rob2ozoverland: Mysore

I was pleased to arrive in Mysore, which is situated at 2,000 feet altitude. Cooler than Goa and Hampi. It is known as the City of Palaces, which lends it a quaint charm, but also enchants. Famous festivals, a major yoga centre, pilgrimages. A very well-endowed area with large public gardens and particularly attractive to me because of the large number of huge, shady trees. When it became really hot after lunch. I used to go and lie in the shade of some of these trees and cool in lush green grass. The Kingdom of Mysore was ruled by the same dynasty for 500 years. They were great patrons of the arts and culture. Famous for the introduction of the silk sari, the area is also the world capital of silk and sandalwood. Masala dosa serves with chutney is a popular breakfast here, served with chutney. Filter coffee is the preferred beverage here, most of India put up with Nescafé.Rice is the staple food and like so much of the country brown rice cannot be found. Betel leave are chewed after lunch. Tourism zips the major industry, followed by sandalwood carving, weaving and bronze work. When I was last here, in 1970, I bought a box made from sandalwood and it still has that wonderful scent. 20 % of the population is Moslem. One is made awarded of this by the number of shops that sell meat and restaurants that have meat on the menu. There has also been a major growth in the information industry of recent.

The world famous palace, second only to the Taj Mahal, was a disappointment on my daytime visit owing to having to walk around it in bare feet, photographs were also not supposed to be taken. Foreigners pay 10 times the price for entry. My feet got blistered from walking on the hot concrete. Once again it was designed by a British architect. The opulence was astonishing, with lots of Ivory, a collection of silver thrones, massive pillars in many of the massive rooms, covered in gold leaved and painted in what to us may seem garish colours.