Mysore

Last Sunday, I survived my first Indian train experience to Mysore, 140 km south west of Bangalore. Mysore is known for its palaces, and production of sandalwood-carvings, silk and incense.

Survived is not as much of a hyperbole as it may seem - on the same day two people died in a stampede at Delhi’s station.  Although I was told three different platforms by three different people, I eventually made it on the train, just not in the right “class”. Indian trains have many classes, so instead of the third class A/C which I had paid for (the ticket cost $7 dollars for a 3 hour journey) , I ended up in the more crowded and less comfortable “sleeper class”.

Once in Mysore, my first stop was  the Devaraja Market, an intense market experience filled with fruits and vegetables, incense and oils, bangles, kumkum powder (colourful  powder below, used for religous markings in Hinduism) and flowers.

After the market, I headed to the Maharaja's Palace. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it is goregous inside - its walls, domes, and columns are lavishly covered in teak carvings, gold, and ivory inlays. Unfortunately, cameras were forbidden inside but their rule doesn’t seem to have caught up with technology - people everywhere took photos with their cell phones! At night, I returned to see the palace lit up by thousands of bulbs.

 

At lunch, I had thali at a vegetarian restaurant. Thali means “plate” in Hindi, and is a selection of regional dishes served in small bowls. The thalli, naan, and a plain lime soda (in India you can choose salty, sweet, or plain soda), it was 100 rupees or about $2.50. Compare that to my vodka and OJ the night before at a upscale hotel bar, which cost close to 500 rupees ($12.50). In India, you can live very cheaply, but to do so you need three things: persistence and patience as a foreigner, along with the resolve to forgo Western  indulgences (atleast one of these I lack often).

Overlooking Mysore is the 1062m-high summit of Chamundi Hill. At the top of the hill, I visited the Sri Chamundeswari Temple. Visitors leave offerings inside the temple: flowers
and coconuts seemed to be popular.
 

A lot of Indians I've encountered seem to want me to be in their pictures - over the weekend three separate groups asked me to be in their picture. I can't enirely fault them though; I am always looking out for pictures with Indian women in traditional dress.

Outside the Temple, a group of monkeys was hanging out. While fascinating to see up close, the sight of them was a little disconcerting. Many of them had large gashes on their heads or were missing an arm, and their manerisms and features were so human like.