Visits to a Sacred Mountain and a Palatial Palace

Our foggy morning ride to the summit of the Chamundi Hills on the edge of Mysore did not prepare us for the masses of folks visiting Chamundeshwari Temple, evidently a major area attraction even more popular during Dawali.

The holiday crowd swirled around the cows and the monkeys and the touts in a festive mood that soon infected our group, leading to a bangle feeding frenzy as the women swarmed a small shop and stocked up on the shiny bracelets with abandon!

Later we wandered in awe -- along with hundreds of others -- through the vast halls of Mysore Palace, a massive structure dating to 1912 and an extraordinary example of Indo-Saracinic architecture (a combination of Islamic and Hindu styles). Fortunately interior photography was forbidden, so instead we had to concentrate on actually looking at the elaborate design elements everywhere around us. We were there nearly two hours!

Tonight we attend a Farewell Dinner, than retire early to catch what for many of us will be the last good night's sleep we'll have until we return home how ever many hours from now that may be.

Don't expect another entry 'til then!

Your South Indian friends,
Lee and Heidi (and Donald, too)