Mysor

Headed to Misor with my buddy Satchie for the weekend=) He gave me a tour around town showing me all the spots.  First, we headed to the bird sanctuary, took a boat ride, observed some birds, and saw a few crocodiles.  I was hoping to see one in the water, which Satchie said he would throw me in the water to help me get a closer look ha! 
 

We went off to Tipu’s burial site at the Gumbaz :

This is the mausoleum of Tippu Sultan; his father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Begum. Tippu in built the magnificent structure in 1782-84. The Gumbaz is surrounded by the beautiful garden the Lalbagh. The Gumbaz is built on a high and wide platform with an open verandah that has polished pillars all over. The Gumbaz has a large well-shaped dome, it has beautifully carved ebony doors inlaid with ivory, the Gumbaz has carved stone windows with excellent work on it and inscriptions. Inside the tomb Hyader Ali has been laid to rest in the middle and on either side are the tombs of his wife and son. Tippu's tiger stripes cover the walls of the Gumbaz. Next to the Gubaz is a mosque Masjid-e-aksa. One can reach this site by bus or take an auto from Srirangapatna.
From www.mysore.org


After this, we went through the Srirangapatnam, which I just loved.  It was nice seeing the local village people amongst the old fort where Tipu launched his attack against the British.  I peeked over the fort to see men taking showers in the lake water and like a child I was quite amused. 

He was done with his sightseeing part around 4pm so we went home to take rest and have lunch.  In India, many go home to have their meals.  It is preferred by many locals and ingrained in the culture.  He comes from a very nice upbringing and has a beautiful brand new home that his family built together. His mother is the sweetest lady and makes amazing food. She cooked the palao and the coconut milk with jiggery stuff, which is my favorite.  After our lunch, he “took rest” while  I enjoyed sitting and writing on the rooftop while watching the sunset. 

The night time was the best as I went off to explore on my own.  There was a cultural festival at the movie center with different craft booths, a lecture in Kannada, and some different samples of food.  Since the whole thing was in Kannada, I decided to try and find a movie theater.  A few miles later and a thousand riksha’s trying to get business from me, I found the Rajkumar theater.  I talked with the owner who discussed his business and his life in Mysore.  He was quite sweet and simple to talk with and I could understand him, which is always good.  After this I went to explore the local markets walking around singing and waiving , “Hello” like a celebrity-people love the attention and recognition.  I stop at a flower booth and the man gives me a red rose.   I place it in my right ear and walk around the market with my eyes wide open with all the fruits, vegetables, people, and smiles.  They are sitting high up Indian style cutting roses for the Sankranti festival the next day.  The whole market is booming with coconut and flower sales.  The next day is Sankranti, which is the beginning of the harvest festival-a big day. 
     

The night before I went into the markets and it was Sankranti madness-flowers, mindy, bangles, sari sales, spices, fruits/vegetables, coconuts, various colors of powders, and more flowers. I was walking around like a celebrity waiving and saying “hello” to all the vendors. I would occasionally sing, “Why this, why this Kola veri Kola veri di,” which is an Indian song that almost everyone knows because it is so popular. It was creating quite the laugh, which was my goal to make people laugh and smile and acknowledge their being.

The men making the flower arrangements were all sitting up in little booths. A nice man gave me a rose, which I placed in the side of my ear. Many asked what my name was and where I was from, which I decided to switch around. As many know, I am not the proudest American and I like to make things interesting so I currently say that I am from Dubai. It is a nice place, believable as my nose seems to assimilate into their standards ha! No one questions it and it is better than saying “USA or America” because that just gets old.

Many shops were filled with little kids working. I spent time chatting with an adorable older boy, Muslim, all dressed up in traditional outfit. There were not many beggars, which was surprising. Same encounter with Bangalore where I have not encountered many beggars. I know this will change once I head up North for sure.

Loving the temples in India, I wanted to stop in a few and participate in the pooja. I love the Indian pooja and love the temples in Mysore such nice people!