Famous for its precious sandalwood, beautiful Mysore silk and more recently for its yoga, Mysore is a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds and smells. Women in beautiful silk saris whiz by on mopeds. The revered cow can stop traffic while the “lowly” pedestrian dodges rickshaws, bicycles and lumbering trucks, incessantly honking their horns in a language all their own. Fresh, ripe fruit and vegetables are sold in street stalls and blankets strewn on the ground. Juicy coconuts abound – husks heavy with sweet coconut water – perfect for quenching “after practice” thirst. Street wallahs push heavy wooden carts with the day’s harvest crying out to lure people from their homes. Temples fragrant with Mysore mallige jasmine line the streets as streams of devotees give worship.
Mysore is located 140 km to the southwest of Bangalore and 770 m above sea level and is surrounded by hill ranges from north to south. It derives its name from the buffalo-headed demon king of Hindu mythology, Mahishasura, who once lived here and was vanquished in battle by the goddess Chamundeswari. The goddess is worshipped even today, atop the Chamundi Hills where she is said to reside.
Mysore is also known as the “Garden City” or the “City of Palaces” and has also earned the nickname “Ashtanga City” for the proliferation of wonderful yoga teachers who reside here. It is one of the major cities of the state of Karnataka, surrounded by sandalwood and rosewood forests and thus enjoys a thriving market for exotic woods & incense, as well as Mysore silk and stone-carved sculptures.
English is widely spoken in Mysore but Kannada – a Dravidian language with many words derived from Sanskrit – is the main language. Words are also borrowed from Marathi and Urdu, with a large dose of commonly used English words sprinkled within both written and spoken language. Tamil and Hindi are spoken in Mysore as well. It’s a reasonably safe city and the lone traveler will do fine here. Cases of mugging and theft aren’t completely unheard of, but serious crimes against travelers are few and far between.
And the yoga…ah the yoga, in the early morning sunrise, in the warmth of the tropical sun, among the satsang of congregated souls, with the bellows of the universe sharing prana with each atma as one. Students from around the world make the pilgrimage to Mysore – some with decades of experience and others taking their very first yoga class at the “fountainhead” of Ashtanga yoga. The majority of the students stay for a few months and the yoga community that develops as a result is nearly as alluring as the quality of yoga instruction itself. The students are very welcoming and if you stick around, lifetime friends can be made.
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I never forget Mysore foods, its sooooo much testy compare to others
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