Each time we write a new entry, we say to ourselves “This time the post will be shorter than the previous ones!”. As you may have realized, very seldom we achieved that aim. So in the last week, we carefully avoided every place where something worth reporting could happen and focused on the tourist spots and trekking routes. We started the week in Mysore (staying at Hotel Dasaprakash), the former capital of one of the Maharajahs’ dynasties. There we went to the “Chamundi Hill”, a holy Hindu site. Here you have to pay if you want to pray inside the temple, black persons want to sell “very beautiful sunglasses” and seemingly the devotes are convinced that the gods enjoy seeing them shattering coconuts onto the ground. Probably we will need some more time to fully understand this religion ….
Back to the profane world we visited the famous “Mysore Palace”. It is a wonderful building, full of lovely details, creating a marvellous atmosphere. By many tourists it is perceived as representing the traditional architecture of South India, but this is not true. The palace was designed by British architects at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a mix of many different styles from all over the world – actually resulting in some kind of fantasy architecture. And this is the main reason why you have so much fun visiting the palace, since you will experience new surprises in every room. It is just a pity for the Maharajahs that they only could live there during about 25 years, before India’s independence ended their residency. Continue reading