An abode of happiness and an envy of heaven. Aaaah. Or so says a stone pillar inside this palace, constructed in 1791 by the infamous violent ruler. Tipu Sultan (1750-1799), a Muslim in a kingdom of Hindus, was known as the Tiger of Mysore. He ruled Mysore after his father, Hyder Ali, died. Tipu had […]
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Venkataramana Swamy Temple, Bangalore
Fire! Music! Chanting! I’m not sure what was going on here, but it was pretty extravagant. This temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, a form of the god Vishnu. Mysore ruler Chikka Devaraya Wodiyar constructed this in the 16th century in the Dravidian style, which is unique to South India. Main features of the Dravidian […]
Bengaluru Palace
Bizarro Windsor Castle? No, it’s Bengalaru Palace. These Wodeyars really knew how to live! This was yet another private residence of the dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399-1947. If this structure looks familiar in a can’t-put-your-finger-on-it sort of way, that’s because it was designed to look like Windsor Castle. The now-aged but […]
St. Philomena Cathedral, Mysore
I didn’t notice the dearth of cathedrals in India until I saw this. Oddly, seeing this colorful church was like encountering an old friend. I’m not religious at all, but cathedrals are ubiquitous in Europe and often serve as the showy centerpiece of towns. St. Philomena was constructed between 1933-41 in a neo-Gothic style. This […]
Mysore
When I heard Mysore was the most flamboyant place in South India, I naturally thought of, oh, Halloween in West Hollywood or Christmas in Palm Springs and couldn’t wait to go. Well, it’s not that kind of flamboyant. It is, however, colorful and full of sandalwood, silk and incense. And as much yoga and ayurveda […]
Maharaja’s Palace, Mysore
The Wodeyar maharajas (kings) didn’t spare any expense when they constructed this grand palace – twice. The original structure was gutted in an 1897 fire, and the current one was completed in 1912. This is the main attraction in Mysore, and for good reason. The interior is striking – bright colors, stained glass, lots of […]
Mumbai Entrepreneurs
People flock to Mumbai to make a buck (or, rather, a rupee) and you can’t walk far without encountering an enterprising vendor. I would have given this guy some business and gotten a shoe shine except I was wearing sandals.
Mumbai Monkey (and Handler)
This is the first leashed monkey I saw. Too bad it kept playing hard-to-get and refused to face the camera! I felt bad for him since most of the other monkeys were freely running atop buildings and hanging in trees.
Peshwari
This is one of the 50 best restaurants in the world, according to a placard in the restaurant. Now I’m not entirely sure whose designation that is, but I do agree that this was a delicious meal and the best Indian food I have tasted! Disclaimer: Aside from much Indian food in New York City […]
Colorful Mumbai
One of my favorite things about Mumbai is the vivid, colorful clothing that brightens up even the bleakest corridors.
