Step Sisters - Twin City of Mysore and Bangalore

It was a recent visit to Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. The chilling wind declared the city is way far different from the other metro cities which I have visited. The Mecca of Indian IT industry was a complete dazzle with offices of giant blue chip corporations, endless variety of eateries, shopping malls and an entertaining night life. Yes it is indeed thrilling for youngsters. But to a matured traveler, it seemed to be a city without a heart, a city without heritage. It was suffocating for a traveler who wants to know the story of the land. This was with the exception of the Pensinsular Gneiss at Lalbagh, granitic rock formation 3000 million years old - among the oldest rocks of the earth. There was another delightful treat . . . the masala mango, eat it raw, it is sour with red chilli and salt and enjoy your time in the Garden city.

But it was not 'the end', the story was yet untold. It takes another 140 km to the elder twin of Bangalore which held the power to awestruck an eager traveler - the City of Mysore. Contrary to Bangalore, the city has a rich heritage of art, architecture, ancient, medieval and modern history. The name Mysore hailed from the ancient name Mahisuru. According to Hindu mythology, the area was ruled by the demon Mahishasuru. The demon was killed by the Goddess Chamundeshwari, whose temple is situated atop the Chamundi Hills.

The Mysore Kingdom initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire. With the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565, the Mysore Kingdom became a sovereign state. Srirangapatna was the capital of the kingdom from 1610. The kingdom was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty who contributed significantly to the cultural growth of the city. Till date Mysore palace remains one of the most breath taking palatial architectures in the world with extensive work of gold plating, Burma teak wood and Ivory. Under brief rule of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the latter half of the 18th century the kingdom came into conflict with the Marathas, British and Golconda Kingdom which led to the Anglo Mysore wars. post wars the former Wodeyar dynasty was reinstated by the British and Mysore kingdom was converted to a princely state under the British crown. However, by then the city of Mysore underwent considerable loss as Tipu Sultan demolished parts of Mysore to remove legacies of the Wodeyar dynasty. After a brief stint with Bangalore serving as the administrative centre for the state from 1831, the city regained its status as state capital in 1881 and remained so till 1947.