Experience India! Day 6

A picture speaks a thousand words, thus I’m going to decorate this particular post with beautiful pictures from Mysore and Srirangapatna. Firstly, I’d like to give a brief history of Mysore.

Mysore was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, except for a brief period in the late 18th century when Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan took power. Today it’s a peaceful and beautiful tourist centre attracting thousands of tourists from all corners of the world. Both the Wodeyars and Tipu Sultan were powerful kings. The Wodeyars were patrons of art and culture and have significantly contributed to the cultural growth of the city.

The Mysore trip started quite early in the morning because Mysore is about 3 hrs away from Bangalore and we wanted to make full use of the day. Most of us didn’t have breakfast, so our first stop was at a café where we grabbed some quick breakfast and continued our journey.

Then we arrived at Srirangapatna where we visited Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. The gateway to the palace is one of the things which I really admired. From outside the palace didn’t appear to be very impressive and it was pretty much covered as well. Then we discovered intricate paintings and architecture inside the palace. Despite the bad lighting inside, we still managed to enjoy the paintings and everything.

Next stop was at the Tomb of Tipu Sultan. I was mesmerized by the architecture of the building and the surrounding greenery. Some of the Indian Muslims paid their respect by circling the tomb while singing some verses from the Holy Quran. I’m very proud that I’ve visited the Tomb of a very powerful and brave King.

Then, we headed to Jamia masjid and Hindu temple which was just a few minutes from the Tomb of Tipu Sultan. I understand that under Tipu Sultan’s rule, other religions were embraced by him and there was a freedom of worship.

Next, we visited St. Philomena’s Church which is nearby Mysore Palace. This church is really a majestic one and I even took a picture of Mother Mary. Here the locals have given her a different outlook by tying a silk saree around her. Very Interesting.

Our last stop was at Mysore Palace and this was the official residence of the Wodeyars and now it’s one of the top tourist attractions in South India. The palace was surrounded by beautiful landscape. Within the palace complex, there are two grand Hindu temples to serve the former royal family of Mysore. Again, the architecture was so unique and it instigated me to do further research on it. I found out that the architecture style is described as Indo- Saracenic which is the product of mixing Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic styles of architecture.

In the night, the illuminated Mysore palace was so magnificent and I was really attached to it. The music played by the Indian Band was, undeniably, a feast to the ears. We concluded our trip with this beautiful worth- to- see scenery.