Royal Mysore Walks

It all started when my x-roomie from Bangalore,Googie called me one evening to say that Jon, an acquaintance was on his way to Mysore and he had passed him my contact. Googie said “Meet him his Fun !! ”

And a coupla hours later, Jon and myself were sipping Beer in Mysore, He was in India for the first time and seemed to have gotten used to the madness here. Having traveled 60 countries he had loads of interesting stories to tell. But was most striking about Jon was that he was travelling with out any Bag. Thats right all he carries with him is what he wears. thats it.

Jonathan Yevin is an landscape artist in New York who designs roof top gardens. He works from March to September each year and the rest of the months is off travelling, off course without a bag.He also doubles up as a travel writer, Having authored the Rough’s guide for Ecuador and many more. When I asked him if he doesn’t ever feel the need to have  atleast a small backpack. He said “No, I Never found it necessary.” Jon said that he was appalled when he would see backpackers carrying donkey loads on their back and he wanted to redefine the way people travel. He says “People carry so much unwanted stuff.”  Apart from what he wears all he carries is his passport, his tooth brush , a cellphone, a camera and some general medicine. thats it !! It all fits into his pockets. I know you are wondering about his change of clothes. Well he says that he washes them whenever he gets a chance and if it really gets dirty he throws them off and buys a new pair !!

The man without baggage !!

And if you think he smells well absolutely not. He dint when he stayed over at my place that night. Like every mom even mine is after hygiene so I asked him whether during all his travels if hes ever faced this problem. He laughed and said “Never !!”  When he was leaving the next day my mom asked him where his bag was ? and he said it was in the luggage room in the railway station As Jon would admit that my mom would never invite him to come home again which she did, if she got to know the truth

As Jon left. His way of travelling got me thinking. To think of our lives as a journey. It amazes me the amount of baggage we all carry and how much of it is unwanted.May be there is something for us to pick up from Jon.

Isnt it what they say Travel Light, I’m sure it can’t get lighter.. or well.. can it ?? Its all in the imagination

I was asked on the first day of this year, What Plans ?? And I said I want to reflect upon the year that has passed by.Sounded heavy? No it wasn’t the hangover of the night before coz I went to sleep by 10:30 PM. I just wanted to revisit the year that passed and had so much action.. So here goes…

Highs

Himalayan Biking Trip : After reading the Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guvera years ago. I always wanted to bike to the Himalayas. And finally I did it this year. No amount of words can  describe that experience. 2500 kms over 3 odd weeks, breathtaking scenery and amazing people. I don’t think I’m still done with the Himalayas, I am definitely going up there again. And I so strongly feel Kashmir is Paradise on Earth. It should be high up on any travelers list.

Starting my Business : A year back all I had was an idea and over the last year it was great to see that this idea has become a reality, Royal Mysore Walks was up and running or should I say Walking and now it sustains me. Definitely a great feeling. The challenge in 2010 is to get more things done.

Meeting people : It was year where I got to meet a lot, a hell lot of people, from various backgrounds, Artists, Journalists, Architects, Top shot Govt. Officers, Entrepreneurs, Politicians, Organic farmers, Interesting Travelers and yeah a few techies too. It was great interacting with most of them.

Give it a Shot : This was undoubtedly the best lesson I learnt over the year. Never kill an idea in your head. You never know what might work. And you have NOTHING to lose by giving it a shot. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !!

Better use of tech : Ironic but true, after I quit my job as techie I began to use technology much more. And in fact now I enjoy using technology to improve my business.  Looking forward to pick up a smart phone soon. To Stay connected is the Mantra if not its gonna cost you dearly.

Value People : I had always known that one needs to value people. But it was over the last year that I realised that its the people who make you or break you. Your BIGGEST asset is the people you invest in. Life is short choose the right people around you and invest in them selflessly.

Marketing !! Marketing !! : Over the last one year I have truly understood the importance of this magic word and why everybody keeps taking about it all the time. It sounds really really attractive but it is the MOST difficult thing to master. You never know what works. You can never give it up. Wishing I was married to a marketing guru , Life would have been so much easier and yeah, I also realised the most effective marketing tool is by the good old word of mouth, There is no better brand ambassador than a happy customer !!

Passion for Work : I had always strongly believed that there is nothing called Work satisfaction, It must have been a word invented by those creepy manager to get crappy work done. When I would hear people say I work for passion, I would always wonder how much the dude gets paid to say that. but I was so wrong all through I am glad I found mine over the last year. Hope everyone does find it. Because work cease to be work but its just fun !!

Marathons : It was also a year of long distance running. Ran the Bangalore 10k run and finished among the top 1500 out of 35,000 folks. My only achievement in the field of sports all my bludy life (have saved the certificate for my kids) also did the Kaveri Trail half marathon at Srirangapatna, It was a nice personal high. Want to do a full marathon in 2010. Takes a hell lotta preparation. I better be game.

Happy New Year !!

Lows

Relationships Suffered : When you out there trying to get things up and running, you are ought to miss out spending time with your loved ones. Personal relationships suffered. Where ever you go everybody around you is saying.. We just don’t get to see you these days. Hope to fix that this year

Lazy : Over the last 6 months I have been down right lazy. Thats the problem when you dont have a boss. Anytime is sleep time. Anytime is party time

Procrastination : The deadly disease that I have been suffering from and it could be suicidal when you are running your own show. Thankfully with great friends like Mihir, I have been trying to get cured I have also caught on to his slogan “Do it Wrong, Quickly !!” Thanks dude for being that huge moral boost. You rock !!

Follow ups : That is another department where I have slipped down. With so many people that I have been meeting. I have fallen behind in keeping touch or getting back to mails/calls. So I have put a 24hr deadline to return mails/ calls.

Attenti0n to Detail : I should sue my school for teaching me all this crap, like for ex this one, I have wasted so much time just trying to make things perfect but then you realize that what is most important is to be up and running. Over time you will achieve perfection. Or something close to it.

Double Standards : Over the turn of the year I realized or rather was made to realize that I use this weapon called Double standards in my dealing. Not good.. not good. Efforts are on to rectify it.

Fitness : All that running and Walking has done no good for fitness. One look at my size you will feel sad for my knees. So 2010 is gonna be a yr of fitness. Action speaks louder than words so I have decided not to speak on this.

I have faded : Yes its now official, I have definitely become a coulpla shades darker. Spending so much time out in sun has just not helped. For the skin I mean Damn I should have put this under the Highs as Tall, Dark n Handsome . Okay okay.. I can hear the protest for handsome. So chill its a low now

One glance above and you realize that among all those things that have either made me happy or sad over the last year.. there is one thing in common. Money doesn’t figure anywhere. And that has been a huge realization. Money does not buy you happiness nor the lack of it can make you sad

So finally 9 Highs and 8 Lows, Which means 2009 has been ‘a’ high

So.. Bring it on 2010 !!! I am rearing to go !!

When I was first introduced to this guy.. He handed me his guide book to Bangalore and Mysore and his enthusasim was sky high, As i flipped through the book, I saw the foreword written my Scion of the Mysore Royal family, I knew instantly that this guy meant serious business (for those not aware.. the common man is not allowed anywhere close to His highness

I happend to meet him a coupla months later and put another brochure in my hand and said “I manage Asia’s only Cricket Hotel” Bat and Ball Inn. As usual when I ran through it, I got to know our cricketer boys Uthappa, Sreesanth and Charu Sharma are involved in it too. I wondered about this guy’s connections. Rubbing shoulders with the who’s who.

And now he tells me that his Heritage Hotel, which is located in Asia’s only Latin quarter,Fontainhas is opening shortly. Now if you are wondering where is Fontainhas. You don’t have to travel to far because its in our very own Goa.

The man behind all this,Mr Mihir Nayak of the Mitaroy iLuxury brand is still in his 20s but is determined to change how one experiences hospitality in India, Having spent a bulk of time in Vienna,Europe studying Tourism and is now exploring his options in India. Probably this is what Indian Tourism needs, Young blood, International exposure, Loads of enthusiasm and above all the commitment to see it through. His fluency in German I was told is truly impressive by an Austrian Diplomat.If you wish to know more check out his blog.I feel that I have gained so much knowing a person like Mihir. Great going Dude !!

I was at this rally today organised in Mysore as a remembrance of 26/11, The day that India will remember for a long time to come. As I write this post If I look back the same time a year back, I remember partying in Pune looking at some scantly clad women without being aware that the world is being shattered for so many at that very moment.

Observeing 26/11 in front of Townhall, Mysore

I spent the next 10 days in Vipassana without any communication with the rest of the world. And when I got to Bambay soon after. Everything seemed normal except near the Taj.  I wanted to take the Walking Tour in Bombay and the lady running it wasn’t sure if it’ll happen because of the obvious reason. I wondered why cant life still carry on like before? Anyways she finally did the tour for me, which started from the Gateway of India and I could still feel the tension in the air with the whole area still cordoned off. For the records the walk was an absolute disappointment.

The Bullet mark at Leopolds

I went to the Leopolds Cafe later, I had always wanted to go to that place.. I was sitting by myself sipping beer and all I could see was bullet marks all over the place, from the walls, pillars, ceiling to the table cloth. Nothing seemed to have escaped the fury of that night. They had preserved it all as some kind of memorabilia, which I failed to understand why. I was sitting in a corner and when I turned to the Wall right next to me, I saw a deep bullet mark piercing the mirror. It shook me a bit because who ever was sitting there that unfortunate night would sure have not survived.

I am glad I went to Leopolds and dint avoid (as I had been advised, again for obvious reasons) it because I happened to meet Gregory David Roberts,the Author of the most gripping book I have read so far, Shantaram. The very reason I was at the Leos was because a lot of what is described in the book takes place at Leos. I was thrilled to meet Gregory and get his scribblings on my book. I am glad he too dint avoid this place because of “security reasons”.

With Shantaram at Leos

I was in Kashmir this July on a biking trip more about it here. I was in Leh when my good friend and Author of Splendours of Royal Mysore, Vikram Sampath called. He asked “Vinay, Is Mysore safe now?” I said “Why?” He said “A friend of mine wants to go there for a musical concert and after the recent communal clashes and deaths due to police firing, I was wondering if it was all fine now” I told him “Well.. I am in Kashmir now and this definitely feels normal !! ”

It is human be paranoid. We are living in the age of fear and we avoid going to a lot of places. doing a lot of things for the exact same reason. And by doing so we are actually helping these terrorists achieve their goal. That is to drive fear into our minds. Dont you think the most fitting reply to these rouges is to live as if we are not affected. Every place is affected by terrorism. Weren’t there blasts in London, New York , Madrid, Bali? Yet we Indians avoid Kashmir like plague. Which I think is the most beautiful place on earth that I have been to and where people with their kindness and helpful nature show you what humanity means. When we Indians regard as Kashmir unsafe I don’t blame the foreigner for his/her attitude towards India.

I am not writing this post claiming that I wear my undies outside my pants and that I am Sooperman !! I am just another individual like so many other who wants to lead his life normally so that terrorists know that their objective will never be fulfilled by creating fear and if we all as a nation do it together, It’ll be loud and clear.

As for the question, Is Mysore Safe ? I think its safe as any another city in the world or probably as unsafe. Ain’t it the same

As I write this post The Uncommon Man is in our city Mysore, The City where he grew up. And I had the opportunity of meeting this creative personality.India’s greatest Cartoonist, Mr RK Laxman. I have always wanted to meet him but more so off late because I’ve been harbouring this thought of starting a Walk on Malgudi Days in Mysore. With help from Mr Vattam and Mr GVK I was able to locate Mr Laxman in Mysore. I called introducing myself and Mrs Kamala Laxman was extremely kind to give me an appointment, She is the author of Children’s Books having authored more than 15 books, her book “Tenali Raman” was serialised by Doordarshan.

The Uncommon man, Mr RK Laxman

As I entered their Hotel room and took a seat I found Mr Laxman in conversation with an elderly man or should I rather say listening to an elderly man as he was doing most of the talking. Then I realized they were childhood buddies and also played cricket together. The elderly man turned to Mrs Laxman and said “Your husband was a great bowler”  And she innocently replied “I suppose So”  The elderly man kept asking Mr Laxman if he remembered this person or that from their childhood days but I could just see Mr Laxman silently nod in disapproval. Then finally the elderly man asked if Mr Laxman knew who he was talking to for which Mr Laxman very  innocently said “No” The elderly man then asked, how can you forget all this , for which Mr Laxman pointed to his head and looked up in despair indicating his old age. I couldn’t help but notice the innocence on Mr Laxman’s face so much like his creation The Common Man. His outstanding ability to just observe and it put in on paper I guess is what makes him stand out.

They talked very fondly of Kunjappa who I then realised was RK Narayan and the other brothers whom they fondly called Srini, Pattabhi etc. I couldnt help but recollect from Mr Laxman’s Auto Bio The Tunnel of Time where he recollects that when he went to the Maharaja’s College, Mysore to study and the last bencher he was he sat on the same bench as his brothers and saw all this 5 brother’s initials craved out on the bench like RKN, RKP, RKS and he says he would go on to complete the genealogy by marking RKL on the same bench. In 2002 when Mr Laxman was at a function at the Maharaja’s College, He and his good friend Mr Satyan the great Photojournalist would go on to search for that particular bench but without luck. As the elderly man was leaving he asked Mr Laxman  ”So where do we meet next ” for which Mr Laxman pointing to the sky said “We will meet there again, after death”.

There were also some women who joined in and had embroidered Mr Laxman’s works on a piece of cloth and got him to autograph on them and took some pics together. They wanted to send these pics to The Laxmans, and asked for their email id, for which Mrs Laxman replied “we do have a computer at home but we are far away from that world.We dont have mail ids” So the women decided to get their residential address so that they could post the pics. Mrs Kamala Laxman went on with the address in detail saying, Flat number so and so.. cross.. main.. park area etc etc Pune, for which Mr Laxman sitting next to her remarked “Is so much required ? ” Mrs Laxman admitted “Oh yes, once someone sent a post just mentioning Mr RK Laxman, Pune and it actually reached us but I dont want to take a chance here”  Mr Laxman said “We have been there for so long and it helps” Watching all this being told not with air of arrogance but with pure innocence made me realize how they are what they are today for not letting success into your head.

Laxman Rekhas on Laxman Rekhas

As the other guests left I had a few old photographs of Mysore for Mr Laxman which seemed to get his attention and he talked a bit about how he loved skteching in the Deveraja Market and how he and his cricket team Rough,Tough and Jolly played cricket in the Middle School Grounds.  It was time for dinner and I dint want to keep the couple waiting. I got his book Laxman Rekhas autographed. As i left I said “I have grown up reading your cartoons and thanks Sir for making our lives so colorful ” He wished me Good luck. The simplicity of Mr RK Laxman and the sweetness of Mrs Kamala Laxman was profound.

As I was getting back home, I couldnt help but notice that it was Childrens Day today and what better way to celebrate than by meeting the man whose sketches always grabbed your attention as kid when the news dint make sense and even as an adult when the sketches made more sense. From the child in me “Thank you Mr Laxman for your Laxman Rekhas. You are a Genius !!! “

TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) was in Mysore. Its debut in India and it was being held in the sprawling Infosys Campus in Mysore. You had the attendees from all over the world descending in Mysore and I happened to lead one of the groups to the NGO tour in Saragur,

Saragur is about 70 kms and from Mysore towards the forests in Kabini. It was a group of around 25, for most of them it was their first time in India, And driving by the Indian country side definitely throws up a lot of interesting sights. Shared a few Mysore stories, Be the Tipu’s connection with NASA or the Spy Princess Noor Inayat Khan’s roots in the city but what ends up being your favorite sight would be the numerous cows on Indian roods. Why the holy cow is so revered in this country and the multifarious uses of its products. One can probably spend all day understanding the Cow and still not be done with it.

The NGO that we were visiting was Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM). Started in 1984 by a group of Doctors from Mysore Medical College, who after being inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s teaching went on to move to the tribal area in this region to serve them. It highly inspiring how they have been successful in transforming the community there. Over the 25 years of SVYM’s existence they have set up specialty hospital there and also schools for tribal children. As they put it “Good health is just the entry point into the Society, Then education was required and later self sustenance ” Something which they have wonderfully demonstrated  by also setting up community driven initiatives for self sustenance.

The doctors took the teams around on a guided tour first of the Hospital built mostly with money from donations. They explained how small changes had been made to suit the local conditions. Once done with the hospital we were nexttaken to what I call “The Toilet showroom”. It was place where they had different basic models of the Indian style of lavatory so that they could demostrate to the tribals the inportance of sanitation and hygene. Since most infection are caused by the lack of it. Since most of the local still defecate in the open, the focus was on getting these people to use these lavatories at home . There was also a board having the split up of costs to set up a lavatory, like raw materials, labor etc. If the person could supply any of this on his own then the cost of it was struck down. It was a classic example of how to get an idea working and also how well the doctors learnt from their experiences and kept evolving.

Later visited the school, where kids seemed really happy being there. Use of computers was stressed with the school have a full fledge computer lab with internet connection which was very impressive. We also did a tour for their organic farm, It was to see how small changes farming practice can make so much of difference. There were fresh oranges, sweet strawberries all waiting to be tasted. The smell of freshness that one gets in the middle of a farm can be intoxicating.

It was great to see doctors from a premier medical college in India who could have made millions in any corner of the world but chose to made a difference to people. Great show to their hard work, dedication and service. Recognized by numerous awards.  Like TED says, It was definitely a tour of Ideas worth spreading !!

The person who has single handedly made twitter popular in India , Mr Shashi Tharoor A tweetup in Bangalore on the 4th of Nov was a great way of  meeting this person up close. And if you have been tracking his columns, reading his books and following him on twitter you would even travel from Mysore like how I did to be a part of the action. Thats the Tharoor power over the younger generation.

Once at the venue Mr Tharoor took off seamlessly over how he joined politics and what got him to twitter. Mr Tharoor’s unassuming self, his amazing sense of humor with his brilliant timing at it and his positive attitude would grab anybody attention. I found him appealing because he was normal, more for the sense in what he spoke rather than how he spoke and more of the Aam Aadmi around him rather than security guards. so unlike our other netas, here was a leader I could connect to. A refreshing difference in our political class.

At the informal setting (pic by Soham)

Mr Thaoor got to fielding questions varying from Politics and Cricket to Social Causes, It was great watching him at ease and how well he tackled the question around his twitter controversy. Sample some of these..

Audience : You should suggest that twitter should make manditory for all minister ?

ST: “I’m not the right person for the job”

Audience : How do you manage to stay so positive in spite of being in the Indian Political arena?

ST: “If you want to make things better you have to believe that things can get better and stay positive”

Audience : How would you want the younger generation in India to change

ST: “I’m not the sort of  person who would  want to change people”

Audience : Describe yourself in 140 chars ?

ST: “Lets not even get there”

Now with the time for Questions over and he was getting ready to leave to Mysore for the TED Conference, I asked the minister “Can i hitch a ride back with you to Mysore ?” And genetly came the reply with smile “Sorry, Its a official car..so I wont be allowed” So there I missed my ride to Mysore with the Mr Tharoor. But what a tweetup it had been. And I managed to get his book The Elephant, The Tiger and The Cellphone (Which i bought the day I quit my job to start Royal Mysore Walks .. and have been using much of its stories to keep my guests entertained on India Autographed, another reason I was at the tweetup.

Tweeple with the Twitter Minister (pic by avid00)

It was a great effort by dhempe, tinucherian and santoshp to bring together the tweetup. A lovely choice of venue at TERI, Domlur. It left me thinkning, we need more minister like Mr Tharoor  because being normal is a rarity these days !!

Bombe Mane as it is called, literally translates into “House of Dolls” A age old tradition where traditional families still go on to make dolls at home and have a wonderful display of their dolls in their houses and its open for people to come and take a look. So you walk into a house take a close look at the dolls but there are so many of them that the only thing that lasts is the effect of the display

Was at one of my friend Raghav’s place, they had a nice display of dolls and few of them were made from ivory. His aunt was telling me that they were more than a hundred years old and they got them for a Rupee or two back then. She also said that the sellers would force people to buy they dolls if it meant the payment came months later. Guess Mysore had quite a few elephants to spare All this displayed in a 100 yrs old house which Raghav’s granddad bought from a British Officer makes it even more special.

Was also at the Ramsons Kala Parishad , They have one of the finest collections of handicrafts in Mysore and they had organised a week long exhibition cum sale of their dolls. Most of them very tastefully done, like the chess board game with Tipu’s army on one side and the British soldiers on the other. Creative ! The reason their dolls appeal to me is because there seems to be some kind of life infused in their creations, You would not refute it if you knew the people behind it, Mr RG Singh and Mr Raghu who have done some incredible reserach on the history on dolls and also on traditional board games in India. It blew me. Their passion comes out in their creations. Check them out the next time you are in Mysore, well worth a visit.

Lastly, I went to this place in Srirangapatna where this woman had displayed a collection of 500 odd dolls. I personally dint enjoy them. And I dont think just buying dolls from all over and displaying it talks about your interest in them but rather about the size of ones husband’s wallet :)  like I said some dolls are great, some dolls are fine , Not all dolls are pretty

Recently during Dasara Jessie Paul, Chief Marketing Officer of Wipro and her family were in Mysore and were on the  Royal Mysore Walks. It was interesting how we got across to eachother. It was on twitter where Jessie was promoting her new book No Money Marketing A  very catchy title for any entrepreneur. And I was promoting my Walks

Coupla days later, Got a tweet from Jessie saying that she and her family would be in Mysore and wanted to know if they could do the Night Walk during Dasara. A few tweets and a few hours later I was showing them around my city which was beautifully illuminated for Dasara.

NoMoney Marketing is a book on frugal marketing. A concept every business no matter how big or small would like to implement. After all who wouldn’t want more mileage by spending as little as possible It gives you a good perspective as to how you should go about creating your brand and how you ought to market it effectively. The book is simple, to the point (no high flying jargons), crisp and gets you thinking. Though it talks about examples from the IT world, The ideas can be put to use across businesses. In fact watching the Author promoting her book is a great learning on marketing. After all the Internet is going to change how we all do business and this a good book for anybody who wants to sell.

As for me, I was delighted to have an autographed copy of the book from the author and some real good tips on marketing from the CMO herself  And I must say they cracked all my trivias on Mysore, the only ones to do so on my Walks so far

During the 10 days of Dasara festivities, The King holds court every evening. A tradition that has been going on for centuries. Even now there is a Private Durbar held every evening at 7PM during the first 9 days where the Maharaja’s family and friends are invited for the same. And if you lucky enough to sneak in like I did you might as well get to steal a glance.

Golden Throne

After pulling a lot of strings and a bit of my patience we managed to enter the Private Durbar Hall of the Mysore Palace, Which in my personal opinion is the grandest and the most beautiful place in the Palace (of the little that i have seen). You had the cremonial Golden Throne out on display. It is really impressive with all the gold and studded with precious stones. With a line of priests sitting in row in front of the throne and also the Palace staff deressed up in ceremonial robes waiting for the Maharaja to Arrive. The entire ambience makes you feel thatyou are actually in the bygone Royal Era.

The Maharaja makes a grand entrance, The Palace staff guide him to the throne, A lot fanfare, Bugles being blown and respect shown (real or otherwise) in lot a ways. It feels like you are watch a 1960s movie on some royal dynasty ,

They go on to announce loudly something that you can never decipher expect for the words “SriKantaDatta Narasimha Raja Wodeyar Bahadur”, guess they were singing praising for the Maharaja. He accends the throne and salutes.For the next 20-30 mins there are a lot of Pujas that are performed and the loud annuncement keeps coming up regular intervals. After which the Maharaja decends the Thonre and is escorted away.

Truban Maker

The best part of the evening was when we came out and happened to meet Mr Paramesh the  turban maker, He is from the family of turban makers who makes the famous Mysore Peta (Traditional Mysore head gear). You see him in the pic wearing the traditional robe and silver in his hands. Took down his contact , So you might end up seeing more insider details on the Mysore Peta on Royal Mysore Walks