Trip to Mysore from Bangalore ! - Part - III

Hi,
        This is the final post of the 3 part travelogue Trip to Mysore from Bangalore. Be sure to read the previous posts before you dive into this one.

        Having visited the Philomena Church, I still had ample time left for my evening train. I planned to visit Chamundi hills, a religious spot located atop a hill around 13 kms from the heart of Mysore city. Though there are multiple options to reach that place, I chose a call taxi, as I was already exhausted by that time and could walk no more. A 2 minute google search on my mobile, got me a sedan right in front of me in just 15 minutes. Though fare was quite costly it was worth it.

        I was lucky enough to get a chauffeur who could speak in my local language. He got little bewildered, when he got to know I'm the lone person to tour around. He should have expected a family or atleast friends to accompany. After all, each one has got his own justifications !

        The road to Chamundi hills is a hill-side driving experience once again. Bends and curves all the way. Fun to drive around. Being a professional driver, the chauffeur manoeuvred with ease and landed me in the temple in less than 20 minutes.

        As any south Indian would be, the entrance to this temple was also lined with shops on both sides, selling pooja items, idols of goddess and other tourists gadgets.

View of the temple from the sides.. 

 

        Take a look at the temple timings. I was lucky again to be there at the right time. However, there was a long queue being a Saturday and I had to wait almost a hour for a "Dharshan".

View of the temple from the front..

        I could not resist myself from posting this pic, as this very spot reminds me of my college days where we had loads of fun during the annual college trip.

        I started back to Mysore after finishing my Dharshan at the temple. The chauffeur being a local resident, had good knowledge about the places and shared it all through the way. While descending, he halted a while for a breathtaking scenery of the city of Mysore from the hill.

        Some blogs insisted me to visit the government rail museum situated close to the railway station. I asked the driver to drop me near the railway museum as the railway station is just a walkable distance from the museum.

        Aesthetically designed ticket counter. Wise re-use of rail wagon.

        If you are interested in history and antique stuffs, then this museum should be a must visit place in your list. This museum houses a number of antique rail engines and other rail related stuffs. The centre of attraction is the "Mysore Maharani's Saloon", a coach exclusively designed for the Queen of Mysore. There's a description plate in front of each exhibits which depicts its past stories. This blog would shoot to a huge size if I post all the pics here. I've posted the pics in picasa, have a look at it here....

Mysore Rail Museum Photos

        Finally at dusk, I made my way to the railway station to catch my train, that would take me back to the usual not-so-thrilling "City Life".

More interesting travelogues to come!

Watch out !!

Ram Kishore K