Mysore Mania

I am in the quaint town of Mysore today. Coming back to Mysore after two decades, but nothing seems to have changed much. I love Mysore for two reasons – one because it is easy to get lost here and second the food. Nowhere in India does coffee taste better than in Mysore. But it is a shame and sacrilege that coffee houses are hard to come by. In the famous KR Circle, there is an eatery that serves Vada Pav, but not a single coffee house! 

Among my discoveries of the day was an old world “Irani style” restaurant with the odd name of Bombay Indra Bhavan. I went there after watching the palace illumination for Independence Day. Most customers were ordering Upma and I asked for the same. The melt in the mouth feeling was divine. I can now say that I have discovered the best Upma in the world. 

Another serendipitous discovery was Devaraja Market, where I suddenly found myself plunged in ravishing colours and heady aromas of fruits, flowers and vegetables. Notwithstanding the hustle and bustle, the place is a photographer’s delight. I found the colours at Devaraja Market more vibrant and lively than the gaudy decadence of the Palace.   

Mysore has another little known treasure – the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma at the art gallery of Jaganmohana Palace. The gallery also houses the celebrated painting of SL Haldankar – The Glow of Hope (Also known as Woman with the Lamp). 

Since it was Independence Day, the palace was illuminated by tens of thousands of bulbs. I tried various shutter speeds to capture that crisply. When the harsh bulbs were switched off, the palace looked more beautiful while bathed in soft floodlight.