Mandya District is situated in the south-eastern part of Karnataka. It was ruled successively by the kings of the Ganga dynasty, followed by the Cholas and the Hoysalas. Mandya covers an area of about 4,850 sq km. The land includes plains, rocky ridges, rivers, and an extension of the Biligirirangana range of mountains in the south-east. Four rivers run through the district -
Cauvery, Hemavati, Lokapavani and Shimsha.
A car festival is held in April-May every year.
Pandavapura is an important religious center. Other tourist attractions are the Janardhanaswami Temple, Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Saumyakeshava Temple, Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Karighatta (a small hillock), Kuntibetta hill, Bluff Waterfalls, Tirumalasagara Lake, and Cauvery Waterfalls.