Mysore, India – January 21 & 22, 2014

Mysore is a city of about 1 million people in central southern India and its major industry is tourism.  Most tourists in southern India are French, German, Dutch, or other Europeans.  Americans are few and far between.  Every time Sue hears an American accent, she wants to talk to them to feel a little less unique. Mysore also attracts many Indian tourists.

On the drive to Mysore, we traveled through a jungle tiger preserve.  We didn’t see any tigers, but we saw deer, monkeys of varying varieties, and wild elephants.  The law prohibits stopping while you are traveling on the highway through the preserve, so all our sightings and pictures were as we were going by. 

The morning of the 22^nd, we drove outside of Mysore to the Keshav temple built in 1268 A.D.  Although small, it is one of the most beautiful and intricate buildings we have visited.  It reminds me of a mini version of the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

We also toured the Mysore Palace, completed in 1912 by the Maharajah of Mysore.  It is described as “possibly the most ornate and exuberant palaces built by the maharajas in India.”  It has also been described as second only to the palace of Versailles in France.  We concur that this palace truly is stunning.  No pictures are allowed inside, so here are some pictures from the internet of the interior and one of mine of the exterior.

Behind the palace is a museum with items from the palace.  These Maharajahs really knew how to live!!!  Everything is so opulent and over the top.  Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed here either.

We also visited the local market that runs for blocks and is open from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.  It is very colorful, busy and noisy.  It also is a stark contrast to our visit to the palace earlier in the day.