Mysuru: Heritage City Mysuru has been flocked by tourists, who are here to celebrate the New Year’s Eve. They are also being pampered by the District Administration which has launched ‘December to Remember’ campaign. Apart from Heritage Cycling organised for students, a boat festival was launched at Karanji Lake Nature Park last week.
The Mysuru Palace and Zoo see around 5,000 tourists on a weekday. On Christmas Day, the Palace received 21,878 tourists, including 209 foreigners, and earned revenues of Rs 7,70,570. The zoo saw 21,923 tourists, earning Rs 11,18,920. Nearly, 90 per cent of the hotel rooms are full and have been booked till the yearend. The officials estimated that nearly 10 per cent of the tourists are foreigners, who are mainly from Germany, the US, Spain and Greece. A number of foreigners flocked the historic St Philomena’s Church on Christmas Day and attended masses.
A group of 20 tourists from Greece were served with the traditional Mysuru food on plantain leaves on Friday evening after a Bharatnatyam concert which was specially organised for them, said Mr F.J. Ashok of Mysuru Travel Agents Association.Over 60 students and Dr Betsurmath, Commissioner for Department of Heritage, Archaeology and Museums, participated in Heritage Cycling which was launched by Food and Civil Supplies Deputy Director K. Rameswaramma.
It commenced at Mysore Palace and covered Chamaraja Circle, KR Circle, Lansdowne building, Vivekananda Memorial, Oriental Research Institute, Crawford Hall, DC’s office, Maharani’s College, Metropole Circle, Railway station, Mysore Medical College, Government Ayurvedic College and Chamarajendra Technical Institute, culminating at Town hall. As part of ‘December to Remember’, cultural programmes have been organised at Open Air Theatre, a Mysuru Carnival from Mysuru Palace North gate to Oval Grounds and a cake festival and food festival at Nanjaraj Bahadur Choultry.
