Text and photos
\nby Graham Simmons<\/p>\n
MYSORE, India (JP): The days start early in India! Arriving at
\nthe unearthly hour of seven a.m. in Bangalore, the green capital
\nof Karnataka state in southern India, I'm told by my gracious
\nhosts that we're heading straight out of town. The point of the
\nexcursion is a visit to Mysore, city of sandalwood and ancient
\npalaces, and ex-capital of a kingdom that was once the most
\npowerful in India. We might even get to meet the Maharaja, who
\nstill graces Mysore Palace with his presence.<\/p>\n
You travel to Mysore over a road so pot-holed that you suspect
\nit was only half-completed in the first place. This impression is
\nconfirmed when it's explained that two-thirds of the money
\nearmarked for road-building goes straight into the engineer's or
\nlocal inspector's pockets, leaving virtually nothing for mere
\nbitumen.<\/p>\n
But the scenery along the roadside compensates for the rigors
\nof travel a hundred times over. In this, the black-soil belt of
\nIndia, sugar cane and palms jostle for space against a backdrop
\nof granite hills, and the soil looks so fertile you could just
\nabout eat it. Kalispet, the granite quarried in this district, is
\nworld-famous, and has been used in the construction of government
\nbuildings throughout India.<\/p>\n
Villages you pass through have a distinctive style of
\narchitecture seen nowhere else. Houses with open courtyards, in
\nthe local Dombe Tholdi style of building, are vaguely reminiscent
\nof something from the Middle East. In the gaudiest of bright
\ncolor, these courtyards look relaxing and inviting.<\/p>\n
Just past the village of Ramnagaram, we pass a place
\nbillboarded as a \"Sacred Plants Resort\". As happens dozens of
\ntimes a day in India, such enigmatic notices make you curious:
\nyou want to stop and see what lies behind the fence. But time,
\nthat concept that has permeated even India, says \"No.\"<\/p>\n
We decide to do a little exploring, and take a branch off the
\nmain road. The roadway now a little more than a country lane, but
\nstill carries enough traffic to enable farmers to get their rice
\nthreshed. With admirable laziness, they place the grain on the
\nroad for passing cars and trucks to run over, a practice that is
\nat once easy and efficient.<\/p>\n
We stop at a local village, one of the more than 600,000 in
\nIndia, to take a look at a jaggery factory. This product of the
\nsugar palm has a sweetness all its own, coarser and yet more
\nsubtle than sugar cane. It's one of the staples of the Indian,
\nindispensable in what must be one of the most sweet-toothed
\ncountries in the world.<\/p>\n
Our destination is Somnathapura Temple, a supremely excellent
\nmasterpiece dating back to around 1250 A.D. They say it took a
\nteam of 500 sculptors over 40 years to complete. The upper
\nstories of the Temple are built out of chloraschist, a durable
\nform of soapstone, atop a granite foundation.<\/p>\n
If you've visited any of the massive temples of Tamil Nadu,
\nSomnathapura comes as a surprise. Constructed by the Hoysala
\ndynasty, it post-dates the Chola temples of Tamil Nadu by a
\ncouple of hundred years. Central to Hoysala temples are large
\nstar-shaped pedestals, above which rise several stories of
\nintricately carved friezes. Somnathapura features carvings of
\nelephants, horses, warriors and yalis (a mythical creature that
\nis part crocodile, part elephant and part lion -- I'm sure I've
\nseen similar creatures at the pub). Above these friezes are
\nscenes of human life, and right at the top panels showing
\nepisodes from the puranas, epic stories of the adventure of the
\ngods.<\/p>\n
Around the perimeter of the temple are a series of little
\ncells, presumably once used by recluses (But why anyone would
\nwant to shut themselves away in darkness in the midst of such
\nglorious surroundings is beyond my comprehension).<\/p>\n
Outside the temple complex itself, the whole surrounding area
\nlooks wealthy beyond the dreams of most Indians. Tractors work
\nirrigated fields, colorfully painted bullock cars ply the roads,
\nand a general air of purposefulness pervades daily activity. You
\nget the feeling that some unseen hand is guiding the prosperity
\nof this region.<\/p>\n
Just a few kilometers further the road lies Mysore City, set
\namong rolling hills and towered over the biggest hill of them all
\n-- Chamundi Hill. This hump-backed hill is named after Chamundi
\n(another name for Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva).<\/p>\n
I was privileged to stay in the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel --
\nan establishment that really has to be seen to be believed. The
\nmagnificent domed main buildings of this former princely palace
\ndisplays an opulence that you normally associate only with rulers
\nwhose subjects are unaware of their extravagance.<\/p>\n
Centerpiece of the Lalitha Palace Hotel in the main dining-
\nroom, with superb mother-of-pearl inlaid domes set above a huge
\nchamber embellished with sky blue and white stucco plasterwork.
\nThe food served here is something really special, lending
\ncredence to the claim that Indian cuisine is the world's finest,
\nand as yet largely undiscovered.<\/p>\n
You can share a walk around the Lalitha Palace Hotel grounds
\nwith strutting peacocks, or if that's not is the main energetic
\nenough, try out the tennis courts or the highly inviting swimming
\npool. And it goes without saying that the guest rooms have all
\nthe amenities you could want, including the option of turning off
\nthe air conditioning and opening the windows!.<\/p>\n
Mysore's main claim to magnificence is Mysore's \"other\"
\npalace, also known as The Mysore Palace or Amber Villas, right in
\nthe center of town. The maharajas of Mysore have lived in a
\npalace on this site ever since the founding of the Mysore dynasty
\nin 1399 A.D., but due to fire, lighting and earthquakes, the
\npalace has been rebuilt several times.<\/p>\n
The most recent rebuilding of the palace in 1897, was in
\nclassic Indo-Saracenic style, following a design by the English
\narchitect Henry Irwin. On Sundays and special holidays, the
\npalace is brilliantly illuminated by over 150,000 lights-bulbs
\n(Only in India could they afford to employ the people to change
\nthe bulbs). To see the crowds of tourists from all over India and
\naround the world gaping in awe at the magnificent Marriage
\nPavilion, with its red and gold walls and rosewood ceiling, is
\ntestimony to the wonders of this place -- and to see a back-
\npacker gaping in awe at anything is pretty amazing too!<\/p>\n
The current maharaja now lives in another palace, built for
\nhim by the government. Despite the stuffed elephant heads you see
\nin the Amber Vilas, souvenirs of the maharaja's hunting exploits,
\nhe is now a reformed man, and even served a time as head of the
\nWorld Wildlife Fund. A former member of Parliament in the ruling
\nCongress Party, he recently switched to the fundamentalist BJP --
\nand lost (it is said that he forgot to tell the voters he'd
\nchanged parties).<\/p>\n
Nowadays, sandalwood is Mysore's main raison d'etre. Its
\nfragrant aroma permeates the city, and in the emporiums dotted
\naround town you can buy almost anything made of sandalwood,
\nincluding statuary, cigar boxes, lampstands, even furniture, as
\nwell as the ubiquitous chandan, or sandalwood incense.<\/p>\n
Atop Chanmundi Hill sits Chamundeswari Temple, dedicated to
\nthe goddess Durga (Chanmundeswari). A full 1,000 metres above
\nMysore, this place buzzes with an extraordinary energy. At the
\ntime of our visit, the temple grounds swarmed with black dhoti-
\nclad followers of the Keralan cult figure Sri Ayyappan, who were
\non the long and arduous pilgrimage across South India's mountains
\nto Ayyappans shrine at Sabarimalai. Coaches from all over India
\nbring additional crowds of visitors to the temple (open 730-1400
\nand 1530-1800), where priests dispense blessings to the faithful
\nthrong. A walk around the temple is recommended, this being
\ncompared by the local cognoscenti to an electron going around the
\nnucleus of an atom.<\/p>\n
The views from Chamundi Hill are spectacular, as is the
\nhilltop itself. Walking past the many bazaar stalls lining the
\npath to the temple, you fell for a moment as though teleported to
\nDarjeeling in North India. These two places share many common
\nthemes, including surprisingly, large numbers of Tibetan
\nrefugees.<\/p>\n
On the side of Chamundi Hill is the statue of the wise old
\nbull. Bulls and cows are pretty smart if they can get reborn in
\nIndia, where they can live a pampered existence proper to their
\ntranquil disposition. This black-granite Nandi looks contented
\nand peaceful, happy to be surrounded by his friends. A sign of
\nthe wall of the state-enclosure proclaims this place as a
\nKarnataka protected shrine, with penalty for infringement of
\nthree months imprisonment or Rs 2,000 in fine, or both.<\/p>\n
Mysore is the jumping off point for excursions to many other
\nplaces of interest. Within easy reach of the city are a bird
\nsanctuary and three wildlife sanctuaries, including the Bandipur
\nGame Sanctuary (80km from Mysore on the Ootacamund Road). This,
\none of India's largest game sanctuaries, is dedicated to the
\npreservation of the Indian tiger, and is also home to bison,
\nspotted deer, elephant, black panthers and leopards. Good
\naccommodation is available in inexpensive Forest Lodges.<\/p>\n
Mysore's other sights include St. Joseph's Cathedral (formerly
\nSt. Philomenas Church), the largest church in South India, and
\njust 19 km out of town the impressive Brindaven Garden, floodlit
\nat night.<\/p>\n
Just linger a while in Mysore, and you start to unwind. An
\nevening stroll through the city's many parks, thronged with
\ncricket players and couples decked out in their best finery, is a
\nsheer delight. You may well find that, when you finally take your
\nleave, some of Mysore's magnificence has rubbed off!<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/text-and-photos-1447899208",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}