In Search of the Monsoon: Mysore

[continuation of July 11, 2004 email]

On the way to Mysore the bus from Bangalore stopped at a town called Srirangapatnam, where the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple stands.

An interesting circular wood carving on the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple grounds.

Mysore

The 1927 Silver Jubilee Clock Tower at the center of Mysore.

After three nights in Pondicherry, I took an overnight bus to Bangalore, then another bus to Mysore. And it is here that I've finally found the Indian monsoon, the rainy season. Both of my nights here it has rained very heavily, with thunder and lightning as well. (I'd expected to find it raining throughout the south in July, but discovered that the southeast coastal area from Chennai to Pondicherry and inland to Tiruvannamalai was much drier and didn't get much rain at this time of the year.) Here in Mysore it's much cooler than any other place I've been in the south.

Street scene in Mysore on the way to Hotel Dasaprakash where I stayed.

Street scene: a traffic circle in downtown Mysore.

As of this writing I'm into my third day here and planning to leave tomorrow. I'm not entirely clear of what I'll do for the next two and a half weeks, the last segment of my India adventure. I had been planning to attend a 10-day vipassana meditation course which was to start next week, but I've been having second thoughts about that lately; all the recent bus rides, and also the crappy bicycle seat I used on the way to and from Auroville a couple of days ago have left me with a sore ass that could be a problem during 12 hours a day of sitting meditation for 10 days in a row. I've also got reservations about aspects of the very strict and disciplined program--I'd be required to give up doing yoga and even reiki (I could live without reiki for 10 days, but I don't want to stop doing yoga for that long). I know the vipassana courses are powerful experiences for those who've taken them, and I think I'd like to do one someday, but barring an incredible change of heart (and ass) in the next 24 hours I think I'll do some more traveling instead.

Krishnaraja Circle in Mysore, featuring a statue of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar.

Street scene in Mysore: heading towards the bazaar.

Street scene in Mysore.

By the way, my yoga friends may be interested to hear this latest story. Mysore is the place where the above-mentioned Pattabhi Jois resides and teaches at his famous Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. I'd considered including classes there in my India experience but it's very expensive and requires a minimum of a month's tuition. Yesterday I'd met one of his students while having breakfast at the hotel I'm staying at who seemed to think I might be able to take just two weeks of yoga classes there instead of the usual full month requirement. That would've been a very expensive two weeks of yoga classes (more than $300) but I thought that it might be worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn yoga from one more of India's great yoga teachers, and I could just fit that into the time I've got left. So this morning, at 4:30 am, I took an auto rickshaw out to the suburb where Pattabhi Jois's legendary ashtanga shala (school) is. I was the first one waiting in front of the school in the darkness at quarter to five and within the next 10 minutes maybe 50 western yogis and yoginis assembled. When they opened the gates, I went in with everyone, found the office off of the main studio, knocked on the door, and there I was standing in front of the great Pattabhi Jois and his grandson, Sharath. I have to say, the man looked terrific for being 89 years old (I'm told it was his birthday last week). However, when I requested to attend class for two weeks only, after conferring with his grandson, he politely informed me that I was welcome to take class for two weeks but must pay for the whole month (over $600 at present exchange rates). I kind of got the feeling he deferred to his grandson about this sort of thing. And so I think I'll be practicing yoga on my own for the rest of my travels in India. Which is fine. At least I got to meet the man.

The gate to the Mysore Maharaja's Palace.

On Sunday night they turn the lights on at the Mysore Maharaja's Palace for an hour. It's quite an event and draws an enthusiastic crowd; I happened to be in Mysore on a Sunday and though it was raining a bit that night I was able to squeeze off this slightly blurry pic.

Chamundi Hill above Mysore: Stone statue of Nandi, Shiva's devoted bull, carved out of solid rock in 1659.

Approaching the Sri Chamundeswari Temple on Chamundi Hill.This kind of temple is called a gopuram, or pyramidal gateway tower characteristic of ancient Dravidian temple-building.

Looking up at the Sri Chamundeswari Temple tower.

This statue in the Chamundi Hill parking lot is of the demon Mahishasura, one of the goddess Chamundi's victims.

The next email will be the conclusion of my Indian travelogue. I'll let you know then what I've decided to do with my last two and a half weeks in India. I'm flying back to the states out of Mumbai (Bombay) on July 28th--I'd originally planned to stay in India a bit longer (I had it in my mind to travel here for an even 100 days) but Air India informed me I had a three month ticket and so the 28th is the last day I can use it. Since my bedroom is sublet through July 31st, this gives me a convenient opportunity to go on to Montana for a week of backpacking with my sister in the Bob Marshall Wilderness before I come back to New York and return to the workaday world.

I hope everyone is doing well and that this is turning out to be a great summer.

Namaste,
Sol