Mysore Rain

The thing I like most about Mysore, is that it is the easiest weekend get-away from Bangalore. Mysore is probably Karnatka's second most important city (after Bangalore). It is 145 kms West off Bangalore. It has an airport, where I doubt a plane has ever landed.

The world knows Mysore as the city of palaces. The Main Palace, Jaganmohan palace, Lalitmahal Palace and God alone knows how many more! The nine day long Dassara celebrations sees the city bursting at its seems, with tourists.

The other places that a tourist might not want to miss are KRS, the zoo, Chamundi hills and the Railway Museum.

So much for the world, to me Mysore means much more. It is the place where I get to sleep all day. It is the place where I have seen Steam Locomotives co-exist with modern Diesel Locos, the place where I've had a million adventures as a kid.

The other features on the Mysore landscape are (This makes up most of Mysore's character I guess)
1) The Race course (The Poonawalla Derby was held today!)
2) The Star of Mysore, A daily evening newspaper thats been around from forever and carries most of the local gossip
3) The world's tallest cactus plant
4) A Bonsai garden (with a 101 year old bonsai)

This week's journy was good for several reasons. I'll list them out.
1) We did the Bangalore-Mysore stretch in 3 hours. This includes a 10 min railway crossing and a 15 minute tea stop.
2) I met Nitesh, Arjun and Lakshmi (All old Manipal pals) at SDM
3) We got back from Mysore in under 3 hours, yet got caught in the rain (last 10 minutes and that too inside Bangalore city!!)
4) My bike touched a new high speed. 115kmph.

The sad part, rains. It rained for 14 hours continuously Saturday night through Sunday morning. The Cauvery river breached its banks at a lot of places damaging homes, crops and a few bridges along the Mys-Blr route.

Mysore Rain

Art of Living - Happy people

Yesterday night Saveen, Aditya and myself me at Garuda at 2215 hrs to discuss today's plans...
Over some overpriced parathas, sugarless juices (mine had sugar hehehe...) and a sad excuse for aloo puri we decided to have no plan, but to meet at 1000 the next day at the same place, Saveen buys a camera and then we head to the Ashram. That done we dispersed for the night.

I woke up at 0945 today, so there goes the plan. Anyways plans never work so its fine. We meet up at Garuda, again, at 1100. Saveen has finalized the deal. He has bought a camera a Sony P200. This is a present for his parents. After withdrawing some cash from the ATM and having breakfast at the coffee day. Yes. Coffee Day. No. Don't say anything!

We set out to the Ashram at 1235 from my granny's home, where we had a small Pee-stop. Then onto that sad road. Kanakpura road is sad.

There are two Engineering colleges on the way. Yellamma Dassappa Insititute of Technology and something else. Too many engg colleges in town!

We reach the Ashram at 1335. We got to see Sri Sri Ravishankar. He is one happy man. Smiling all the time. A skeptic would see a PR coup here, but seriously all those people who follow him, vouch for that permanent smile. In fact all the people there are happy. All smiling. Quite something in this cynical world we live in. We Indians are the 4th happiest population in the world. Is it the Sri Sri's handiwork?

We met Saveen's parents. Both smiling. Both happy to see Saveen. We had lunch with them at the community dining hall. Then saw the Vishalakshi mantap. Quite something. We bought a few books on/authored by the Guruji.

And when we go to take our shoes, which we had to remove before entering the Mantap, Saveen realizes that his shoe's been flicked! Great heart burn. "Why me?", said Saveen. Sigh. Life and its sadistic tricks.

We spent some time trying to trace the lost shoes, then gave up.

It was time to head back. The dark ominous clouds were telling us head back fast. After saying good bye to Saveen's parents and Saveen, Aditya and myself headed back to Bangalore and the its gloomy chaos.

Rain it did, and we did get wet. But we had a nice time (till the shoe incident) at the Ashram. Not everything is white or black, there are shades of grey. So, did we go outside Bangalore? In a way yes and many others no.

Art of Living - Happy people