Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar dynasty, feudatories of the Vijayanagar Empire. The city is situated at the base of Chamundi Hills. Mysore is famous for the Dussehra celebrations during which a large number of tourists visit the city. Mysore city is the cultural capital of Karnataka. Dussehra is the most important festival of the city. This festival is celebrated for a period of 10 days and it was started by King Raja Wodeyar I in the year 1610. The ninth day of the celebration is known as Mahanavami and the imperial sword is worshiped on this day. Processions constituting ornamented elephants, camels and horses are taken out.

While tourism is the major industry in Mysore, the growth of information technology related industry in the first decade of the 21st century has resulted in the city emerging as the second largest software exporter in the state of Karnataka, next to Bangalore. Although lacking an airport, Mysore is connected to other parts of India by railways and road transport. For the industrial development of the city, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has established four industrial areas in and around Mysore. The major industries in Mysore include BEML, J. K. Tyres, Wipro, Falcon Tyres, L & T and Infosys.

Popular tourist attractions in Mysore are the Mysore Palace, Sri Chamundeshwari Temple on Chamundi Hills 10-km from Mysore, Nandi Bull Temple on Chamundi Hills, St. Philomena's Church, and Vrindavan Gardens. It takes about two and a half hours to reach Mysore from Bangalore, and a one-day trip is sufficient to see the tourist attractions in Mysore and Srirangapatnam.