Kukkarahalli Lake sits in the centre of the city, encircled by the campus of the University of Mysore. It is the city's principal urban green space — a 2-kilometre walkway runs around the lake, popular with students, joggers, and retirees from early morning onward. The lake supports a resident population of waterbirds including purple moorhens, spot-billed ducks, and painted storks; winter brings migratory visitors.
The university campus surrounding the lake — known as the Manasagangotri campus — is pleasant to wander. The neo-Gothic Crawford Hall, built in 1900, anchors the campus and the Oriental Research Institute nearby holds one of India's finest collections of Sanskrit manuscripts. This is a good corner of the city to spend a quiet morning away from the tourist circuit.