Mysore (renamed Mysuru) (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು) is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and lies about 140 km (87 mi) southwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.
The name Mysore is an anglicised version of Mahishūru, which means the abode of Mahisha. Mahisha stands for Mahishasura, a demon from the Hindu mythology. The city is spread across an area of 128.42 km² (50 sq mi) and is situated at the base of the Chamundi Hills. The hill is named after the Goddess Chamundeshwari to who the temple at the top of the hill is dedicated – she conquered Mahisha and was therewith the Goddess of choice for the Wodeyars (Maharajas of Mysore).
Mysore very much has an old world charm (read – ‘just really old and very much a village though it has apparently boomed enormously since I have left’). ‘Old world products’ – silk, sandalwood, ivory and rose wood are what its basically known for, its very famous for silk and sandalwood though. As of late it become a outsourcing ground for Bangalore making big companies buy up land for training centres and the like – so property prices have skyrocketed in recent years, then there’s all them yogis that come down to hang out with Guru Pattabhi Jois.
It is in Mysore that I was born, it is here that I was raised, grew up and went to school – St. Joseph’s Central School (needless to say the best school in town, where I was blessed to have wonderful teachers and make some fantastic friends that have influenced me till today – years after I’ve long left). I could complain about how small it is, how narrow-minded the people are and yada yada yada, but at the end of the day it is where I was born and raised and not a single doubt remains that I love it dearly. It was after all my childhood (a beautiful one).
Mysore is famous for its huge and beautiful Palace (that they insist on lighting up with a trillion bulbs at night which is probably the single reason why the rest of the city suffers from electricity shortages on a regular basis – in the meantime it has been reduced to one night of glow a week I think). It is the erstwhile capital of the Mysore Maharajas, who ruled Mysore State from this royal city.The Kingdom of Mysore/State of Mysore (Kannada: ಮೈಸೂರು ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ ) was both a kingdom (1399-1799 CE) and a princely state (1799-1947 CE) in southern India founded in 1399 by Yaduraya in the region of the modern city of Mysore. The British allowed the Wodeyars to rule the princely state of Mysore under the paramountcy of the British Raj. The Wodeyars continued to rule the state until Indian independence in 1947, when Mysore was merged with the Union of India.
A major Mysore landmark is the Devaraja Market which is practically still the same old market as it pretty much was during the days of the Maharajas:
Lately Mysore has also become a hotspot for ‘Yogis’ from all over the world that come here to practice Yoga with Pattabhi Jois – the Uber-Guru of Ashtanga Yoga. David Duchovny (the x-files dude), Alanis Morisette and the one and only Madonna have all graced Mysore with their glorious presence in their quest to perfect their Ashtanga Yoga with ‘the Man’:
* Disclaimer: there photographs are not my own.
