Krishna Raja Sagara, popularly known as KRS, is the name dam and the adjoining lake that is created by the Dam. It is located close to the settlement of Krishnarajasagara. The dam is across Kaveri River, in Mandya in Karnataka state, India. The dam was built across the Kaveri river in the year 1924 and is one of the main source of water for the adjoining districts of Mysore and Mandya. It is infact one of the major sources of drinking water for the city of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka – widely regarded as the Silicon valley of India.
The brain child of Sir Ismail Mirza, the then Diwan of the Mysore State, the Brindavan garden was designed to beautify the Krishnaraj Sagar Dam (KRS) area. The inspiration – none other than the Shalimar gardens – a Mughal style garden in Kashmir built by the emperor Jahangir. It was earlier called Krishnaranjendra Terrace Garden, after the King.
Sir Ismail Mirza was a childhood friend of Kind Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. He was able administrator and apart from being famous for designing the Brindavan gardens, he has many achievements under his belt. He developed the Bangalore Town Hall, launched the first rural electrification program in India, established Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and started other industries in Mysore state. The main architect for the park was G.H.Krumbigal, the then Superintendent of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore Government. The work on laying out this garden was started in the year 1927 and completed in 1931. One interesting fact about KRS is that Sir M Vishweshwaraiah used ‘surkhi’ a mixture of limestone and brick powder instead of cement in the construction of this magnificent structure.
Details about KRS and Brindavan:
- Garden Timings:
- All Week Days: 6.00am to 8.00pm
- Music Fountain Show:
- All Week Days: 6.30pm to 7.30pm
- Saturdays and Sundays: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
- Admission Fee:
- Adult Rs. 15,
- Children (5 to 10 yrs.) Rs.5
How to Reach KRS dam:
KRS dam is around 25 Kilometers from Mysore city and would be a 45 minutes drive. The gardens are around 145 Kilometers from Bangalore and it would be a 3 hour drive. Bangalore and Mysore are connected by a 4-lane highway which is in excellent condition and you should enjoy your drive. If possible, try to leave Bangalore early so as to avoid all the city traffic.
Click here to read about Drive from Bangalore to Mysore.
After crossing Srirangapatna, keep an eye on the junction where you would need to take a right to continue on the KRS road. Infact, this junction is a prominent round are marked pretty well.
From this point the roads are a 2 lane state highway. The roads are in pretty good condition and can have few potholes during the post monsoon season.
Attractions at Brindavan Gardens:
The Brindavan gardens has botanical gardens with many fountains, the most noted of them being the musical fountain. The musical fountains is one of the major attractions at the park and during the late 80’s and early 90’s one of it kind in India.
Brindavan Gardens and KRS dam are one of the famous tourist destinations in Mysore and any visit to Mysore would not be complete without an visit to these places. Every since my childhood, I have visited this place on multiple occasions and never once have I been disappointed. One of the best ways to explore the Gardens is to book one night’s stay at the “Royal Orchid Hotel” inside the gardens, thereby allowing you to roam around the gardens after sunset without worrying about the journey back home.
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