Mysore

Today I am in Mysore.  It is a fairly large city of over 1,000,000 people.  It is known for its silk, sandalwood, rubies and ivory.

I spent the night at the Royal Orchid Metropole.  It is a heritage hotel, aka a former palace built by the Maharaja of Mysore for British guests.

 

The view from my terrace

As we drive out for our tour we see what a traditional India town looks like.

The farmers market



Cow in the road













We begin the with a trip up Chamundi Hill.  It is the highest point in Mysore and has great views of the city.

  

At the top of Chamundi Hill is Chamundeshvari Temple, dedicated to the goddess who conquered Mahishasura, the buffalo demon.  Mysore is named for him.

After visiting the temple we head down the hill to see Nandi, the bull.

Nandi is the vehicle for the god, Shiva.  This Nandi is one of the largest in India.  He is 25ft long and 16ft high and carved from a single boulder.

Next we make our way to Amba Vilas Palace.  This was the primary residence for the King of Mysore.  A wooden palace stood here for centuries until it burned down in the late 1800s and was replaced by this palace.  The Prince still resides in the rear portion of the palace.

View ofAmba Vilas Palace from Chamuni Hill



Amba Vilas Palace from the front



                                       

One of many temples at Amba Vilas Palace





The gardens are fantastic







One of 10 bronze lion statues   



Elephants at the Palace









My tour guide leaves me here, but my driver takes me to Mysore's vegetable and flower market.  He accompanies me through the market which is good because I am certain I could get lost forever in the chaos.  It is a busy, congested, loud and scary place.

The vegetables here are all locally grown.  There is a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers.  The colors are beautiful and everything smells fresh.

Flower vendors

             

Flower garlands





Roses

So that was my day in Mysore.  There are many more pictures of cows, cats and pigeons.  And even more of trees, gardens and buildings.  But, I won't bore you with those today.  I'll wait until I get back to the States for that.