and has an average altitude of 770 metres (2,526 ft).It is spread across an area of 286.05 km(110 sq mi)at the base of theChamundi Hillsin the southern region of Karnataka. Mysore is the southernmost city of Karnataka and is a neighbouring city of the states ofKeralaandTamil Naduin the south, flanked by the state citiesMadikeri,Chamarajanagara, andMandya. People in and around Mysore extensively useKannadaas a medium of language. Mysore has several lakes, such as theKukkarahalli, theKaranji, and theLingambudhilakes. Mysore has The Biggest 'Walk-Through Aviary' called Karanji Lake in India. In 2001, total land area usage in Mysore city was 39.9% residential, 16.1% roads, 13.74% parks and open spaces, 13.48% industrial, 8.96% public property, 3.02% commercial, 2.27% agriculture and 2.02 water.The city is located between two rivers: theKaveri Riverthat flows through the north of the city and theKabini River, a tributary of the Kaveri, that lies to the south.
Mysore has atropical savanna climate(Aw) bordering on ahot semi-arid climate(BSh) under theKöppen climate classification. The main seasons are Summer from March to May, themonsoonseason from June to October and winter from November to February.The highest temperature recorded in Mysore was39.9 °C (104 °F)on 25 April 2016, and the lowest was7.7 °C (46 °F)on 16 January 2012.The city's average annual rainfall is 798.6 mm (31.4 in).
As per Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, Mysore taluk has been divided into 4hoblis. In 2022, the rainfall received by these hoblis are as follows:
Overall, Mysore taluk received 67% of excess rainfall in the year 2022.
As of 2011, Mysore city had an estimated population of 920,550 consisting of 461,042 males and 459,508 females, making it the third most populous city in KarnatakaMysore urban agglomeration is the second largest urban agglomeration in the stateand is home to 1,060,120 people, consisting of 497,132 males and 493,762 females.According to 2011 census, Mysore was the largest non-metropolitan city in India and had the highest basic infrastructure index of 2.846.Mysore was estimated to have crossed 1 million in 2017 making it a metropolitan city.For the year 2022, the projected population of Mysuru Metropolitan Area, which includesMysore City Corporation,HootagalliCity Municipal Council, and Bogadi, Srirampura, Rammanahalli and Kadakola Town Panchayats is 1,261,000,as per the United Nation's World Urbanization Prospects - 2018.
The gender ratio of Mysore is 1,000 females to every 1,000 males and the population density is 6,910.5 per square kilometre (17,898/sq mi). According to the census of 2001, 73.65% of the city population areHindus, 21.92% areMuslims, 2.71% areChristians, 1.13% areJainsand the remainder belong to other religions.The population exceeded 100,000 in the census of 1931 and grew by 20.5 per cent in the decade 1991–2001. As of 2011, the literacy rate of the city is 86.84 per cent, which is higher than the state's average of 75.6 per cent.Kannadais the most widely spoken language in the city. Approximately 19% of the population live below the poverty line, and 9% live inslums.According to the 2001 census, 35.75% of the population in the urban areas of Karnataka are workers, but only 33.3% of the population of Mysore are.Members ofScheduled castes and scheduled tribesconstitute 15.1% of the population.According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, the number ofcognisablecrime incidents reported in Mysore during 2010 was 3,407 (second in the state, after Bangalore's 32,188), increasing from 3,183 incidents reported in 2009.
The residents of the city are known asMysoreansinEnglishandMysoorinavaruin Kannada. The dispute between Karnataka andTamil Naduover the sharing of Kaveri river water often leads to minor altercations and demonstrations in the city.Growth in theinformation technologyindustry in Mysore has led to a change in the city's demographic profile; likely strains on the infrastructure and haphazard growth of the city resulting from the demographic change have been a cause of concern for some of its citizens.
The civic administration of the city is managed by the Mysore City Corporation, which was established as a municipality in 1888 and converted into a corporation in 1977. Overseeing engineering works, health, sanitation, water supply, administration and taxation, the corporation is headed by a Mayor, who is assisted by commissioners and council members.The city is divided into 65 wards and the council members (also known ascorporators) are elected by the citizens of Mysore every five years.The council members, in turn, elect the mayor. The annual budget of the corporation for the year 2011–2012 was₹4.27 billion(equivalent to₹8.8 billion or US$100 million in 2023).Among 63 cities covered under theJawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Mysore City Corporation was adjudged the second-best city municipal corporation and was given the"Nagara Ratna"award in 2011.
Urban growth and expansion is managed by theMysore Urban Development Authority(MUDA), which is headed by a commissioner. Its activities include developing new layouts and roads, town planning and land acquisition. One of the major projects undertaken by MUDA is the creation of an Outer Ring Road to ease traffic congestion.Citizens of Mysore have criticised MUDA for its inability to preventland mafiasand ensure lawful distribution of housing lands among city residents.TheChamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporationis responsible for electric supply to the city.
Drinking water for Mysore is sourced from theKaveriandKabinirivers.The city got its first piped water supply when the Belagola project was commissioned in 1896.As of 2011, Mysore gets 193,000 cubic metres (42.5 million imperial gallons) of water per day. Mysore sometimes faces water crises, mainly during the summer months (March–June) and in years of low rainfall.The city has had an underground drainage system since 1904. The entire sewage from the city drains into four valleys: Kesare, Malalavadi, Dalavai and Belavatha.In an exercise carried out by theUrban Development Ministryunder the national urban sanitation policy, Mysore was rated the second cleanest city in India in 2010 and the cleanest in Karnataka.
The citizens of Mysore elect five representatives to theLegislative assembly of Karnatakathrough the constituencies of Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja, Hunsur and Chamundeshwari.Mysore city, being part of the larger Mysore Lok Sabha constituency, also elects one member to theLok Sabha, the lower house of theIndian Parliament. The politics in the city is dominated by three political parties: theIndian National Congress(INC), theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP), and theJanata Dal (Secular)(JDS).
Tourism and IT are the major industries in Mysore. The city attracted about 3.15 million tourists in 2010.Mysore has traditionally been home to industries such as weaving, sandalwood carving, bronze work and the production of lime and salt.It has many big IT companies likeInfosysandWipro. The planned industrial growth of the city and the state was first envisaged at theMysore economic conferencein 1911.This led to the establishment of industries such as the Mysore Sandalwood Oil Factory in 1917 and the Sri Krishnarajendra Mills in 1920.Mysore has emerged as an industrial hub inKarnatakanext toBangalore. Mysore is part of the Bidar-Mysore Industrial Corridor. Major drivers of the economy are tourism, finance, manufacturing and industry which includes chemicals, petrochemicals, machinery, automobile, engineering, textiles and food processing sectors. A new industrial corridor plan is underway between Mysore and Bangalore.
For the industrial development of the city, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has established four industrial areas in and around Mysore, in theBelagola,Belawadi,HebbalandHootagalliareas.One of the major industrial areas near Mysore isNanjangudwhich will be a satellite town to Mysore. Nanjangud industrial area hosts a number of industries likeAT&S India Pvt Ltd,Nestle India ltd, Reid and Taylor,Jubiliant,TVS, andAsian Paints. Nanjangud Industrial area also boasts being 2nd highestVAT/ Sales Taxpayer which is more than₹4 billion(US$46 million) afterPeenyawhich is in state capital Bangalore.JK Tyrehas its manufacturing facility in Mysore.The city has emerged as a hub of automobile industries in Karnataka.
The major software companies in Mysore areInfosys,ArisGlobal,Larsen & Toubro Infotech, Excelsoft Technologies and Triveni Engineering.The growth of the information technology industry in the first decade of the 21st century has resulted in the city emerging as the second largest software exporter in Karnataka (as of), next to Bangalore.Mysore also has many shopping malls, including theMall of Mysorewhich is one of the largest malls in India and Karnataka. Retail is also a major part of the economy in Mysore.
Mysore also hosts many central government organisations likeCFTRI, DFRL,CIPET,BEML,RMP (Rare Material Project),RBINote printing Press and RBI Paper Printing Press.
Referred to as thecultural capitalof Karnataka, Mysore is well known for the festivities that take place during the period ofDasara; the state festival of Karnataka. TheDasarafestivities, which are celebrated over a ten-day period, were first introduced by King Raja Wodeyar I in 1610.On the ninth day ofDasara, calledMahanavami, the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession of decorated elephants, camels and horses.On the tenth day, calledVijayadashami, the traditionalDasaraprocession (locally known asJumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore which usually falls in the month of September or October. The idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on a goldenmantapaon the back of a decorated elephant and taken on a procession, accompanied by tabla, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels.The procession starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called Bannimantapa, where thebannitree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped.TheDasarafestivities culminate on the night ofVijayadashamiwith a torchlight parade, known locally asPanjina Kavayatthu.
Mysore is called theCity of Palacesbecause of several ornate examples in the city. Among the most notable areAmba Vilas, popularly known as Mysore Palace;Jaganmohana Palace, which also serves as an art gallery;Rajendra Vilas, also known as the summer palace;Lalitha Mahal, which has been converted into a hotel; andJayalakshmi Vilas.The palace of Mysore burned down in 1897, and the present structure was built on the same site. Amba Vilas palace exhibits anIndo-Saracenicstyle of architecture on the outside, but a distinctlyHoysala stylein the interior.Even though theGovernment of Karnatakamaintains the Mysore palace, a small portion has been allocated for the erstwhile royal family to live in. The Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion was constructed bySri Chamaraja Wodeyarfor his daughter Jayalakshammanni. It is now a museum dedicated to folk culture and artefacts of the royal family.
TheMysore paintingstyle is an offshoot of theVijayanagarschool of painting, and King Raja Wodeyar (1578–1617 CE) is credited with having been its patron.The distinctive feature of these paintings is thegessowork, to which gold foil is applied.Mysore is known for rosewood inlay work; around 4,000 craftsmen were involved in this art in 2002.The city lends its name to the Mysore silksari, a women's garment made with pure silk and goldzari(thread).Mysore Peta, the traditional indigenous turban worn by the erstwhile rulers of Mysore, is worn by men in some traditional ceremonies. A notable local dessert that traces its history to the kitchen in the Mysore palace isMysore pak.
Mysore is the location of the International Ganjifa Research Centre, which researches the ancient card gameGanjifaand the art associated with it.TheChamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts(CAVA) offers education in visual art forms such as painting, graphics, sculpture, applied art, photography, photojournalism and art history. TheRangayanarepertory company performs plays and offers certificate courses in subjects related to theatre.Kannada writersKuvempu,Gopalakrishna AdigaandU. R. Ananthamurthywere educated in Mysore and served as professors at the Mysore University.R. K. Narayan, a popular English-language novelist and creator of the fictional town ofMalgudi, and his cartoonist brotherR. K. Laxmanspent much of their life in Mysore.
Mysore is a major tourist destination in its own right and serves as a base for other tourist attractions in the vicinity.The city receives many tourists during the ten-dayDasarafestival.One of the most visited monuments in India, the Amba Vilas Palace, or Mysore Palace, is the centre of theDasarafestivities.The Jaganmohana Palace, The Sand Sculpture Museum the Jayalakshmi Vilas and the Lalitha Mahal are other palaces in the city.Chamundeshwari Temple, atop the Chamundi Hills, andSt. Philomena's Church, Wesley's Cathedral, Karanji lake are notable religious places in Mysore.
The Mysore Zoo, established in 1892,the Karanji, Kukkarahalli and the Blue Lagoon Lake are popular recreational destinations. Blue Lagoon is a lake with a mini-island located behind the KrishnaRajaSagar (KRS) water dam, from which it is mesmerising to watch the sunset and sunrise.Mysore has theRegional Museum of Natural History, theFolk Lore Museum, theRailway Museumand theOriental Research Institute. The city is a centre foryoga-related health tourism that attracts domestic and foreign visitors, particularly those who, for years, came to study with the lateAshtanga vinyasa yogaguruK. Pattabhi Jois.
A short distance from Mysore city is the neighbouring Mandya District'sKrishnarajasagar Damand the adjoiningBrindavan Gardens, where a musical fountain show is held every evening. Places of historic importance close to Mysore are Mandya District'sRanganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna. And other historical places areSomanathapuraandTalakad.B R Hills,Himavad Gopalaswamy Bettahill and thehill stationsofOoty,Sultan BatheryandMadikeriare close to Mysore. Popular destinations for wildlife enthusiasts near Mysore include theNagarahole National Park, the wildlife sanctuaries atMelkote, Mandya andB R Hillsand the bird sanctuaries atRanganathittu, Mandya andKokrebellur, Mandya.Bandipur National ParkandMudumalai National Parkin Tamil Nadu, which are sanctuaries forgaur,chital,elephants,tigers,leopardsand other threatened species, lie between 60 and 100 kilometres (37 and 62 mi) to the south. Other tourist spots near Mysore include the religious locations ofNanjanagudandBylakuppeand the waterfalls at neighbouring districts of Mandya'sShivanasamudra.
Mysore is connected byNational Highway 212 (India)to the state border town ofGundlupet, where the road forks into the states ofKeralaand Tamil Nadu.State Highway 17, which connects Mysore to Bangalore, was upgraded to a four-lane highway in 2006, reducing travel time between the two cities.A project was planned in 1994 to construct anew expresswayto connect Bangalore and Mysore. After numerous legal hurdles, it remains unfinished as of 2012.State Highway 33 andNational Highway 275which connect Mysore toH D KoteandMangalorerespectively.TheKarnataka State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) and other private agencies operate buses both within the city and between cities. A new division of KSRTC called Mysore City Transport Corporation (MCTC) has been proposed. Within the city, buses are cheap and popular means of transport,auto-rickshawsare also available andtongas(horse-drawn carriages) are popular with tourists.Mysore also has a 42.5-kilometre (26.4 mi) longring roadthat is being upgraded to six lanes by theMUDA.Mysore has implementedIntelligent Transport System (ITS)to manage its city buses and ferrying commuters.
RTO code of Mysore West is KA09and Mysore East is KA55.
A publicbicycle-sharing system, Trin Trin, funded partially by the United Nations is popular mode of transport.It is a government project. It is the first public bike-sharing system throughout India. The key objective of Trin Trin is to encourage local commuters, as well as visitors, to use the bicycle in preference to motorised modes of travel and thereby help scale down the multifarious environmental and road-traffic hazards, enhance conveyance convenience, and make local daily commutes economical for the common citizen.
Mysore railway stationhas three lines, connecting it toBangalore,Mangalore, andChamarajanagar. The first railway line established in the city was the Bangalore–Mysore Junctionmetre gaugeline, which was commissioned in 1882.Railway lines that connect the city toChamarajanagaraandMangaloreare unelectrifiedsingle trackand the track that connects toBengaluruis electrifieddouble track.Mysore Railway Junction comes under the jurisdiction of South Western Railway Zone.Within the city limits of Mysore, there are two small stations in the line which connectsChamarajanagara. They areAshokpuramandChamarajapuram.The fastest train to serve the city is theShatabdi Expresswhich goes toChennaiviaBangalore.A satellite terminal is planned at Naganahalli to reduce congestion in the main railway station. On 20 June 2022, Prime MinisterNarendra Modilaid the foundation to upgrade the present city railway junction.  The₹385 croreproject envisages construction of another three platforms, four pit lines and four stabling lines to make nine platforms.  Additionally, theNaganahalistation will be expanded with a coach complex and MEMU hub, and two more platforms to reduce congestion in the city railway junction.
Mysore Airportis a domestic airport and is located near the village of Mandakalli, 10 kilometres south of the centre of the city.It was built by the kings of Mysore in early 1940s.Mysore Airport currently serves the city of Mysore and is connected to multiple domestic locations includingChennaiandHyderabad.  The current runway is not able to handle big flights and hence a runway expansion is about to take place expanding the runway from 1.7 km to 2.8 km and will be upgraded to international airport after the expansion.The nearest International airport isBangalore Airport.
Before the advent of the European system of education in Mysore,Agraharas(Brahminquarters) providedVediceducation to Hindus, andmadrassasprovided schooling for Muslims.Modern education began in Mysore when a free English school was established in 1833.Maharaja's College was founded in 1864. A high school exclusively for girls was established in 1881 and was later renamedMaharani's Women's College.TheIndustrial School, the first institute fortechnical educationin the city, was established in 1892; this was followed by theChamarajendra Technical Institutein 1913.While the modern system of education have made inroads, colleges such as theMysore Sanskrit Pāthaśhāla, established in 1876, still continue to provide Vedic education.
The education system was enhanced by the establishment of theUniversity of Mysorein 1916.This was the sixth university to be established in India and the first in Karnataka.It was namedManasagangotri("fountainhead of theGangesof the mind") by the poetKuvempu. The university caters to the districts ofMysore,Mandya,HassanandChamarajanagarin Karnataka. About 127 colleges, with a total of 53,000 students, are affiliated with the university.Its alumni include Kuvempu,Gopalakrishna Adiga,S. L. Bhyrappa,U. R. AnanthamurthyandN.R. Narayana Murthy. Engineering education began in Mysore with the establishment in 1946 of theNational Institute of Engineering, the second oldest engineering college in the state.TheMysore Medical College, founded in 1924, was the first medical college to be started in Karnataka and the seventh inIndia.National institutes in the city include teCentral Food Technological Research Institute, theCentral Institute of Indian Languages, theDefence Food Research Laboratory, and theAll India Institute of Speech and Hearing.The city houses a campus multi-campus, multi-disciplinary privatedeemed university,Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
Newspaper publishing in Mysore started in 1859 when Bhashyam Bhashyacharya began publishing a weekly newspaper in Kannada called theMysooru Vrittanta Bodhini,the first of a number of weekly newspapers published in the following three decades.A well-known Mysore publisher during Wodeyar rule wasM. Venkatakrishnaiah, known as the father of Kannada journalism, who started several news magazines.Many local newspapers are published in Mysore and carry news mostly related to the city and its surroundings,and national and regional dailies in English and Kannada are available, as in the other parts of the state.Sudharma, the only Indian daily newspaper in Sanskrit, is published in Mysore.
Mysore was the location of the first private radio broadcasting station in India whenAkashavani(voice from the sky) was established in the city on 10 September 1935 by M.V. Gopalaswamy, a professor of psychology, at his house in the Vontikoppal area of Mysore, using a 50-watt transmitter.The station was taken over by the princely state of Mysore in 1941 and was moved to Bangalore in 1955. In 1957,Akashvaniwas chosen as the official name ofAll India Radio(AIR), the radio broadcaster of the Government of India. The AIR station at Mysore broadcasts anFM radiochannel at 100.6MHz,andGyan Vanibroadcasts on 105.6.BIG FM,Radio MirchiandRed FMare the three private FM channels operating in the city.
Mysore started receiving television broadcasts in the early 1980s, whenDoordarshan(public service broadcasterof the Indian government) started broadcasting its national channel all over India. This was the only channel available to Mysoreans untilStar TVstarted satellite channels in 1991. Direct-to-home channels are now available in Mysore.
The Wodeyar kings of Mysore were patrons of games and sports. KingKrishnaraja Wodeyar IIIhad a passion for indoor games. He invented new board games and popularised theganjifacard game.Malla-yuddha(traditional wrestling) has a history in Mysore dating back to the 16th century.The wrestling competition held in Mysore during theDasaracelebrations attracts wrestlers from all over India. An annual sports meeting is organised there during theDasaraseason too.
In 1997 Mysore and Bangalore co-hosted the city's biggest sports event ever, theNational Games of India. Mysore was the venue for six sports: archery, gymnastics,equestrianism, handball, table tennis and wrestling.Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Mysore.The city has five established cricket grounds.Javagal Srinath, who represented India for several years as its frontlinefast bowler, comes from Mysore.Other prominent sportsmen from the city arePrahlad Srinath, who has represented India inDavis Cuptennis tournaments;Reeth Abraham, a national champion in theheptathlonand a long jump record holder;Sagar Kashyap, the youngest Indian to officiate at theWimbledon Championships; and Rahul Ganapathy, a national amateur golf champion.The Mysore race course hosts a racing season each year from August through October.India's firstyouth hostelwas formed in the Maharaja's College Hostel in 1949.