Mysore – The Land of Maharjas, Mythology and More

Mysore is one of the oldest cities in India, and has had its share in the history of the country. This old city houses many historic relics, monuments, places of interest, art and architecture, legends and more. 

Situated about 150 kilometers from the capital of Karnataka Bangalore, Mysore has been for long known for being the capital of the Kingdom on Mysore, and has also been the cultural capital of Karnataka for centuries and continues to be so till date. The most renowned Mysore Dasara , has become well known throughout the world which takes place in the Mysore palace. The Mysore fort was built by Charamaja Wodeyar III in the 16^th Century, what was then called the Mahishuru Fort, now anglicized to spell “Mysore”. 

This city of wonder has been the center for art and literature for centuries , Mysore also gives its name to the splendid “Mysore Silk Saree” a specific smooth silk saree variety. Mysore was also ruled by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, when it reached its peak of military Power.

When travelers go to Mysore, there is a lot to see, if you happen to go there during the Dasara festival the which is the “Nada Habba” or the festival of the state of Karnataka, one can witness the splendid festivities go on through the ten days of the festival. One can witness the happenings in the palace and the procession in front of it. Also do try and befriend a localite and visit their house, the “Dasara Gombe” is an arrangement of dolls during the festival and most localites will have it arranged in their house, till date. This is the most splendid sight, with new additions and old traditions mixed and juxtaposed to a lovely rhythm. 

The places to visit are – 

Apart from the palaces – are – The Chamundi Hills where legend has it that the Demon Mahishasura was killed by goddess Chamundi after a battle. The legends of Chamundi and the history of Mysore have always been interlinked and is therefore a must visit place.

The other Near by places of interest are –

The Brindhavan Gardens, KRS dam, along with this there are loads of places near by for a days visit like Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta which has a temple on a hill top with a splendid view , Then there is the “Somnathpur Temple” a magnificent temple with Hoysala architecture, it is situated about 35 kilometers from Mysore. 

Bylakuppe , the Tibetan Monastery in Kushalnagar is about 85 kilometers from Mysore. 13 kilometers away is Srirangapatna – a must go place when you visit Mysore, which has a fort, the Daria daulat Bagh and a museum. 

Parinitha Konanur

Waterways of Kerala

The water ways of Kerala are a living culture, their lives revolve around them. From bringing food supplies, to crossing people across, to even bricks for building. The back waters arent just the gorgeous naturally but splendid rich in culture. Spend one day going around these back waters, ride from Alapuzzha to Kumarakom in a ferry instead of the plush house boat and you will be sitting amidst such splendid cultural diversity. As wonderful and luxurious a House Boat can be , but the true travel experience comes from these ferries, kids going to school. dogs and cats even taking a free ride, a really cheap ticket, or you could even go on those streamlined thin boats, that precariously float about the smallest of canals without loosing balance. The experience can be exhilarating ...

Indian Food Hot spots for the Hungry Traveler – North East

North Eastern parts of India is known for it absolutely enthralling locales, exquisite natural beauty, extreme cultural richness, amazingly hospitable people, and awesome delicacies.

Starting with Assam, Assam is known for its rice consumption and most savories are made of rice. They make lovely food items with puffed rice and such the must haves are “ Chira” “Komal Chaul” and there is very little oil and spices used. They have a wide variety of delicacies with fish and Duck’s eggs for the non veggies. You will always find most meals with a combination of “Khar” and “Tenga” the Khar is normally done with raw papaya , pulses etc, the Khar is usually a number of preparations with a key ingredient and will be called so “Kola Khar” is with banana in it.

“Tenga” is a sour fish dish, and the side dishes are called “Pitika” eg – “Aloo Pitika”. The famous sweet dishes are “ Pitha” which is a rice cake.

If you were to go to the gorgeous locales of Arunachal Pradesh you must not miss the rice beer there called “ Apang”.

Then if you were to go to the culturally rich Manipur you must have their “ Eromba” which is a stew with boiled vegetables and potatoes. You must also try the “Chamthong” which is a preparation with boiled vegetables and onion and ginger, along with a topping of dried fried fish.

In Meghalaya the non veggies get more options than the veggies, their favourite meat is pork and the must have dishes include “ Jadoh” a spicey dish , with pork and rice. And do not miss the “Kyat” which is a brew made with rice and every celebration in Meghalaya is followed by having this.

Mizoram also is predominantly non vegetarian and the absolute must haves are “ Bai” which is a dish with pork and spinach and eaten with rice. Another must have is “Sawchair” which is made of rice cooked with chicken or pork.

Now moving to the most beautiful state of Sikkim, known for its gorgeous mountain ranges, lovely trekking routes, travelers heaven a photographers delight this heaven also gives a lot for the culinary enthusiasts, of all the things that you just must have in Sikkim the unmistakable numero Uno on the list is “Tchang” a beer that is made from millet and usually served in a bamboo mug. The food must haves are “Thupka” and “Momos”

Tripura has a lot of Bengali influence when it comes to food and has many varieties od delicacies for the non vegetarians mainly.

The Folk Culture of Rajasthan ...

Rajasthan is known for its rich traditional history its cultural uniqueness and for its folklore. We experienced it all first hand, but the most spectacular of this all, is in Jaisalmer, we had just witnessed the best sunset of our lifes amidst the dunes, and had just ridden a camel on the sands. The beauty of it all capturing our mind heart and soul, after this what were we to expect , a lovely evening with the Rajasthani folk music and dance performers. We not only sat back and saw this awesome performance, we decided to even join in on the fun, with our own down south special "tappanguth" done along with the spectacular beating of the drums. The male performers were full of energy, cracking jokes, telling stories, performing music, all at once. The female performers were elegant and so graceful were their moves, especially as it got accentuated by their bright and colourful attire.

Speaking of which, let me just tell you a little about Rajasthani folk dances. There are many folk dances in Rajasthan , "Gowari Dance" is a dance drama done mostly by the "Bhil" tribe, they usually perform around a central point which is of a deity, and then a "Madal" and "Thali" is always there while performing. The performing troupe usually travels from village to village doing performances. Then there is the "Ghoomer Dance" which is probably the most well known and famous dance form of Rajasthan, it is a comunity dance done mostly during festivities and fairs.

Then there is the "Chari dance" - if you have ever wondered why they do these dance moves along with brass pots on their heads, is it only to display their balancing skills ? no it is done to rejoice the fact that they found water, the women of Rajasthan had to walk miles just to find a pot of water, and when they did find it they would dance with these pots on their heads and add graceful hand movements along with this.

The other dance forms are " Kalbeliya dance", "Gair Dance" and "Bhawai Dance".

If you are planning a trip to Rajasthan do not miss the dunes in Jaisalmer and do not miss the dance and music performance in the desert under the stars.

Parinitha Konanur

Taking the Step into the Unknown :

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder,
till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
- C.S. Lewis

This poem by C.S.Lewis sets me thinking, isn’t this the most important part of travel? To take a step into the unknown and explore, to explore and wonder at nature’s beauty, the most important part is to take THAT STEP, and to make that move.  

Because if you always played it safe you would never discover a new path, a new route, a new hill. What drives a traveler is his heart, his heart that beats at the sight of a new landscape. This drive is what makes you talk to complete strangers on a train, listen to them and if they say that there is this ONE place that you ought to go to, even if it does not fit into your schedule, you do it. When on a trek, your on your safe known path , but the thrill is from the small route through the absolute thicket that might well just take you to the best clearing that not many other travelers have seen, it might give you the best view of the mountain range, or you might just get caught in the thicket with scratches and might lose your trail, but then, that is the risk you oughta take … aint it ?

When I think back on all the many trips I have done, the ones that went absolutely perfectly I remember, but the ones I remember better are the ones that I hadn’t planned, hadn’t expected, I had just listened to my heart and had set forth. Some of them failed and failed bad, but still its etched on my mind and I still sit back and reminisce that.

 So here is my tip of the month – As much as all of us would like to just “Take Off” without a fixed number of days for a trip and just follow our heart, how many of us can actually get to do that ? I don’t think many, all of us have jobs that need us there, we get a few leaves and so we plan out our trip in such a way that all the best places fit right into the schedule. Yes this is the best way to see the most number of destinations in the given time, but then there are these times when you saw a place and wished you could just stay there a little while longer … that is what this tip is for … When you apply for leaves or take time out of your busy schedule for a long trip, make sure you take two to three days more than your tight schedule plan, your boss might get a little more irked than usual but it would prove worth it.

Keep a few days extra on your long trips, when you like a place so much you don’t want to move use those two days, when you get to know there is a small village near your destination that needs a visit use those two days to visit that place. That way you can still catch your flight/train back as booked, and you will get that time to spend in that place that you want to. And trust me you will reminisce THAT the most …

Parinitha Konanur