Mysore attracts record flow of foreign tourists

Mysore, a major tourist destination in Karnataka, has been drawing more foreign tourists since two months. According to the Regional

Tourist Office here, the flow of foreign tourists has increased substantially since two months. In just about three hours, the tourist office attended to 30-40 foreign tourists. More foreigners are seen visiting the tourist spots.

The general overflow to the tourist spots, either Indian or foreign, itself saw a big rise in 2005, compared to the last four years.

Chamundi Hills, where stands the majestic Chamundi Temple, which has been the holiest place for both the princes and the people of Mysore and elsewhere since centuries, saw the number of visitors double during the year.

As many as 70,74,424 people visited the famous hills, also where stands the monolith statue of sacred Nandi and huge clay statue of demon Mahishasura. As against this figure in 2005, the flow of visitors stood at 35,03,704 the previous year to this place.

The three other major attractions - the Maharaja's palace, the art gallery, and the Zoo - also attracted more number of people than the previous years. After Chamundi Hills, the next place which drew maximum number of tourists was the majestic palace.

About 20,62,994 people visited it, while the figures were 18,31,861 in 2004, 16,45,820 in 2003, 14,19,469 in 2002 and 16,11,743 in 2001.

The Jaganmohan Palace Art gallery, where housed the collections of the previous rulers of Mysore, drew 2,42,211 last year, while 2,29,892 people in 2004, 2,14,797 in 2003, 1,97,085 in 2002 and 2,33,563 in 2001 visited the art gallery, which also has an excellent collection of Raja Ravi Verma's paintings.

The Chamarajendra Zoo Gardens was another major attraction attracting 16,45,315 tourists in 2005. 2004 saw 15,30,711, while 2003 witnessed 15,96,818; 2002 saw 11,82,513 and 12,92,725 visitors came down in 2001.

However, due to various reasons, the number of visitors for the famous Krishnarajasagar (Brindavan Gardens) was short by over 1.66 lakh compared to last year. It drew 21,28,110 visitors as against 22,94,944 in 2004, which is also the highest in five years. The lowest recorded was in 2002 when only 9,92,111 people visited the gardens as against 18,44,371 in 2003 and 14,84,392 in 2001.

To further bolster tourism in Mysore, the state government is planning an international tourism mart in association with FICCI in May next. This will be in addition to the proposed investors' meet when tourist officials hope to attract new investments in the field of tourism.

As a precursor to this, the Tourist Office on Monday released a latest guide book, "Mysore is for millennium", comprising details of tourist spots in and around Mysore, yoga centres and other useful information.

To provide basic facility for the tourists, it has initiated works on Sulabh Shouchalay and drinking water facilities at a number of tourist spots including St Philomena's Church (Mysore), Gol Gumbuz, Bus Stand (Srirangapatna), KSTDC premises (Mysore-Bangalore highway at Maddur), Kalabhyrava Temple at Chikka Arasikere, Hanumanthanagara (Maddur taluk-Mandya district), Raja Seat, Irpu Temple, Igguthappa Temple and Abbi Falls (Kodagu).