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About Mysore |
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The reason why Mysore is known by its present name lies in the temple of the Goddess Chamundeshwari and the statue of a demon situated at the top of Chamundi hills. According to a mythological story, the present area of Mysore was ruled by a demon known as Mahishasura, who got killed by the Goddess Chamundeshwari. As a place that witnessed the death of a mighty demon, it came to be known as Mahishuru, which later became Maisuru. Mysore is the anglicised version of Maisuru, its name in the local Kannada language.
The history of Mysore is largely dominated by the Wodeyars, who made it the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore ruled by them. The long chain of Wodeyar dynasty is broken only once by a brief interlude comprising the reigns of Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan in the late eighteenth century.
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Known by the name of Puragere till the fifteenth century, the city of Mysore got its present name only during the sixteenth century when it was ruled by Chamaraja Wodeyar IV. His predecessor Chamaraja Wodeyar III was credited with the construction of Mahishuru Fort in 1524.
During the Vijayanagara Empire, the Kingdom of Mysore remained merely a shadow of its glory, which it regained as soon as it became a sovereign state under the rule of King Narasaraja Wodeyar. His reign is soon followed by the great kingdom built by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in Mysore. At the same time, the growing power of the British East India Company and its increasing interest in the region have resulted several wars, historically known as Anglo-Mysore War. After the death of Tipu Sultan, the land passed again into the hands of Wodeyar rulers, who continued to rule the region till India gets independence. Mysore Palace, built by Tipu Sultan and developed further by the Wodeyars, became the center of administration.
The planned development of the city was started even before the independence of the country. Its long and varied cultural heritage has led people to call it the cultural capital of Karnataka, the state under which the present city of Mysore falls. It has also helped it emerge as a significant tourist destination in India. There are forts, palaces, beautiful gardens, a zoo and things of historical importance that have made tourism a flourishing industry here. There are world-class hotels and a well-developed hospitality industry to cater to a large number of tourists and visitors that come to the city.
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