For the love of Mysuru

Chapter 2: A peek into my life in the city. Words and pictures.

11 March, 2017, Mysuru

Goodness! It’s a cold windy morning. Such curvy roads, plus the sun is up already. I better reach there soon. Well almost there….

Hey you,

It’s Saturday and I’m up on my religiously followed weekend ritual. A morning ride to the palace…

The Mysore Palace, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Let me back you up with my history with this city.

It was May 11, 2014 when I first landed in Mysore. My first reaction to this city (which I had no idea of ardently falling in love with) was..”Whoa! It’s green. And so clean ”. To be absolutely honest, it reminded me of Bhubaneswar (the beloved hometown) in the ‘90s. Unadulterated and beautiful.

Well! Not that I’m overstating, but I work in one of the most beautiful offices in the country: Infosys, Mysuru it is.

Being my first job location, Mysuru just opened up to me like “welcome home, you”! It has almost been two years now and this place has just refused to let me go.

To the rest, Mysore probably comes as a package deal with Bangalore-*insert Mysore*-Ooty trip. This city doesn’t show much on the first look, I agree. With laidback life and pleasant climate, everything in Mysore seems to be understated. It sure has a palace, but there are many more in Rajasthan, no? Don’t even get me started on high-end restaurants and extravagant check-ins, just head to Bangalore. 😀

I see tourists here every day in big numbers, covering the Mysore palace, Brindavan gardens, the zoo, Philomena church. All in one day, ahem!*the package, as I said*. So I’m just going to let the big things rest. They have been written, documented, filmed and photographed. Today I’m not here to make a “Top things to do in Mysore”. NO!

Instead, I’m just here to let you know how wonderful it is to survive here, every day. So come along!

~To start with, call me old-school but chhote-sheheron ki baat hi kuch alag hai! Mysuru, for that matter has beautifully kept alive its highbrow history and the culture has overwhelming presence even today. I love the fact how all the major buildings look vintage in some way or the other, with domes and pillars and everything. Oh look!

~No matter how toilsome my day is at work, I always come home with peace. Courtesy: No traffic. If that’s not satisfying much, I must tell you that beautiful yards and tall trees adorn the wide roads here. And that makes my little journey till home delightful.

   ~Oh! As we talk about evenings, the city shows the most stunning sunsets I’ve ever seen. God promise! And if its not obvious yet, I breathe in clean, pollution-free air.

 

~ Not everywhere you see an age-old market place that is so beautiful, clean, chaotic yet so systematic. I love the Devaraja Market. Not just because of its 100-years old existence, but if you just stand there and look around, it’s as picturesque as a painting. Colorful shops with a heritage building at the backdrop.. Photographers, are you listening?

 

~My day-to-day  glee in the city goes into getting my fill of Mysore-Masala Dosa (precise because loyalty, duh!), coconut chutney, filter coffee and the freshest coconuts . Quite an experience, I tell you.

 

 

 

 

~ Let’s talk sweet now. So what makes me drool here, you ask? Well, Mysore has the epic melting-in-mouth “Mysore-Pak” . Oh my! *Eyes-turned-into-little-hearts*. For those who are calorie-conscious, best to turn away. Others just dig in. The joy of relishing this royal beauty in its own city – LEGENDARY! Mysore-Pak tastes the best in Mysore. Period.

Location: Guru Sweet Mart, Near K.R. Circle, Sayyaji Rao Road, Devaraja Mohalla, Shivarampet, Mysuru.

Fun fact: This corner-shop is owned by the descendants of the creator of Mysore-Pak.

 

~ Mysore keeps me away from the extremities of the great Indian weather, which is awesome! But I crave for mountains and beaches often. And it makes me the happiest when I know the Nilgiris and the Arabian Sea are both just a bus ride away. *TEARS OF JOY*

~ The most beautiful and epoch-making influence that makes a place livable and in this case, omg-so-loved… is it’s people.  I am head over heels for those who are proud of their roots yet respect other cultures so graciously. And its no less than a privilege to be with such intellectual, open-minded and compassionate folks residing here. Plus, being a woman, I vote Mysore as one of the safest cities in the country. Hands down!

You just don’t visit Mysuru, you live it.

I don’t know how I’m I ever going to bid a goodbye to this city. There will be lot of crying I must admit, I’m soppy like that.

Because you have my heart, Mysore.

Thank you for everything.